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You can use Bluetooth headphones with Xbox One, it’s just not always easy

You can use Bluetooth headphones with Xbox One, it’s just not always easy

Essential as they’re in many aspects of life, wires are the worst. It’s no fun to possess cables snaking around your entertainment setup, especially if you’re into gaming. They become problematic very quickly.

Unfortunately, the Bluetooth headphone revolution hasn’t quite made its thanks to gaming yet. You technically can use Bluetooth headphones on modern computer game consoles, but every method for doing so will cost you additional money and a few pairing methods are easier than others. The good news is that it is often done. Here’s how.

Which Bluetooth headphones work with Xbox One?

Technically, the solution thereto question is “none.” Whether it’s PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo, none of the present generation (or last generation, in Xbox One’s case) consoles natively support Bluetooth audio. They need Bluetooth capabilities, but they’re just there for wireless controller connectivity. That said, the word “technically” always leaves some space for exceptions, and that is the case here, albeit said exceptions aren’t ideal.

If you have already got a pair of Bluetooth headphones that you simply adore, there is no got to sink into despair just yet. There’s a workaround that we’ll get to shortly. The great news (if you count spending many dollars as “good news”) is there are a bunch of wireless gaming headsets built with Microsoft’s special “Xbox Wireless” technology in mind. Microsoft features a special page on its online storefront only for Xbox-compatible headsets. A number of the foremost noteworthy models include:

Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 ($100)

Kingston HyperX CloudX ($160)

SteelSeries Arctis 9X ($200)

LucidSound LS35X ($180)

Corsair HS75 ($150)

I’ll also take a second to shout out Microsoft’s official solution, the aptly named Xbox Wireless Headset. It costs $100 and works with the Xbox One and therefore the newer Xbox Series consoles. The sole real issue is that, like anything that’s associated with the next-gen consoles, it is often hard to seek out in stores.

Most of the opposite options listed above cost more, but you’ll find them easier to snag. Of course, this stuff changes over time, therefore the Xbox Wireless Headset probably won’t be rare forever.

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OK, so how do I make Bluetooth headphones work with Xbox One?

This is where things get tricky. Like I said, the Xbox One doesn’t natively support Bluetooth audio. You would like to either get an Xbox Wireless-compatible headset, just like the ones listed above or get creative. We’ll tell you ways creative you would like to urge, exactly, but just know getting into that it isn’t an excellent solution and your best bet will involve dropping some cash.

If you have an Xbox Wireless-compatible headset

It will shortly elucidate the way to connect a headset with Xbox Wireless capabilities to an Xbox One console. Simply find the pairing button on the headset (check the device manual if you cannot find it) and once it’s in pairing mode, press the pair button on the Xbox console itself. It is the same as connecting a replacement controller to the console. Unless something bizarre happens, it should only take a couple of seconds.

If you already have Bluetooth headphones

Before you opt to attach your existing Bluetooth headphones to an Xbox One, you would like to nail down a purpose. Are you trying to enjoy game audio without awakening your neighbours or being distracted by the noise that seeps through your walls? Or are you trying to talk with friends as you play Halo 3 in co-op for the 400th time?

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The reason that distinction matters is that non-Xbox Wireless devices can’t do both. It’s one or the opposite. We’ll start with taking note of game audio first. If you’re just trying to concentrate on your games, a Bluetooth transmitter that plugs into the three .5mm headphone jack on the Xbox controller will do the trick.

This one from Uberwith will run you $36, but Amazon reviews say it does its job by transmitting audio to Bluetooth headphones. They also note that it’s a built-in microphone for voice chat since your headphones’ mic won’t work, but many reviews warn that the audio quality thereon mic is terrible. You ought to probably only use it for listening, in other words.

Once you’ve got a Bluetooth transmitter like that one, pairing it should be almost like how you’d pair your headphones to the other device. Find out the way to put your headphones in pairing mode (this varies from one pair to subsequent, so check the device manual) then find the pairing button on the small transmitter you only bought.

Assuming nothing goes wrong, that ought to do the trick. That said, I can not promise you that there won’t be any wonky problems with this approach. The Xbox One was just not meant to figure with regular Bluetooth headphones.

For voice chat, there is a simpler, though less-than-ideal, solution. Download the Xbox app on Android or iOS, log in together with your Xbox Live account, and either start or join a celebration together with your friends by tapping the social icon on the rock bottom row (second to the left).

Once you’re there, tap the headphones icon within the top right corner of the app for a voice chat party. All you’ve got to try to do is connect your Bluetooth headphones to your smartphone and you’ll use them to talk together with your friends. But again, you will not hear any game audio.

It’s not great that folks with Bluetooth headphones can’t just connect them to an Xbox One without spending a minimum of a touch little bit of money and/or putting faith in third-party Bluetooth transmitters. That is the reality of things, whether it’s due to Bluetooth latency or another technical hurdle behind the scenes, but a minimum of it’s possible. Here’s to hoping this is not a drag in six or seven years when more new consoles launch.

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