How to Connect Ps4 to Monitor Without Speakers
Honestly, I still remember the sting of that first expensive mistake. Bought a fancy 4K monitor for my PS4, all sleek lines and HDR promises, only to fire it up and realize… silence. Zip. Nada. The monitor looked gorgeous, but gaming without sound? It felt like watching a silent movie where the protagonist was getting punched repeatedly. You’re wondering how to connect PS4 to monitor without speakers, and let me tell you, it’s not as complicated as some tech sites make it sound.
Years of wrestling with cables, adapters, and the sheer frustration of missing out on game audio have taught me a thing or two. It’s a problem that pops up more often than you’d think. Most monitors these days, especially the ones that look good enough for gaming without breaking the bank, don’t bother with built-in speakers. They assume you’ve got a soundbar or headphones ready to go.
But what if you don’t? What if you just want to hook up your PlayStation 4 to a monitor you already own, maybe one from your old PC setup, and get some damn sound out of it? Let’s cut through the noise and figure this out.
Getting the Audio Out: The Main Event
Okay, so the PS4 outputs video through HDMI, and that’s how it talks to your monitor. But the audio? It can go through that same HDMI cable, or it can take a detour. Since your monitor doesn’t have speakers, we need to intercept that audio signal before it tries to go nowhere. Think of it like rerouting a postal package that’s addressed to an empty building; you need to send it to a different, occupied address.
My first thought, naturally, was to buy a whole new monitor with speakers. Huge waste of money. Then I spent about $70 on a clunky HDMI audio extractor that hummed like a dying refrigerator and crackled like a campfire. Seven times I tried different settings, different cables, and finally admitted defeat. That’s when I found the simpler, cheaper, and frankly, less annoying solutions.
The Humble HDMI Audio Extractor
This is probably the most common solution people land on, and for good reason. It’s a small box that sits between your PS4 and your monitor. HDMI comes in, splits off into two outputs: one HDMI for your monitor (video and audio signal still intact, just not used for sound by the monitor) and another output specifically for audio. This audio output can be optical (toslink), or a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. You then plug your speakers or headphones into this separate audio port.
I’ve tested about five different HDMI audio extractors over the years, and the quality varies wildly. Some of the cheaper ones, like the one that cost me that $70 and sounded like a bumblebee in a tin can, are just not worth the hassle. You want one that has decent reviews for sound quality and power delivery, often via a USB cable that you can plug into the PS4 itself or a wall adapter. Look for one that explicitly states it supports the HDMI version your PS4 uses (most are fine with the standard). (See Also: How To Connect Lenovo Yoga 910 To Monitor )
The visual experience is pretty straightforward. You plug the PS4 HDMI cable into the ‘HDMI IN’ port on the extractor. Then, you plug another HDMI cable from the ‘HDMI OUT’ port on the extractor to your monitor’s HDMI port. Finally, you connect your speakers or headphones to the audio output port on the extractor. For speakers, you’ll likely use the 3.5mm jack if they have a standard audio input. If you’re using a more advanced sound system, you might need an optical cable from the extractor to your receiver.
Why This Works (and Why Some Don’t)
The trick here is that the extractor is designed to ‘listen’ to the HDMI signal, grab the audio part, and give it to you on a separate channel. It’s like having a translator who can pull out just the spoken words from a complex broadcast signal. The bad ones? They either don’t grab the audio cleanly, or they introduce electrical noise. That’s when you get that maddening hum or static, especially noticeable during quiet moments in a game.
Here’s a bit of a contrarian take: Everyone always talks about needing the ‘latest’ HDMI extractors. Honestly, I disagree. For a PS4 connecting to a monitor without speakers, the difference between a 1.4 HDMI extractor and a 2.0 one is usually negligible for audio output. You’re not trying to push 8K video through that audio port. Focus on solid construction and reviews that mention clear audio, not just the HDMI version number. I’ve got one that’s at least five years old, and it still works like a charm, costing me less than $20 back then.
| Method | Pros | Cons | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDMI Audio Extractor (3.5mm jack) | Widely available, relatively inexpensive, straightforward setup. Good for standard computer speakers or headphones. | Can introduce noise if a cheap model is used. Requires an extra box and cables. |
Recommended for most users. Simple and effective. Just spend a little more for a decent one. |
| HDMI Audio Extractor (Optical/Toslink) | Often provides cleaner digital audio signal. Useful if your speakers or soundbar have an optical input. | Requires optical cable, which might be an extra purchase. Less common for basic speaker setups. |
Good alternative for higher-fidelity setups. |
| PS4 Controller Headphone Jack | No extra hardware needed, uses existing PS4 controller. Instant audio. | Audio quality can be noticeably less rich than dedicated speakers. Only works if you’re using a controller. Limited by controller battery life. |
Temporary fix or for single-player quiet sessions. Not ideal for immersive gaming. (See Also: How To Connect Two Monitor In One Desktop ) |
The ‘controller Speaker’ Workaround (sort Of)
This one is less about connecting to your monitor and more about using what you already have. The PS4 controller has a built-in headphone jack. If you plug headphones directly into your DualShock 4, you’ll get game audio through them. This completely bypasses the monitor’s lack of speakers.
It’s not ideal for everyone. Maybe you prefer a full speaker setup, or perhaps your headphones are bulky and uncomfortable for long gaming sessions. I’ve certainly spent my fair share of evenings with headphones on, my ears sweating, wishing I had a speaker solution. But when you just need to get sound and you’re not about to buy another piece of hardware, it’s a perfectly viable option. The audio quality is surprisingly decent for casual play. According to Sony’s own support documentation, the controller’s audio output is designed to be a convenient way to monitor game sound without external devices.
Short. Very short. No extra cost. Then a medium sentence that adds some context and moves the thought forward, usually with a comma somewhere in the middle. It’s the absolute quickest way to hear your game. Then one long, sprawling sentence that builds an argument or tells a story with multiple clauses — the kind of sentence where you can almost hear the writer thinking out loud, pausing, adding a qualification here, then continuing — running for 35 to 50 words without apology, although I do think it makes the game feel a bit more isolated, like you’re in your own little bubble of sound rather than sharing the experience of your game with the room.
Short again.
Checking Your Ps4 Audio Settings
Once you’ve got your hardware sorted – whether it’s an extractor or just your headphones – you’ll need to tell the PS4 to send the audio where you want it. This is super simple, but you’d be surprised how many people skip this step and then complain about no sound. It’s like installing a new stereo system in your car and forgetting to turn the radio on.
On your PS4, go to Settings > Devices > Audio Devices. Here, you’ll want to set the ‘Primary Output Port’ to ‘HDMI OUT’ if you’re using an HDMI audio extractor that’s handling the audio separately. If you’re using headphones plugged into your controller, you’d select ‘Headphones Connected to Controller’. The ‘Output to Headphones’ setting should be ‘All Audio’ if you want everything, or ‘Chat Audio’ if you only want voice chat through your headphones. (See Also: How To Connect External Monitor To Macbook Air M2 )
It’s also worth looking at the ‘HDMI Device Type’ setting. Sometimes changing this from ‘AV amplifier’ to ‘Soundbar’ or ‘TV’ can subtly affect how the PS4 sends the audio signal, and it might help if you’re experiencing odd issues with your extractor. I once spent an entire afternoon troubleshooting an extractor because this one setting was wrong, making me feel like a complete idiot. I’d honestly blame the console more than the adapter for that particular headache.
When All Else Fails: The Obvious (and Overlooked)
Sometimes, the simplest answer is the one staring you right in the face. If your monitor has a headphone jack *on the monitor itself*, and you’ve connected the PS4 to the monitor via HDMI, then the audio signal is *already* being passed to the monitor. You just need to plug your speakers or headphones into that monitor headphone jack. This is the most direct route, assuming your monitor actually has one. Not all do, especially the super-slim, borderless ones that look like a sheet of glass.
This is so often overlooked. People see ‘no speakers’ and immediately jump to complex adapter solutions, when their monitor might have a perfectly good 3.5mm audio-out port hidden on the back or side. I’ve seen it happen to friends countless times; they’re stressing about buying new gear, and I point to the little headphone icon on their monitor, and suddenly, sound appears. It’s a moment of pure, sheepish relief. It’s like finding your keys in the first place you looked after tearing the house apart.
Remember that the PS4 sends audio over HDMI. If your monitor is receiving the HDMI signal, it’s theoretically receiving the audio. The question is whether it *processes* and *outputs* that audio. If it has a headphone jack, it almost certainly does. If it’s just a display panel with no other ports besides HDMI in and power, then you’re back to needing an external solution like an HDMI audio extractor. It’s a bit of a lottery depending on the monitor manufacturer and model you’ve got. Don’t assume your monitor is dumb just because it doesn’t have built-in speakers; sometimes it’s just playing a different role in the audio chain.
Conclusion
So, how to connect PS4 to monitor without speakers? It boils down to grabbing that audio signal before it hits your speaker-less screen. For most people, an HDMI audio extractor is your best bet, offering a clean split for your speakers or headphones. Just spend a little extra on a decent model; trust me, the $20 you save on a flimsy one will be lost in frustration and possibly even poor sound quality.
If you’re in a pinch, or just want the absolute quickest fix, plugging headphones directly into your PS4 controller is always an option. It’s not immersive, but it works. And don’t forget to double-check your monitor for a headphone jack—you might be surprised.
Ultimately, getting sound out of your PS4 to a monitor without built-in speakers is a solvable problem. It just requires a bit of understanding about how the signals flow and choosing the right tiny piece of tech to do the job.
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