Sony’s PlayStation 5 is the latest iteration of the successful PlayStation lineup. The tech community received the PS5 very well. Apple’s AirPods on the other hand are a series of Bluetooth earbuds. Since Apple removed the headphone jack on iPhone, AirPods became the default choice for listening to music or taking calls. Do you have both the PS5 and AirPods? Are you wondering how to connect AirPods to PS5? Then this guide is for you.
A Brief Note on PS5 and AirPods
The PlayStation is a very popular series of gaming consoles from Sony. In late 2020, Sony released the long-awaited PlayStation 5 or simply the PS5. It has all the bells and whistles that you would expect from a $500 console.
A custom CPU and GPU in collaboration with AMD is the most powerful on a PlayStation to date. It supports 8K resolution at 120Hz. Crazy. 8K TVs are still in their infancy. But if you have a 4K TV with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 Port, you can enjoy beautiful games with variable refresh rate support.
If you own an iPhone, then chances are you also own a pair of AirPods. They are a top-rated pair of wireless Bluetooth earbuds from Apple. They blend neatly into the Apple ecosystem.
We have the regular AirPods, which are in their 3rd generation right now. And then we have the AirPods Pro. These add the Active Noise Cancellation feature to the AirPods. There is also the AirPods Max, the ridiculously priced wireless headphone.
Why the Fuss about Connecting AirPods to PS5?
On one hand, we have the premium gaming console from Sony in the form of the PS5. On the other hand, we have the top-of-the-line Bluetooth earbuds from Apple in the form of AirPods.
If you own both these products, then you definitely would have thought about pairing them together. You can enjoy gaming without disturbing others. Here’s the catch. PS5 doesn’t support audio over Bluetooth.
In fact, PS5 doesn’t support connection to any 3rd party accessories or devices over Bluetooth. This even includes the mighty Apple AirPods.
So, the question is: How to Connect AirPods to PS5? Let us find out the possible workarounds to this problem.
How to Connect AirPods to PS5?
The simplest solution to connect AirPods to PS5 is to use an external Bluetooth Adapter. These adapters are tiny devices that plug into a USB port of the system (PS5 in this case).
Here are the steps you can follow to connect AirPods to PS5 using a Bluetooth adapter.
- Make sure your AirPods have some juice in them. If not, charge the for some time.
- PS5 has three USB Type-A Ports. One in the front and two in the rear. You can plug in the Bluetooth Adapter into any of these USB Ports.
- In case your Bluetooth Adapter comes with a USB Type-C Connector, then you can plug it into the Type-C Port of the PS5 in the front.
- Most Bluetooth Adapters enter into pairing mode as soon as you plug them in. But some units have buttons that you have to push/press. Depending on your model, make sure that the Bluetooth Adapter is in pairing mode.
- Some Bluetooth Adapters have a LED to indicate pairing and connected mode. Look out for this LED.
- If the AirPods are out of the case, put them back in and close the lid. Now, after the Bluetooth Adapter enters pairing mode, open the case of the AirPods and press & hold the button on the case.
- This makes the AirPods to pair with nearby Bluetooth devices. If the pairing is successful, the LED on the Bluetooth Adapter changes its color or becomes stable.
- If everything goes well, you have successfully connected the AirPods to your PS5. You can enjoy audio from your PS5 games through your AirPods.
Some Things You Need to Know
- Instead of connecting the Bluetooth Adapter to the PS5, you can plug it in to your TV’s USB port. This works just as fine. Your PS5 sends audio to your TV through the HDMI Cable. Your TV will re-transmit this audio to your AirPods via the Bluetooth Adapter.
- There are some Bluetooth Adapters that come with a 3.5mm Audio Connector. These types of adapters are popular for cars. If you happen to have such an adapter, then you can use it as well.
- The DualShock Controller that comes with your PS5 has a 3.5mm Audio Jack. Plug the adapter into this port and start using it. Bluetooth Adapters with a 3.5mm Audio Connector come with a built-in battery. They have a decent battery life but make sure to charge them before using them.
- Also, this drains the battery of the DualShock Controller. So, charge the controller as well.
- An important point about Bluetooth Adapters is not all of them are compatible with PS5. Double-check their specifications before buying one.
- With the solution that we mentioned here, you can connect AirPods to PS5 and enjoy game audio. But sadly, the party stops there. You cannot use the AirPods’ microphone in this method. This means no chatting while gaming.
- Again, the main culprit is the Bluetooth Adapter. Check if your adapter supports a microphone or not.
- We suggested this solution to some of our friends. One of them said he couldn’t hear any audio from the AirPods. If you face a similar issue, then don’t worry. Change one small setting in PS5 and it will work.
- Go to the home screen in PS5 and select Settings (cog wheel icon) from the top. Scroll down and click on Sound.
- Next, go to Audio Output and change the Output Device to an appropriate device. We hope this will solve the issue.
Conclusion
Having two premium devices in your living room and not being able to use them together is definitely a bummer. We are talking about Sony’s PS5 and Apple’s AirPods. In this guide, we saw simple solutions to a popular question: How to Connect AirPods to PS5? If you faced a similar problem, do let us know your approach in the comments section.
