Can I Use My Xbox One Headset On A PC? (Explained)

If you play games on different devices, you’d be happy to hear that you could use your peripherals and sound devices on all of them.

It could save you the trouble and money of getting a dedicated sound device for each platform.

Is that possible, given that each platform has its own standards?

For example, you may wonder if you can use your Xbox One headset with your PC.

Can I Use My Xbox One Headset On A PC?

Yes, you can use your Xbox One headset with your PC, depending on the device.

In most cases, you won’t experience compatibility issues, although the most difficult case is for wireless connection.

Depending on the device, you can connect your Xbox One headset to the PC via Bluetooth or a Microsoft wireless dongle.

A wired connection is also possible using a 3.5mm jack or a USB port.

However, you may experience compatibility issues that you can address by using adapters.

1. Wireless

If you have a wireless Xbox One headset, it works with Bluetooth.

You can easily connect it to your laptop or desktop PC regardless of the headset type and make.

You’ll first need to pair the devices.

To pair your default Xbox One headset, find the green power button on the back of the left earcup and press it.

Hold it for four seconds until you hear a repeated tone and the headset’s power light starts flashing.

This process will make the headset visible for your PC to connect to.

If you have another wireless headset, you should put it into pairing mode by consulting its user manual.

You can also refer to the manufacturer’s website and look for the pairing process.

Now, you should go to the PC and adjust its Bluetooth settings.

If you have a Windows PC, turn on its Bluetooth by clicking on the Action Center icon in the right corner of the taskbar.

If you can’t find it there, you should update its driver via the Device Manager.

Now, you can pair your PC to the headset.

Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.

Click Devices, and select Bluetooth & other devices.

Expand the menu next to Add Bluetooth or other devices and select Bluetooth.

Here, you should see your headset among the available devices.

Select it to finish the pairing process.

When your default Xbox headset pairs with the PC, its power light stops flashing, and you can test it to see if it works.

If you have a Mac computer, you can turn on the Bluetooth by going to the Control Center and clicking on the Bluetooth icon.

You can also find it in the Menu bar.

Select the headset from the list of devices to pair it with your Mac.

How To Ensure My PC Has Bluetooth

The problem with Windows PCs is that not all of them have Bluetooth connectivity.

As a result, you may be unable to connect your wireless Xbox headset to your PC without help.

Before going for auxiliary devices, you must ensure your PC has Bluetooth connectivity.

To do so, right-click the Start button and go to Device Manager.

Look for Bluetooth from the list of devices.

If you can’t find it, your PC doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity.

You may also find it under Network adapters.

If you’re unsure whether your PC has Bluetooth connectivity, you can check the manufacturer’s website and look for your specific device’s features.

That’s particularly the case if you’ve reinstalled Windows and haven’t installed all the drivers.

What If My PC Doesn’t Have Bluetooth?

If you ascertain that your PC doesn’t come with Bluetooth connectivity, you’re still not out of luck.

You can use many hardware solutions that add Bluetooth capability to your computer.

Bluetooth adaptors come in different shapes and types, including USB dongles and PCIe cards.

A USB dongle is easier to use since you just need to plug it into your PC’s USB port.

However, the PCIe cards are more reliable and have better and more powerful signals.

After inserting the adapter into the PC, the device will automatically recognize it.

However, you may need to install its driver.

Some devices come with a CD that you can insert into your PC and install the driver.

Otherwise, you can go to the dongle manufacturer’s website and download its driver.

You can also go to the Device Manager, find your dongle under Bluetooth, and right-click it.

Select Install device, and Windows will automatically search for its drivers and install them.

What If My Headset Doesn’t Support Bluetooth?

Most Xbox One wireless headphones don’t support Bluetooth and connect to your controller wirelessly via Microsoft’s proprietary wireless radio.

As a result, you can’t connect the headset to your Windows PC via Bluetooth.

In such cases, you can use an Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows.

However, some Microsoft devices, such as Surface devices, work with Xbox wireless radio because they have the feature built-in.

In such cases, you don’t need an adapter, and you can get other features, such as the game/chat audio balance, that don’t work with Bluetooth.

2. 3.5mm Jack

If your headset isn’t wireless, it probably comes with a 3.5mm jack through which you connect it to the controller.

Most modern PCs come with 3.5mm ports on their cases.

With this, you can easily connect the headset to the PC.

After connecting the devices, you need to set the headset as the default recording device if you want to use the mic for chatting and recording your voice.

To do so, right-click the speaker icon on the right corner of the taskbar and select Open Sound Settings.

On the right side of the new window, click Sound Control Panel.

Go to the Recording tab in the new window that pops up and find your Xbox One headset.

Click on it and select Set default.

Now, you can listen to audio and record your voice on your PC via your Xbox One headset.

Things To Consider About 3.5mm Jacks

A 3.5mm jack lets you simultaneously use your headset as an input and output device.

You can use it to record audio and listen to your friends or in-game sounds.

Most modern PCs have 3.5mm female jacks to connect your devices effortlessly.

However, some older PCs come with separate input and output jacks differentiated by pink and green sockets.

If your PC has these jack types, you’ll need a splitter to separate the headphone and microphone sockets.

Another thing to consider about 3.5mm jacks is their standard.

These jacks come in two standards: CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association) and OMTP (Open Mobile Terminal Platform).

The Xbox One controller requires a CTIA standard.

If your headset works with the Xbox One controller, it has the CTIA standard.

While you may be able to connect an incompatible device to your controller, you may experience issues.

If the 3.5mm jack on the PC is OMTP, you may experience chat or audio issues.

In such cases, you can get OMTP to CTIA adapters.

Note. The Xbox One Chat Headset doesn’t work when connected directly to the PC.

To overcome this limitation, you can connect it to the controller through the 3.5mm jack and connect the controller to the PC via the USB port.

You only need a USB cable long enough to reach from the controller to the PC’s USB port.

3. USB

You can use Xbox One headsets that connect to your PC via a USB port since the headset connects to the controller via the USB port.

If your headset is specifically designed for Xbox One, you’ll have no issue connecting the headset to your controller.

However, you may not be able to connect it to your PC directly because of incompatibility issues.

Microsoft uses specifically-designed chips for the USB connections on their controllers.

As a result, the compatible devices with the controller may not work with other devices.

In such cases, you can connect your headset to the controller and hook up the controller to the PC.

If your USB headset isn’t compatible with the Xbox One controller, you must have used the Xbox One Stereo Adapter, which connects to the controller via the USB port.

In that case, you probably won’t have compatibility issues and can connect the headset directly to the computer.

Using Xbox One Headset On Other Consoles

If you recently switched to a different gaming console, you may wonder whether you can use your old Xbox One headset with the new one.

The answer is yes and no, depending on the device and the connection type.

Some headsets are specifically designed for one platform.

For example, the RIG 800LX Wireless Gaming Headset is only compatible with Xbox One.

It has a wireless base that hooks up to the back of the Xbox via a USB port.

Although it has many exciting features, this headset is only compatible with Xbox One.

Wireless headsets don’t work cross-platform because different consoles use different wireless protocols.

Because of these wireless protocols, specifically Microsoft’s security chips, you need a specially designed USB dongle for Xbox wireless.

However, wired connections are almost always cross-platform.

Most consoles use 3.5mm jacks to connect their audio devices without requiring specific protocols.

All you need to do is plug the headset into the port, and the device will automatically set it up.

The 3.5mm connection is a universal audio standard found on most devices.

However, you can still use the wired connection if you don’t find a 3.5mm port on one of the devices.

Identify the other wired ports, such as the 2.5mm or USB, and find an adaptor that converts these two connectivity types.

If your Xbox One headset isn’t a proprietary device, there’s a higher chance that you can use it with other consoles.

You can find a wide range of cross-platform headsets compatible with various devices.

For example, the Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 is one of these headsets that Xbox announced as one of its supported headsets.

It is compatible with Xbox Series X & S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC gaming.

Troubleshooting Xbox One Headset Connection To PC

If you’ve connected your Xbox One headset to your PC but can’t get any sound, you should check various factors.

The first thing you should check is whether the devices are compatible.

Your wireless headset may require an Xbox Wireless adapter and doesn’t work with the regular Bluetooth.

You may also want to check the ports for wired connections.

If your computer has different 3.5mm or USB ports, try all of them to see which one works.

USB connections are generally less reliable than 3.5mm jacks.

If you can connect your headset through both connections, use the 3.5mm jack instead of the USB port.

You should also make sure the headset is powered on and functional.

If it has an on/off switch, check it to ensure it’s not off.

After checking these factors, you can move on to the following solutions:

1. Run The Audio Troubleshooter

The connection issue may be a minor glitch that Windows is already familiar with and can handle easily.

For such situations, you can rely on the Windows built-in troubleshooter, accessible in different ways.

The easiest way is to right-click the sound icon on the taskbar and click Troubleshoot sound problems.

You may need to sign in to your Microsoft account and grant some permission to start troubleshooting.

If you have issues with your headset mic not recording, you can run the troubleshooter through Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.

Scroll down to Recording audio, click on it, and select Run the troubleshooter.

Follow the on-screen prompts to finish troubleshooting.

If the system suggests a viable solution, click Apply this fix and see if it solves your issue.