How to Set up Surround Sound on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X may deliver better graphics and faster load times, but have you ever wondered what your next generation gaming experience sounds like ? Both consoles support 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound from speakers or soundbars, as well as virtual surround sound over headphones. And enabling these features – if you have the right setup at home – is a snap.
Getting Surround Sound on Xbox Series X
- From the Xbox home screen, go to Settings> General> Volume & Audio Output .
- Go to the «Speaker Audio» speaker or sound bar, or select the «Headset Audio», if you are using headphones or gaming headset.
- For Speaker Audio : Choose “5.1 or 7.1 uncompressed” if your Xbox is connected directly to your AV receiver or your speaker soundbar. (If your Xbox is connected directly to your TV, which then sends audio to your receiver or soundbar, you may need to use DTS Digital Surround or Dolby Digital via the “Bitstream Out” option instead.)
- For Headset Sound: Select Windows Sonic for Headphones.
- To use Dolby Atmos or DTS: X headphones : select an audio option, then download the Dolby Atmos app from the Microsoft store and follow the in-app setup instructions. Note. Dolby Atmos is free to set up speakers or soundbar, but requires a $ 15 license fee to use with headphones. Likewise, there is a $ 20 charge for using DTS Headphone: X.
- Optional: Set your preferred streaming bitrate for Blu-ray movies under Settings> Devices and Connections> Blu-ray . The default setting is fine for any setting, while choosing one of the “no compression” options improves quality but requires much more bandwidth .
After completing these steps, supported games, apps, and movies on Xbox Series X should be using your fancy surround setup or new virtual environment.
Turn on surround sound on your PlayStation 5
Speakers or soundbars
- Press the “PlayStation” button on your controller.
- Select Settings> Sound> Audio Output> HDMI Device Type.
- Set the device to ” AV Amplifier” (do not select “Soundbar” even if you are using a soundbar with 5.1 or 7.1 support).
- Scroll down and select the number of speakers you have.
- Select “Adjust Speaker Position” and adjust the layout to match the position of the speakers in your room.
- Finally, set the audio format option (priority) to match your preferences. Select “Linear PCM” if you are using HDMI to connect your PS5 directly to a receiver or soundbar. If you’ve connected your PS5 directly to your TV, which then sends the signal to your receiver or soundbar, you may need to use “Dolby” or “DTS”.
Headphones
Some headsets have surround sound capabilities built in, but Sony 3D sound on PS5 can create a convincing surround sound experience on any pair of headphones plugged into your controller’s 3.5mm jack or connected to PS5 via USB or Bluetooth (Sony says it plans to use 3D sound to TV speakers in a future update).
- Plug your headphones into your controller, or connect to your PS5 using Bluetooth (this won’t work if your headphones are connected to a TV or external audio device).
- Press the PlayStation button to open the menu.
- Select Settings> Sound> Audio Out.
- Turn on Enable 3D Sound.
- Then select Configure 3D Sound Profile and follow the instructions to adjust the 3D sound quality for your headphones.
Enable surround sound from Blu-ray disc
If you are watching a Blu-ray movie on PS5 but not getting the 5.1 or 7.1 playback as it should, try changing the Blu-ray audio format settings. (Note: PS5 does not currently support Dolby Atmos, but Blu-rays using Dolby Atmos can still output to your 5.1 or 7.1 setup using these steps.)
- While watching a movie, press the Options button on your controller.
- In the pop-up window, select the three-dot menu icon.
- Go to Settings> Audio Format .
- Set the format to “Bitstream”.
- Close the options menu and your media should now play correctly.