How to Connect AirPods to PS4

This article explains how to connect any model of AirPods to the PS4, including what accessories you'll need to buy and what features aren't supported. Instructions apply to first-generation AirPods, AirPods with wireless charging case, and AirPods Pro.

What You Need to Connect AirPods to PS4

Believe it or not, the PS4 doesn't support Bluetooth audio out of the box. That means that you can't connect AirPods or any other kind of Bluetooth headphones to it without buying accessories. If you try connecting AirPods to PS4 without an adapter, the PS4 will be able to detect them, and you'll go through all of the pairing steps only to see the process fail at the very last stage. Annoying!

To get around this, you need to get a PS4 Bluetooth adapter that supports Bluetooth audio that you can plug into the console.

For this article, we used the Twelve South AirFly Duo, but any Bluetooth adapter that supports audio and can be plugged into a PS4 (via USB or the headphone jack, for instance) can work.

How to Connect AirPods to PS4

Follow these steps to use a Bluetooth adapter to connect AirPods to PS4:

1. Make sure you've charged your AirPods. Same if your Bluetooth adapter uses a battery. (The AirFly Duo, for example, plugs into the headphone jack on the PS4 controller, so it needs battery power. Other Bluetooth adapters plug into the USB ports on the PS4 itself and don't need battery power.)

2. Connect the Bluetooth adapter to your PS4.

3. Put the Bluetooth adapter into pairing mode. The exact way you do this depends on your device, so check the instructions that came with it.

4. With your AirPods in their charging case, open the case and press and hold the syncing button.

5. Keep holding the button until the lights on the Bluetooth adapter stop blinking. This means that the AirPods are paired to the adapter.

   Are your AirPods not syncing for some reason? We've got ideas for what to do when AirPods don't connect.

6. Confirm that your PS4 is being sent to your AirPods by checking the settings on the PS4. Go to Settings > Devices > Audio Devices.

7. There are two important settings to change on the Audio Devices screens:

   • Output Device: Set to Headphones Connected to Controller (or the menu that's correct for your Bluetooth adapter).
   • Output to Headphones: Set to All Audio.

   You can also control the volume of the audio sent from the PS4 to your AirPods in the Volume Control (Headphones) menu.

8. With that done, all audio from the PS4 is coming to your AirPods and you're ready to play!

Can You Use AirPods to Chat with Other Gamers on PS4?

While this article explains how to connect AirPods to PS4, there's one limitation of this approach: You can't chat with other gamers you're playing with, even though AirPods have a microphone (as anyone who has used them for phone calls knows). That's because most Bluetooth adapters only send audio from the PS4 to your headphones, but not the other way around. For that, you'll need headphones specifically made for the PS4 (or other gaming consoles).

Still, if all you want to do is hear audio without bothering anyone else, a Bluetooth adapter is a great option.