I have small skullcandy earphones which work great with my phone, however when I try to plug them into my PS4 controller and use them there, sound only comes out of one bud. Is there a way I can fix this or am I stuck with instead using my slightly uncomfortable gaming headset?
You can't use mobile headphones on PS4, because it uses different plug, different contacts to be more precise, that's why only one contact and ear works.
I use the samsung S6 in ear phones as they are snug and crystal clear. But i use them on my Xbox one with the adapter to the controller. I have both game audio and chat audio in stereo perfectly. But i believe the ps4 way, you will receive chat via one ear only i.e. mono and game sound via both i.e. stereo. You need to go into the settings of the ps4, In the audio settings menu in settings you can choose for all audio to come via the controller rather than just chat.