Connect speakers to your TV or monitor’s audio output, as the PS5 sends audio via HDMI. Alternatively, plug wired speakers directly into the 3.5mm headphone jack on your DualSense controller. For surround sound, connect the PS5 to an AV receiver.
The hum of the console was a familiar promise. I had just settled in to play A Plague Tale: Requiem, a game celebrated for its haunting atmosphere. The visuals were stunning, a grimly beautiful portrait of medieval France.
But as the characters whispered in darkened corridors and the ever-present swarm of rats scurried just out of sight, something felt hollow. The tiny, tinny sounds coming from my television speakers were robbing the world of its soul. The tension, the fear, the immersion—it was all flattened.
That evening, I realized the incredible audio engineering baked into modern games was being lost in translation. The PlayStation 5, with its sophisticated 3D Audio technology, is designed to place you directly in the center of its virtual worlds. Yet, most of us pipe that rich soundscape through speakers that can’t do it justice.
This is the story of how to fix that. We will explore the simple, effective ways you can learn how to connect speakers to your PS5, transforming your gaming experience from something you just see into something you truly feel.
Why Your TV Speakers Fall Short
For years, television manufacturers have been locked in a race to create the thinnest, most bezel-free screens possible. It’s a design trend that looks sleek and modern in our living rooms. But this pursuit of thinness comes at an acoustic cost.
Sound, at its core, is about moving air. Good speakers need space for their drivers to vibrate, to push air and create the rich, deep, and detailed sounds that bring a world to life.
The speakers crammed into a flat-screen TV are, by necessity, small and underpowered. They are an afterthought in a device built for images. They can produce dialogue just fine, but they struggle with the dynamic range required for a blockbuster game.
The bone-rattling explosion, the subtle crunch of snow under a character’s boot, the sweeping orchestral score that signals a triumphant moment—these sounds become compressed and lifeless. Your PS5 is sending a symphony, but your TV speakers are playing it on a kazoo. You are missing the auditory cues that developers painstakingly place to guide you, warn you, and immerse you.
The Tools for the Sonic Upgrade
Before we dive into the methods, let’s gather our tools. The good news is that you likely have most of what you need already. This is not about buying an entirely new, complex system unless you want to.
The goal is to use what you have or make a small, impactful addition.
At its most basic, you will need your PS5 console, your television, and a set of external speakers. The type of speakers will determine your connection path. This could be a sleek soundbar that sits under your TV, a pair of powered bookshelf speakers, or even a set of quality computer speakers you have on hand.
You will also need the right cables. Depending on the method you choose, this might be an HDMI cable, an optical audio cable, or a 3.5mm auxiliary cable. For some of the more creative solutions we’ll cover, you may need a small adapter, but we will get to that.
Think of this as preparing your canvas before you paint your audio masterpiece.
Connecting Speakers to Your PS5: The Main Pathways
There isn’t a single “speaker” port on the back of the PS5. The console is designed to send both audio and video through one powerful pipeline: the HDMI cable. This means our task is to intercept that audio signal and route it to a device that can do it justice.
Here are the most common and effective ways to do that.
The Simplest Route: Connecting Speakers Directly to Your TV
This is the most straightforward and popular method for a reason. It uses your television as the central hub for all your devices. The PS5 sends its audio and video to the TV through an HDMI cable, and the TV then passes the audio along to your connected speakers.
This is perfect for soundbars and many powered speaker systems.
First, check the back of your TV for an audio output port. The most common are HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) or Optical Audio (sometimes labeled Digital Audio Out). HDMI ARC is often preferred as it allows your TV remote to control the soundbar’s volume.
Connect your soundbar or speakers to the corresponding port on your TV. Then, dive into your TV’s settings menu. Look for the audio or sound section and change the output from “TV Speakers” to “HDMI ARC” or “Optical/External Speakers.” Your PS5 doesn’t need any special settings for this to work; it will continue sending its sound to the TV, and the TV will now know to redirect it to your far superior speakers.
For the Audiophiles: Using an AV Receiver
If you have a multi-speaker surround sound system, an Audio/Video (AV) receiver is your command center. This black box acts as a powerful traffic cop for all your media signals, ensuring both video and audio get to the right places in the highest possible quality. The setup is a little different but follows a clear logic: everything flows into the receiver first.
You will connect the HDMI cable from your PS5’s HDMI Out port directly to one of the HDMI In ports on your AV receiver. Then, you will run a second HDMI cable from the HDMI Out (often labeled ‘ARC’ or ‘To TV’) port on your receiver to an HDMI input on your television. The receiver strips the audio data, sends it to your connected surround sound speakers, and passes the pristine video signal through to your screen.
This setup guarantees the best audio fidelity and is the only way to experience true, discrete surround sound from your games and movies.
The Wireless Option: Bluetooth and its Limitations
Here is a point of frequent confusion: the PS5 does not directly support audio output to standard Bluetooth speakers or headphones. While the console uses Bluetooth for its DualSense controllers, it is a closed system for audio devices. But there is a clever and simple workaround if you want the convenience of a wireless connection for a pair of speakers on your desk.
You can purchase a Bluetooth audio transmitter. A common type plugs directly into the 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom of your DualSense controller. You pair your Bluetooth speaker to this small transmitter, and the controller will wirelessly send the game’s audio to it.
Another option is a transmitter that plugs into your TV’s optical or 3.5mm audio output. This method works well but can introduce a tiny amount of audio delay, or latency, which might be noticeable in fast-paced competitive games. For casual gaming, however, it’s a perfectly viable solution.
A Creative Solution: The USB Audio Adapter
This final method is a fantastic trick for using speakers that connect with a standard 3.5mm plug, like many computer speakers. The PS5 has USB ports on the front and back, and they are not just for charging controllers. They can also output audio if you have the right adapter, often called a USB DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter).
These adapters are typically small, inexpensive devices that look like a simple USB stick with a headphone jack on the end. You plug the adapter into a free USB port on your PS5. Then, plug your speakers’ 3.5mm cable into the adapter.
Go to your PS5’s settings, navigate to Sound, and then Audio Output. Under Output Device, you should see an option to select your “USB Headset” or a similarly named device. Select it, and the PS5 will now route all its sound directly through the USB port to your speakers, bypassing the TV entirely.
For more information on how these devices work, tech publications like CNET often provide excellent explainers on audio hardware.
FAQ
Can I connect Bluetooth speakers directly to my PS5?
No, you cannot connect most standard Bluetooth speakers or headphones directly to the PS5 for game audio. The console’s Bluetooth functionality is reserved for official accessories like the DualSense controller and specific licensed headsets. To use your own Bluetooth speakers, you will need a workaround, such as a Bluetooth audio transmitter that plugs into the 3.5mm jack on your controller or connects to your TV’s audio output port.
This allows the audio to be sent wirelessly from the transmitter to your speaker.
Do I need a special type of speaker for the PS5?
You do not need a “special” or “PS5-branded” speaker system. Almost any external speaker system will be a significant upgrade over your TV’s built-in speakers. The best choice depends on your budget and setup.
A soundbar is a great all-in-one solution, a pair of powered bookshelf speakers can offer excellent stereo sound, and a full AV receiver setup provides the most immersive surround sound experience. The key is choosing a speaker that fits your space and can connect via HDMI, optical, or an adapter.
What is HDMI ARC and why is it important?
HDMI ARC stands for Audio Return Channel. It is a feature of many modern TVs that allows a single HDMI cable to send audio from the TV back to a soundbar or AV receiver. This is important because it simplifies your setup.
You connect your PS5 to any HDMI input on your TV, and a separate HDMI cable from your TV’s designated ARC port connects to your soundbar. The TV automatically routes the PS5’s audio to the soundbar. It also often allows you to control the soundbar’s volume with your TV remote.
Will connecting speakers improve the PS5’s 3D Audio?
Yes, absolutely. The PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech is designed to create a sense of sound coming from all around you. While it is most pronounced with headphones, a good speaker system dramatically enhances the effect compared to standard TV speakers.
A quality soundbar or stereo speaker setup will provide a much wider and more detailed soundstage, making the directional audio cues clearer and the overall atmosphere more immersive. It allows the 3D audio engine to work with drivers that can actually produce the intended range of sounds.
What’s the difference between connecting to the TV versus an AV receiver?
Connecting speakers to your TV is a “passthrough” method. The PS5 sends audio to the TV, and the TV sends it to the speakers. It is simple and works great for soundbars and stereo speakers.
Connecting to an AV receiver is a “hub” method. The PS5 sends its audio directly to the receiver, which processes the sound and sends it to a multi-speaker surround sound system. The receiver then passes only the video to the TV.
The receiver method provides higher fidelity and is necessary for true surround sound.
Conclusion
The path to better sound is not a single, narrow road. It is a network of possibilities, from the simple, direct connection to your television to the more robust setup involving a dedicated receiver. By understanding these pathways, you can choose the one that best fits your equipment and your ambition.
You can liberate the incredible audio that game developers have so carefully crafted, turning a flat, distant experience into one that is immediate, visceral, and deeply engaging. The roar of a dragon, the pitter-patter of rain on a tin roof, the swell of an orchestra—these are not just background noise; they are part of the story.
Now that the silence of poor audio has been filled, what world will you listen to first?