Connect Bluetooth headphones to a PS5 by adding hardware the console doesn’t include on its own: a USB Bluetooth adapter, a 3.5mm transmitter plugged into the DualSense controller, PS Remote Play on a phone that already has Bluetooth, or Sony’s own PULSE wireless headset and earbuds. The PS5 itself has no native Bluetooth audio support, a limitation Sony has kept through every PS5 model, so headphones that only pair over standard Bluetooth cannot connect directly through the console’s own settings menu.
Why the PS5 won’t pair Bluetooth headphones directly
Open Settings, then Accessories, then General, and you’ll find a Bluetooth Accessories menu on the PS5. It’s real, but it only pairs input devices: DualSense and DualShock 4 controllers, keyboards, and mice. Sony does not expose a matching menu for Bluetooth audio output, so a pair of standard Bluetooth headphones will never show up as a connectable device there, no matter how long you leave them in pairing mode. The commonly cited reason is latency: standard Bluetooth’s default codec, SBC, was built for phone calls and music rather than fast-paced games, and it adds enough delay that a gunshot on screen can land noticeably behind the bang in your ears. Sony keeps its own wireless stack for controllers only, and routes headphone audio through USB, the controller’s 3.5mm jack, or its own proprietary PULSE and PlayStation Link hardware instead. Firmware updates can change exact menu wording and locations over time, so treat the paths in this guide as current rather than permanent.
Method 1: A USB Bluetooth adapter
The most common fix is a small USB dongle that plugs into one of the PS5’s USB-A ports and pairs with your Bluetooth headphones on the other end. The dongle talks to the PS5 over USB, not Bluetooth, so the console just sees it as a generic sound card. Go to Settings, then Sound, then Audio Output, and set Output Device to USB Headset; turn on Switch Output Device Automatically if you want the PS5 to switch to it whenever it’s plugged in. Not every USB Bluetooth adapter works this way. Ones built for game consoles present themselves as USB audio devices and often use their own low-latency radio link to the headphones rather than a standard Bluetooth audio profile, which is why they beat plain Bluetooth for lag. A generic USB Bluetooth dongle meant for a PC, by contrast, may not register as an audio device on the PS5 at all, so check the product listing for explicit PS5 or PS4 support before buying one.
Method 2: A 3.5mm transmitter in the DualSense
Every DualSense controller has a 3.5mm TRRS jack on its bottom edge, the same port a wired gaming headset plugs into. A small Bluetooth transmitter with a matching 3.5mm plug clips onto that jack, pairs with your headphones, and sends audio to them wirelessly from that point on, while the PS5-to-controller link stays wired. In Settings, then Sound, then Audio Output, set Output Device to Headset (Controller), then set Output to Headphones to All Audio so game sound goes to the transmitter instead of just chat. This route keeps the DualSense’s own microphone active for party chat even though most clip-on transmitters only send audio out, since the controller’s jack carries a separate microphone signal that doesn’t depend on the transmitter. It’s usually the cheapest fix if you already own headphones you like, and it tends to survive PS5 system updates well, since it depends on a generic headphone jack rather than the console recognizing a specific device type.
Method 3: PS Remote Play on a phone or tablet
PS Remote Play, Sony’s free app for iOS and Android, streams your PS5’s picture and sound to a phone or tablet over your home network. Once it’s running, the audio comes from the phone, not the console, so you pair Bluetooth headphones the ordinary way in the phone’s own Bluetooth settings, and game audio, party chat, and your own voice all route through them like any other app. This is the simplest way to use AirPods or any other Bluetooth headphones with no extra hardware, and it still works with a DualSense connected to the phone over Bluetooth for controls. The tradeoff is that you’re playing through a video stream rather than the console’s direct output, so you inherit the phone’s own Bluetooth latency on top of whatever delay Remote Play adds over your network, and picture quality depends on your Wi-Fi. It suits couch play on a tablet or a late session where you don’t want the TV on, less so competitive online games where every frame of delay counts.
Method 4: Sony’s PULSE wireless headsets and earbuds
Sony sells its own wireless audio for PS5: the PULSE Elite headset and PULSE Explore earbuds. According to Sony’s support documentation, both connect to the console through a small USB adapter using PlayStation Link, Sony’s proprietary wireless protocol, not Bluetooth, which is why they need that adapter in a USB-A port rather than a pairing step in the Bluetooth Accessories menu. Both devices also carry a standard Bluetooth radio, so you can pair them separately to a phone to take a call or play music, and Sony says the headset can hold its PlayStation Link connection to a PS5 and a Bluetooth connection to a phone at the same time, mixing both into your ears. That dual link is the main thing plain Bluetooth headphones can’t do on a PS5 without Remote Play. The tradeoff is cost and lock-in: PULSE hardware is priced like a first-party accessory, and the low-latency link only works through the included adapter, not with a second console or a phone directly.
Can you connect AirPods to a PS5?
Not directly. AirPods only support standard Bluetooth, and since the PS5 has no Bluetooth audio menu, they can’t be paired to the console the way you’d pair them to an iPhone. There are two practical workarounds. Plug a USB Bluetooth adapter into the PS5, set it as the audio output, and pair the AirPods to that adapter instead of to the console itself; most current AirPods models pair fine with generic USB Bluetooth transmitters since both sides use the ordinary Bluetooth audio profile. Or open PS Remote Play on the iPhone or iPad the AirPods already pair with, and let the phone handle both the Bluetooth audio and the video stream from the PS5. There’s no 3.5mm option for AirPods since they have no cable, so the DualSense jack route in Method 2 is out unless you also own a corded pair of headphones as a backup.
Comparing the four ways to add Bluetooth headphones to a PS5
Latency, microphone support, and cost vary enough between these routes that the right pick depends on what you’re playing. The table below lines them up side by side.
| Method | How the PS5 sees it | Mic for party chat | Works with AirPods |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB Bluetooth adapter | USB Headset audio output | Only if the adapter supports a mic return path | Yes, most models |
| 3.5mm transmitter in DualSense | Headset (Controller) audio output | Yes, via the controller’s own mic | No, needs a corded backup pair |
| PS Remote Play | Not seen by the console; the phone handles audio | Yes, through the phone’s Bluetooth | Yes |
| PULSE Elite or PULSE Explore | PlayStation Link via USB adapter, not Bluetooth | Yes, full support | Not applicable, uses its own hardware |
This guide covers audio hardware only. For other console and small-electronics how-tos, browse our full article library.
Frequently asked questions
Does the PS5 support Bluetooth headphones natively?
No. The PS5’s Bluetooth Accessories menu only pairs controllers, keyboards, and mice. Bluetooth headphones need a USB adapter, the DualSense’s 3.5mm jack, PS Remote Play, or Sony’s PULSE hardware to produce sound.
Why does my PS5 headset have audio delay?
Standard Bluetooth’s SBC audio codec adds noticeably more delay than a wired connection or the low-latency radio links used by gaming-specific dongles and Sony’s PULSE headsets, so game sound and voice chat can trail the picture by a beat.
Can I use a wired headset with the DualSense instead?
Yes. Any wired headset with a standard 3.5mm TRRS plug works straight into the jack on the bottom of the DualSense controller, with no adapter and no Bluetooth involved at all.
Do PULSE Elite and PULSE Explore need Bluetooth to work with a PS5?
No. They connect to the PS5 through the included USB adapter using PlayStation Link, Sony’s own wireless protocol. Their Bluetooth radio is a separate connection for pairing to a phone or PC.
Will a USB Bluetooth dongle work with a PS4 as well as a PS5?
Often, yes, since both consoles read a compliant dongle as a USB audio device the same way, but check the packaging or listing for the specific console before buying, since not every model supports both.