Xbox Series XS Airpods Pro
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Are Apple AirPods compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X?

ByDaniel Alvarez

If you’re an Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S gamer who loves using your AirPods to listen to music or podcasts, you might be wondering if you can use them to play console games. After all, you want to make the most of your investment.

Unfortunately, the answer is not simple. Xbox consoles don’t support Bluetooth audio, which means you can’t pair your AirPods directly with them.

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However, there are some workarounds that can help you enjoy wireless gaming with your AirPods. In this article, we’ll explain why AirPods aren’t compatible with Xbox consoles. We will also give you alternatives to solve this problem.

Are AirPods compatible with Xbox?

AirPods are wireless earphones that use Bluetooth technology to connect to a variety of devices, including iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Android smartphones. Bluetooth is a universal standard for wireless communication that allows different devices to exchange data over short distances.

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Xbox consoles do not support Bluetooth audio. Instead, they use a proprietary wireless technology called Xbox Wireless, designed specifically for Xbox controllers and headsets. Xbox Wireless provides a more stable and low-latency connection than Bluetooth, which is important for game performance.

Because of this difference in wireless technology, AirPods and AirPods Pro cannot connect to Xbox consoles without an adapter or a third-party app. This means you can’t use the microphone in your AirPods or control game volume with your earbuds.

How to use AirPods with Xbox Series X|S

Adapter Bluetooth Airpods

There are two main ways to use AirPods with Xbox Series X|S: using a Bluetooth adapter or using the Xbox app on your phone or tablet.

Using a Bluetooth adapter

A Bluetooth adapter is a device that plugs into the 3.5 mm headphone jack on your Xbox controller and converts game audio into a Bluetooth signal that your AirPods can receive. This is the easiest and most universal solution for using AirPods with Xbox consoles.

One of the best Bluetooth adapters for Xbox is the Skull & Co. AudioBox: Bluetooth 5.0 Low Latency Wireless Audio Adapter for Xbox. This adapter supports Bluetooth 5.0, which offers better sound quality and battery life than older versions of Bluetooth. It also has a low latency mode that reduces the delay between the game sound and your earbuds, which is critical for gaming.

To use this adapter, you need to:

  • Plug it into the 3.5mm headphone jack of your Xbox controller.
  • Turn on your AirPods and put them in pairing mode by opening the case lid and pressing the button on the back.
  • Press and hold the pairing button on the adapter until the LED flashes blue and red alternately.
  • Wait for a few seconds until your AirPods and the adapter are paired. The LED will turn solid blue when the connection is successful.
  • Enjoy wireless gaming with your AirPods.

Using the Xbox app on your phone or tablet

Another way to use AirPods with Xbox Series X|S is to use the Xbox app on your phone or tablet. The Xbox app allows you to stream gameplay from your console to your mobile device, as well as chat with your friends online.

To use this method, you need to:

  • Connect your AirPods to your phone or tablet and make sure the audio is streaming to them.
  • Open the Xbox app on your phone or tablet and log in with the same Microsoft account you use on your console.
  • Tap on the remote play icon at the top right-hand corner of the app. It looks like an Xbox with lines coming from it.
  • Choose remote play on this device and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your console for streaming.
  • Start playing on your console. The gameplay will stream to your device, along with the audio, which will play from your AirPods.

The downside of this method is that you can’t use your AirPods’ microphone for voice chat while streaming audio from your console. You can only use it for chatting with your friends via the Xbox app.

Conclusion

AirPods are great wireless earbuds for listening to music or podcasts, but they are not compatible with Xbox consoles. Xbox consoles do not support Bluetooth audio, which means you can’t pair your AirPods directly to them.

However, the workarounds that we mentioned in this article can help you use AirPods with Xbox Series X|S.