How to Connect Bluetooth Headphones to a PS5
The PS5 blocks Bluetooth audio and no update will change it. Here are the three routes that do work, with latency, chat support and cost compared.
The PS5 does not support Bluetooth audio, and no setting or update enables it. Sony left the profile out deliberately, so ordinary Bluetooth headphones will never appear in the console’s audio device list. The routes that do work are the 3.5 mm jack on the DualSense controller, a USB Bluetooth transmitter, or a headset that ships with its own USB dongle.
Bluetooth itself is present on the console, since the controllers use it. Audio is the specific thing that is blocked.
Why it is blocked
Bluetooth audio adds latency, typically 100 to 200 milliseconds on standard codecs. In a game that puts footsteps and gunfire visibly behind the picture, which is unacceptable in competitive play and noticeable everywhere else.
Sony’s answer was to reserve the radio for controller input and route audio through low latency alternatives instead. The dedicated PlayStation headsets use a proprietary 2.4 GHz USB dongle, which runs at a fraction of the delay.
The reasoning is defensible, and the practical result is that a USD 300 pair of headphones will not connect while a USD 20 wired pair works instantly.
Option 1: the controller jack
The DualSense has a 3.5 mm socket on the bottom edge, and this is the simplest route by a wide margin.
- Plug any wired headphones or headset into the controller.
- The console switches output automatically. If it does not, go to Settings, Sound, Audio Output and set Output Device to Headset connected to controller.
- Set Output to Headphones to All Audio, so game sound as well as chat comes through.
- Press the PS button and open the sound card at the bottom of the screen to adjust headphone volume separately from the TV.
Zero latency, no batteries, no pairing. The drawback is a cable running from the controller to your head, and the small extra battery drain on the controller.
A headset with a microphone works fully here, including chat.
Option 2: a USB Bluetooth transmitter
A transmitter plugs into a USB port on the PS5 and presents itself to the console as a USB audio device, then sends audio to your Bluetooth headphones. The console never knows Bluetooth is involved.
Buy one supporting aptX Low Latency or aptX Adaptive if your headphones support it too, since both ends must support the codec for the latency benefit to exist. Without it you get the standard delay and the audio sits visibly behind the picture.
Set Settings, Sound, Audio Output, Output Device to the USB device once it is plugged in.
The important limitation: most transmitters carry audio in one direction only, so the microphone on your headphones will not work for party chat. Some newer models include a microphone workaround, and the difference is worth checking before buying rather than after.
Expect to pay USD 25 to 60. Anything much cheaper is unlikely to support a low latency codec.
Option 3: a headset with its own dongle
Any wireless headset supplied with a USB dongle works on PS5, whether it is a PlayStation branded model or a third party gaming headset.
These run on 2.4 GHz rather than Bluetooth, with latency low enough to be imperceptible, and full two way audio so chat works.
Plug the dongle in, power the headset on, and the console picks it up as a USB audio device. Check Settings, Sound, Audio Output afterward, since the console does not always switch on its own.
If a dongle is lost it usually cannot be replaced separately, which is worth knowing before relying on one.
Comparing the three
| Route | Latency | Chat mic | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controller 3.5 mm jack | None | Yes | Nothing extra |
| USB Bluetooth transmitter | Low with aptX LL, otherwise noticeable | Usually not | USD 25 to 60 |
| Headset with USB dongle | Very low | Yes | USD 60 upward |
Things that do not work
Pairing from Settings, Accessories, since that screen handles controllers and other peripherals rather than audio devices. Bluetooth headphones will not be listed there.
Connecting headphones to the TV instead, because the PS5 audio then travels TV then Bluetooth, adding delay on top of the TV’s own processing.
The PS Remote Play route, which does let you use Bluetooth headphones with a phone or PC, but streams the game over the network and adds far more latency than Bluetooth ever did.
Waiting for a firmware update, which has been the hopeful answer since 2020 and has not arrived. The same restriction applied to the PS4, where our guide on the equivalent Xbox limitation covers a console that blocks it for different reasons.
If sound does not come through after setup
Check Settings, Sound, Audio Output, Output Device, since the PS5 keeps its own selection separate from what is physically plugged in.
Check Output to Headphones is set to All Audio rather than Chat Audio. Set to chat only, games stay on the TV and the headphones sound broken.
Open the sound card from the PS button menu and check headphone volume, which is a separate control from everything else.
For a USB device, try the rear USB port, since the front ports supply less power and some transmitters are unstable on them.
Frequently asked questions
Can you connect Bluetooth headphones to a PS5?
Not directly. The PS5 has Bluetooth for controllers but the audio profile is disabled, so headphones will never appear as an output device. Use the 3.5 mm jack on the DualSense controller, a USB Bluetooth transmitter, or a wireless headset that includes its own USB dongle.
Why did Sony block Bluetooth audio on the PS5?
Latency. Standard Bluetooth audio arrives 100 to 200 milliseconds behind the picture, which puts footsteps and gunfire visibly out of sync. Sony reserved the radio for controller input and pushed audio toward 2.4 GHz dongles, which run at a small fraction of that delay.
Do Bluetooth adapters for PS5 support the microphone?
Most do not. Typical USB transmitters send audio one way only, so headphone playback works and party chat does not. A few newer models add a microphone path, so check that specifically before buying if you use voice chat.
What is the cheapest way to use headphones on a PS5?
Plug wired headphones into the 3.5 mm socket on the bottom of the DualSense controller. It costs nothing extra, adds no latency, and supports the microphone for chat. Set Output to Headphones to All Audio in the sound settings so game audio comes through as well.