When the PS5 has a picture but no sound, the cause is almost always a setting, not a broken console — the Output Device is pointed somewhere you're not listening. Check that before you touch a cable, because it's the fix in most cases.
Start with the output device
Settings > Sound > Audio Output > Output Device. Make sure it's set to where you actually want sound:
- HDMI Device (TV) if the audio should come from the TV or a soundbar/receiver in the HDMI chain.
- Not headphones/controller — if a headset was ever plugged into the DualSense, the PS5 may still be routing all audio there, leaving the TV silent. This is the single most common "no sound" trap.
While you're here, check Audio Format (Priority) and set it to match your gear — Linear PCM is the safe choice that almost everything accepts. An aggressive Dolby/DTS setting can leave a TV or older receiver silent if it can't decode that format.
If the setting's right but it's still silent
- Confirm the chain takes the format. If the PS5 runs through a receiver or soundbar, the receiver has to be on the PS5's input and able to decode the audio. Set the PS5's Audio Format to Linear PCM to rule out a format the receiver can't handle, then test.
- Reseat the HDMI and try a different port. PS5 audio travels on the HDMI cable — a half-seated or failing cable drops sound (and often picture). Reseat both ends and try another HDMI input; swap in a known-good certified cable if needed. If the picture drops out too, work the PS5 HDMI not working fix alongside this.
- Go direct to the TV. Plug the PS5 straight into the TV, bypassing any receiver or soundbar. If sound returns, the problem is in that middle device or its ARC/eARC settings, not the PS5.
- Power-cycle properly. Hold the power button until the second beep to shut down fully, unplug for at least 30 seconds, then restart. This clears a stuck audio handshake.
The receiver/ARC angle
If the PS5 plays through the TV and the TV feeds a soundbar over ARC/eARC, a silent soundbar is a TV-audio problem, not a PS5 one — confirm the TV's audio output is set to the external speaker and CEC is on. The PS5 is doing its job; the break is downstream. If you're unsure which connection your gear uses, the difference between ARC and eARC explains what each can carry, and a receiver in the chain has its own no-sound and cutout basics.
FAQ
Picture works but no sound — what's first? Check Settings > Sound > Audio Output > Output Device and make sure it's on the TV/HDMI, not a headset the console is still routing to.
Why is sound coming from nowhere after I unplugged my headset? The PS5 can keep routing audio to the controller's headphone path. Switch Output Device back to HDMI Device (TV).
My receiver gets the PS5 but stays silent. Set the PS5's Audio Format to Linear PCM — the receiver may not decode the Dolby/DTS format it's being sent. Confirm the receiver is on the right input too.
Could it be the cable? Yes — PS5 audio is carried over HDMI, so a failing cable drops sound. Reseat it, try another port, and swap in a certified cable if it persists.