There has not been much description of Sony’s native support of Bluetooth headphones and earbuds – like the JLab GO Air – on the PS4 or PS5. However, players have discussed ways of connecting their favorite headphones to their console.
In my experience as a PlayStation owner who has a surprisingly large number of Bluetooth headphones at their disposal, I was curious as to whether I could somehow connect my JLabs to my console.
I must warn you it was incredibly frustrating to try and find a workaround! (I probably should apologize to my neighbors for the shouting match we had with my PlayStation that day.)
However, there are methods for connecting your JLab GO Air earbuds to a PS4 or PS5.
A little patience and, of course, some reading will be required.
JLab GO Air is compatible with PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5?
The PlayStation 4 and PS5 do not support Bluetooth natively. The JLab GO Air can, however, be connected via workarounds. Through the use of a dongle or Bluetooth adapter, these two devices can be connected and paired together to enhance your gameplay.
It is a dilemma that both the PS4 and PS5 do not have the necessary Bluetooth profiles installed by Sony, and there is no way for them to be installed.
As a result, you will need to purchase a Bluetooth adapter or a dongle (which, yes, is one of the silliest words ever) in order to pair the JLab GO Air with the console.
As it stands, PlayStation gaming consoles do not support Bluetooth earbuds or headphones natively.
You can use the workarounds to connect them, but native compatibility would be of great benefit to gamers as we could truly customize our gameplay experiences if this were possible.
Connecting JLab GO Air to a PlayStation 4
Using the PS4 (or PS5)’s Bluetooth settings, you are unable to directly connect your JLab earbuds.
You can, however, connect your earbuds to the console via a Bluetooth Wireless Transmitter (BWT for short).
In addition, it is more affordable than you might expect.
A BWT will come with a USB cable that will connect to the PS4 controller slot and allow you to pair it with the JLab GO Air.
Many manufacturers offer BWTs for sale on sites such as Amazon, where they are offered in a variety of sizes and shapes.
BWTs are compatible with a multitude of Bluetooth enabled earbuds and headphones, so if you have another set of JLabs, a BWT could also be used with them as well.
How to connect the PS4 to the JLab GO Air
Once you have the BWT or dongle, you will only have to follow a few simple steps to configure it:
- Plug the USB cable of your BWT into the USB port on the PS4.
- Put your JLab GO Air into pairing mode by pressing the buttons on both devices simultaneously.
- Go to the console’s settings, then select the JLab earphone option found under the Bluetooth menu.
It is really convenient to immerse yourself in a game while enjoying high-quality sound – without having to deal with the mess of cables dangling from your ears!
Connecting the JLab GO Air to the PlayStation 5
You can connect your JLab GO Air to your new PS5 with the BWT/dongle as well.
Isn’t it wonderful if Sony had listened to consumers and made native Bluetooth compatible with wireless headphones and earbuds made by companies other than Sony? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
However, we have a workaround for this problem.
Although there are a number of adapters available that plug into your TV, they may not actually work with the audio on your PlayStation 5 – and they cannot be used for in-game communication.
However, your earbuds should be able to receive sound from the PS5.
JLab GO Air and the PlayStation 5
The process for the PS4 is pretty similar to that for the PS3. Simply:
- Your BWT’s USB cord should be plugged into the PS5’s USB port.
- The JLab GO Air must be put in pairing mode by simultaneously pressing each of its buttons.
- You can find and select the JLab earbuds option in the Bluetooth menu by navigating to the PS5’s settings.
This really is as simple as it sounds.
A Bluetooth wireless transmitter can be used to connect the JLab GO Air to your PS4 or PS5
As you’ve heard me lament, using the BWT (or dongle) is quite simple since it simply plugs into your audio or USB port on your computer.
The device transforms any device plugged into it into a Bluetooth transmitter.
You can find them not only for video game consoles, but also for car stereos (in fact, I just bought one for my 2004 Pontiac Vibe and am absolutely in love with it), computers, or home stereo systems as well.
The wireless headsets designed for PS4 and PS5 are designed exclusively for gaming, and are therefore less versatile than your JLab GO Air earbuds.
If you do not have a BWT, you can check your Bluetooth settings and look for the name of your headset to find out if it is able to pair with the console.
Putting your headset into pairing mode will require you to:
- Go to the Settings section of your console.
- Select the Devices option.
- Browse for your headset in the Bluetooth Devices section.
The device is not supported if it does not appear there.
Why won’t the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 support Bluetooth earbuds or headphones?
When Sony releases the PS5 in November of 2020, it will not be possible to support a wide variety of Bluetooth devices, including a variety of non-gaming earbuds and headsets.
It would not be unfair to speculate that this may have to do with Sony’s production costs.
Does Sony intend to include Bluetooth drivers in the future?
We will have to wait and see, but it will not be anytime soon, and who knows where Bluetooth technology will be in five to ten years.
Final Thoughts
You will need to pay approximately $50 USD for a BWT in order to use your JLab GO Air with your PS4 or PS5.
The price is probably justified for avid gamers.
However, if you are simply a casual gamer, I am inclined to believe that this might not be the most appealing of options to you.
