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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a complete, wired PS5 headset with a reactive light show, a boom mic and stereo you can wear for hours, choose Razer Kraken Kitty V2; if you need to turn the Bluetooth headphones you already own into a PS5 audio setup, choose Avantree C81-Gaming.
• Razer Kraken Kitty V2 — biggest strength: it's a finished headset. Kitty ears, stream-reactive RGB, a HyperClear cardioid boom mic and 40 mm TriForce drivers all in one wired USB package.
• Razer Kraken Kitty V2 — biggest trade-off: it's a desk headset. Wired USB Type A only, and the 7.1 surround feature is limited to Windows 10 64-bit — so it won't give you surround on PS5.
• Avantree C81-Gaming — biggest strength: it's a bridge, not a headset. A tiny USB-C dongle that lets your existing Bluetooth headphones (AirPods, Bose and similar) play PS5 audio with aptX Adaptive / aptX HD on compatible models.
• Avantree C81-Gaming — biggest trade-off: no headset mic support and no 2.4 GHz gear. Voice chat relies on the PS5 controller mic, and low latency only happens with aptX-Adaptive or aptX-Low Latency headphones.
• Pick Razer Kraken Kitty V2 if you're gaming and streaming from a PC or want one self-contained headset with a mic.
• Pick Avantree C81-Gaming if your PS5 is the priority and you already love a pair of Bluetooth headphones.
The Kraken Kitty V2 is the "statement" pick. The kitty ears aren't a gimmick bolted onto a boring headset — the whole design leans into it, with earcup lighting that reacts to emotes and alerts and is customizable across a huge color range and countless effects. If you stream, that's the point: viewers see the reaction, not just hear you.
Under the styling it's a genuinely specified wired headset. The HyperClear cardioid mic is tuned to reject noise from other directions, so your voice comes through without dragging in keyboard clatter and room hum. The 40 mm TriForce drivers use a three-part design that splits the work across highs, mids and lows instead of letting one range muddy the others. The hybrid fabric-and-leatherette earcups are around-ear with circular pads, and they're built for long sessions — snug, isolating, and comfortable enough that hours of streaming don't turn into ear fatigue. Volume is on a touch control.
Who should buy it: PC gamers who also stream, anyone who wants a headset that looks like a personality choice, and buyers who prefer wired because there's no charging to think about.
Avantree C81-Gaming: Who It's For
The C81-Gaming is a very different product, and it's important to be clear about that: it isn't a headset at all. It's a USB-C Bluetooth 5.3 audio adapter dongle built specifically for PS5, using a Qualcomm chip and aptX Adaptive, aptX HD and aptX Low Latency. Its whole job is to let the Bluetooth headphones you already own — AirPods, Bose and similar — receive PS5 audio.
Setup is the appeal. You plug the dongle into the PS5, set the audio output to "C81-G" once, and it auto-reconnects from then on. No headset to buy, no cable running across the room, no charging a second device. For someone who's already invested in a good pair of Bluetooth headphones, that's a clean, low-clutter answer.
The trade-offs are real and worth reading twice. Microphone input doesn't work over this dongle — Bluetooth bandwidth won't carry it — so voice chat runs through the PS5 controller mic, which requires a manual setting change in the PS5 sound menu. Low latency is conditional: only aptX-Adaptive or aptX-Low Latency headphones get it; AirPods, Bose QC45 and QC35 don't support aptX-Adaptive and may show audio delay. And it's deliberately narrow: no Xbox, no PS Portal, no 2.4 GHz gaming headsets, no Pulse 3D, no TVs, cars, projectors or printers.
Who should buy it: PS5-only players who own decent Bluetooth headphones and want wireless convenience without buying another headset.
Who should skip it: anyone on Xbox, anyone with a 2.4 GHz gaming headset, and anyone who needs headset-mic voice chat.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for PS5 specifically → Avantree C81-Gaming. It's designed for PS5 audio output; the Razer's 7.1 surround is Windows-only.
• Best if you already own Bluetooth headphones → Avantree C81-Gaming. It reuses your AirPods or Bose instead of replacing them.
• Best for streaming and on-camera presence → Razer Kraken Kitty V2. Stream-reactive lighting and kitty ears are the whole point.
• Best for PC gaming → Razer Kraken Kitty V2. Wired USB Type A on a Windows 10 64-bit machine is its home turf.
• Best for lowest-latency wireless → Avantree C81-Gaming, but only with aptX-Adaptive or aptX-Low Latency headphones. With AirPods or older Bose models, expect possible delay.
• Best for zero charging and zero pairing → Razer Kraken Kitty V2. It's wired; there's nothing to top up or reconnect.
• Best for comfort over long sessions → Razer Kraken Kitty V2. Hybrid fabric-and-leatherette around-ear cushions built for hours of wear.
In my opinion, the deciding question isn't which product is better — it's which problem you actually have. If you're on PS5 and you already own a pair of Bluetooth headphones you like, I'd buy the Avantree C81-Gaming. It solves a specific, annoying problem cleanly, and the controller-mic workaround is a fair trade for wireless audio without a new headset. If you're gaming or streaming from a PC and want one complete, wired, mic-equipped headset that looks like a deliberate choice, I'd buy the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 — and I'd accept that its surround feature and its whole design center on Windows, not PS5.
how to use headphones for ps5
You have two realistic routes. Plug a wired USB headset like the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 into the console, or use a Bluetooth adapter like the Avantree C81-Gaming to send PS5 audio to Bluetooth headphones. With the C81-Gaming, plug the dongle in and set the PS5 audio output to "C81-G" once — it reconnects automatically afterward.
how to connect headphones for ps5
For Bluetooth headphones, the PS5 doesn't stream audio to them directly, so the Avantree C81-Gaming dongle handles the connection over Bluetooth 5.3. For a wired headset, connect via USB and the console picks it up as an audio device. Note the C81-Gaming is PS5-specific and won't work with Xbox, PS Portal or 2.4 GHz gaming headsets.
how to headphones ps5
The simplest answer: decide whether you want a headset or an adapter. A USB wired headset gives you audio and a mic in one piece, while an adapter lets existing Bluetooth headphones handle playback. If voice chat matters, remember the C81-Gaming can't carry headset mic audio — you'd use the PS5 controller mic instead.
how to use bluetooth headphones for ps5
You need an adapter, because PS5 doesn't output game audio to Bluetooth headphones on its own. The Avantree C81-Gaming is built for that: plug in the USB-C dongle, set audio output to "C81-G" once, and it auto-reconnects. For low latency, your headphones need aptX-Adaptive or aptX-Low Latency support — AirPods and Bose QC35/QC45 don't have it and may show delay.
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