Struggling to get your bluetooth headphones connected to your Playstation 4? Follow this guide to learn how to connect bluetooth headphones to PS4 and take your gaming to the next level.
Connecting bluetooth devices or a bluetooth headset to PS4 can be quite a challenging process. Not all bluetooth headphones can connect directly to the Playstation 4 system. If you have headphones that are compatible with the PS4, you’re lucky! Just follow part 1 of this guide to get started.
If your headphones aren’t compatible with your Playstation 4, there’s no need to worry! Part two goes through a neat workaround that lets you connect and use any bluetooth headphones on PS4.
Either way, once you’ve linked up your bluetooth headphones to PS4 console, your video games are going to sound epic!
Why should I use bluetooth devices as a headset?
If you’re an avid gamer you’ll know how annoying having too many wires around can be. Using a bluetooth headset eliminates the frustration of constantly having to untangle cables and gives you more time to play your games.
Moreover, many people have bluetooth headsets lying around already. There’s no point spending extra money on a fancy wired headset when you have a perfectly good pair ready to go. Overall, using a bluetooth headset is a much more pleasant experience.
Whether your headset is natively compatible with your PS4 console or not, this guide has got you covered.
Part 1: Connecting Compatible Bluetooth Devices
If you’ve purchased one of the official Sony headset products, then you’ll be able to connect your headphones with PS4 easily. It should say on the headset box whether or not they’re Playstation 4 compatible. Follow the following steps to get your bluetooth headset connected:
1) Put your headphones in “Pairing Mode”
Have a look at your headphones’ manual to see how to put them in pair mode (usually holding down the power button makes your headphones ready to connect, but it’s different on some devices). Often the headset will have a nice flashing light to let you know you’re in ready to pair. This is sometimes called making your headset “discoverable”.
2) Go to your PS4 Settings
To get to the Settings, switch on your PS4 and sign in so that you’re on the Home Screen. From there, hit up on the analog stick to open up the top Menu Bar, then go all the way to the right hand side and select Settings.
When you’re there, scroll down until you see Devices. Click on Devices and then select Bluetooth Devices.
Settings>Devices>Bluetooth Devices
3) Connect to your bluetooth headphones
If your bluetooth headphones are in Pairing Mode, then their device name should appear onscreen underneath the Dualshock 4 and any other audio devices that you’ve previously connected. It might take a while for them to show up, just give it time.
(If your headset doesn’t show up at this stage, then it might be because the headset isn’t compatible with the PS4. If this happens don’t worry, Part 2 of this guide will show you what to do.)
Once the headset shows up, select them and click Yes when you’re asked to register the device.
If you get the Success message then your headset is compatible and you’re good to go. Enjoy hopping into your favourite game without a pesky audio cable connected to controller.
Part 2: Connecting any bluetooth headset to your PS4
If your bluetooth devices aren’t compatible with PS4, follow this tip for ways to pair any bluetooth devices to PS4.
To do this you’ll have to buy a third party bluetooth dongle, which is a type of USB adapter. You can buy a bluetooth dongle from a variety of places and they’re usually not very expensive. The advantage of a dongle is that you can pair any bluetooth device to your PS4 and only need a single dongle for all your bluetooth devices. Check the comments on the product page before you buy.
When you buy the dongle, you get a device that plugs straight into the usb slot on the front of your PS4. This is the output device, and sends the audio output to headphones.
If you want to speak to your friends while you’re gaming, you need to a headset that has a microphone built in. If your headset doesn’t have a microphone then no one will be able to hear you on the chat audio. Having said that, some dongles come with a 3.5mm mic that plugs into the bottom of the PS4 controller. It’s worth looking out for this kind of dongle if your headset doesn’t have a mic itself.
1) Set up the Bluetooth Adapter Dongle
Insert the dongle into a free USB port on the front of your PS4. Some dongles will flash blue to let you know that you’re connected.
2) Go to your PS4 Settings
Switch on your PS4 and sign in so that you’re on the Home Screen. From there, hit up on the analog stick to open up the top Menu Bar, then go all the way to the right hand side and select Settings.
When you’re in Settings, scroll down until you see Devices. Click on the Devices menuand then select Audio Devices.
Settings>Devices>Audio Devices
Next select Output Device and choose USB Headset
3) Adjust the volume
You might have to experiment here and use a bit of guesswork to get this right. Use the volume control to get the volume set correctly. Start the volume at around halfway at first and come back to the Devices Menu if you need to change it later.
Finally, Select Output to Headphones, then click All Audio.
4) Connect your headset to the dongle
How to do this will change between different products but it usually consists of getting your headphones “ready to pair”, and then linking them up with the dongle.
Have a look at your headset’s instructions to see how to put them in pair mode (usually holding down the power button makes your headphones ready to connect, but it’s different on some devices). Often the headphones will have a nice flashing light to let you know you’re ready to pair. This is sometimes called making your headphones “discoverable”.
This is how you connect bluetooth devices to your PS4, even if they’re not fully compatible! Now you can jump back into your game without a headset connected to controller with a flimsy cable. I think we all agree that this is a much nicer experience!
Connecting bluetooth devices to PS4 FAQs
Why won’t my Bluetooth headset connect to my ps4?
If your bluetooth headset won’t connect to your PS4, then the most likely explanation is that your headset isn’t compatible with Sony’s systems. Although this is unfortunate and quite annoying, it’s very easy to connect any bluetooth headset to the PS4. Just follow the section section of this guide! All you need is a cheap bluetooth adapter that plugs into your PS4’s USB port.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to spend the extra money on another piece of kit, most bluetooth headsets also come with an audio cable that you can plug straight into the bottom of your controller. To get the audio to come through the controller, head to Settings>Devices> Output Device>Headset Connected to Controller.
Use the volume control to make sure the audio is at the perfect level.
If your bluetooth devices aren’t connecting when you restart your PS4 go to Settings>Devices>Bluetooth Devices to see if they’ve been disconnected.
How do I connect Bluetooth headphones to my PlayStation 4?
If your bluetooth headset is compatible with the PS4, then you can connect them by heading into the PS4 Settings. Go to: Settings>Devices>Bluetooth Devices and then select your headset when it appears on screen. If it’s not coming up, your headset might not be ready to pair.
Have a look at your bluetooth headset’s instructions to see how to put them in pair mode (usually holding down the power button makes your headset ready to connect, but it’s different on some devices).
Once you’re ready to pair just click on them when they pop up on the PS4 screen to register the device and connect.This is how you connect a compatible bluetooth headphone to PS4.
If your bluetooth headset isn’t compatible, then you’ll need a bluetooth USB adapter. When you’ve got this set up go to Settings, scroll down until you see Devices. Click on the Devices menuand then select Audio Devices.
Settings>Devices>Audio Devices
Next select Output Devices and choose USB Headset. Then you’ve just got to pair your bluetooth headset to the adapter and you’re good to go!
Can I connect AirPods to PS4?
AirPods aren’t natively compatible with the PS4, but thanks to an easy method it’s still possible to connect them. You’ll want to follow the second section of this guide to get these bluetooth devices hooked up to your games.
AirPods are a great bluetooth headset and are surprisingly good for gaming. PS4 owners can also download Spotify to their consoles, so being able to hook your AirPods up to your PS4 console to listen to music is even more ideal.
How do I connect my PS4 to unsupported Bluetooth?
To connect unsupported bluetooth devices to your PS4 console you need to purchase an additional bluetooth gadget. To find out more read through the second section of this guide. It goes into detail about how to connect your devices, bluetooth compatible or not. Luckily the method always works to connect bluetooth headphones to PS4.
