There are a large number of Bluetooth headphones on the market to listen to music with our mobile phone or any similar device. However, the vast majority of wireless console or PC gaming headsets do not use this standard. Why are there no Bluetooth headsets for PS5 and Xbox?
There is nothing more annoying than having a huge collection of different wireless headphones at home and having to change them according to the type of use that we are going to give them, it is not only a nuisance, but also an extra expense of money that does not make sense. However, the problem comes from the way Bluetooth technology works. What has made the Nintendo Switch the only console that supports Bluetooth Audio as standard at the moment.
Why are there no Bluetooth headsets for PS5 and Xbox?
The answer to this is simple, the enormous latency of the Bluetooth interface is enough for us to hear a delay of several frames in the game, which means that the sound would not be synchronized with the action of the game and, therefore, this would be It would feel unnatural. And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that the connection is wireless, since most of the time manufacturers usually include a USB key that is responsible for transmitting the audio by RF and without any latency.
The protocol for the trBluetooth audio transfer has a latency of 34 milliseconds at best, that is a frame at 30 FPS and 2 in the case of playing at 60 FPS. It doesn’t seem like it’s something to be alarmed about, but things get much worse when we talk about delays up to 300 ms, which is several tens of frames. That’s why wireless headsets for PS5 and Xbox don’t actually stream audio over Bluetooth, but they do use Bluetooth for game controls.
So in the end, the problem comes more from the nature of the audio standard in Bluetooth headphones, rather than an attempt to save costs. After all, the control hands use this interface without problems and to transmit a heavily trimmed version of the game’s sound. Unfortunately, we will have to continue opting for expensive solutions in order to be able to play our favorite games with our headphones without cables.
One way to fix it
The solution of both brands is to place a mini Jack on the controller to be able to hear the audio of the game through traditional headphones connected to it. However, this lack of support for Bluetooth headsets on PS5 and Xbox Series, despite being justified in the face of games, is not justified in the viewing of continuous audiovisual material, that is, traditional videos. In any case, you should know that by connecting a USB key, either type A or type C, you can connect both standard and in-ear Bluetooth headphones.
However, you may run into the issues we have mentioned before, such as lag between the on-screen frame and the in-game action.
