We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-05 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want the lowest latency and a true plug-in wireless dongle for console and PC gaming — plus a fit that stays put during a workout — choose Picun V1; if you need serious active noise cancelling, marathon battery life and a richer music-first sound for everyday listening and gym sessions, choose realme Buds Air 8.
• Picun V1 — biggest strength: a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle paired with 15ms latency, which is the closest thing here to a wired-feeling connection for PC, PS5, PS4, Switch and VR.
• Picun V1 — biggest trade-off: no dongle-free low latency, a shorter 20-hour total battery figure and only IPX4 sweat resistance, so it's a gaming-first tool rather than an all-day companion.
• realme Buds Air 8 — biggest strength: 55dB active noise cancellation, 58 hours of total playtime, IP55 dust and water resistance and dual 11mm + 6mm dynamic drivers.
• realme Buds Air 8 — biggest trade-off: 45ms latency over Bluetooth only, with no dedicated dongle, so it can't match the Picun's wired-style responsiveness in competitive play.
• Who each pick is for: Picun V1 for the console/PC gamer who also wants one pair for the gym; realme Buds Air 8 for the commuter, traveller and gym-goer who wants noise cancelling and long battery first.
The Picun V1 is built around one idea: get the audio out of the screen and into your ears as fast as possible. The headline number is 15 milliseconds of latency, achieved through a 2.4GHz wireless dongle rather than Bluetooth alone. That dongle is the whole point — you plug the USB-C transmitter into a PC, PS5, PS4, Switch or VR headset, and the earbuds reconnect to it automatically. A USB-C to USB-A adapter is included for older ports, and there's a smart charge case, a charging cable and three sizes of ear caps in the box. Bluetooth 5.4 is there too, so the same buds can pair with your phone when you're not gaming.
Sound is handled by dual 10mm dynamic drivers running a 20Hz–20,000Hz range, tuned for a 3D stereo presentation. The pitch is spatial awareness — hearing footsteps and gunshots positioned around you rather than flattened into a stereo line. The microphone is designed around real-time, lag-free team chat, which matters more than raw fidelity when you're calling out positions mid-round.
realme Buds Air 8: Who It's For
The realme Buds Air 8 plays a different game entirely. Its centrepiece is 55dB smart active noise cancellation, which the spec sheet frames as cancelling the overwhelming majority of ambient noise, from engine drone to office chatter. That's a genuinely different proposition from the Picun's passive seal — this is electronics doing the silencing.
Battery is the other headline: up to 58 hours of total playtime, with flash charging that turns a short top-up into hours of playback. Drivers are a dual setup — 11mm plus 6mm — aimed at deep bass with clear highs, and the tuning is supported by 360° Spatial Audio and Hi-Res LHDC for a wide, detailed stage. Calls run through a 6-mic ENC array. Latency is 45ms, over Bluetooth 5.4 with a 33-foot range and touch controls.
Durability is where it separates itself for training: IP55 dust and water resistance is a step above IPX4, which is the difference between surviving sweat and surviving sweat plus dust and spray. For anyone hunting the best noise cancelling Bluetooth earbuds for workout use, this is the stronger candidate — the ANC lets you train in a loud gym without cranking the volume, and the battery means you're not charging every other day. You also get extras like an AI face-to-face translator for 30+ languages, which is a travel feature rather than a gaming one.
The trade-off is competitive gaming. 45ms over Bluetooth is fine for casual play and media, but it isn't in the same conversation as a 15ms dongle connection. If frame-perfect audio cues are the priority, this isn't the tool.
Note that the "rotatable ear cups" style of design isn't present on either of these — both are in-ear buds, not over-ear headphones with swivelling cups. If that form factor is what you're after, neither of these is the right shape.
• Best for competitive gaming latency → Picun V1. 15ms plus a 2.4GHz dongle beats 45ms over Bluetooth for PC, PS5, PS4, Switch and VR.
• Best for console and PC plug-and-play → Picun V1. The transmitter auto-installs and reconnects; the included USB-C to USB-A adapter covers older ports.
• Best for noise cancelling → realme Buds Air 8. 55dB ANC versus the Picun's passive seal only.
• Best for battery life → realme Buds Air 8. Up to 58 hours total versus 20 hours on the Picun, with flash charging on top.
• Best for workout durability → realme Buds Air 8. IP55 outranks IPX4 for sweat, dust and spray.
• Best for music-first sound → realme Buds Air 8. Dual 11mm + 6mm drivers with Hi-Res LHDC and 360° Spatial Audio.
• Best for team chat during games → Picun V1. The mic is explicitly engineered for real-time, lag-free teammate communication.
• Best for travel → realme Buds Air 8. ANC plus the AI translator for 30+ languages is a travel kit in one pair of buds.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Picun V1 — but only if gaming latency is genuinely the reason I'm shopping. The 2.4GHz dongle and 15ms figure solve a problem Bluetooth earbuds can't, and the IPX4 build plus secure in-ear fit make it a legitimate workout pair too. For everyone else — the gym-goer who wants silence, the commuter, the traveller, the person who charges their buds once a week — I'd recommend the realme Buds Air 8. Its ANC, 58-hour battery and IP55 rating are simply more useful across a normal day. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that's the one spec sheet neither of these gives you.
what is low latency gaming in earbuds
It means the delay between the game producing a sound and you hearing it is short enough that it doesn't break your reaction. Both earbuds here address it — the Picun V1 at 15ms using a 2.4GHz dongle, the realme Buds Air 8 at 45ms over Bluetooth 5.4.
which low latency is best for gaming earbuds
Lower is better, and the connection type matters more than the number. The Picun V1's 15ms runs over a dedicated 2.4GHz dongle, which is inherently more stable for gaming than the realme's 45ms Bluetooth figure — so for competitive play, the Picun V1 is the stronger choice.
what is low latency gaming mode in earbuds
It's a setting or connection path that shortens audio delay so footsteps, gunshots and voice chat land in sync with what's on screen. On the Picun V1 that low-latency path is the 2.4GHz dongle plus Bluetooth 5.4; on the realme Buds Air 8 it's the 45ms Bluetooth mode.
do I need a dongle to get low latency on these earbuds
Only on the Picun V1 — its 15ms figure comes from the included 2.4GHz USB-C transmitter, which also works via the bundled USB-C to USB-A adapter. The realme Buds Air 8 has no dongle; its 45ms latency is Bluetooth-only.
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