How do I connect an Xbox 360 and PS3 to the same AV receiver? (Morrison's Mailbag)

CNET reader Jibran wants to know how to plug a PS3 and an Xbox into the same input. Geoff Morrison helps him out.

Geoffrey Morrison Contributor

Geoffrey Morrison is a writer/photographer about tech and travel for CNET, The New York Times, and other web and print publications. He's also the Editor-at-Large for The Wirecutter. He has written for Sound&Vision magazine, Home Theater magazine, and was the Editor-in-Chief of Home Entertainment magazine. He is NIST and ISF trained, and has a degree in Television/Radio from Ithaca College. His bestselling novel, Undersea, and its sequel, Undersea Atrophia, are available in paperback and digitally on Amazon. He spends most of the year as a digital nomad, living and working while traveling around the world. You can follow his travels at BaldNomad.com and on his YouTube channel.

See full bio

Geoffrey Morrison

Oct. 6, 2011 8:55 a.m. PT

2 min read

CNET reader Jibran writes:

Hi, I need your help. Currently I have my PS3 connected to my 5.1 AV receiver through the PS3's optical out. The TV is connected via HDMI. I'm planning to get an Xbox 360 also, but my dilemma is that how do I connect the Xbox 360 to the same AV receiver? There is only one optical input on the receiver.
Anxiously looking forward to your help.
Regards,
Jibran

Great question, Jibran. There are several options.

Just so everyone is on the same page, it seems clear that Jibran's receiver doesn't have HDMI switching, and that his TV has available HDMI inputs.

The easiest solution is by far the most annoying. You just swap the optical cable from the PS3 to the Xbox, or have two optical cables (labeled, mind you) and plug in the one you need. For gaming systems, this isn't as obnoxious as it would be with other equipment. It's doubtful you'd need to play each system back to back, so the occasional swap wouldn't be brutal.

Still, not elegant.

Related stories
• Why all HDMI cables are the same
• When is the best time to buy an HDTV?
• Geoff's HDTV and Home Theater Resource Center and Infotacular

The best option is a new receiver, as models with HDMI switching are down to a few hundred dollars. This way you just run everything via HDMI. This would also allow you to get the high-resolution audio formats like Dolby True HD, which don't transmit over optical cables.

Somewhere in between these two options are optical switchers. Monoprice.com has a three-into-one model for $6.34. You could plug the PS3 and Xbox into this, then just press the button for the one you want to play (and switch to that input on the TV).

Have a different solution for Jibran? Post it in the comments below.

Got a question for Geoff? Click the "E-mail Geoffrey Morrison" link below to e-mail, wait for it...Geoffrey Morrison! Put "Morrison's Mailbag" somewhere in there. If it's witty, amusing, and/or a good question, you may just see it in a post just like this one. I can also offer advice on hair styling products. I cannot, however, tell you what TV to buy.