PS5 surround sound is one of the most misunderstood corners of the console's settings menu. Most players plug in their TV or soundbar, leave everything on default, and miss out on meaningful audio improvements. The terminology doesn't help: Linear PCM, Dolby Atmos, DTS, 3D Audio, and the legacy 5.1 and 7.1 channel options all appear in menus without much explanation. Here's what they actually mean and how to get the best result from whatever gear you own.
What 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound actually mean on PS5
A 5.1 channel setup uses five full-range speakers and one subwoofer. The five speakers are front-left, front-right, centre, rear-left, and rear-right. A 7.1 system adds two more surround speakers to the sides. On PS5, these formats are delivered through the HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) connection on your TV, or directly to an AV receiver via the console's HDMI output.
The PS5 can output 5.1 or 7.1 audio in two ways: as a bitstream (where the receiver decodes the signal itself) or as Linear PCM (where the PS5 decodes the audio and sends uncompressed channels). If your receiver supports Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1, set the PS5 to bitstream and let the receiver handle decoding. If your receiver is older or you're unsure of its capabilities, Linear PCM is the safer choice as the PS5 does the work and outputs a clean, uncompressed signal.
To find these options, go to Settings, then Sound, then Audio Output, and look at the HDMI Device Type and Audio Format (Priority) options. The console auto-detects what your connected device reports it can handle, but auto-detection isn't always accurate. It's worth manually checking what your receiver or soundbar actually supports.
Sony's 3D Audio: the bigger deal for most players
Sony's Tempest 3D Audio engine is separate from the 5.1 and 7.1 channel options, and for most players it's the more impressive upgrade. Rather than routing discrete channels to physical speakers, Tempest uses head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) to simulate spatial audio. Sounds appear above, below, and around you, not just from fixed speaker positions.
3D Audio works best through headphones. The PS5 includes a personalisation step in Settings that lets you select an HRTF profile that matches the shape of your ear. There are five profiles to choose from. Picking the wrong one reduces the effect noticeably. It's worth trying each profile with a game that has active overhead audio to find the one that sounds most convincing for your ears.
Through a TV's built-in speakers, Sony has also enabled 3D Audio as an option. Results vary significantly by TV model. Higher-end Sony Bravia sets with multiple upward-firing drivers handle it well. A basic two-driver TV will produce a modest improvement at best. For soundbars, the picture is messier: most soundbars that claim Dolby Atmos support use upward-firing drivers to bounce sound off the ceiling, which is a different mechanism entirely from what Tempest does.
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X on PS5: the complication
PS5 does not natively output Dolby Atmos or DTS:X through its own audio engine. This is a known limitation that Sony hasn't addressed with a firmware update. Some games encode Dolby Atmos in their audio tracks, and the PS5 can pass that bitstream through to a receiver that supports it, but the console's audio system itself doesn't generate Atmos metadata. This matters because some competitors handle this differently.
If you have a Dolby Atmos soundbar connected via HDMI ARC or eARC, you may see the Atmos indicator light up on your soundbar when certain games are playing. That signal is coming from the game's audio track being passed through, not from the PS5 generating it in real time. The practical result is still good: for the titles that include Atmos audio, the experience through a capable soundbar is genuinely better than stereo or basic 5.1.
Check the audio options inside individual game settings too, not just the PS5 system menu. Some titles give you a separate choice between their own internal audio modes, including options like Dolby Atmos in-game, headphone mode, or stereo. These game-level settings sometimes override what the system settings do.
Soundbars vs AV receivers: what actually works
A mid-range soundbar with a separate subwoofer is the most common audio upgrade in Australian lounge rooms, and it works well with PS5. For 5.1 output, connect via HDMI ARC or eARC rather than optical. The optical (TOSLINK) connection can't carry 5.1 PCM or high-bitrate Dolby streams. It's capped at compressed Dolby Digital 5.1, which sounds noticeably flatter than an HDMI ARC connection carrying the same content.
An AV receiver with a full speaker setup is the better option for surround sound accuracy. Receivers from Denon, Yamaha, and Marantz handle PS5 audio formats cleanly and let you calibrate speaker distances and levels precisely. Budget for decent speaker cable and time to run the receiver's auto-calibration program, because a properly calibrated 5.1 system beats an uncalibrated 7.1 system every time.
For players using the DualSense controller's built-in speaker and haptics, it's worth noting that the controller itself outputs game audio cues separately from the main audio path. Some games route specific audio elements, like UI sounds or small environmental details, through the controller speaker by default. This can be disabled or adjusted in the PS5 Sound settings under Controller Speaker if it conflicts with your main audio setup.
Network and firmware considerations
Audio output settings on PS5 can change after major system updates, so it's worth rechecking your audio format settings after each firmware update. Sony has adjusted how certain formats are detected and prioritised in past updates. If your surround sound setup suddenly sounds flatter or your receiver stops showing the correct format indicator, a firmware update may have reset or changed a setting. The same applies after connecting a new TV or soundbar: the console re-runs auto-detection and sometimes defaults to a lower-quality output than your gear supports.
Players interested in the full range of PS5 system settings should also look at the PS5 network settings guide for related optimisation steps, since audio streaming through PS Remote Play uses a separate encoding path that compresses audio differently from local playback.
Practical recommendations by setup type
TV speakers only: enable 3D Audio for TV Speakers in Settings, pick the HRTF profile that sounds most convincing, and leave the audio format on PCM. There's no benefit to selecting 5.1 if the TV has just two drivers.
Soundbar via HDMI ARC: set the audio format to Bitstream (Dolby) and enable eARC in both the TV and soundbar settings if both support it. Check the individual game settings for any in-game Dolby Atmos toggle.
AV receiver with 5.1 or 7.1 speakers: set the format to Bitstream (Dolby) or Linear PCM, whichever your receiver handles cleanly. Run the receiver's auto-calibration, and re-run it if you move furniture. For headphone gaming on the same system, switch to 3D Audio in the PS5 settings and select your HRTF profile.
Headphones only: disable the TV speaker output, enable 3D Audio for Headphones, and spend five minutes with the HRTF profile selector. The right profile for your ear shape produces a noticeably more convincing result than the default. This is the single highest-return audio setting on the entire console.