Can I plug a headset and use the TV speakers at the same time?

Not as a single combined output through the normal menu — SteamOS sends audio to one selected device at a time. You can route audio to multiple sinks by creating a combined sink in Desktop Mode with PipeWire, but that's a manual power-user step, not a toggle. For most people, pick one output in Settings → Audio and switch when needed.

Does Bluetooth latency make wireless headphones unusable for gaming?

No, just unsuitable for competitive fast games. For story, strategy, and casual play the 100–300 ms delay is rarely a problem. For shooters or rhythm games, use a wired 3.5mm/USB headset or a 2.4 GHz dongle headset — both give you near-zero added latency, which is why we recommend them when timing matters.

Will I get true Dolby Atmos from games on Steam Machine?

Expect PCM surround (5.1/7.1), not object-based Atmos bitstream, from in-game audio. SteamOS typically mixes game audio to multichannel PCM rather than passing an encoded Atmos stream to your receiver. You still get accurate positional surround on a capable AVR; you just shouldn't expect the Atmos badge to light up from gameplay.

My soundbar isn't showing up in the Steam audio menu — why?

Because it's downstream of the TV. With an eARC setup, Steam Machine outputs to the TV and the TV forwards audio to the soundbar, so SteamOS only ever sees the TV/HDMI output — that's normal. If you want the receiver to appear as its own device, connect Steam Machine directly to an AVR's HDMI input instead, then run the AVR out to the TV.

Steam Machine Audio Setup: TV, Soundbar, Headset & Bluetooth

Plug Steam Machine into your TV over HDMI and you get working stereo or multichannel audio out of the box. Everything past that — a soundbar over eARC, a USB headset, Bluetooth earbuds, surround passthrough — is a few menu choices in SteamOS, plus one real caveat: Bluetooth audio adds latency you will feel in fast games. This guide walks each path in order, tells you which output to actually pick, and where SteamOS hits its limits.

Steam Machine runs SteamOS 3 on a KDE desktop, so you get two audio control surfaces: the Steam UI in Gaming Mode and the full PipeWire/PulseAudio stack in Desktop Mode. You rarely need the desktop one, but it's there when a device won't behave.

HDMI audio straight to the TV

This is the default and the simplest. One HDMI 2.1 cable carries both video and audio to the TV, and the TV's speakers play sound with zero extra setup.

If you get picture but no sound:

Open Steam, go to Settings → Audio.
Under Output Device, pick the entry that names your TV or reads HDMI / DisplayPort Audio.
Set Output volume above zero and test with any game or video.

If the HDMI output doesn't appear at all, drop to Desktop Mode (Steam → Power → Switch to Desktop), open the system tray audio applet, and confirm the HDMI sink is listed and not set to "Off / unplugged." A different HDMI port or a known-good cable resolves most of these — cheap or long passive cables sometimes drop the audio channel while keeping video.

TV speakers are fine for a start, but they add their own processing delay. If your TV has a Game Mode picture preset, enable it; it usually shortens audio and video latency together.

eARC to a soundbar or AV receiver

For real sound you want a soundbar or AVR. The clean way on a living-room setup is HDMI eARC, and the trick is that Steam Machine does not connect to the soundbar directly — it connects to the TV, and the TV passes audio back down its eARC port to the soundbar.

Wire it like this:

Steam Machine HDMI → any TV HDMI input (ideally HDMI 2.1 for 4K120).
Soundbar/AVR HDMI → the TV's HDMI port labeled eARC/ARC.
In the TV's settings, turn on eARC (sometimes under "HDMI control," CEC, or the brand's name like Bravia Sync / Anynet+).
Set the TV's audio output to the external speaker / eARC path.

Now Steam Machine sends audio to the TV, and the TV forwards it to your soundbar. In Settings → Audio on Steam, you still just select the TV/HDMI output — the soundbar lives downstream of the TV, so SteamOS never sees it as its own device.

If you'd rather skip the TV's audio routing entirely and your AVR has spare inputs, you can instead run Steam Machine → AVR HDMI in, then AVR → TV. SteamOS then talks straight to the receiver, which gives you the most reliable surround handshake.

USB and 3.5mm headsets

Wired headsets are the no-drama option for gaming and the ones we recommend when latency matters.

USB headset: plug it into any USB-A or USB-C port. SteamOS enumerates it as a separate output (and input, if it has a mic). Open Settings → Audio, set it as both Output Device and Input Device, and you're done.
3.5mm headset: the front/edge analog jack works for stereo headphones and headsets. Select the analog output in the same Audio menu. A single-plug headset mic should appear as an input; if it doesn't, a USB or combo adapter is the reliable fix.

Wired audio carries effectively no added latency, so for shooters and rhythm games this beats Bluetooth every time. See /games for which titles we test latency-sensitively.

Bluetooth audio — and the latency you'll feel

Steam Machine has Bluetooth, so earbuds and wireless headphones pair just like on the Deck:

Settings → Bluetooth, put your headphones in pairing mode.
Select them from the list and wait for Connected.
Go to Settings → Audio and confirm they're the active Output Device.

Here's the honest part: Bluetooth audio adds latency — typically tens of milliseconds, often 100–300 ms depending on the codec and headphones. That's fine for cutscenes, music, and slow games, but in anything where sound cues matter — competitive shooters, rhythm, fighting games — you'll notice audio trailing the action and your own gunfire arriving late.

Reduce it where you can:

Prefer headphones that support a low-latency codec (aptX Low Latency or aptX Adaptive); standard SBC is the worst offender.
Keep the headphones close with line of sight to the console.
For a wireless feel without the lag, use a 2.4 GHz USB dongle headset — SteamOS treats the dongle as a plain USB audio device, so you get wireless freedom at near-wired latency.

Bluetooth mic input is also a compromise: when a headset uses its microphone, Bluetooth drops to a low-quality call profile (HFP/mSBC) and music quality degrades. For voice chat plus good game audio, a USB or dongle headset is the better call.

Surround and Atmos passthrough: the reality

This is where expectations need managing. SteamOS can output multichannel PCM (up to 5.1/7.1) to a capable receiver, and that covers most living-room setups well — your AVR gets discrete surround channels and positions them correctly.

What's not dependable is bitstream passthrough of Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, or DTS from games. SteamOS/PipeWire generally hands games an output the game mixes into PCM, rather than passing an encoded Atmos bitstream through to your AVR. In practice:

Movies/media apps in Desktop Mode may pass Dolby/DTS bitstream if the app and AVR negotiate it — results vary.
Games almost always give you PCM surround, not object-based Atmos. You still get positional surround; you just don't get the "Atmos" badge lighting up your receiver from in-game audio.

If your AVR shows the incoming format, set SteamOS to multichannel output, pick 5.1 or 7.1 in Settings → Audio if the option appears, and confirm the receiver lights up the surround channels. Don't chase an Atmos light from games — measured behavior here is PCM surround, and that's the honest expectation.

Per-app volume and quick fixes

SteamOS gives you per-application volume so a loud game and a quiet voice chat can coexist:

In Gaming Mode, open the Quick Access menu (the "…" button) → Audio while a game runs. You'll see a master slider plus the active app, and on many builds a per-source level.
In Desktop Mode, the Volume applet's Playback or Applications tab lists every app making sound (game, browser, Discord) with an independent slider each. This is the most reliable per-app mixer.

Quick fixes for common snags:

Wrong device after plugging something in: SteamOS may auto-switch outputs. Re-pick your intended device in Settings → Audio.
No mic in voice chat: confirm the headset is the Input Device, then check the app's own input setting.
Crackling or dropouts on Bluetooth: move closer, disconnect other BT devices, or switch to wired — interference in the 2.4 GHz band is the usual cause.

For how we test audio latency and surround behavior, see our methodology. Still deciding between the console and the handheld? Our which device breakdown covers it.