How To Use Bose Headphones on PS4 / PS4 Pro (Easy 2026 Guide)

Bose is one of our favourite audio companies on Audio Punch. Their love of high quality sound sets them way above the competition. If you’re luck enough to own one of their headsets, and you love gaming, then you’ve probably wondered how to use Bose headphones on PS4 systems.

Thankfully, it’s not as hard as you think to get things up and running and you’ll be able to enjoy a whole new world of sound though a proper set of headphones. Let’s dive in!

Quick answer: the PS4 and PS4 Pro do not connect directly to normal Bluetooth headphones like Bose ones. The two things that work are plugging a cable into the controller, or using a Bluetooth transmitter. Both are covered below.

Can you pair Bose Bluetooth headphones directly to a PS4?

Not in the normal way. The PS4 has Bluetooth built in, but it uses it for controllers and a few accessories, not for standard Bluetooth headphones. If you go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth Devices and try to pair a pair of Bose headphones, the PS4 won’t accept them as an audio output. So, to use Bose headphones on a PS4 or PS4 Pro, you need one of the methods below.

Method 1: Plug them into the controller (simplest)

If your Bose headphones came with a 3.5mm audio cable (many models do), this is the easiest and most reliable method.

1. Plug the cable into your Bose headphones, and the other end into the headphone socket on the bottom of the DualShock 4 controller.
2. On your PS4, go to Settings > Devices > Audio Devices.
3. Set Output to Headphones to All Audio, so game sound goes to the headphones rather than just chat.
4. Use Volume Control (Headphones) to set a comfortable level.

Some Bose headphones (such as the QuietComfort range) also work with noise cancelling switched on when wired, though many models need a charged battery for that. Check your model’s manual.

Method 2: Use a Bluetooth transmitter

If you’d like to stay wireless, a Bluetooth audio transmitter can do the job. It plugs into the controller or console, receives the game audio, and sends it wirelessly to your headphones.

• 3.5mm transmitters plug into the controller’s headphone socket and pair with your Bose headphones. Look for one with low latency (often shown as aptX Low Latency) so the sound stays in step with the picture.
• USB transmitters plug into a USB port on the PS4. Only some work with the PS4, so check the compatibility list carefully before you buy.

Transmitters and compatibility change often, so read the product page and recent reviews to confirm PS4 support. Our guide to watching TV with Bluetooth headphones explains how transmitters work in more detail.

Method 3: Headphone output from a TV or monitor

If you play through a TV or monitor with a headphone socket or Bluetooth transmission built in, you can plug your Bose headphones (or a transmitter) into that. This carries game sound but not voice chat, and some TVs add a delay, so it’s best for single-player games.

Fixing common problems

• No sound in the headphones: check the Audio Devices setting is on All Audio, that the plug is fully in, and that the controller is charged.
• Sound is too quiet: raise the headphone volume in the PS4 Audio Devices settings, and on the headphones themselves.
• Sound is delayed with a transmitter: use a low latency model, and turn off any extra processing.
• Cable feels short: a 3.5mm extension cable is a cheap way of getting more slack from the controller.
• Headphones keep switching to another device: Bose headphones remember several devices, so turn off Bluetooth on your phone while gaming, or unpair devices you aren’t using.

Does this work with the PS5?

Similar limits apply, and the wired and transmitter methods above are the reliable way to use Bose headphones with a PlayStation. Sony’s own wireless headsets use a dedicated adaptor. If you buy a transmitter, check it says it’s compatible with your console model.

Hey, what about my mic?

If you’re wanting to pair your headphones up to your console and also be able to use team chat and talk to people out there in gaming land, then you’ll obviously need a mic. The good news is that many Bose headphones have a mic built in, for answering calls and giving voice commands. This is true with a lot of earbuds too.

But what if you don’t have a mic?

Don’t panic. If your headphones don’t have a mic (or their mic won’t work when plugged into the controller), you’ll need a separate one to talk in party chat. A cable with an inline mic is one option, and a clip-on or boom mic designed for your headphones is another. Compatibility varies a lot between headphone models, so check before you buy.

One example is the Audio-Technica ATGM2 detachable gaming boom microphone, which gives clear voice quality, but it’s made for particular headphone connectors, so read the compatibility notes on the listing first. If you use your headphones for gaming a lot, a dedicated gaming headset like those in our Audio-Technica gaming headset guide is often simpler.

Thanks for reading out little guide on AudioPunch on how to use Bose headphones for PS4. If there’s anything we’ve missed, please let us know in the comments. Are you using your Bose headphones for gaming? How are they compared to other headsets?