Which headsets work on PS5?
Headsets with a USB dongle, PlayStation Link or a 3.5 mm plug work on PS5; Bluetooth audio does not. A connection table, 3D Audio and picks from £69.99.
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Which headsets work with PS5?
Any headset with a USB wireless dongle, a PlayStation Link adapter or a 3.5 mm plug works with a PS5, PS5 Slim or PS5 Pro; Bluetooth headphones do not, because the PS5 does not support Bluetooth audio. Headsets made for PlayStation, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 at £139.99 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026), use a dongle for the console and Bluetooth for a phone.
The full rankings are in Best gaming headset UK 2026 and Best budget gaming headset UK 2026.
| Situation | Connection to use | Pick | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-rounder for PS5 and a phone | 2.4 GHz dongle plus Bluetooth | SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 | £139.99 |
| Noise cancelling for a shared room | 2.4 GHz dongle plus Bluetooth | Razer BlackShark V3 Pro for PlayStation | £179.00 |
| Light and simple | USB-C 2.4 GHz dongle | Sony INZONE H5 | £119.00 |
| Budget | USB-C 2.4 GHz dongle plus Bluetooth | SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P Wireless | £69.99 |
| Wired headphones already owned | 3.5 mm jack on the DualSense | No purchase | £0 |
| Bluetooth-only headphones | Not supported without a USB transmitter | Not recommended | n/a |
How does each headset connection work on PS5?
Four connections carry headset audio on a PS5, and Bluetooth is not one of them. Compare Electronic's connection table draws on Sony's support pages and Engadget's August 2026 guide to Bluetooth on PS5.
| Connection | Works on PS5 | How it connects | 3D Audio | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USB 2.4 GHz dongle | Yes | Dongle in a USB-A or USB-C port | Yes | SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 |
| PlayStation Link | Yes | Sony's PlayStation Link USB adapter, £19.99 for a spare | Yes | Sony PULSE Elite |
| 3.5 mm wired | Yes | Jack on the DualSense controller | Yes | Any wired headset |
| USB wired | Yes | USB cable to the console | Yes | USB headsets |
| Bluetooth audio | No | Not supported; a third-party USB transmitter is needed | n/a | Bluetooth headphones and earbuds |
Sony's August 2020 PlayStation Blog post on accessories confirmed that third-party headsets connecting through a USB port or an audio jack work on PS5. PlayStation Link is Sony's own lossless, low-latency link: the PULSE Elite ships with its USB adapter paired out of the box, and Sony sells spare adapters for £19.99 so one headset can switch between a PS5 and a PC or Mac.
Bluetooth on a PlayStation headset is for phones. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 and the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro for PlayStation mix 2.4 GHz game audio with Bluetooth audio from a phone at the same time, so calls and music play over the game. Engadget notes the PS5 works with Bluetooth controllers and remotes but not Bluetooth audio, and points owners of Bluetooth-only headphones to a USB transmitter.
Does a PS5 headset need Tempest 3D Audio support?
No. Sony's 3D Audio is a PS5 system setting under Settings, Sound, 3D Audio (Headphones), so headphones on any of the four working connections can use it. Players build a personalised profile by answering questions about where test sounds come from, or choose one of five presets, according to Sony's support page.
The PS5 also offers 3D Audio for TV speakers, measured with the DualSense microphone from the usual seat. Headset makers add their own layers: Razer's THX Spatial Audio on the BlackShark V3 Pro for PlayStation runs on Windows 11 PCs only, according to Razer, so on PS5 the console's own 3D Audio does the work. Buyers torn between a headset and earphones should read IEMs vs gaming headset.
Which PS5 headset suits which buyer?
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P Wireless gives the most rated battery per pound of the PS5 picks, and the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro for PlayStation is the only one with active noise cancelling. Compare Electronic's table divides each Amazon UK price by the maker's battery rating.
| Headset | Price | PS5 connection | Battery (maker) | Weight | Per battery hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 | £139.99 | 2.4 GHz dongle plus Bluetooth | 54 hours | 325 g | £2.59 |
| Razer BlackShark V3 Pro for PlayStation | £179.00 | 2.4 GHz dongle plus Bluetooth | 48 hours on PlayStation | 367 g | £3.73 |
| Sony INZONE H5 | £119.00 | USB-C 2.4 GHz dongle or 3.5 mm | 28 hours | 260 g | £4.25 |
| SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5P Wireless | £99.98 | USB-C 2.4 GHz dongle plus Bluetooth | 50 hours on 2.4 GHz | 265 g | £2.00 |
| SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P Wireless | £69.99 | USB-C 2.4 GHz dongle plus Bluetooth 5.3 | 40 hours | 260 g | £1.75 |
| Sony PULSE Elite | £254.49 | PlayStation Link plus Bluetooth | 30 hours | n/a | £8.48 |
Moving from the Arctis Nova 3P Wireless to the Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 costs £70.00 for 14 more rated hours, a retractable microphone and Bluetooth mixed with game audio. The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro for PlayStation adds hybrid ANC and 50 mm drivers for £39.01 more again. Amazon UK lists the Sony PULSE Elite at £254.49, £124.50 above Sony's own £129.99 price on PlayStation Direct, and Sony announced two successors, the PlayStation Pulse and Pulse Edge, on 15 September 2026, with prices still to come.
Which headset should a PS5 owner buy?
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 is the PS5 headset to buy, at £139.99 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026). It connects to the console through a 2.4 GHz dongle, mixes in Bluetooth from a phone at the same time, and is rated at 54 hours of battery.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 specifications
- Drivers: 40 mm, 20 to 22,000 Hz
- Connection: 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth at the same time
- Battery: 54 hours on 2.4 GHz, 42 hours on Bluetooth
- Fast charge: 15 minutes for 6 hours
- Microphone: retractable ClearCast Gen 2 with noise cancelling
- Weight: 325 g
- Works with: PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch
A ChatMix dial balances game and chat audio. The compromises are no active noise cancelling, 40 mm drivers where the Razer has 50 mm, and 65 g more weight than the Arctis Nova 3P Wireless.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 - pros and cons
Where to buy
Check price
Three alternatives cover other needs, at Amazon UK prices on 6 October 2026.
Also consider
Radar · 0-100 scores
- Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2
- Razer BlackShark V3 Pro for PlayStation
- INZONE H5
- Arctis Nova 3P Wireless
Verdict
Every headset with a USB dongle, PlayStation Link or a 3.5 mm plug works with a PS5, and Bluetooth-only headphones do not. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 at £139.99 is the pick for most owners, and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P Wireless at £69.99 covers tight budgets. The rankings are in Best gaming headset UK 2026 and Best budget gaming headset UK 2026; related PS5 questions are Is the DualSense Edge worth it? and How much storage does a PS5 need?
Frequently asked questions
Do Bluetooth headphones work with PS5?
Not directly. The PS5 does not support Bluetooth audio, as Engadget's August 2026 guide confirms, so Bluetooth-only headphones need a third-party USB transmitter. Headsets that pair Bluetooth with a 2.4 GHz dongle work, using the dongle for the console: the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 costs £139.99 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026).
Do wired headsets work with PS5?
Yes. Any headset with a 3.5 mm plug works through the jack on the DualSense controller, and Sony confirmed in 2020 that third-party headsets using a USB port or an audio jack work on PS5. Chat runs through the headset microphone, Sony's 3D Audio for headphones applies, and the cable runs to the controller rather than the console.
What is PlayStation Link?
PlayStation Link is Sony's lossless, low-latency wireless connection, used by the Sony PULSE Elite headset and PULSE Explore earbuds. It runs through a PlayStation Link USB adapter plugged into the PS5, and the same adapter works with a PC or Mac. Sony sells spare adapters for £19.99 and the PULSE Elite for £129.99 on PlayStation Direct.
Does 3D Audio work with any headset on PS5?
Sony's 3D Audio is a PS5 system setting, found under Settings, Sound, 3D Audio (Headphones), so it applies to headphones rather than to one brand of headset. Players can build a personalised profile or choose one of five presets. The PS5 can also apply 3D Audio to TV speakers, using the DualSense microphone to measure the room, according to Sony.
What is the best cheap headset for PS5?
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P Wireless is the best cheap PS5 headset, at £69.99 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026). It connects through a USB-C 2.4 GHz dongle, adds Bluetooth 5.3 for a phone and is rated at 40 hours of battery, the lowest cost per rated hour of the picks at £1.75.
Do PS5 headsets work on PC?
Most do. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2, Sony INZONE H5 and Razer BlackShark V3 Pro for PlayStation all connect to a PC through the same USB dongle, and Sony's PlayStation Link adapter works with Windows PCs and Macs. Razer rates the BlackShark V3 Pro for PlayStation at up to 70 hours on PC against 48 hours on PlayStation.