Voice chat not working on PS5 or Xbox: what to check
Checked 19 October 2026
The cause is almost always a muted mic, a privacy setting or the wrong audio device.
Work through these in order; each takes under a minute.
On PS5
Start with the mute button on the controller.
- Check the mute button on the DualSense: if its light is orange, the mic is muted, so press it once.
- Pick the right mic: Settings, Sound, Microphone, then choose your headset as the input device and test the level.
- Party not working? Check your NAT type; Type 3 often blocks party chat.
- Game chat only? Many games have their own voice chat switch and push-to-talk setting.
On Xbox
Start with mute, then the privacy settings.
- Check mute on the headset and in the guide (press the Xbox button, then the audio settings).
- Privacy: in Settings, Account, Privacy and online safety, allow voice communication with “Everybody” or “Friends”, and the same for cross-network voice if you play with other systems.
- Party chat: open the party, check that your own mic is not muted and that the party output is set to your headset.
Still nothing?
Check the headset itself and the family settings.
- Try the headset on another device: if it fails there too, the headset or cable is the problem.
- For wired headsets on the controller, push the plug in fully; a half-inserted 3.5 mm plug often gives sound but no mic.
- Child accounts may have voice chat blocked in family settings.