I use a surround sound system with my PS4 that’s hooked up via an Optical cable using the PS4’s optical port.
Now, that I’m ready to buy a PS5, I was a little concerned after hearing rumors that Sony had dropped the optical port on the PS5 in an effort to save money.
With my concern driving me forward, and the realization that I couldn’t be the only person worrying about this, I jumped on the internet to find out if the PS5 has an optical port.
This is what I found…
Does the PS5 have a digital optical port? No, the PS5 does not have a digital optical port. However, most TVs come with an optical port built-in. You can plug your sound system into the TV instead and change the setting so the sound from the PlayStation 5 is sent down the TV’s optical port. If your TV doesn’t have an optical port, then you will have to buy an HDMI/optical port sound splitter.
Ok, now that you’ve got a basic answer let me explain each point in a little more depth.
Does the PS5 have an optical port?
No, the PS5 sadly doesn’t have an optical port. But Sony had good reason not to include one.
Simply put, the main reason why Sony didn’t include an optical port on the back of the PS5 is that most modern TVs include an optical port on them.
By making use of the optical port on the TV the PS5 is connected to, the sound can be sent from the PlayStation 5, along with the picture, down the HDMI cable to the TV.
The sound and video is then split by the TV, with the images being pumped onto the screen, and sound diverted through the optical port read for your sound system to guzzle.
Sony knew they could save some money by dropping it from the PS5 specs as most of their user base would have a TV with a built-in optical port.
Another reason why Sony didn’t include the optical link is that the optical port, or Toslink, is a very old standard. In fact, it was first designed and put in production way back in 1983!
The standard wasn’t designed to carry the high bandwidth sound that modern audio standards such as DTS HD Master Audio or Dolby TrueHD produce.
However, if you are determined to use a sound system that makes use of the optical port standard, all is not lost…
Check to see if your TV has an optical port
Now, having done a load of research and looked at about 75 different TV models, I can tell you that all of the TVs I have looked at have optical ports. From the most Expensive 8K TV’s all the way down to value 32-inch bedroom TVs, they all offer the optical standard that you’ve grown to love on the PS4.
It seems that most modern TVs such as LED, QLED, ULED, and OLED TVs from the past 10 years have an optical out port as standard. I’ve even found an old school Panasonic Plasma TV from 2013 that sports Digital optical outputs on them.
Also, my Samsung QLED TV, which is about 4 years old now, comes with a digital optical port. In fact, my bose soundbar is connected to it right now.
What does this mean for you?
Well, it means that there is a really good chance that there’s an optical port on your TV. You just never thought to look because your PS4 had one and you just made use of that without, understandably, thinking.
But what does the optical port look like and where might you find it on your TV.
Let’s take a look.
What does the optical port look like?
The optical port doesn’t resemble any other port on the back of the TV. For starters, it has a little door that folds out of the way when you try to stick something in it.
The port shape is roughly square. The bottom corners of the square, depending on its orientation, are cut away at 45-degree angles, and the sides of the square have little bumps.
There are two reasons for this odd shape:
- The optical cable can click into place and stay in place
- The cable can only be inserted into the port one way.
Additionally, most optical ports will have writing around them stating “Optical Port” or something similar.
Just look at the image above to see what I mean. Note that optical ports can be orientated any which way on your TV.
Ok, now you know what the port looks like, let’s take a look at where you might find it on the back of your TV.
Where to look on your Tv for the optical port
Before you start panicking about buying a new TV or sound system, look on the back, sides, and bottom of your TV for an optical out.
It will be there somewhere. It will likely be labeled as in the pictures above.
If you do find one, be sure to pop into your TV’s setting and change the sound output to ensure sound is being pumped through the Optical port.
If your TV really doesn’t have an optical port (Seriously, take another look to be absolutely sure) then you do have another option…
If your TV doesn’t have an optical port buy HDMI/digital optical port sound splitter
If your TV, in the rare case, doesn’t have an optical port, you may have to consider buying an HDMI digital optical audio splitter to separate the sound from the video.
This is a very easy solution that’ll instantly give you a digital optical port, without having to buy a new TV.
However, there are some limitations to these HDMI sound extractors that you should be aware of.
Firstly, due to the low demand for these boxes because seemingly every TV has an optical port, the highest HDMI standards, HDMI 2.1, is not currently supported.
HDMI 2.1 is needed for 8K@60hz and 4K@120hz
That means you’d be limited to HDMI 2.0 for a maximum of 4k@60hz with HDR or 8K@30hz with HDR.
Fortunately this shouldn’t be a problem for you.
Why?
Well, every 8K TV and every 4K TV that supports true 120hz already comes with a digital optical port built into it. Honestly, when I did the research for this article, I spent 2 hours looking.
So if you’re sporting one of Samsung’s high-end QLED TV’s or LG’s OLED TVs, you should already have an optical port on the back of the TV.
If you’re sporting an older TV that, somehow, does not have a digital optical port, the chances are you don’t have an 8K TV or 4K TV running at 120hz.
So buying an HDMI sound extractor that offers an HDMI 2.0 pass-through should be fine.
But which HDMI sound splitter should you buy?
I’m glad you asked…
I would recommend buying the J-Tech 4k HDMI 2.0 HDCP 2.2 splitter.
My reasons why are:
- It offers HDMI 2.0 so you get 4K@60hz with any type of HDR( HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma)
- It’s well built
- It’s got loads of 5-star reviews on Amazon and the official J-Tech website
- It offers a pass-through for Dolby Digital and DTS.
Ok, it’s not perfect: It doesn’t offer HDMI 2.1 for 8K visuals or 120hz so it’s not as future proof as I would like it to be.
But if you had a TV that supported either 8k or 120hz, I promise you, you wouldn’t need this little box.
If your TV doesn’t have an optical port, your best bet is to buy a splitter such as the J-Tech 4k HDMI optical splitter.
But please, again, check your TV before spending money. There is a really good chance it does have an optical port.
Conclusion
As you can see, Sony dropping the optical port from the PlayStation 5 is not the end of the world.
There is a very good chance that your TV, regardless of its age, has a built-in optical port. And you just didn’t know about or think to look for it in the past because the PS4 conveniently had one.
So the first thing you want to do is check your TV for the optical port.
If your TV, in the unlikely event, does not have an optical port, there is another option.
You should buy an HDMI/Optical splitter that splits the sound from the HDMI signal. The sound is then pumped through a Digital optical port ready for your sound system.
I would buy the J-Tech 4k HDMI 2.0 HDCP 2.2 splitter as it offers 60hz 4K and High dynamic range.
However, I must stress that every TV I have looked at has a digital optical port built into it. So please, please, please check before spending any money.
If your TV does have an optical out port, then there is a chance that it is a mini optical out. In that case, you’ll need to buy a different lead or an adaptor.
You can buy a normal optical to mini optical cable here.
You can buy a mini optical adaptor here.
What next?
How do I charge the PS5 controller? You know, it’s surprising how many times I get asked that question. The PS5 controller can be charged in multiple ways. Check out my “how to charge the ps5 controller” article for more information.
How do Fully turn the PS5 off? Ahh, yes, the next-get PS5 doesn’t make it clear how to turn it off fully. You basically have to rummage around in the menu system. Take a look at my article here on the subject.
Does the PS5 controller have a headphone jack? As a matter of fact, it does. Fancy learning more about it? Then take a look at my “Does the PS5 controller have a headphone jack” article.