The PS5 and Xbox Series X are supposedly still coming this year and while the consoles themselves are the main attraction, they’ll inevitably sit alongside a few peripherals. Astro, the prominent headset and controller manufacturer, is one of those companies preparing for the console launch as well, as it just announced how it will be supporting the PS5 and Xbox Series X in both new and old ways.
The Astro A20 Gen 2, which you can see in the above picture, is one of those new ways. This updated version of the A20 coming out sometime in October looks somewhat comparable to its earlier iteration, complete with a green Xbox variant and a blue PlayStation one, but it also comes with a 15-hour battery life, USB-C compatibility, a flip-to-mute mic, 50-foot wireless range (up from Gen 1’s 30 feet), $120 price point, and focus on durability. However, its USB dongle transmitter is quite unique.
The console specificity is only tied through that USB stick, meaning the headset itself is agnostic (both dongles work on PC). By purchasing the other console’s $20 USB transmitter, you can turn your Xbox Series X headset in a PS5 headset and vice versa. These unique dongles allow the headset to take advantage of each platform’s unique audio capabilities, be it Dolby Atmos or Windows Sonic on Xbox, 3D audio on PS5, or the three channels (two output, one input) on PC.
“It’s not about, ‘Is this a PlayStation headset or is this an Xbox headset or is this a PC headset?'” said Astro’s Head of Launch Marketing Thadeous Cooper. “It’s an everything headset and we’re trying to create solutions to unlock that everything potential.”
Astro’s existing headsets will also work with the PS5 and Xbox Series X — some are even compatible right out of the box — but there might be some minor setup required depending on what console you have and what headset you’re trying to hook up. Astro has laid out the nitty gritty of its headsets and how they correspond to each of the consoles.
For Xbox Series X:
- A10
- Gen 1: Supports game sound and voice chat via the 3.5 mm port on the Xbox Controller.
- A20
- Gen 1: Requires a firmware update which enables game sound and voice chat over USB.
- Gen 2: Requires an included USB transmitter to transmit game audio and voice chat.
- A40 and A40 TR
- Gen 1 to 4: Supports game sound and voice chat via the 3.5 mm port on the Xbox Controller.
- MixAmp Pro TR
- Gen 3 and Gen 4: Requires a MixAmp firmware update which enables game sound and voice chat over USB.
- A50 Wireless + Base Station
- Gen 3 and Gen 4: Requires headset and base station firmware updates which enable game sound and voice chat over USB.
- Other MixAmps
- M60: Supports game sound and voice chat via the 3.5 mm port on the Xbox Controller.
- M80: Supports game sound and voice chat via the 3.5 mm port on the Xbox Controller.
For PS5:
- A10
- Gen 1: Supports game sound and voice chat via the 3.5 mm port on the PS5 Controller.
- A20
- Gen 1: Supports game sound and voice chat via USB. Requires HDMI Adapter for mixing.
- Gen 2: Requires an included USB transmitter to transmit game audio and voice chat.
- A40 and A40 TR
- Gen 1 to 4: Supports game sound and voice chat via the 3.5 mm port on the PS5 Controller.
- MixAmp Pro TR
- Gen 3 and Gen 4: Supports game sound and voice chat via USB. Requires HDMI Adapter for mixing.
- A50 Wireless + Base Station
- Gen 3 and Gen 4: Supports game sound and voice chat via USB. Requires HDMI Adapter for mixing.
You may notice that most of them work just fine with the 3.5 mm audio jack and some of PS5 headsets require a $40 HDMI Adapter to independently change the game and voice chat volume from the headset because of how the system packages its audio. It is a full passthrough device that won’t add any latency and will not interrupt your 4K gaming. If you have registered your headset and send in the serial number, you will be able to get $15 discount on the Astro website for the HDMI Adapter.
