How to Connect Speakers to a PS4
The PS4 has no analog audio out, and the Slim has no optical port either. Here are the four ways to get sound to external speakers, with costs.
The PS4 has no analog audio output, so external speakers connect through the TV, through an HDMI audio extractor, or through the headphone jack on the controller. The original PS4 and the PS4 Pro also have an optical port. The PS4 Slim does not, and that missing port is what catches most people out.
Which method you use is decided by which console is sitting under your TV, so start there rather than at the speakers.
Check which PS4 you have first
Turn the console around and look at the back panel. The original PS4, the launch model and its revisions, has a small square optical port next to the HDMI socket. The PS4 Pro, the taller model with three layers, has one too.
The PS4 Slim, the smaller rounded model released in 2016, does not. Sony removed the optical output entirely on that revision, and no adapter plugs into a port that is not there. If your console has HDMI, ethernet, USB and nothing else, you have a Slim and the extractor route below is your answer.
Through the TV, which is the simplest route
If your speakers are already connected to the TV, connect the PS4 to the TV over HDMI and let the TV pass the audio on. Then in the console go to Settings, Sound and Screen, Audio Output Settings, and set Primary Output Port to HDMI.
Set the audio format to Linear PCM if your speakers are a simple stereo pair or a soundbar, and Bitstream if you are feeding a receiver that decodes Dolby Digital or DTS. Getting this wrong is the usual cause of silence or of only the center channel playing.
The limitation is your TV. Many modern sets have only an optical output or HDMI ARC, and a few have nothing at all. If yours has a 3.5 mm headphone socket or RCA outputs, you can run straight into powered speakers or an amplifier from there, and the job is done for the price of a cable.
Optical, if your console has the port
On an original PS4 or a PS4 Pro this is the cleanest option. A TOSLINK cable runs from the console to your receiver, soundbar or a small DAC, and the audio never touches the TV.
In Settings, Sound and Screen, Audio Output Settings, set Primary Output Port to Digital Out (Optical), then choose which formats your equipment supports. If you are feeding a stereo amplifier through a DAC, select Linear PCM only. If you are feeding a surround receiver, enable Dolby Digital and DTS.
Optical carries up to 5.1 surround but not the higher bandwidth formats, which is irrelevant on a PS4 since the console outputs Dolby Digital and DTS anyway.
The PS4 Slim answer: an HDMI audio extractor
An HDMI audio extractor sits between the console and the TV. HDMI goes in, HDMI goes out to the display, and the box splits off the audio to an optical port and usually a 3.5 mm or RCA output as well. Expect USD 25 to 60 for one that works properly.
Two things decide whether it works. It has to support the resolution and refresh rate you are gaming at, so a 4K 60 Hz unit if you are on a Pro with a 4K set. And it has to handle HDCP, since the PS4 encrypts its HDMI output. Cheap extractors that ignore HDCP produce a black screen and no sound.
The PS4 does have an Enable HDCP toggle in Settings, System, and turning it off makes stubborn extractors behave. Be aware that disabling it also stops Netflix, Disney Plus and other video apps from playing, so you end up switching it back and forth. Buying an HDCP compliant extractor in the first place is the less annoying path.
Through the controller headphone jack
The DualShock 4 has a 3.5 mm socket that outputs full game audio, not just chat. Plug powered desktop speakers or an amplifier into it and you have sound, with no adapter and no cost.
Go to Settings, Devices, Audio Devices, then set Output to Headphones to All Audio. Without that step you only get chat.
This works and is genuinely useful for a desk setup or late night play, but the controller is battery powered and the cable tethers you to the speakers. It is a workaround rather than a system.
Which method to use
| Your console and setup | Best route | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Original PS4 or Pro, with a receiver or soundbar | Optical cable direct from console | USD 8 to 15 |
| Any PS4, TV has RCA or 3.5 mm out | HDMI to TV, analog out to speakers | USD 5 to 12 |
| PS4 Slim, receiver or soundbar with optical in | HDMI audio extractor | USD 25 to 60 |
| Any PS4, soundbar with HDMI passthrough | PS4 into soundbar, soundbar into TV | Cable only |
| Desk setup, powered speakers | Controller headphone jack | USD 5 |
Frequently asked questions
Does the PS4 Slim have an optical audio output?
No. Sony removed the optical port when it introduced the Slim in 2016, and it is present only on the original PS4 and the PS4 Pro. If your speakers or receiver need an optical input, you will need an HDMI audio extractor between the console and the TV, which costs USD 25 to 60 and gives you an optical output plus usually an analog one.
Can you connect speakers directly to a PS4?
Not to the console itself, since there is no analog output on any PS4 model. The closest thing to a direct connection is the 3.5 mm jack on the DualShock 4 controller, which outputs full game audio once you set Output to Headphones to All Audio in the settings. Everything else goes through the TV, an optical cable, or an HDMI extractor.
Why is there no sound from my PS4 through my speakers?
Check the Primary Output Port setting first, under Settings, Sound and Screen, Audio Output Settings. It has to match the connection you are actually using. The second common cause is an audio format mismatch: if your equipment only handles stereo, set Linear PCM and turn off Dolby Digital and DTS. On an HDMI extractor, a black screen with no audio usually means an HDCP problem rather than a settings one.
Is optical or HDMI better for PS4 audio?
HDMI carries more bandwidth, but the PS4 outputs Dolby Digital and DTS at most, both of which fit comfortably down an optical cable. In practice there is no audible difference between the two on this console. Optical has one real advantage, which is that it bypasses the TV entirely, so you avoid whatever processing or downmixing the television applies on the way through.