Sonos Playbar - Nintendo Switch 2 - LG G3 - Won’t output 5.1

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
August 2, 2025
3 replies
1069 views

Hi All,

I fear there is no solution to this but I’m hoping someone has a good idea. I have a playbar with a connected sub and surround speakers. No matter what I try… the Nintendo Switch 2 will only output to stereo which is super disappointing. I’ve tried to set the tv to passthrough the audio signal but no luck there. Screenshot below of the petulant screen displayed by the Nintendo. Appreciate an old soundbar but it’s been solid for a decade and works great with the PS5!

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Best answer by Sotiris C.

Hello @User41687, welcome back!

I am sorry to hear you are experiencing issues getting 5.1 audio on your Sonos Home Theater when playing on your Nintendo Switch 2.

Please have a look at my response on the following, very similar thread to yours:

When it comes to gaming consoles and Sonos, the Sonos soundbars simply play the audio format that they receive from the TV, and since you have no issues with your Sony PS5, that makes me think it’s relative to the newly released Nintendo Switch 2.
I would suggest you to disable the Nintendo Switch 2 System Virtual Surround setting, if it’s enabled, and see if that makes a difference. We don’t really want the console to configure the audio to that extend.
Another thing you could do is Submit Diagnostics while your Nintendo Switch 2 is playing audio via your Sonos HT and contact our Support Team for live troubleshooting.
They have tools at their disposal to provide you with information and advice specific to your Sonos system and what it reports.

I hope this helps.

Sotiris C.Answer

Sonos Staff

Hello @User41687, welcome back!

I am sorry to hear you are experiencing issues getting 5.1 audio on your Sonos Home Theater when playing on your Nintendo Switch 2.

Please have a look at my response on the following, very similar thread to yours:

When it comes to gaming consoles and Sonos, the Sonos soundbars simply play the audio format that they receive from the TV, and since you have no issues with your Sony PS5, that makes me think it’s relative to the newly released Nintendo Switch 2.
I would suggest you to disable the Nintendo Switch 2 System Virtual Surround setting, if it’s enabled, and see if that makes a difference. We don’t really want the console to configure the audio to that extend.
Another thing you could do is Submit Diagnostics while your Nintendo Switch 2 is playing audio via your Sonos HT and contact our Support Team for live troubleshooting.
They have tools at their disposal to provide you with information and advice specific to your Sonos system and what it reports.

I hope this helps.

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controlav

Lead Maestro

Nintendo are too cheap to pay for a Dolby license. If your system can’t handle multichannnel PCM, (which obviously a Playbar cannot) then stereo is as good as you will get.

Author of the leading independent Sonos apps for Android, MacOS, iOS, Windows and Xbox.

Luistigma

Lyricist I

Hi, I have the same issue on the Nintendo Switch 2 but, I own a Sonos Beam Gen 2 and Two Era 100 all linked for surround sound and the PS5 has no trouble with Dolby Atmos, now I found a kind of solution cause the Nintendo switch won’t sound in the Era’s, this is on the TV settings, mine is a Hisense I just swapped audio mode from Dolby digital plus, to Linear PCM, this sure did that al the surround sistem works but the audio volume severely drops… so I instead of playing at a 30 volume had to raise it to 55, its sure a pain in the butt to be switching audio modes as you change consoles signal, but so far its the only way I found it worked. The Nintendo Switch will keep saying that the speakers are not on but its just that, all my Sound System sounds great, hope it works for you or anyone else.

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