Compatibility
Straight answers on what Audio Radar works with: platforms, headsets, displays, and games. The short version: Audio Radar 2.0 is built for PC: Windows 10 or 11, one USB-C cable. The Audio Radar System (AR1) covers Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch over HDMI audio, plus PC. Everything else you’d want to check is below, and if your setup isn’t here, message us before you buy. We’d rather check it with you than have you guess.
Platforms
Where each one plays
The original Audio Radar is the flagship. It does everything Audio Radar 2.0 does, plus Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch, with larger light bars. Audio Radar 2.0 is the purpose-built PC option. Both use the desktop app on PC.
Audio Radar 2.0
PC: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
Audio Radar
Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch, plus PC
Audio Radar 2.0
One USB-C cable to your PC, with no HDMI and nothing in your video chain
Audio Radar
HDMI audio on console; USB + the desktop app on PC
Audio Radar 2.0
Yes. It's free, and it runs the show: guided visual setup, modes, EQ, presets, auto-update
Audio Radar
On PC, yes: the same free app (needs the free firmware v1.3.2 update, done in the Audio Radar mobile app). On console, the Command Center runs everything, no app needed
Audio Radar 2.0
Windows only today. There's no macOS or Linux version
Audio Radar
Your TV doesn't need to support 7.1. Audio Radar handles the surround signal itself
Headsets: keep yours. That's the point
Headset for your ears, light bars for your eyes. On PC, the desktop app sends game audio to your headset and the light bars at the same time: no extra software, no Voicemeeter, no splitting your sound. That's exactly how the PUBG Sound Lab study was run: players using a headset and Audio Radar together scored 47% higher than with the headset alone. That's the whole idea for hearing players: you hear in stereo. You see in surround. Read the study ›
On console, Audio Radar's Command Center has a headphone jack built in for wired headsets. One PlayStation 5 note, and we'd rather you know it before you buy: the PS5 sends game audio to a connected headset or to HDMI, not both. The free fix is one console setting (Output to Headphones → Voice Chat Only), and headsets that connect through the HDMI chain work too. Not sure about yours? Message support and we'll check it with you.
Monitors and TVs
The light bars mount around the display you play on, from desktop monitors to living-room TVs.
Audio Radar 2.0 never touches your video signal. There's no HDMI and no passthrough: the audio comes over USB, so your resolution, refresh rate, and display cables stay exactly as they are.
On console, Audio Radar passes your picture straight through. It connects over HDMI between your console and TV, and your TV doesn't need to support surround sound, because Audio Radar presents itself to the console as a full 7.1 audio device.
Thin, curved, or OLED display? The L-Bracket Kit mounts Audio Radar's bars when the bezel is too thin to attach to directly. Large display, or center-channel games like Call of Duty and Warzone? The 7th Center Lightbar adds the top-center bar to Audio Radar. (Audio Radar 2.0 already comes with its center bar in the box.)
Games: where it shines, and the honest bit
Audio Radar works with any game that outputs audio. There's no per-game integration to wait for. It's at its best in surround-sound shooters, where directional audio decides fights: Call of Duty and Warzone, PUBG (the game the 47% study was run in), Fortnite, Valorant, Rust. One per-game note: in Valorant, set the in-game audio to "Detect" for the full directional effect.
The honest bit: a few games (CS2 is the best-known) only output stereo. In those titles left/right response stays strong, but front/back separation is reduced. That's the game's audio output, not fine print on ours, and if a game lets you pick an audio format, choosing surround (5.1 or 7.1) gives you the full effect.
Compatibility FAQ
Your setup, answered straight
Not covered here? Message us before you buy. We'd rather check your setup with you than have you guess. Quickest answers often come from the community: join the Discord ›
Does my monitor or TV need to support surround sound?
No. On PC, the desktop app creates its own 7.1 virtual audio device and does all the surround processing itself. On console, Audio Radar presents itself to your console as a 7.1 audio device, and whatever display is on the other side doesn't matter.
Do I need a surround headset?
No. The light bars get their directional information from Audio Radar, not from your headset. On PC the desktop app processes full 7.1 surround itself and sends game audio to your headset at the same time. If your headset has its own surround processing (Atmos, DTS, Sonic), that keeps working too. Any headset is fine.
I have single-sided hearing. Does this help?
Yes, this one's for you. In Audio Routing, flip your headset output to Mono so the full game mix reaches your hearing ear (nothing gets lost on your other side), and use the per-ear Balance slider to weight it exactly how you like. Then let the bars carry direction: Surround Vision Technology™ shows you where every sound came from, no matter which ear it was mixed to.
I play on PS5 with a headset. Anything to know?
Yes, one thing, and we'd rather you know it before you buy. The PS5 sends game audio to a connected headset or to HDMI, not both. Playing without a headset, or with TV sound: plug and play. With a headset: set Output to Headphones to "Voice Chat Only" so game audio reaches the light bars, or use a headset that connects through the HDMI chain. Message support with your exact setup and we'll check it before you order.
Does it work on laptops?
Audio Radar 2.0: yes, it runs on any 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 machine, laptops included. Most laptop players mount the light bars on an external monitor. Audio Radar works on laptops the same way on PC: USB plus the desktop app, with the free firmware v1.3.2 update.
What about Mac or Linux?
The desktop app runs on Windows only: 64-bit Windows 10 or 11. There's no macOS or Linux version, so we don't recommend buying Audio Radar 2.0 for those systems.
My game isn't listed. Will it work?
If it outputs surround audio, yes. Check the game's audio settings for a surround, 5.1, or 7.1 option. That's the tell. Stereo-only games still give strong left/right response. Not sure? Ask in our Discord (someone has probably tried it) or message support.
Compatibility clear? Pick your Audio Radar.
Gaming on PC? Audio Radar 2.0 is purpose-built for it. On console, or both? The original Audio Radar is the flagship. Still weighing it? See the full comparison.