How to Connect Earbuds to PS5 | Wired and Wireless Setup Explained

PS5 earbuds connect via the DualSense controller’s 3.5 mm jack, a USB audio device, or Sony’s PlayStation Link — never plain Bluetooth.

Sony left standard Bluetooth audio off the PS5 entirely, which is why your AirPods never appear as a sound device. Working out how to connect earbuds to PS5 comes down to three options — a cable into the controller, a USB audio device, or Sony’s own wireless system — and only one behaves like ordinary wireless audio. A plug settles the question faster than any menu.

Can You Use Bluetooth Earbuds With A PS5?

No. The PlayStation 5 does not support standard Bluetooth audio, and no setting changes that.

Sony sends wireless game audio through PlayStation Link instead — the low-latency system used by PULSE Explore — or through a USB audio device the console recognizes. The Bluetooth screen under Settings > Accessories > Bluetooth Accessories is for compatible controllers and keyboards, not AirPods. One trap: the PlayStation Link USB adapter bundled with PULSE Explore is not a general Bluetooth receiver, so plugging it in will never wake an unrelated pair of earbuds.

Connecting Earbuds To PS5 By Cable: Where The Plug Goes

Wired earbuds plug into the 3.5 mm headset jack on the bottom edge of the DualSense controller, between the grips — not into the console, which has no headphone jack.

1. Push the earbuds’ plug into that controller jack until it seats.
2. On the PS5, open Settings > Sound > Audio Output.
3. Set Output Device to the controller or headset entry.
4. For chat, point Input Device at the earbuds’ mic, or leave it on the controller’s built-in mic.

Sound moves to the earbuds the instant the output switches, and the on-screen volume slider starts driving them.

Microphone passthrough needs a four-pole TRRS plug; a stereo-only plug gives sound and nothing else. USB earbuds and adapters sometimes register as an output device, but only buy one whose specs name PS5 compatibility.

Wireless Setup: PlayStation Link And Bluetooth Transmitters

Two wireless setups work: Sony’s PlayStation Link earbuds, or a third-party Bluetooth transmitter in a USB port.

1. Turn the PS5 on.
2. Leave both PULSE Explore earbuds inside the charging case.
3. Plug the included PlayStation Link USB adapter into a USB Type-A port.
4. Lift both earbuds out; they connect to the adapter on their own.

Audio lands in the earbuds a second or two after you lift them out, with no pairing menu involved. PlayStation’s PULSE Explore connection guide lists the same order and ties the adapter to compatible PlayStation Link hardware rather than to Bluetooth in general.

Both earbuds also pair over Bluetooth with a phone or tablet: hold the case’s PS Link button for about eight seconds, until the indicator blinks blue rapidly, then choose PULSE Explore in that device’s Bluetooth list.

A Bluetooth transmitter is the fallback for earbuds never built for a console. Plug it into a USB port, put it and the earbuds into pairing mode, then open Settings > Sound > Audio Output and select the transmitter if it appears. Expect latency, a microphone that often fails on voice chat, and no 3D audio; adapter behavior varies too much to promise otherwise.

If you have not bought yet, our tested roundup of earbuds for PS5 sorts the models that hold a stable connection from the ones that cut out mid-match.

Match the setup to the earbuds already in your drawer: a cable if they have a plug, PULSE Explore if wireless with working chat matters, a transmitter only if you accept the compromises. The controller jack costs nothing, works in minutes, and needs no firmware or adapter — try it before you buy anything else.