PS4 to Soundbar Connection via HDMI ARC, Optical, and Passthrough

User question

How to connect PS4 to soundbar?

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

The best way to connect a PS4 to a soundbar depends on the ports on your TV and soundbar:

1. Best common setup:
   PS4 → TV by HDMI, then TV → soundbar by HDMI ARC/eARC.

2. Best if your soundbar has HDMI input:
   PS4 → soundbar HDMI IN, then soundbar HDMI OUT → TV.

3. Good alternative:
   PS4 → TV by HDMI, then TV → soundbar by optical cable.

4. Direct optical connection:
   Works only with original PS4 or PS4 Pro, not PS4 Slim.

Avoid Bluetooth if possible because PS4 does not reliably support standard Bluetooth soundbars and wireless audio can add delay.

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Detailed problem analysis

Method 1: PS4 to TV, TV to soundbar using HDMI ARC/eARC

This is usually the easiest and cleanest setup.

Connections

Use two HDMI cables:

PS4 HDMI OUT → TV HDMI IN
TV HDMI ARC/eARC → Soundbar HDMI ARC/eARC

Steps

1. Connect the PS4 to a normal HDMI input on the TV.
2. Connect the TV’s HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC port to the soundbar’s HDMI ARC/eARC port.
3. On the TV, set audio output to:
   • HDMI ARC
   • External speakers
   • Receiver
   • or Audio system, depending on your TV brand.
4. Enable HDMI-CEC if needed. It may be called:
   • Bravia Sync — Sony
   • Anynet+ — Samsung
   • Simplink — LG
   • VIERA Link — Panasonic
   • CEC — generic name
5. On the PS4, go to:

Settings → Sound and Screen → Audio Output Settings

Set:

Primary Output Port: HDMI OUT
Audio Format Priority: Linear PCM or Bitstream Dolby/DTS

Recommended PS4 audio setting for this method

Use:

Audio Format Priority: Bitstream Dolby

if you want surround sound through standard HDMI ARC.

Use:

Audio Format Priority: Linear PCM

if your TV and soundbar support multichannel PCM properly, especially over eARC.

For many TVs using standard ARC, Linear PCM may be limited to stereo, so Bitstream Dolby is often the safer choice for 5.1 sound.

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Method 2: PS4 directly into soundbar using HDMI passthrough

This is often the best technical solution if your soundbar has an HDMI IN port.

Connections

PS4 HDMI OUT → Soundbar HDMI IN
Soundbar HDMI OUT/ARC → TV HDMI IN/ARC

Steps

1. Connect the PS4 HDMI output to the soundbar’s HDMI input.
2. Connect the soundbar’s HDMI output to the TV.
3. Set the TV to the HDMI input used by the soundbar.
4. Set the soundbar input/source to the HDMI input connected to the PS4.
5. On the PS4, go to:

Settings → Sound and Screen → Audio Output Settings

Set:

Primary Output Port: HDMI OUT
Audio Format Priority: Linear PCM

Why this method is good

The soundbar receives the PS4 audio directly before the signal reaches the TV. This can reduce compatibility issues and audio delay. It is especially useful if your TV does not pass surround sound correctly from HDMI inputs to ARC/optical output.

However, make sure the soundbar supports the video format you need. For PS4 this is usually simple, but for PS4 Pro you may want to confirm that the soundbar supports 4K, HDR, and HDCP 2.2 passthrough if you use those features.

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Method 3: Optical cable from PS4 to soundbar

This works if you have an original PS4 or PS4 Pro. The PS4 Slim does not have an optical audio output.

Connections

PS4 HDMI OUT → TV HDMI IN
PS4 Optical OUT → Soundbar Optical IN

Steps

1. Connect the PS4 to the TV with HDMI for video.
2. Connect an optical/TOSLINK cable from the PS4’s optical output to the soundbar’s optical input.
3. Set the soundbar source to Optical, Digital In, or D-IN.
4. On the PS4, go to:

Settings → Sound and Screen → Audio Output Settings

Set:

Primary Output Port: Digital Out Optical

Then choose the formats your soundbar supports, commonly:

Dolby Digital 5.1ch
DTS 5.1ch

For audio format priority, use:

Bitstream Dolby

or:

Bitstream DTS

Important optical limitation

Optical does not have enough bandwidth for uncompressed multichannel Linear PCM. If you choose Linear PCM over optical, you may only get stereo. For 5.1 surround over optical, use Bitstream Dolby or Bitstream DTS.

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Method 4: Optical cable from TV to soundbar

This is useful if:

• You have a PS4 Slim
• Your soundbar has optical input
• Your TV has optical output
• Your soundbar does not have HDMI input or ARC

Connections

PS4 HDMI OUT → TV HDMI IN
TV Optical OUT → Soundbar Optical IN

Steps

1. Connect the PS4 to the TV by HDMI.
2. Connect the TV’s optical output to the soundbar’s optical input.
3. Set the TV audio output to Optical or Digital Audio Out.
4. Set the soundbar source to Optical.
5. On the PS4, set:

Primary Output Port: HDMI OUT
Audio Format Priority: Bitstream Dolby

Possible issue

Some TVs only pass stereo audio from HDMI inputs to optical output. If you only get stereo, check your TV settings for:

Digital Audio Output: Passthrough
Bitstream
Dolby Digital
Auto

Avoid using PCM if you want 5.1 over optical, because PCM over optical is normally limited to 2-channel stereo.

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Method 5: AUX/3.5 mm analog connection

This is a last-resort method.

The PS4 itself does not have a standard analog audio output, but you can use:

Controller headphone jack → Soundbar AUX input

or:

TV headphone output → Soundbar AUX input

This provides basic stereo audio only.

Limitations

• Lower audio quality
• Stereo only
• Volume may need to be controlled from the controller, TV, and soundbar
• Not ideal for gaming surround sound

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Bluetooth: generally not recommended

A PS4 cannot normally pair directly with most Bluetooth soundbars for game audio. Sony restricts standard Bluetooth audio device support on PS4. Some USB Bluetooth transmitters may work, but they often introduce latency.

For gaming, latency is important. Even a small delay between the picture and sound can make gunfire, dialogue, rhythm games, and cutscenes feel wrong. Use HDMI or optical instead whenever possible.

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Recommended setup by hardware situation

Your equipment	Best connection
TV and soundbar both have HDMI ARC/eARC	PS4 → TV → soundbar using HDMI ARC/eARC
Soundbar has HDMI IN and HDMI OUT	PS4 → soundbar → TV
Original PS4 or PS4 Pro with optical soundbar	PS4 HDMI to TV, PS4 optical to soundbar
PS4 Slim with optical soundbar	PS4 HDMI to TV, TV optical to soundbar
No HDMI ARC, no optical	Use AUX from TV or controller, or use an HDMI audio extractor

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Best PS4 audio settings

Go to:

Settings → Sound and Screen → Audio Output Settings

For HDMI directly to TV or soundbar

Use:

Primary Output Port: HDMI OUT

Then try:

Audio Format Priority: Linear PCM

If you only get stereo or no surround, try:

Audio Format Priority: Bitstream Dolby

For optical

Use:

Primary Output Port: Digital Out Optical

Then choose:

Dolby Digital 5.1ch
DTS 5.1ch

Then set:

Audio Format Priority: Bitstream Dolby

or:

Audio Format Priority: Bitstream DTS

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Troubleshooting

No sound

Check:

• Soundbar is on the correct input: HDMI, ARC, Optical, D-IN, AUX, etc.
• TV audio output is set to external speakers, ARC, or optical.
• PS4 audio output matches the cable connection.
• HDMI-CEC is enabled if using ARC.
• Optical cable protective caps have been removed.
• TV volume is not muted if using TV audio passthrough.

Only stereo sound

Try changing PS4 audio from:

Linear PCM

to:

Bitstream Dolby

This is especially important with optical or standard HDMI ARC.

Audio delay or lip-sync problem

Try:

• Set TV digital audio output to Passthrough or Bitstream.
• Disable extra TV audio processing.
• Use the soundbar’s audio sync/lip-sync adjustment.
• If possible, connect PS4 directly to the soundbar using HDMI passthrough.
• Use optical directly from PS4 to soundbar if you have original PS4 or PS4 Pro.

PS4 Slim has no optical port

If you have a PS4 Slim and your soundbar only has optical input, use one of these:

PS4 → TV by HDMI
TV → soundbar by optical

or buy an:

HDMI audio extractor

An HDMI audio extractor takes HDMI from the PS4, sends video to the TV, and sends audio separately to the soundbar by optical or analog output.

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Brief summary

For most users, connect it like this:

PS4 → TV by HDMI
TV → soundbar by HDMI ARC/eARC

If your soundbar has HDMI input, this may be even better:

PS4 → soundbar → TV

If using optical:

• Original PS4/PS4 Pro can connect directly to the soundbar by optical.
• PS4 Slim cannot; use the TV’s optical output or an HDMI audio extractor.

For best gaming performance, use HDMI or optical, not Bluetooth.

Disclaimer: The responses provided by artificial intelligence (language model) may be inaccurate and misleading. Elektroda is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the presented information. All responses should be verified by the user.