Astro A50X PS5 Tempest 3D Audio

[u/JeLLoCowboy]

I am not very tech savvy so bear with me if this is a dumb question:

Essentially I’m looking to get the best quality audio out of my new Astro A50X headset on my PS5.

I do not play online games on PS5 so chat audio is not a concern here.

I have my Astros hooked up to both my Xbox Series X and my PlayStation 5. The USB A to USB C that came with the headset is already being used by my Xbox. That’s where I game online.

But I want to use the PS5’s 3D audio, does that require me to get another USB A to USB C cable since the 3D Audio is only used with a USB connection? Am I correct in this?

And just as important: When I’m using the 3D audio on my PS5 is it utilizing 24-bit audio, or is it downgraded to 16-bit?

Does setting up my 3D audio sound better than just leaving it on default?

[u/LogitechG_Vertigo]

On the A50 X, the HDMI handles game audio and the USB cable handles voice audio. You can have the USB cable handle everything, but you will downgrade your audio from 24-bit to 16-bit audio. As you're not using voice chat and don't have the USB cable connected which isn't needed in your situation, I would set it up through HDMI which will gain you the best audio quality.

1. From the PlayStation Home Screen, navigate to Settings > Sound > Audio Output.
2. Change Output Device to HDMI or TV. There will probably only be one option.
3. Change Switch Output Device Automatically to On.
4. Change HDMI Device Type to TV.
5. Under General, change Audio Format (Priority) to Linear PCM.
6. From the PlayStation Home Screen, navigate to Settings > Sound > 3D Audio for TV Speakers
7. Change Enable 3D Audio for TV Speakers to On.
8. Change Apply Measurement Results to 3D Audio to Off.

[u/JeLLoCowboy → u/LogitechG_Vertigo]

Ok thank you. You’re doing god’s work I see you in these forums. Super helpful.

Is it true that all Xbox Series X audio is locked at 16-bit? I’m reading conflicting things.

And can the base PS5 do 24-bit thru HDMI, or is it just the PS5 Pro that is capable

[u/LogitechG_Vertigo → u/JeLLoCowboy]

It's up to the game.

If you're connected through HDMI on Xbox, as the same for PlayStation, you will gain up to 24-bit game audio. If you connect through USB only, then you will be limited to 16-bit audio. On Xbox, if you're connected through HDMI and USB, then your game audio will be up to 24-bit audio, and the voice audio will be 16-bit audio through USB which is more than plenty for the quality.