Best Headphones for PS5 & GTA VI (2026): Wired Picks + Controller Volume Math

Published October 2026 · prices checked Oct 10, 2026.

Grand Theft Auto VI launches November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only. No PC version has been announced. That puts millions of people on a console for the biggest game launch in years, and most of them will plug headphones into a controller. The controller jack is where good headphones either shine or fall flat, so this guide is built around one number: how much voltage a headphone needs to get loud.

Quick Picks for PS5 (October 2026)

How Wired Audio Works on PS5

The DualSense 3.5 mm jack

The simplest route is the 3.5 mm jack on the bottom of the DualSense controller. Audio travels wirelessly from the console to the controller, and a small amplifier inside the controller drives your headphones. It’s a 4-pole headset jack, so a headset or a headphone plus a mic combiner works for chat. The DualSense also has its own built-in mic if you just need to talk occasionally.

Sony doesn’t publish the jack’s output voltage or power. The safe assumption, and the one this site uses throughout, is that controller outputs are about 1 V or less: the same class as a phone or a laptop jack. That’s plenty for some headphones and nowhere near enough for others.

Tempest 3D Audio

The PS5’s 3D audio is processing done by the console, not the headphone. Sony’s PS5 launch announcement said headphones you already own get Tempest 3D AudioTech either through the DualSense’s 3.5 mm jack or through a USB connection to the console. Enable it in the PS5’s sound settings under audio output; there’s also a profile picker that lets you choose the 3D audio profile that sounds most accurate to you.

Two honest caveats:

• How much 3D audio helps depends on the game’s own audio design. Rockstar hasn’t detailed GTA VI’s audio features as far as I can find, so I won’t promise anything about how it uses Tempest.
• Some players prefer it off for music and cutscenes. Try both.

USB DACs on PS5: possible, with limits

The PS5 also outputs audio over USB, which is how wireless headset dongles work. A wired USB DAC/amp can work too, but:

• Class compatibility. The PS5 works with USB Audio Class 1 devices. Many current DACs default to Class 2, so they may not show up. JDS Labs, for example, documents a UAC1 mode (or a UAC1 fallback cable) for PS4/PS5 use.
• Volume. JDS Labs also notes that PS4 and PS5 limit USB audio output volume, which is why its console firmware runs the DAC at full digital volume and you adjust level on the console or the amp’s own knob.
• Sample rate. USB Audio Class 1 tops out at 24-bit/96 kHz. That’s no real limit for game audio.

The practical advice: don’t buy a desktop DAC/amp for a PS5 unless the maker documents PS5 support. If you already own one, try it; if it doesn’t appear as an output device, it’s probably Class 2 only.

The PS5 has no optical output, so the old “optical into a DAC” console setup isn’t an option without going through a TV or receiver.

The Controller Volume Math

A headphone’s loudness from a given source comes down to two specs: impedance (Ω) and sensitivity (dB per milliwatt or dB per volt). Convert both to “dB at 1 V” and you can see straight away whether it’ll work from a controller:

dB/V = dB/mW + 10 × log10(1000 ÷ impedance)

Example: the DT 770 Pro 80Ω is rated 96 dB/mW. 10 × log10(1000 ÷ 80) ≈ 11, so it makes about 107 dB at 1 V. The 250Ω version, same 96 dB/mW: 10 × log10(1000 ÷ 250) ≈ 6, so about 102 dB at 1 V.

This site uses 110 dB peaks as the “loud enough with some dynamics” target (game audio is full of sudden explosions over quiet ambience). The table shows the voltage each headphone needs to hit that, using published specs.

How to read it: anything that needs under 1 V for 110 dB peaks is a safe controller headphone. Between 1 and 1.5 V you’ll reach comfortable levels with the volume near the top and little headroom; that’s fine for most people. Above that, you’re listening to a quiet, compressed version of the headphone. For the full treatment of the 80Ω/250Ω split, see DT 770 Pro 80Ω vs 250Ω .

One more unknown: Sony doesn’t publish the jack’s output impedance either. A high output impedance can shift the bass of some headphones slightly. Higher-impedance headphones are less affected by this, which is the one point in the 250Ω version’s favour; on a controller, its lack of volume matters far more.

The Picks in Detail

Best overall for PS5: Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X — ~$200

The DT 770 Pro X is the current 48Ω version of Beyerdynamic’s long-running closed-back, rated 98 dB/mW and 112 dB at 1 V. From a controller that’s roughly 0.8 V for 110 dB peaks, so the DualSense drives it with room to spare. It’s closed, which matters on a console: you’re often in a living room with a TV, other people and a fan running. Owners tend to describe the DT 770 family as bassy with a bright top, which suits an open-world game full of engines, music and gunfire.

Best budget: Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80Ω — ~$160–180

The classic DT 770 Pro is still sold in 32Ω, 80Ω and 250Ω versions, and the version matters more than anything else on a console. The 80Ω gets to about 107 dB at 1 V, which covers normal listening from a controller. The 250Ω gets to about 102 dB, so it sounds quieter and duller from the same jack; that’s the most common “my Beyerdynamics are too quiet on PS5” complaint. If you ever move the 80Ω to a PC desk amp later, it loses almost nothing. The DT 770 Pro amp guide covers that upgrade.

Best open-back: Sennheiser HD 560S — ~$200 on sale ($279.95 list)

If you play in a quiet room and care about imaging and comfort, the HD 560S is the open-back to get. It’s rated 110 dB at 1 V, so a 1 V source gets it to about 110 dB peaks: comfortable levels with the volume high and no reserve. Sennheiser US also sells an HD 560S + HD 500 BAM boom-mic set ($249.95 on Oct 10, 2026), which is the tidiest way to add chat. Remember open-backs leak: people on the couch will hear the game.

The newer Sennheiser: HD 550 — ~$200 on sale ($349.95 list)

The HD 550 (2025) is Sennheiser’s other open-back at this price, published at 150Ω and 106.7 dB/V. That makes it about 3 dB less efficient than the HD 560S, closer to the DT 770 Pro 80Ω: fine at normal levels from a controller, but you’ll run out of volume sooner. If the two are the same price, the HD 560S is the easier console match.

Easiest to drive: Sony MDR-M1 — ~$250

Sony’s MDR-M1 (launched late 2024) is a closed-back studio headphone rated 50Ω and 102 dB/mW, which works out to about 115 dB at 1 V, the most efficient headphone in this guide. From a controller it needs only about 0.6 V for loud peaks. It costs more than the DT 770 Pro X, so it’s the pick if you want the most volume headroom from the controller and a newer design than the long-running Beyerdynamics.

Also good: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x — ~$150–160

The ATH-M50x (38Ω, 99 dB/mW, about 113 dB at 1 V) is an easy controller headphone with a big, punchy sound and a detachable cable. Comfort for long sessions is the usual owner complaint. If it’s on sale below the DT 770 Pro 80Ω, it’s a fine alternative; the ATH-M50x vs DT 770 Pro page compares them.

Wireless option: Audeze Maxwell 2 — $329 (PlayStation version)

If you’d rather not deal with controller volume at all, the Maxwell 2 brings its own amp and DAC. It launched at CES 2026 with 90 mm planar drivers, a 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle, Bluetooth and a detachable boom mic. Audeze’s user guide lists PS5 support via the dongle, USB or 3.5 mm, and Tempest 3D Audio compatibility. Reviewers rate the mic highly and flag the weight. Buy the PlayStation version for PS5; the Xbox version is $349.

Who Should NOT Buy These (for PS5)

• Anyone shopping a 250Ω or 300Ω headphone for the controller. DT 770/990 Pro 250Ω, HD 600, HD 650: all great headphones, all the wrong pick for a DualSense jack.
• Planar fans on a controller. The HE400SE and Sundara need more current than a controller is built to supply. They’re desk headphones; see Do I Need a Headphone Amp? .
• Couch players next to other people. Skip the open-backs (HD 560S, HD 550) and go closed.
• People who want a mic without any extra parts. Get the Maxwell 2, or the HD 560S + boom-mic set.

What If You Already Own a 250Ω Headphone?

You have three options:

1. Use it anyway. It works, just quietly. Set the PS5’s headphone volume to max and see if it’s enough for you.
2. Add a small battery-powered analog amp between the controller and the headphone. The controller’s output feeds the amp’s input, and the amp adds the voltage. Keep the controller volume moderate to avoid overloading the amp’s input.
3. Try a USB DAC/amp that supports USB Audio Class 1, connected to the console. Check the maker’s PS5 notes first.

On PC, the same headphone is easy: any desktop DAC/amp in the DT 770 Pro amp guide fixes it.

Xbox Series X|S Note

Xbox works much the same way for wired headphones: plug into the 3.5 mm jack on the Xbox Wireless Controller, and the same 1 V-or-less rule applies, so the same picks work. Spatial audio on Xbox comes from Windows Sonic (free) or Dolby Atmos for Headphones and DTS Headphone:X (both apps with a paid licence), and they process the signal before it reaches the controller. The big difference is USB: in practice Xbox only works with licensed USB headsets and dongles, not generic USB DACs, so don’t plan on a desktop DAC/amp there. If you play on Xbox, buy the Xbox version of the Maxwell 2.

If You Also Play on PC

PC players have more options: a desktop DAC/amp, system-wide EQ, and no controller in the chain. For competitive shooters like CoD: Modern Warfare 4 (out Oct 23, 2026, on PC and consoles), see Best Audiophile Headphones for Gaming , which covers footstep tuning, mics and amps for PC.

Related Guides

• DT 770 Pro 80Ω vs 250Ω: the voltage table behind this page
• Best Amp for Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro
• Best Audiophile Headphones for Gaming (MW4 picks)
• Do I Need a Headphone Amp?
• What Is Headphone Impedance?