How To Connect A Bluetooth Speaker To Xbox Series X?

Learning how to connect a Bluetooth speaker to an Xbox Series X is a simple task, but a lot of people often get confused with it. If you’re one of them, don’t worry; we’re here to help you out. 

Key Takeaways

• You can connect a Bluetooth speaker to the Xbox Series X, but it requires extra devices and connections. 
• You will need two HDMI cables, an optical Bluetooth adapter, and an audio extractor. 
• To avoid any inconvenience in output audio, make sure the devices mentioned above are of high quality. 
• Some custom audio settings can improve the audio quality of the speakers. 

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Is It Possible To Connect A Bluetooth Speaker To Xbox Series X?

Your gaming experience can vary highly depending on your environment and the devices you use for gaming. The primary factor that affects your gaming experience the most is your display screen.

Still, another factor that also plays an important role in your gaming sessions is the output audio. While most people like to use headphones for gaming, speaker lovers find the surrounding audio more amusing. 

Connecting Bluetooth speakers as your output audio device may not be challenging for PC users. However, for Xbox Series X users, this can be a bit confusing since the console doesn’t have Bluetooth support. Despite that, your Bluetooth speakers can still connect to your Xbox Series X, and you can enjoy all the features of your speakers. 

Also Read: How To Update Xbox? [All Models]

How To Connect A Bluetooth Speaker To Xbox Series X? 

As the Xbox Series X doesn’t have Bluetooth support, an optical Bluetooth adapter is required to do the job.

A Bluetooth adapter enables Bluetooth connectivity for the device it is plugged on. A good quality adapter should be preferred to avoid poor connection. You will also need an audio extractor and two HDMI cables. When connected, these devices will let you connect a Bluetooth speaker to your Xbox Series X. 

After getting your hands on all the devices mentioned above, you need to make the connections and follow the steps as guided below: 

1. First, connect the optical Bluetooth adapter to the USB cable it is provided with.
2. Then, take the audio extractor and plug the two HDMI cables into it.
3. In the optical port on the audio extractor, plug in the optical Bluetooth adapter.
   

   

4. Next, you need to plug the HDMI cable, which works as an output, into your TV or monitor.
   

   

5. As for the other HDMI, plug it into your Xbox Series X to provide input to the adapter.
   

   

6. If you get confused between the two HDMI cables, see the labeling on the audio extractor to know which cable is working as an input and which one is being used as the output, and then plug the cables accordingly.
7. Also, connect the Bluetooth adapter’s USB cable to your TV or monitor.
8. After that, turn on your Bluetooth speakers and set them on pairing mode.
9. Next, press the button on the optical Bluetooth adapter twice in quick succession to pair them to your speakers. Your speakers will then be connected to your Xbox and ready to use. 

Important Audio Settings

After successfully connecting your Bluetooth speakers to your Xbox Series X, you want to get the most out of your speakers. And for that, you may have to tweak your audio settings. The audio settings may vary for different speakers, so you will have to select the settings accordingly. 

The two general audio options for speakers are “5.1 uncompressed” and “7.1 uncompressed.” You can try selecting both options individually and keep the settings that provide the best audio output.

If you want a more enhanced Dolby experience, buy the Dolby Atmos subscription for Xbox. It is a one-time payment subscription which means when bought once, you won’t have to pay a monthly or a yearly price.

Many people would go with the free Dolby options available on the Xbox Series X, but if you are a Dolby lover and want to enjoy your Dolby sound system to the fullest, you might want to try this subscription.

Audio Problems That May Occur

If you have moved from headsets to speakers, you may likely encounter some difficulties when listening to the audio from your speakers. If you have audio problems, don’t consider your speakers faulty, as these problems might just be aroused by the default audio settings on your Xbox Series X.

Crackling Audio

If you are having issues hearing the in-game sounds because of the noise interference in your party chat, that’s called crackling audio. This problem can occur due to the audio preferences set on your Xbox. To get rid of the crackling audio, you will need to change or increase your audio preferences to the in-game audio instead of the party chat audio. 

To do this, follow the steps below: 

1. Press the Xbox button on your controller. 
   

   

2. Go to settings and then go to “Video and Audio Output”. 
3. Then, go to the “Advanced” option, “Additional Options”, and then “Chat Mixer”. 
4. There, you will see an option to reduce other sounds. Set the percentage of other sounds you want to reduce. 

Also Read: Xbox One Mic Not Working: Can Hear But Can’t Talk

Audio Dropout

Another problem that may occur when connecting a Bluetooth speaker to an Xbox Series X is the audio dropout issue. Your audio may cut occasionally, or you may not be able to hear it at all, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that your speakers need to be changed. There may be some connection problems that can cause such issues.

To fix this problem, you can try: 

1. Replugging or changing the HDMI cables. 
2. Blowing air into the sockets of the audio extractor, Xbox, and the TV or monitor. 

Miscellaneous Audio Issues

In case your speakers aren’t performing the same as they did when you used them separately, one thing that you can try is audio diagnostics. In the audio diagnostics, your Xbox will run some tests on your audio device to check if it’s working properly.

Here’s how to run audio diagnostics in Xbox Series X: 

1. On your controller, press the Xbox button. 
2. Go to the “Volume & Audio Output” option. Follow the path: Profile & System> Settings > General > Volume & audio output.
3. There, you will see the Advanced Tab. From that tab, select the Audio setup option. 
4. After that, select the audio device and press the “A” button on your controller.