The Best Speakers for PS5 Gaming: Immersive Audio for Your Console Setup
By Robert Jones · 2026-03-09
Right then, you've shelled out for a PS5. Don't let flat TV audio ruin the experience! I've been testing the best speakers for PS5 gaming – from desk setups to living room soundbars – so you can feel every explosion and hear every detail.
Right then, let's get straight to it. You've shelled out for a PS5, haven't you? Marvellous bit of kit, lightning quick, and the graphics? Spot on. But I tell you what, for all the fancy visuals in *God of War Ragnarök* or *Horizon Forbidden West*, the real magic often happens when you actually *hear* what's going on. A good headset is fine, don't get me wrong, plenty of people swear by them. But there's nothing, and I mean nothing, quite like feeling the rumble and roar through proper speakers. Now, Sony’s put a fair bit of effort into that Tempest 3D AudioTech engine, and it’s clever stuff. But if you’re just running it through your TV’s built-in speakers, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of the experience. It’s like buying a Ferrari and only driving it in second gear. Whether you’re after something neat and tidy for a gaming monitor on your desk or a full-on cinematic blast for the living room, the right speakers can completely change how you play. The trick is finding a system that can actually do justice to that 3D audio without introducing a load of frustrating lag. I’ve spent the last couple of months playing around with a load of different setups, some good, some… not so good. Here’s my take on the best speakers you can get for your PS5 right now in the UK. **Quick Verdict: Don't skimp on sound; a good PS5 setup is worth every penny.**  *The Best Speakers for PS5 Gaming: Immersive Audio for Your Console Setup — tested in the SpeakersMag workshop.* ## My Top PS5 Speaker Picks – What I've Had My Hands On I’ve been testing speakers for donkey’s years, and gaming audio has always been a bit of a mixed bag. For a long time, it was all about headsets. And they’re still brilliant, especially for competitive stuff or late-night sessions. But as consoles have got more powerful and games more cinematic, the demand for proper speaker setups has shot up. People want that physical presence, the bass you feel in your chest. It’s a different beast entirely. ### 1. SteelSeries Arena 9 – Proper Surround for the Desk Now, this is an interesting one. SteelSeries has always been a big name in gaming peripherals, but speakers? I was a bit sceptical at first, to be honest. The Arena 9 is billed as a 5.1 system, and it really is. Not a soundbar faking it, but proper individual speakers: two fronts, a centre, two wireless rears, and a beefy 6.5-inch subwoofer. It’s designed clearly with a desk setup in mind, connecting via USB. That’s a big plus for PS5 owners who use a monitor. When I first set it up in my workshop, the RGB lighting was a bit… much. Flashing away like a disco. But you can dial that right down or turn it off, thankfully. What really matters is the sound. And for a gaming-specific system, it’s surprisingly good. The front speakers are clear, and the centre channel does a solid job of keeping dialogue intelligible – crucial in story-heavy games where you don’t want to miss a beat. The wireless rears are a godsend; nobody wants metres of cable trailing across the floor. They paired up easily enough, too, which isn't always a given with wireless kit. Playing *God of War Ragnarök*, the sense of space was genuinely impressive. Kratos's axe whooshing past your head, enemies appearing from behind, it all felt much more immediate. The subwoofer, while not window-rattlingly powerful, adds a decent thump to explosions and impacts. It’s a bit pricey, yeah, currently hovering around the £300-£350 mark, but for a true 5.1 system that works seamlessly with your PS5 via USB, it’s a strong contender. Just be prepared for the aesthetics; it screams "gaming setup" from a mile away. * **Who it's for:** Desk gamers with a PS5, those who want genuine physical surround sound without a huge AV receiver, people who appreciate easy USB connectivity. * **Who should skip it:** Anyone on a tight budget, those who prefer a more subtle, non-gaming aesthetic, people who don't have space for five speakers and a subwoofer. **Pros:** * True 5.1 physical surround sound delivers fantastic spatial audio. * USB-C connectivity makes it a doddle to set up with the PS5. * Wireless rear speakers reduce cable mess, a real bonus. * Dedicated centre channel keeps dialogue crisp and clear. **Cons:** * Quite a hefty price tag for a desktop system. * The "gaming" design and RGB lighting might not appeal to everyone. * Takes up a fair bit of desk space with all those speakers. ### 2. Sonos Beam (Gen 2) – Living Room Champion Now, if you’re like me and your PS5 lives under the big telly in the living room, a soundbar is usually the way to go. And the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is, in my opinion, one of the best compact soundbars you can get. I’ve had a few Sonos bits and bobs in my time, and they generally nail the user experience and sound quality. The Beam Gen 2 is no exception. The big draw here, for PS5 owners, is its Dolby Atmos support. After a firmware update a while back, the PS5 can now push out native Dolby Atmos, which is brilliant. And the Beam, connected via HDMI eARC to your TV, handles it beautifully. I set this up with my LG OLED, and the difference from the TV’s speakers was night and day. Even without physical up-firing drivers, it does a remarkable job of creating a sense of height and width. Explosions in *Call of Duty* felt like they had more impact, and the atmospheric sounds in *Returnal* were much more enveloping. Dialogue, as with most Sonos kit, is crystal clear. Never once did I struggle to hear what characters were saying, even in the thick of a battle. It’s a neat, compact unit too, slipping under most TVs without fuss. The best part about Sonos, though, is the ecosystem. Start with the Beam, then if you get the itch for more oomph, you can easily add a Sonos Sub (Gen 3, mind, not the Mini if you want serious bass) and a pair of Sonos One SLs for proper rears. It’s not cheap to go down that route, but the upgrade path is smooth. Expect to pay around £450-£500 for the Beam on its own. * **Who it's for:** Living room gamers, those who want excellent sound quality in a compact soundbar, people invested in or considering the Sonos ecosystem, anyone wanting Dolby Atmos without multiple boxes. * **Who should skip it:** Budget-conscious buyers, those without a TV with HDMI eARC, people who prefer discrete components or don't want to be tied into a specific brand's ecosystem. **Pros:** * Exceptional sound quality for its size, especially for dialogue and spaciousness. * Full support for PS5 Dolby Atmos via HDMI eARC. * Compact, elegant design fits seamlessly into most living rooms. * Part of the Sonos ecosystem, allowing for easy upgrades and multi-room audio. **Cons:** * No HDMI passthrough, so it relies on your TV’s eARC port. * Can get expensive if you start adding a Sub and rear speakers. * Not truly "physical" Atmos; relies on psychoacoustics for height effects. ### 3. Edifier R1280DBs – Budget Bookshelf Brilliance Sometimes, you just want something simple, effective, and that doesn’t cost the earth. And that’s where the Edifier R1280DBs come in. I’ve always had a soft spot for Edifier; they make solid, no-nonsense speakers that often punch above their weight. These are active bookshelf speakers, which means they have their own amplifier built-in – no need for a separate AV receiver or amp, which is a massive plus for keeping things tidy and affordable. You just plug them straight into your PS5 (via your TV's optical out, usually, or a simple HDMI audio extractor if your TV doesn't have optical or you want to bypass TV processing). I’ve recommended the earlier R1280DBs to countless people over the years for music, PC setups, even small TV rooms. The key thing for PS5 owners with the