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The PlayStation 5 is a tremendous piece of hardware, but Sony isn’t exactly open-armed when it comes to Bluetooth audio. Sony sells wireless headsets like the $150 PULSE Elite, and instead of Bluetooth, they use a proprietary, short-range protocol called PlayStation Link to pair with your console. This prevents you from linking up a Bluetooth speaker, headphones, or earbuds directly to your PS5. Fortunately, a couple of workarounds let you pair Bluetooth tech, but the most reliable method will cost a few dollars.
You’ll need to invest in a USB Bluetooth adapter to plug into your PS5. Several brands make these USB gadgets, and we’re always happy to recommend something from UGREEN. This $27 USB-C Bluetooth adapter has 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon, a score based on over 2,600 user reviews. It’s about as plug-and-play as it gets: connect the adapter and head into your PS5 audio settings. Set “UGREEN-BT501” as your output device, and disable automatic output device switching.
The only thing left to do is to put both the adapter and your Bluetooth device into pairing mode; that’s all there is to it! This is a great workaround if you don’t like using the 3.5mm auxiliary port built into the DualSense controller, and the adapter even supports aptX Adaptive for reduced latency. UGREEN and Avantree are the two main brands you’ll find when searching for a PS5 adapter on Amazon, and both companies have numerous high-scoring adapters to choose from.
A Bluetooth USB adapter is your most reliable option, but TV settings and the PS Remote Play app are other workarounds
If you don’t want to buy a USB gadget to bypass your PS5’s garden walls, there’s a TV-based workaround that might do the trick. One requirement: your TV must be able to receive Bluetooth transmissions. Luckily, more and more sets now offer native Bluetooth support. If you know for a fact that your TV is Bluetooth-ready, all you need to do is head into your PS5 audio settings.
Select your TV as the output device, and now your PS5 will route audio to your TV via HDMI. In this setup, your TV acts as a Bluetooth “bridge” between your Bluetooth speaker or headphones and your PS5 audio. The only thing left to do is to pair your audio device to your TV. One final workaround is using the PS Remote Play app as a Bluetooth backdoor. For this method to work, you’ll need to enable Remote Play in your PS5 settings (Settings > System > Remote Play).
Next, install the PS Remote Play app on a phone, tablet, or computer. After signing into your PlayStation account, pair your Bluetooth audio device to the same hardware the Remote Play app lives on. Now, when you turn on your PS5 and start playing, the in-game audio will route to the Remote Play app, which is linked to your Bluetooth speaker or headphones.
