Panasonic’s wearable speaker doesn’t do Final Fantasy 14’s soundtrack justice

techradar.com:

Recently, I was lucky enough to test out the Panasonic SoundSlayer Gaming Speaker, or more specifically, the Final Fantasy 14-branded version. And as an avid player of the popular MMORPG, I was eager to hear how the game’s eclectic soundtrack would sound through a bespoke speaker that’s more than a little different from your  traditional pair of headphones.

The FF14 version of Panasonic’s device is the same GN01E neck-mounted speaker, however, it’s emblazoned with Final Fantasy 14 iconography and features recognizable sound effects from the game upon powering the device on or switching between the various sound profiles. 

First impressions of the Panasonic GN01E-FF were strong, largely owing to the excellent build quality and comfy, lightweight fit. However, after testing the speaker on both PS5 and PC versions of Final Fantasy 14, as well as for listening to music in general, the overall experience is rather disappointing.

To address the elephant in the room, yes, Square Enix likely partnered with Panasonic to offer an audio product that Final Fantasy 14 players would get a kick out of using, largely owing to the game’s wonderfully diverse soundtrack. We’ve seen the two companies collaborate before with the SoundSlayer HTB01FF Limited Edition Gaming Speaker. In reality, though, the Panasonic GN01E-FF doesn’t really seem like it was designed with Final Fantasy 14 players in mind.

As mentioned, this Final Fantasy 14-themed speaker is an existing Panasonic product, the GN01E, which means it has identical specs, from its 4.0 surround sound channel speakers to the various sound profiles available at the touch of a button. As such, that loftier $249 / £199 price tag for the limited edition speaker gets you nothing but a logo