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These days, most tech that produces any kind of audio will work seamlessly with Bluetooth headphones, like AirPods. My computer, my phone, and even my Nintendo Switch all support relatively seamless Bluetooth pairing, so I pop them out of the case and get to watching or playing. The one device I can think of that does not play nice with AirPods, or any wireless headphones for that matter, is my PS5.
Here’s how I discovered this: It was late, and I wanted to play some Astro Bot. I adore the game, but, I can admit, it’s noisy. To be courteous to the rest of my house, I decided to play with my AirPods in, so I went through the usual steps: I put my AirPods in pairing mode, turned on my PS5, and navigated to Settings > Accessories > General > Bluetooth Accessories. My AirPods showed up on the list, but when I tried to connect them, I was greeted by the following message: “The PS5 doesn’t support Bluetooth audio accessories.”
I’m sorry, what? My $500 PlayStation 5 that launched in 2020, years after Bluetooth headphones were standard tech, doesn’t support Bluetooth audio accessories? That would only make sense if Sony, like, sold their own line of wired and wireless headphones, in the hopes you buy a pair of those instead of using the products you already own. Oh, right: they do. OK, other companies sell headphones designed specifically for use with the PS5 too, but come on. Even the original Switch now supports Bluetooth audio, a feature Nintendo added four years after the console launched. Sony could easily do the same.
My annoyance aside, don’t worry: The answer isn’t to buy one of Sony’s proprietary “audio accessories.” Instead, there’s an easy, free solution to the problem—assuming your TV is cooperative.
Connect your Bluetooth headphones directly to your TV
In my frustration, I did some googling and stumbled upon this Reddit thread. The OP was wondering, as I was, why they couldn’t use Bluetooth audio devices with their PS5. While there’s no official explanation (but see above for a likely one), another Redittor provided this simple yet salient suggestion: just pair your headphones with your TV.
You can do that? Why didn’t I think of that? Why didn’t I consider the fact that my TV is also a “modern” device with Bluetooth capabilities? I don’t have answers, only solutions: Just connect your AirPods to your TV when you want to use them with your PS5.
To do this, you, of course, need a TV that supports Bluetooth audio accessories. If you don’t have one, this trick won’t work. My TV is from 2017, however, and it does, so I imagine many if not most TVs purchased in the bast half-decade or so will support this option.
Check your settings
Getting this to work may require you to tinker with your audio outputs. Your PS5’s audio source will need to be set to your TV, and your TV’s audio output will also need to be its internal speakers. If you already use your TV’s speakers, this is probably already set up on both devices. But if you use an external audio setup, like a soundbar, double-check these settings. On the PS5, you’ll find this on Settings > Sound > Audio Output. On your TV, navigate to your audio settings, and ensure that the output is set to its own internal speakers, rather than another device.
Connect your headphones or earbuds
With that done, you’ll need to connect your Bluetooth headphones to your TV. Place them in pairing mode (this varies by device, so look up your brand of headphones to learn how if you don’t know), then locate your TV’s audio settings and look for anything concerning Bluetooth accessories or devices. If your TV has this menu, you should be able to search for nearby devices, and your headphones should appear in the list. Select them, wait for them to pair, and presto: Your AirPods, or other wireless headphones, will now stream the audio coming from your TV, which means they’ll also stream the audio from your PS5.
Or use a Bluetooth audio adapter
If your TV doesn’t support Bluetooth, you still don’t need to buy a pair of Sony’s headphones. Instead, you can buy something much cheaper: a Bluetooth audio adapter. These attachments outfit a non-Bluetooth device with Bluetooth capabilities. You can plug one into your PS5 or your TV, connect your headphones to it, and stream away. There are plenty of options out there, but something like UGREEN’s USB-C Bluetooth adapter seems to work well enough per the reviews. Hell, even the HomeSpot, which was specifically designed for the Switch before Nintendo added support for Bluetooth devices, works on the PS5.
You can pick up one of these adapters for around $25, and while it’s frustrating to have to spend money at all to get a feature you should have built-it, that’s better than buying a whole new headset just for playing games on your PS5 without bothering everyone around you.
