The PlayStation 5 still cannot natively play ordinary audio CDs. Sony lists CD playback as unsupported. However, a reported workaround uses a compatible Lite-On USB CD/DVD drive in its Link to TV mode to present a data CD as USB storage. The PS5 can then access supported files such as MP3 music, JPEG images, and some MPEG-4 video.
That is not the same as putting a commercial album in the PS5 and playing its CD-DA tracks. It is a clever data-disc experiment—and a poor substitute for a normal CD player.
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Sony does not support CD playback on PS5
Sony’s official media-support guide lists CDs as unsupported on both PS5 and PS4. The PS5 supports Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and related formats, but CD is not included. The current PS5 manual likewise documents Blu-ray and DVD formats without listing audio CDs: see Sony’s manual.
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That establishes a supported-format limitation, but not exactly why it exists. Sony’s documentation does not prove that the optical hardware physically lacks CD-reading capability, nor does it prove that the feature was simply disabled in software. The safe conclusion is narrower: the PS5’s normal disc-player path does not support CDs.
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The same applies to a PS5 Digital Edition fitted with Sony’s separately sold disc drive where supported. Adding the drive does not change Sony’s unsupported-CD policy.
The workaround turns a CD into USB storage
The unusual method was demonstrated using a Lite-On eBAU108 USB CD/DVD drive. The important feature is not merely that the drive reads CDs. It is the drive’s Link to TV mode, a special presentation mode intended for certain smart-TV uses.
In that mode, the drive reportedly presents an inserted disc to the host as read-only, FAT32-style USB storage. The PS5 therefore does not treat it as an external CD player. Instead, it sees something closer to a USB flash drive and examines the files through its normal Music or Media Gallery applications.
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The result, documented by GIGAZINE’s account of the experiment and the original Will It Work? demonstration, is access to supported files burned onto a data CD or CD-RW. It does not convert the PS5 into a conventional audio-CD player.
What you need
- A PS5 with working USB ports and its normal media applications.
- A compatible Lite-On drive supporting Link to TV; the reported model is the eBAU108.
- A USB cable suitable for the optical drive.
- A computer capable of burning a data CD or CD-RW.
- A display and DualSense controller.
- A small test disc containing non-DRM files in supported formats.
Do not assume that any generic USB optical drive—or even every Lite-On revision—will work. The evidence concerns the reported model and mode, not a complete compatibility list.
How to try the Link to TV method
1. Prepare a data disc
Do not burn a normal audio CD. Create a data CD or CD-RW containing a few supported files. For the first test, use several ordinary MP3 files and conservative filenames.
The reported experiment placed MP3 files in a root-level lowercase music folder:
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Disc root/
└── music/
├── track-01.mp3
├── track-02.mp3
└── track-03.mp3Sony’s official USB instructions instead use a capitalized Music folder and list FLAC, MP3, and AAC as supported music formats. Because the CD procedure is an extrapolation from the third-party experiment rather than a Sony-certified optical-media feature, try the spelling used in the demonstration first, then try Music if necessary.
For images or video, put the files inside a folder rather than directly at the disc root. A simple test layout could be:
Disc root/
├── music/
│ └── track-01.mp3
├── pictures/
│ └── image-01.jpg
└── videos/
└── clip.mp4Finalize the disc when burning it. Start with a few files, not a full collection, so a failure is easier to diagnose.
2. Activate the drive’s special mode
The reported activation sequence is:
- Open the optical drive tray.
- Press and hold the drive’s eject button.
- Wait for the LED to turn green.
- Insert the prepared disc.
- Connect the drive to the PS5.
- Open the appropriate Music or Media Gallery application.
The green-LED behavior and button procedure come from the third-party demonstration, not Sony documentation. Other hardware revisions may behave differently—or may not provide the feature at all.
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| Media or content | Expected result |
|---|---|
| Standard commercial audio CD | No as ordinary CD playback. |
| MP3 files in a correctly structured data disc | Reported to work through Link to TV mode. |
| FLAC or AAC files on a data disc | Not fully established by the cited demonstration, even though Sony supports these formats from USB storage. |
| JPEG images | Reported to work. |
| Some MPEG-4 video | Reported to work, but codec, profile, container, and audio compatibility matter. |
| Retail MP3 or audiobook CD | May fail because of its folder structure, format, or proprietary content. |
| CD-Extra audio tracks | Not playable as normal CD audio; only an accessible data portion might be exposed. |
| 8-cm disc in the PS5 slot | Do not attempt. |
A file’s presence on a CD does not make it compatible. Sony warns that USB playback can fail depending on data type, file size, codec, and other characteristics. Copyright-protected music is not supported by the Music application.
Why commercial music CDs do not work
A standard audio CD stores CD-DA tracks as linear PCM audio and uses a disc table of contents. It does not contain ordinary MP3 files in a folder for the PS5’s Music application to discover.
The Link to TV method exposes files as storage; it does not translate CD-DA tracks into supported music files. Consequently, inserting a retail album into the external drive will not make its tracks appear like MP3s. The same limitation applies to the audio portion of a CD-Extra disc.
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“MP3 CD” also needs qualification. A retail MP3 or audiobook disc may contain files, but those files can use a folder structure, extension, codec, or audiobook format the PS5 does not recognize. A homemade data disc prepared for this experiment is more likely to work than an arbitrary commercial disc.
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The reported external-drive setup can read some small or unusual discs because the media is loaded into the external drive rather than the PS5’s slot-loading mechanism. That does not make such discs safe to insert into the console.
Sony specifically warns against putting 8-cm discs, non-circular discs, cracked or deformed discs, or discs with stickers into the PS5. They can damage the internal drive. If experimenting with unusual media, use only an external drive designed to accept it.
Troubleshooting
The PS5 does not recognize the drive
- Confirm that the drive is a Link to TV-compatible model.
- Repeat the reported tray, eject-button, and green-LED procedure.
- Try another USB port and a suitable cable.
- Consider whether the drive is receiving enough power over USB.
- Test with a small CD-RW containing only a few MP3 files.
- Do not assume a conventional USB optical drive will work simply because a computer recognizes it.
If these steps fail, the drive revision, PS5 software, power arrangement, or USB presentation may differ from the demonstration. There is no universal compatibility guarantee.
The disc appears, but no music is listed
- Check that the files are MP3, FLAC, or AAC rather than CD-DA tracks.
- Place the files in a root-level
musicfolder, then tryMusicif necessary. - Ensure the disc was finalized.
- Remove DRM-protected files.
- Use conventional filenames and extensions.
- Test a different, undamaged disc.
Video files appear but will not play
PS5 video support depends on the exact container, codec, profile, resolution, and audio format. A file being MPEG-4—or being stored on a CD—does not guarantee compatibility. Start with a known-compatible file intended for PS5 USB playback rather than treating the workaround as a general video decoder.
Is this better than using a USB drive?
For most people, no. Sony officially supports local music from USB storage, including FLAC, MP3, and AAC, when files are arranged according to its instructions. A USB flash drive or external SSD is simpler, easier to replace, and less dependent on an unusual optical drive and a particular disc-burning workflow.
The CD experiment makes sense if you specifically want to:
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- Mount is not included
- Use a physical data disc.
- Explore a curious compatibility layer.
- Access a personal collection of burned discs.
- Experiment with small or unusual optical media externally.
- Tinker with hardware rather than build a practical music library.
If your goal is to listen to commercial albums, a dedicated CD player remains the sensible choice. It provides normal track navigation, metadata behavior, gapless playback where supported, and predictable compatibility without hunting for a discontinued or uncommon drive.
The extreme Linux alternative
Advanced hobbyists may encounter the separate ps5-linux project, which documents Linux loading on selected PS5 models and firmware versions from 3.00 through 7.61, with model-specific limitations. Its documentation lists requirements including a compatible console, a USB drive of at least 64GB, and keyboard and mouse.
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The project also documents a custom AHCI driver for the PS5’s BD drive, but that should not be presented as a straightforward audio-CD solution. Linux on PS5 involves firmware restrictions, exploit and security considerations, hardware-driver limitations, standby issues, display problems, and HDMI-audio limitations. There is no guarantee that a Linux CD player will work with every console, firmware version, optical drive, or disc.
This is a separate, far more invasive project—not a required step for the Link to TV experiment. For a safer and simpler test, leave the PS5 software untouched and use the external storage workaround.
The verdict
The headline claim needs a careful translation. The PS5 cannot natively play ordinary audio CDs, and it does not become a conventional CD player through this workaround. But a compatible Lite-On drive in Link to TV mode can reportedly expose a data CD as USB storage, allowing the PS5 to access selected files burned onto it.
For curiosity: worthwhile if you already have, or can cheaply find, the correct drive.
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For burned data discs: potentially useful, provided the drive mode, folder layout, file formats, and media all cooperate.
For dependable PS5 music playback: use a USB flash drive or external SSD instead.
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