So you finally get your PS5 set up, you have a great Bluetooth speaker sitting right there on your desk, and you think — perfect, I’ll just pair them. Except you can’t. Not natively, anyway.

The PS5 does not support Bluetooth audio output to speakers or headphones (unless they’re specifically licensed PlayStation devices). It’s a frustration that’s caught a lot of people off guard, and honestly, it still feels like an odd omission for a modern console.

Why Doesn’t the PS5 Support Bluetooth Speakers?

Sony’s stated reason has always been latency — Bluetooth audio introduces a delay that can make it feel out of sync with what’s happening on screen, especially in fast-paced games. It’s a fair engineering argument, but it feels like a cop-out when you’re sitting in front of a $500 console that won’t talk to your Bluetooth speaker.

The kicker? The PS5 does support Bluetooth for controllers — but not for audio output devices. Even standard Bluetooth headsets don’t work natively; Sony’s own Pulse headsets use a USB dongle instead of direct BT. So it’s clearly a deliberate decision, not a hardware limitation.

The Pain Point

I have a JBL Boombox 3 WiFi — genuinely one of the best portable speakers you can buy. Brilliant sound, massive battery, best-in-class bass. It’s the kind of speaker that makes everything sound better. And it just… sits there while I’m gaming, completely bypassed.

If you have a smart TV, you might be able to work around this — connect the PS5 via HDMI to the TV, then use the TV’s own Bluetooth to pair with your speaker. It’s roundabout, but it works for some people. I don’t have a smart TV in my current setup, so that wasn’t an option for me. A direct Bluetooth connection from the console should just work.

The Workaround: Bluetooth Transmitter

The practical fix is a Bluetooth audio transmitter — a small 3.5mm dongle that takes the analog audio output from your display and broadcasts it over Bluetooth to your speaker.

My setup: the PS5 is connected to a monitor via HDMI. That monitor happens to have a 3.5mm headphone/audio output jack, which I plug the BT transmitter into. The transmitter then sends the audio wirelessly to my speaker.

I picked up this transmitter and it’s been doing the job reliably. Pairing was straightforward, the audio quality is solid, and most importantly — for a casual gamer like me — I haven’t noticed any meaningful audio delay. The latency concern that Sony seems so worried about? In everyday gaming, it’s just not a real problem.

Is it an ideal solution? No. You’re adding an extra device to the chain, and if you’re a competitive player where audio timing is critical, you might notice something. But for single-player games, story-driven experiences, or just casual play, it works well.

Quick Setup

1. Connect the BT transmitter to your monitor’s 3.5mm audio output jack
2. Put your Bluetooth speaker in pairing mode
3. Pair them (usually just holding a button on the transmitter)
4. That’s it — audio from the PS5 flows through HDMI to the monitor, out the 3.5mm jack, and wirelessly to your speaker

Closing Thoughts

It’s disappointing that Sony hasn’t addressed this natively — especially on a console that’s otherwise so well-designed. The PS5 is brilliant at almost everything, which makes this gap feel more noticeable, not less.

If you’re in the same boat, a Bluetooth transmitter is a cheap and effective stopgap. Not a real solution, but until Sony decides to patch in proper Bluetooth audio support (if ever), it’s the next best thing.