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Connect your PULSE Elite to the PS5, then open Settings > Accessories > Pulse Elite wireless headset for headset-specific options. For quick access to sound controls while playing, press the headset’s PlayStation Link button three times quickly. Use Settings > Sound > Audio Output for console audio output and sidetone, and open PS button > Mic in the Control Center to choose a microphone or adjust its level.
Choose the right PS5 control for the change you want
The settings are split across the headset menu, PS5’s general sound settings, and the Control Center microphone panel. Start with the route that matches your goal:
| What you want to change | Where to go | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| PULSE Elite options, including headset configuration | Settings > Accessories > Pulse Elite wireless headset | Options associated with the connected headset, including sidetone and 3D audio setup. |
| EQ or a quick sound adjustment while playing | Control Center > Sound, or quickly press the headset’s PlayStation Link button three times | Sound controls, EQ presets, and custom EQ modes. |
| Console audio output or sidetone volume | Settings > Sound > Audio Output | PS5-wide output choices and the Sidetone Volume control. |
| Microphone input or level | Press the PS button, select Mic | Live microphone selection and level adjustment. |
Some labels or available options can differ with PS5 system software, the connected device, and the audio configuration. The headset-specific menu is available while the PULSE Elite is connected to the console.
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These routes are related, but they are not interchangeable. The Accessories page is the place to configure options associated with the PULSE Elite. Audio Output is where you go for the console’s output settings and the Sidetone Volume control. The Control Center is useful for adjustments you want to make during use, especially selecting a microphone, checking its input level, or opening Sound and EQ controls.
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If you are unsure which control to change, identify the result you want first. Want more or less of your own voice in the headset? That is sidetone. Want other people to hear your voice at a different level? Adjust microphone level. Want to alter the sound profile? Choose an EQ preset or a custom mode. Keeping those jobs distinct makes it less likely that you will change one setting while trying to solve a different problem.
Open the PULSE Elite headset settings
- Connect the PULSE Elite to your PS5.
- From the PS5 home screen, open Settings.
- Select Accessories, then Pulse Elite wireless headset.
- Choose the headset option you want to configure, such as sidetone or 3D audio setup, and follow the on-screen controls.
This is the main place to look when you want to configure the PULSE Elite itself rather than change a console-wide output setting. If the headset does not appear in Accessories, check that it is connected to the PS5, then revisit the menu.
The connection matters because the console shows headset-specific options for the connected device. If you are looking through Settings while the headset is not connected, the expected PULSE Elite entry may not be available. Connect the headset first, return to Settings > Accessories, and look for the headset name. Do not treat a missing menu entry as proof that the option is unavailable on the headset; first check whether it is connected to the console.
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The Accessories page is also a useful starting point when you want to see what configuration belongs to the headset rather than the PS5 as a whole. For example, headset-specific setup and sidetone options are associated with the PULSE Elite, while the broader Audio Output page contains PS5 output choices. PlayStation’s February 21, 2024 setup guide identifies the path through Settings and Accessories and explains that you can return to it to change settings while the headset is connected.
Adjust sound and EQ while using the PS5
Use the headset shortcut
For a quick route from a game, press the headset’s PlayStation Link button three times quickly. This opens a PS5 Sound controls shortcut. The button is on the right side of the headband. Use the shortcut when you want sound controls without navigating back through the full Settings menu.
The triple press is a shortcut to Sound controls, not a replacement for every settings page. It is useful when you are already using the headset and want to reach audio adjustments more directly. If the shortcut does not open, check the number and pace of presses: the instruction is three quick presses of the PlayStation Link button. A single press or holding the button is not the same gesture. The button is on the right side of the headband, so make sure you are using the Link button rather than the headset’s volume or microphone mute control.
Once Sound controls are open, select the control you actually need. For an EQ change, continue to EQ Presets. For microphone input or mic level, use the Control Center’s Mic panel. For the amount of your voice returned to your ears, use Sidetone Volume. The shortcut saves navigation, but choosing the right control still depends on whether you are changing the sound profile, outgoing microphone signal, or voice monitoring.
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- Press the PS button on the controller to open the Control Center.
- Select Sound.
- Open EQ Presets.
- Choose one of the available presets, or select a customizable audio mode and adjust its frequency sliders.
PlayStation’s listed presets include Standard, Bass Boost, and Shooter. Custom modes let you shape the sound with frequency sliders; the 2024 PlayStation setup guide says the PULSE Elite supports up to three custom EQ presets in addition to the premade presets. The available controls can vary, so use the labels shown on your console.
Premade presets and custom modes give you two different ways to adjust EQ. A premade option is a ready-to-select profile; choose it directly when you want to try one of the listed sound modes. A custom audio mode provides frequency sliders, so you can adjust the sound rather than simply select a named preset. The names describe the modes available in the interface, but they do not establish that one is best for every listener or every type of audio.
There is no universally best preset in these controls: choose one based on what you want to hear, then return to EQ Presets to select another or revise a custom mode. These settings are stored on the headset, so the EQ and sidetone configuration you set for the PULSE Elite remains when you connect it to other devices.
Because the custom configuration is stored on the headset, a setting made while using the PS5 can carry over when you use the PULSE Elite elsewhere. That persistence is useful if you change devices, but it also means that a sound profile chosen on the console is not necessarily limited to that console session. If you want a different EQ when you return to PS5 use, revisit Sound > EQ Presets and select or adjust the mode you prefer.
Change sidetone volume
Sidetone is the amount of your own voice you hear through the headset. If you want to hear yourself more or less while speaking, adjust Sidetone Volume rather than changing the game’s volume or microphone input level.
- On PS5, open Settings.
- Select Sound, then Audio Output.
- Find Sidetone Volume and adjust it to the level you prefer.
You can also find headset-specific options through Settings > Accessories > Pulse Elite wireless headset. The precise options displayed may depend on the connected device and audio configuration. PULSE Elite sidetone settings are stored on the headset and persist when it is connected to another device.
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Sidetone is a monitoring setting: it changes how loudly your own voice is returned through the headset. It is not the same as the level at which the microphone sends your voice to a chat or broadcast, and it is not a general game-volume control. If you can hear yourself too clearly or not clearly enough while you speak, Sidetone Volume is the relevant control. If other people say your voice is too quiet or too loud, check microphone level instead.
The setting is in the PS5’s Audio Output area, while the PULSE Elite’s Accessories page is the headset-specific route. The correct menu can depend on what you are trying to do: use Audio Output to find Sidetone Volume, or inspect Accessories for the headset’s options. As with other PS5 sound controls, labels and available choices can vary with the connected device and audio configuration. Adjust the control shown on your console rather than assuming every setup presents identical options.
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Select a microphone and set its level
- Press the PS button to open the Control Center.
- Select Mic.
- Choose the microphone input you want to use, if prompted, and open the microphone level control.
- Speak at your normal chat volume while adjusting the level. Use the on-screen meter and aim for the Good range.
Set the level while speaking, not in silence: the meter is there to show how the input is registering during voice use. Microphone level is separate from sidetone. Changing the level affects the microphone input; sidetone affects how loudly your own voice is returned to you through the headset.
Begin by checking which microphone input is selected if the PS5 is not using the microphone you intended. Then open the level control and speak at the volume you normally use for chat. The on-screen meter gives you feedback while you adjust; aim for the console’s Good range. Setting the level while you are silent cannot show how your voice is registering, so use the meter while actually speaking.
This is a live microphone adjustment, which makes the Control Center a convenient place to check during a session. It does not change the headset’s EQ, general PS5 output, or sidetone. If listeners report that your voice is difficult to hear, microphone selection and level are sensible things to inspect. If you can hear your own voice too loudly, use Sidetone Volume instead. Those controls address different sides of the audio experience.
The PULSE Elite microphone is retractable and is on the left side of the headset. Extend it for chat and retract it for storage. The physical microphone controls and PS5’s onscreen input-level control serve different purposes: use the console panel to select an input or adjust its level, and use the headset’s mute button when you want to mute or unmute the microphone.
Mute or unmute the PULSE Elite microphone
The PULSE Elite has a retractable microphone on the left side. Extend it for chat and retract it for storage. Use the headset’s mute button to mute or unmute the microphone. Check the mute indicator: lit means muted, while unlit means the microphone is on.
The indicator is a quick way to check the headset’s physical mute state. If you expect to be heard but the microphone is muted, look at the indicator and press the headset mute button if needed. If you intend to mute, confirm that the indicator is lit. Do not rely only on whether you hear game audio: mute concerns the microphone, not the headset’s playback volume.
You can also mute the headset microphone with the mute button on a DualSense or DualSense Edge controller. PS5’s microphone status defaults are separate from these physical mute controls: the console can be configured for whether the microphone is active by default when you log in or start a voice chat or broadcast. If the mic is unexpectedly on or off at those moments, check the PS5 microphone status settings as well as the headset indicator.
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There are therefore two kinds of mute-related checks. For an immediate mute or unmute action, use the headset’s mute button or the mute button on a DualSense or DualSense Edge. For what happens automatically at login or when voice chat or a broadcast starts, look at the PS5 microphone status defaults. A default setting controls whether the mic begins active at those points; it is separate from the headset’s physical mute button. If the mic’s behavior changes specifically at login or when starting voice chat or a broadcast, that distinction can help you find the relevant setting.
Adjust volume when PS Link and Bluetooth are involved
The volume button on the right side of the PULSE Elite controls PlayStation Link audio. Its tactile dot identifies the plus side. It does not control the Bluetooth device’s audio volume: when the headset is connected over Bluetooth, adjust that audio on the connected mobile device.
If PS Link and Bluetooth audio are playing together, the headset volume button changes only the PS Link audio. For PS5 sound, you can also use the console’s Sound controls. This distinction helps avoid changing the wrong source when audio is coming from more than one connected device.
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When the headset is receiving audio from more than one source, identify which one you want to change before pressing the volume button. If you are adjusting PlayStation Link audio, use the headset’s right-side volume button or PS5 Sound controls. If you are adjusting Bluetooth audio, change it on the Bluetooth-connected device. When both are playing together, pressing the PULSE Elite volume button changes PS Link audio only; it does not change the Bluetooth device’s level.
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- The PULSE Elite menu is missing: confirm the headset is connected to the PS5, then look again under Settings > Accessories.
- The quick shortcut did not open: press the PlayStation Link button three times quickly, rather than holding it or pressing it once.
- You hear too much or too little of your own voice: change Sidetone Volume under Settings > Sound > Audio Output. Do not confuse this with microphone input level.
- Other people cannot hear you: check the microphone selected under PS > Mic, use the level meter while speaking, and confirm the headset mute indicator is unlit.
- Bluetooth volume does not change with the headset button: adjust the volume on the Bluetooth-connected device. The headset button controls PS Link audio.
- Options differ from these instructions: available settings may change with PS5 software, connected devices, or audio configuration. Follow the labels currently shown on your console.
A useful troubleshooting order is to verify the connection and identify the type of control involved. If the headset’s Accessories entry is missing, confirm that it is connected. If the triple-press shortcut does not appear, use three quick presses on the PlayStation Link button on the right side of the headband, or open the Control Center and select Sound directly. If the microphone is the issue, check its selected input and level under PS > Mic, speak while watching the meter, and verify the mute indicator is unlit.
For listening issues, separate the possible sources: EQ changes the sound profile, sidetone changes how much of your own voice you hear, and volume changes playback for the relevant audio source. The headset volume button affects PS Link, not Bluetooth-device volume. These distinctions can prevent a fix for one source or control from being mistaken for a fix for another.
Finally, do not assume every console will display exactly the same controls. PlayStation notes that options can vary with PS5 system software, the connected device, and audio configuration. Use the labels currently displayed on your console and the appropriate menu path for the change you want.
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Where are the PULSE Elite settings on PS5?
Connect the headset, then open Settings > Accessories > Pulse Elite wireless headset. Headset-specific options are available there while the PULSE Elite is connected.
How do I open PULSE Elite sound controls while playing?
Quickly press the headset’s PlayStation Link button three times. The button is on the right side of the headband and opens a PS5 Sound controls shortcut.
Where do I change sidetone on PS5?
Open Settings > Sound > Audio Output and adjust Sidetone Volume. Sidetone controls how loudly you hear your own voice through the headset; it is different from microphone input level.
How do I adjust the PULSE Elite microphone level?
Press PS, select Mic in the Control Center, and open the microphone level control. Speak at your normal chat volume while adjusting it, and use the onscreen meter to reach the Good range.
How can I tell whether the PULSE Elite mic is muted?
Check the headset mute indicator: lit means muted and unlit means the microphone is on. You can mute or unmute with the headset button or the mute button on a DualSense or DualSense Edge controller.
Why does the headset volume button not change Bluetooth audio?
The PULSE Elite’s right-side volume button controls PlayStation Link audio. Adjust Bluetooth audio on the connected device. If PS Link and Bluetooth play together, the headset button changes only PS Link audio.
Do PULSE Elite EQ and sidetone settings stay when I connect to another device?
Yes. EQ and sidetone settings configured for the PULSE Elite are stored on the headset and remain when it connects to other devices.
Which EQ presets can I choose on PS5?
PlayStation lists Standard, Bass Boost, and Shooter, along with customizable audio modes that use frequency sliders. Its 2024 setup guide says the PULSE Elite supports up to three custom EQ presets in addition to the premade presets.
The Bottom Line
For headset-specific options, connect the PULSE Elite and open Settings > Accessories > Pulse Elite wireless headset. Use Sound > EQ Presets for EQ, Settings > Sound > Audio Output for sidetone, and PS > Mic for microphone input and level. The headset’s mute indicator is lit when muted, and its volume button changes PS Link audio—not Bluetooth-device volume.
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