Connecting your headsets wirelessly to your Xbox Series X/S might seem like an easy thing to do, something you take for granted. However, it is not so simple. You will find that you can´t simply pair any headphones to Microsoft´s latest console.
Is the Xbox Series X and Y compatible with a Bluetooth headset?
The Xbox series X and Y don't have Bluetooth compatibility. All the official Microsoft accessories connect using the Xbox Wireless technology (yes, that´s its name). This means that you won´t be able to pair your Bluetooth headphones wirelessly.
The only way to connect a Bluetooth headset on itself to the Xbox Series X/S is by plugging it in into the Xbox (or their controller´s) 3.5 mm jack. In that case, you might still need to deal with the headphone´s cable, so it´s not exactly a wireless solution.
So, is there any way to enjoy true wireless freedom when using a headset with the Xbox Series X or Y?
Yes, two ways. If you don´t have a headset yet, you can try buying one of the specially made headphones for the Series X.
Microsoft has released one such headset that makes use of the Xbox Wireless technology. They can connect to your console wirelessly without using Bluetooth. The drawback is that it costs, at the time of this writing, almost a hundred dollars to buy it.
Connecting a Bluetooth headset to the Xbox Series X and Y.
But, what if you already have a favorite headset and don´t want to buy a new one? In that case, there´s a workaround. You can buy a Bluetooth adapter for the Xbox Series X or S.
The way these adapters work is quite simple. You plug the adapters into either the console or your Xbox Controllers via the 3.5mm headphone jack. Afterward, you put your headphones in Bluetooth pairing mode as usual.
Once the headset is in Bluetooth pairing mode, it should connect to your game and work as usual.
The disadvantage of using these adapters is that sometimes you can get low latency and a bit of lag between the game and your ears. Also, sometimes the audio quality will take a dip. It won´t be as crisp as a direct connection.
There is a third alternative that does not involve the Xbox itself. Instead, you´ll be using a smart TV to connect to your headsets.
If you have your Xbox Series X/Y hooked up to a smart TV, odds are you don´t need to connect your Bluetooth headphones to the console but to the TV itself. The TV will stream the audio to your headset instead of the Xbox, but the result will be the same.
Now, not all Smart TVs come with this feature, so you have to check that yourself. If your Smart Tv allows you to connect to other Bluetooth devices, as the Samsung TVs do, then odds are that this trick will work.
As each brand of Smart TV has its way to connect to Bluetooth devices, we can´t have universal instructions. But regardless, they all follow the same pattern.
Look for the Bluetooth menu in the options of your TV,
Turn on your headset´s pairing mode,
Find it within the list of nearby Bluetooth devices
Connect to it.
And that´s it. Hopefully, you found a way to enjoy your Series X with wireless headsets. The console is not compatible with Bluetooth, this is the same problem that the PS5 faces, but there are workarounds to face this limitation. If you want to see if your old controllers are still compatible with the Series X/Y, check out our article here and to see if it´s compatible with external HDD, over here.
And if you already have a headset, but it doesn´t sound right, you can try to improve the sound quality by following these steps.