How To Connect Headphones To An Xbox One: A Step-By-Step Guide

For many gamers, a headset is just as essential to the gaming experience as a controller. Voice chat for online play has been a norm for over three generations of consoles at this point, and there are plenty of reasons you may choose to use headphones even if you're playing a single-player game. You might use headphones to game so that the TV's volume doesn't disturb anyone in your home, especially sleeping children. Conversely, you may want to use noise-canceling headphones to drown everything else out, or perhaps you prefer surround sound headphones' ability to create a more immersive gaming experience.

Whatever the reason, there are several ways you can connect headphones to your console — though the process is not uniform across generations. The headphone jacks on controllers for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One were an imperfect solution, and even the Xbox Series X|S doesn't support true built-in Bluetooth. As a result, it can be confusing when connecting a new headset to your Xbox One, whether it's wired or wireless. To make the process easier and get you in a party chat as soon as possible, here's a step-by-step guide to connecting headphones to an Xbox One.

Although the Xbox One doesn't have built-in Bluetooth, that doesn't mean you can't use wireless headsets. In fact, some of the best Xbox One headsets available are wireless. Not all wireless headsets are compatible, so it's important to make sure yours is. The Xbox Wireless Headset, made by Microsoft, is always a safe, solid choice. While the process may differ slightly for third-party accessories, here's how to pair the Xbox Wireless Headset with the Xbox One:

1. Power on both the headset and your Xbox One
2. Press and hold the green button located on the back of the headset's left earcup for four seconds. It will repeat a pairing tone and its power light will begin flashing.
3. Press the Pair function on your Xbox One — it's the little button you use to pair wireless controllers. The console's power light will start flashing.
4. When the lights on both devices stop flashing, pairing will be complete, and you'll be able to use the wireless headphones.

If you have headphones that can only connect with Bluetooth, you may still be able to use them with your Xbox One. Rather than pairing the headset with the console, you can use one of the USB ports on the Xbox One to plug in a compatible Bluetooth receiver, which many headsets come with. In nearly all cases, however, a third-party Bluetooth dongle that didn't come specifically with a headset won't work with an Xbox One. You can follow the instructions included with the particular headset to pair the accessory correctly.

Of course, you may want to use a pair of wired headphones. There are three ways to do this — you can connect them directly to your TV, console, or to your controller. To attach compatible sets directly to your Xbox, use the S/PDIF optical audio port on the back of the console. To attach wired headphones to your TV, simply plug a compatible set into either the 3.5mm or red and white RCA ports on the back or side (or, rarely, front) of your television. With this method, you'll hear game audio in addition to any other sound from your TV, though you won't be able to send audio with a microphone for game chats.

You'll need either headphones with a 3.5mm standard to connect them, although you can also use the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter if your controller and headset aren't directly compatible. To connect your headphones, simply plug the jack into the small port on the bottom center of your Xbox controller. After that, it will automatically work, but you may want to adjust the audio settings, which you can do on your console. Here's how:

1. Power on your Xbox.
2. Press the Xbox button on your controller.
3. Select the Audio & music icon at the bottom of the guide.
4. From there, you'll be able to adjust the settings for your headset, including volume, chat mixer, and mic monitoring.

If you're using the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter, you'll also be able to control settings using its face buttons, but we'll discuss that more in a minute.

If you're having trouble hearing game or chat audio, or others cannot hear you, the first thing you should do is check any audio settings on your headset, including the volume. You can also check your console's audio settings by going to the Audio & music section of your Xbox guide, which you can access by pressing the Xbox button on your controller. You may need to raise the volume of your input, output, or play with your mixer settings to get the right balance. 

You can also check the software of some headsets on your console by going to Profile & system > Settings > Devices & connections > Accessories. You may need to install a software update or change certain settings in this menu. Other troubleshooting tips can be found here.

If you're using a 3.5 mm headset and it's plugged into the correct port, but you're experiencing issues, it may not be the correct standard. Though they can fit the same port, there are two types of 3.5 mm jacks — CTIA and OMTP. The CTIA standard has the mic function of the jack closer to the end of the cable, whereas the OMTP standard has its ground section. Headphones using the OMTP standard can cause issues with Xbox One audio, and you may need to use an adapter to convert the accessory to a CTIA jack.

A third type of 3.5 mm jack has no audio input capability, meaning you can only use them as headphones and won't be able to connect a microphone for game chats. Finally, one reason why your headphones aren't working correctly with your Xbox One may be simple — they're not compatible with the console.

In fact, there are a lot of compatibility issues to consider when setting up headphones with an Xbox One. Older headsets designed for the Xbox 360 might work with the later console but are limited by 2.5mm connectors, which the Xbox One controller doesn't have a port for. If you want to use one of these headsets for your Xbox One, you can use an adapter such as the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter. It's a small accessory that can plug into the bottom of your Xbox controller that will also allow you to control audio settings –  like adjusting the chat mixer or muting your mic — from your controller.

Unfortunately, an adapter won't work if you're using the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset or Xbox 360 Wireless Bluetooth Headset, which aren't compatible with the Xbox One. Other headsets that won't work with the Xbox One include the Mad Catz Tritton Warhead and the Mad Catz Tritton Primer, though the latter may work with an official adapter. If you're stuck with headphones that won't work with your Xbox One, you may have to just buy a compatible pair. Thankfully, these are available at a wide range of prices, so you can likely find a set within your budget.