Bluetooth headphones

Essential as they are in many aspects of life, wires are the worst. It's no fun having cables snaking around your entertainment setup, especially if you like gaming. They become problematic very quickly.

Unfortunately, the Bluetooth earphone revolution has yet to

absolutely

is making its way to games. You can technically use Bluetooth headphones on modern video game consoles, but each method of doing so will cost you extra money, and some pairing methods are easier than others.

The good news is that it can be done. Here's how.

Which Bluetooth headphones work with Xbox One?

Technically, the answer to this question is “none”. Whether it's PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo, none of the current-gen (or last-gen, in the case of the Xbox One) consoles natively support Bluetooth audio. They have Bluetooth capabilities, but they're basically there for wireless controller connectivity. That said, the word "technically" always leaves room for exceptions, and it does here, even if those exceptions aren't ideal.

If you already own a pair of Bluetooth headphones that you really like, there's no need to despair just yet. There is a workaround that we will cover shortly. The good news (if you're going to spend hundreds of dollars as "good news") is that there are a bunch of wireless gaming headsets built with Microsoft's special "Xbox Wireless" technology in mind. Microsoft has a

special page

on its online storefront only for Xbox compatible headsets. Some of the most notable models include:

Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2

($100)

Kingston HyperX CloudX

($160) )

SteelSeries Arctis 9X

($200)

LucidSound LS35X

($180)

Corsair HS75< /p>

($150)

I'll also take a second to shout out Microsoft's official solution, the aptly named

Xbox Wireless Headset

. It costs $100 and works with Xbox One and newer Xbox Series consoles. The only real problem is that, like anything related to next-gen consoles, it can be hard to find in stores.

Most of the other options listed above cost more, but you may find them easier to hang. Of course, these things change over time, so the Xbox Wireless Headset probably won't be rare forever.

The Official Xbox Wireless Headset should work seamlessly with an Xbox One.

Credit: microsoft/amazon

OK, so how do you get Bluetooth headphones to work with Xbox One?

This is where things get complicated. As I said, the Xbox One does not natively support Bluetooth audio. You either need to get an Xbox Wireless compatible headset, like the ones listed above, or get creative. We'll tell you exactly how creative you need to be, but just know that it's not a great solution and your best bet will be to deposit some cash.

If you have an Xbox compatible wireless headset

It won't take long to explain

how to connect

a headset with Xbox Wireless capabilities to an Xbox One console. Simply find the pairing button on the headset (check the device's manual if you can't find it) and once it's in pairing mode, press the pairing button on the Xbox console it -same. It's the same as connecting a new controller to the console. Unless something weird happens, it should only take a few seconds.

If you already have a Bluetooth headset

Before you decide to connect your existing Bluetooth headset to an Xbox One, you need to set a goal. Are you trying to enjoy game audio without waking up your neighbors or being distracted by their noise seeping through your walls? Or are you trying to chat with friends while you play

Halo 3

in co-op for the 400th time?

Pretty self-explanatory! p>

Credit: Screenshot: Xbox

The reason this distinction matters is that non-Xbox wireless devices can't really do both. It's one or the other. We'll start by listening to the game audio first. If you're just trying to listen to your games, a Bluetooth transmitter that plugs into the Xbox controller's 3.5mm headphone jack will do the trick. This one from Uberwith

will set you back $36, but Amazon reviewers say it does its job delivering audio to Bluetooth headphones. They also note that it has a built-in microphone for voice chat, as your headset mic won't work, but many reviews warn that the audio quality of this mic is terrible. You should probably only use it for listening, in other words.

Once you have a Bluetooth transmitter like this, pairing should be similar to how you would pair your headset to any other device. Find out how to put your headphones into pairing mode (this varies from pair to pair, so check the manual for the device) then find the pairing button on the little transmitter you just bought. Assuming nothing goes wrong, this

should

do the trick. That said, I can't promise there won't be any weird issues with this approach. The Xbox One just wasn't designed to work with regular Bluetooth headphones.

For voice chat, there is a simpler solution, although far from ideal. Download the

xbox app

on Android or iOS, sign in with your Xbox Live account and start or join a party with your friends by tapping the social icon on the bottom row (second from left). Once you're there, tap the headset icon in the top right corner of the app for voice chat. All you have to do is connect your Bluetooth headphones to your smartphone and you can use them to chat with your friends. But again, you won't hear any game audio.

It's not great that people with Bluetooth headphones can't just connect them to an Xbox One without spending at least some money and/or trusting third-party Bluetooth transmitters. That's the reality of the situation, whether it's due to Bluetooth latency or other technical hurdles behind the scenes, but at least it's

possible

. Hopefully that won't be a problem six or seven years from now when new consoles are launched.