How to fix CORSAIR HS80 showing up as a keyboard on a PS5

The CORSAIR HS80 is one of our most popular gaming headsets. It sounds great, stays comfortable for long periods, and it’s compatible with a wide range of devices. (Even wider if you choose the HS80 MAX, as that one has Bluetooth.)

One such device is the Sony PlayStation 5. Despite our predisposition for everything PC, even we have to admit that it’s a capable console. Consoles are often more suited to living room use and especially local multiplayer, however, they can often suffer in the audio department. After all, you can’t be surprised when a TV thinner than a bagel turns out to have atrocious speakers.

Luckily, the HS80, HS80 MAX, and HS80 RGB USB all work natively with the PS5. Just plug the dongle (cable for the wired one) in and use it just as you would on a PC.

However, if you’re using the HS80 specifically, not MAX, then you might have run into an annoying, yet amusing issue where the PS5 thinks that the HS80 is a keyboard. It may seem like the console is having a senior moment, or that your headset is broken, but all is well and it’s an easy fix.

(The following applies to PS4 users, too.)

Out of the box, the HS80 should be a pure plug-and-play experience with a PS5. However, if you also use the HS80 on a PC, you’re more likely to run into the issue where the HS80 shows up as a keyboard on PS5. Here’s how to fix it:

• Insert the HS80 USB dongle into your PC and open iCUE. (You don’t need the headset for this, just the USB dongle.)
• It will show up on the home screen as “HS80 WIRELESS RECEIVER”
• Click it, then go into the “Connections” menu.
• There will be two options: “PlayStation” and “Multipoint”. Click the PlayStation option. The receiver might disappear momentarily before coming back, and if the HS80 is connected, it will disconnect for a few seconds, too.
• Once it reappears, double check that it’s in PlayStation mode, and remove it from your PC.
• Plug it into the PS5 and it will show up correctly as a headset.

Refer to the iCUE screenshot below if you need some guidance.