4 Audio Settings You Should Try on Your PlayStation 5

Optimizing your PlayStation 5’s audio settings can allow for an even more immersive gaming experience. Luckily, Sony’s console offers a litany of audio features, adjustable settings, and formats to help you fine-tune your PS5’s audio to suit your individual setup and needs, whether you’re using a soundbar, gaming headset, or surround sound system.

For those who want to be absorbed in their gaming world, the PS5’s 3D audio technology can create a virtual soundscape that lets you hear sounds like you would in real life, with distant sounds like raindrops ringing further away and nearby car engines rumbling louder in your ear. The audio focus feature can emphasize quieter sounds, making it a blessing during first-person shooter games where hearing enemy footsteps is vital. Elsewhere, adjustments to your audio format or AV amplifier settings can ensure you get the most out of your audio setup.

Ultimately, the best PS5 audio settings depend on your personal preferences, your setup, and the games you like to play. So, below, we’ve broken down four audio settings and features that you should definitely try.

PS5 supports 3D audio for built-in TV speakers and headphones thanks to Tempest 3D AudioTech, Sony’s spatial audio technology that uses the Tempest Engine to create a 360-degree soundscape by simulating hundreds of individual sound sources in 3D space. This provides a more immersive audio experience when playing supported PS5 games, as it will make noises coming from behind you seem really behind you, or distant game sounds will seem quieter than those closer to you.

To enable this feature for TVs with built-in speakers, go to your PS5 screen. SettingsSO Herthen select 3D audio (television). Next, follow the on-screen instructions to measure the acoustics of the room your PS5 is in – this requires using a DualSense PS5 controller with the microphone enabled. Once the measurement is complete, you can compare your PS5’s original stereo sound output to the new 3D audio output and select the option you prefer.

3D audio can also be enabled for PS5 compatible gaming headphones or headsets. To do this, go to Settingsthen select Her and choose 3D audio (headphones). Then select Create a custom 3D audio profile and follow the on-screen instructions, listen to the sounds, and answer the questions to determine the best audio setup for you. This creates a personalized 3D audio profile that will activate (once enabled) whenever you play supported PS5 games with headphones, providing an even more immersive personalized experience than that offered through the TV speakers.

Introduced in 2025, the PS5’s Audio Focus feature makes quiet sounds clearer when playing with headphones or headphones by allowing you to adjust your audio output to emphasize quiet sounds in certain frequencies. While this is a welcome accessibility feature, it’s also a particularly useful setting for first-person shooter games, like “Call of Duty,” because it can make it easier to hear the footsteps of the encroaching enemy, which can be essential to survival. And, unlike 3D audio, this feature works with all PS5 games, voice chats, and media apps.

To enable this feature, go to your PS5 SettingsSO Herand select Volume. Select Audio focus in the menu and activate it. Then select Focus typewhich displays four options: Amplify Bass Sounds (amplifies low-frequency sounds, such as bass), Amplify Voices (amplifies mid-frequency sounds, such as voice chat and dialog), Amplify High-pitched Sounds (amplifies high-frequency sounds, such as footsteps), and Amplify Soft Sounds (which can amplify low-volume sounds from a wide range of frequencies). You can also choose to adjust your left and right volumes individually if you wish.

Finally, you must choose your adjustment level: Low, Medium or Strong. We don’t recommend using Loud to start with, as it can make the volume a little too loud, so it’s best to stick to Medium or Low, but play around with it and see what works best for you.

If you’re using a multi-speaker setup or a high-end surround sound bar, adjusting the AV amplifier settings could improve your audio experience. First, make sure your HDMI device’s input is set to an AV amplifier. To do this, go to Settings and then Her on your PS5, then select Audio output. Look at it HDMI device type ” and if it says “TV” next to it, select the option and change it to “AV Amplifier”.

Next, you need to select the number of channels to use, either 2, 5.1 or 7.1. This should match your speaker setup as closely as possible to get the best results. If you’re using a single soundbar, it’s best to use 2, while 5.1 is best for systems with three front speakers, a subwoofer, and two rear speakers. 7.1, on the other hand, is best suited to those using seven speakers plus a subwoofer, or if you have ceiling speakers.

Now you need to select Adjust speaker position. This brings up a diagram that allows you to manually adjust the position of each of the speakers in your setup relative to where you sit to play games. Adapting the diagram to reflect your own setup helps the PS5 deliver directional sound more accurately. Just make sure that if you’re connected via HDMI ARC (audio return channel), you enable the eARC (enhanced audio return channel) feature in your TV’s audio input settings – if supported – for richer, more vivid sound.

A common mistake PS5 users make is using the wrong audio format. Sony’s console offers four options: Linear PCM, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio and DTS. You should choose a format suitable for your specific setup, ensuring low latency while maintaining the best possible quality. To change the audio format, go to SettingsSO Herthen select Audio output and choose Audio format.

It’s likely that your PS5 defaults to Linear PCM (Pulse Code Modulation), which is an uncompressed, lossless digital audio format that supports up to 7.1 surround sound and is the preferred format for video game production. It is better for the following configurations:

• A soundbar or AV receiver directly connected to your PS5

• An AV receiver connected to a TV via eARC

• 2.1 channel configurations using ARC or eARC

• Internal TV speakers

If your setup is different from the above, one of the other three options will likely provide better results. Here are some examples of when to use them:

Your choice will likely depend on the audio format your setup supports, so try each compatible format and see which sounds best. However, if you have ceiling speakers, use Dolby Atmos, as it is an object-based spatial audio format that uses height channels for more immersive sound. Whichever you choose, be sure to change your TV and Blu-ray’s HDMI audio input settings to bitstream or linear PCM/PCM.