The best PS5 accessories offer next-gen newcomers and early adopters alike ways to improve upon Sony’s stellar console. From increased immersion to added convenience, the right accessory can take your day-to-day PlayStation experience to the next level. While it’s early days for the accessories market of Sony’s ninth-generation console, there’s still plenty of interesting options available.
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If you’re looking for a way to squeeze more potential out of your PS5, look no further. At Laptop Mag, we’ve compiled our list of the best PS5 accessories currently available, and a few others that are coming soon. So whether you’re looking for a new headset for online play or a hassle-free way to keep your controller topped up, here are the best PS5 accessories.
What are the best PS5 accessories?
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The PlayStation DualSense Controller is no doubt one of the best PS5 accessories to come out of this console generation so far. Sony’s DualSense controller takes rumble to a whole new level, adding impressive adaptive triggers and responsive haptic feedback. While you likely already own one, there’s always room for one more until the final nail is planted into the casket of couch co-op. Especially so if you use a charging cradle and want to easily hot swap between game pads.
Speaking of which, the Sony DualSense Charging Station is another fantastic accessory. Able to house and charge two DualSense controllers at once, Sony’s charging station is ideal if you want a wire-free solution to charging up your controller or would like a backup available at the drop of a hat.
Games are ballooning in size, and there’s no reason to think it won’t carry on the longer into the current generation of consoles we get. As such, additional storage could become a genuine necessity. That’s where the WD Black SN850 SSD comes into play, offering an abundance of additional storage up to 2TB. It’s fast, easy to install and comes recommended by the PS5’s lead system architect.
Sony’s DualShock brand of controllers had been a staple of the iconic PlayStation style since 1997. Sleek, light and tactile; the DualShock was the king of console controllers for many. However, with the arrival of the PS5, Sony decided to retire the DualShock brand, and unveil the all-new DualSense controller in its wake. A change like this isn’t without its risks, and while some had their doubts, the DualSense has proven itself to be a worthy successor to the throne.
Take everything you loved about Sony’s DualShock 4, then cram it full of growth hormones and the best haptic feedback tech around. What results is one of the most immersive controllers to arrive to console gaming since the Wiimote. The rumble motors are replaced by dual actuators that offer an incredible range of dynamic vibrations. The all new adaptive triggers add varying levels of force and tension to your in-game interactions. This new level of feedback can simulate a wide range of in-game situations, from the clash of swords to the feel of the terrain beneath the wheels in your favorite racing title.
While a DualSense controller comes with the PS5, there’s no harm in adding a second. Couch co-op might be less prominent right now, but it’s nowhere near dead, especially when it comes to party games. It also makes it easier to hot swap between two controllers when your battery runs low, preventing any interruption in play.
Is this truly an accessory, or is it a much needed upgrade? Who’s to say, but I’m including it anyway. The WD Black SN850 SSD is the solution to your looming PS5 storage problem, and if you’re not aware of that problem, take note of how many modern titles are routinely creeping towards 100GB in size. Games like Far Cry 6, Call of Duty: Warzone and Ark: Survival Evolved are all weighing in north of 90GB, and they’re not even the heaviest hitters — Spider-Man Miles Morales Ultimate Edition requires an eye-watering 170GB alone. That brings us back full circle to the WD Black SN850 SSD.
Western Digital’s SSD was one of the first that met Sony’s compatibility requirements for the PS5, and to this day it remains as one of the best options to choose from when it comes to expanding your storage. Not only does it offer lightning-fast read and write speeds, but the 1TB option also has an impressive lifespan of 600 Terabytes Written. The spritely SSD is even recommended by the PS5’s lead system architect Mark Cerny.
The only downside to the WD Black SN850 SSD is its price. While the regular cost of the base SN850 is already a sizable $189.99, Sony recommends using SSDs outfitted with a heatsink, which can push that price up to $249.99. Whether or not the convenience of having all your favorite games on hand is worth that price is entirely up to you. However, if you don't have lightning fast internet, a purchase like this can make a massive difference over time.
In 2009, peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz unveiled a pretty unconventional Modern Warfare branded ‘throat communicator.’ Inspired by real-life military tech, the neckset used a snug-fitting plastic collar to pick up speech directly from the voice box. It seemed pretty impressive up until you wore it. If your neck was any thicker than a Sharpie, it felt as if you were being slowly throttled into a pressure headache by the hands of an apathetic eight-year-old child.
Luckily, the ‘neckset’ has since come a long way, and Panasonic seems to have things firmly on the right track. The SoundSlayer GN01 Wearable Gaming Speaker sits on the shoulders and neck, much like a pair of neckband earphones. Its lightweight build makes it comfortable to wear over longer stretches, and houses an industry-first four-channel real surround sound speaker for an incredibly immersive experience. Panasonic’s GN01 is also outfitted with a high-performance noise and echo-canceling dual-microphone, which allows clear communication without any interference from the mounted speakers.
Of course, you’re likely to get the best audio experience with a pair of quality headphones. However, the SoundSlayer GN01 provides a way of feeling connected to your game without feeling disconnected to everything else going on around you. This could very well be a double-edged sword in certain situations, but it makes a great alternative to a headset when you need to listen out for a package arriving or when you feel like breaking the stigma of gamers being antisocial shut-ins.
Sure, it may not be the most exciting accessory, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the better ones out there. The PlayStation 5 Media Remote is exactly what it claims to be — a media remote for the PlayStation 5. Its buttons and chassis match the overall aesthetic of the PS5 itself. It can even do all of the classic things you’d expect from a remote, such as inconveniently disappearing down the sides of your couch or suddenly reviving dead batteries because you pressed the buttons harder.
Convenience is the thing to keep in mind when looking at this accessory. If you’re a media junkie, you’ll be well aware that the PlayStation has much more to offer than gaming. With a host of apps for both video and audio streaming services, your PS5 has real jack-of-all-trades entertainment potential.
Don’t waste both hands fumbling with thumbsticks and menus, the PS5 Media Remote comes with four shortcut buttons to rapidly access lifetimes of content from Spotify, YouTube, Disney+ and Netflix. What’s more, you’ll still have a hand free for holding your pizza.
The PS5’s DualSense controller can comfortably last anywhere between 9 and 10 hours of playtime. However, there’s nothing worse than picking up your controller the next day to find it’s as dead as Google Stadia. While the time it takes to fully charge the controller is just 3 hours, that’s a lot of wasted time not playing your favorite games.
After gaming into the early hours, you may well have forgotten to plug your controller in to charge. Or even accidentally shut down your PS5 thus halting any ongoing charging. That’s where Sony’s DualSense Charging Station becomes such a handy accessory. No more fumbling with cables or leaving your PS5 on standby. Simply drop your DualSense controller into the cradle and push down. That’s it.
If you have a second DualSense controller, then the charging station becomes even more useful. Anytime you get a low battery warning, you can simply hot swap to a freshly charged gamepad. With the Sony DualSense Charging Station, you can ensure your game sessions are interrupted as infrequently as possible, making it an ideal accessory for the PS5.
The black-and-white color scheme of the PS5 isn’t for everyone. Aside from the fact it makes your PlayStation look like some chad penguin’s popped collar, white doesn't tend to conform to most people’s entertainment setups. The fact that the PlayStation 5’s faceplates are so easy to remove has led a number of third-party manufacturers to spring up around the internet, offering alternative colors and designs. However, Sony has been rather litigious in its efforts to prevent the existence of these third-party plates, often clamping down on a business before they can get their first batch of orders out of the door.
Over a year after the PS5’s launch, Sony has taken a break from its anti-consumer, capitalist bully methods to begin offering its own custom faceplates. Wave goodbye to those white fins, and say hello to Midnight Black and Cosmic Red.
Well, that isn’t the greatest of selections to choose from, either, but other colors like Nova Pink, Starlight Blue, and Galactic Purple are expected to follow sometime in the first half of the year.
3D audio isn’t new, but it is new to the PlayStation 5. Last generation’s Xbox One had access to Dolby Atmos, a surround sound technology that added height channels in order for sounds to be interpreted as three-dimensional objects. While PlayStation didn’t follow in its footsteps until the PS4 Pro, the use of Dolby Atmos was only compatible with Blu-Ray movies. However, when it came to the PS5, Sony had 3D audio for gaming at the forefront of their minds.
Instead of adopting Dolby Atmos, Sony developed an entirely new proprietary 3D audio format. The result of which is Tempest 3D audio. The Pulse 3D wireless headset is the best way to experience the true potential of this new audio tech, as it delivers incredible soundscapes with crystal clear clarity. You can even alter EQ settings on the fly thanks to native options on your PS5, saving you the hassle of connecting to a PC like most other headsets.
While the built-in mic isn’t the greatest, it is serviceable. But it’s the 3D audio that’s going to lure you in, and by many accounts, the experience is pretty impressive. Trace every footstep, feel the presence of every sound around you, and immerse yourself even deeper within your PlayStation experience with the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset.
Are you wearing the best gaming headset? Are you sitting comfortably in the best gaming chair? Do you have one of the best USB microphones hooked up and ready to capture every word you utter? Then you’re almost ready to take the world of Twitch by storm. What’s missing? How about a way of throwing your gorgeous mug on screen and showcasing all of your gaming drip and swagger to the world at large?
The PlayStation 5 HD Camera is a great and simple way to broadcast or capture yourself alongside your gameplay footage. Dual wide-angle lenses allow you to record Full HD images and effortlessly overlay that footage over gameplay. The camera is also capable of upping the production level of your footage by chroma keying out your background if you make use of a green screen.
While there may be a slight stigma in using your PlayStation 5 to broadcast gameplay, it does take much of the hassle out of live streaming. With the use of the PlayStation 5 HD Camera alongside services like Lightstream, there’s very little to hold you back from creating interesting visuals for your streams and media.
SteelSeries have some fantastic headsets available for a number of platforms, and the Arctic 7P+ is one of the best. Building upon the success of the Arctis 7P, one of the best gaming headsets available at the time, the Arctis 7P+ improves on battery life, adds USB Type-C charging and supports the PS5’s Tempest 3D audio. It’s a decent upgrade to an already top-of-the-line gaming headset and solidifies the Arctis 7P+ as the go-to premium headset for PS5 players.
Wearing the Arctis 7P+ is a dream thanks to its adjustable velcro Airweave headband and ear cushions. The Airweave fabric used is a breathable moisture-wicking material that affords impressive comfort and cushioning for everyday use, which makes it ideal for gaming sessions. The headset fits snugly, tailoring to a variety of head shapes and sizes without any tightness or squeezing. They’re comfortable enough for all-day use, and with a sizable battery life of roughly thirty hours you can do just that.
Whether you’re using the Arctis 7P+ for gaming or listening to music, the 40mm neodymium drivers offer some incredible audio. Sounds are loud, clear and well balanced. From the intense concussive blasts of fireballs in Final Fantasy XIV to thwipping around New York City as Spider-Man, the 7P+ consistently impressed.
See our full SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ review.
It just wouldn’t be console gaming if you didn’t have to pay extra to play with friends online. Across the board, console manufacturers have buried the concept of free online multiplayer deeper than dinosaur bones. While some semblance of free multiplayer still resides within the hit-or-miss flophouse of free-to-play games, if you want to get the most out of your online titles, a paid online multiplayer subscription is your only option. PlayStation Plus is Sony’s online subscription model and while it can be seen as an unnecessary paywall, there are some redeeming qualities to be found.
Beyond access to online play, a PS+ subscription also allows players to redeem a selection of free games each month. These games can range from indie titles to full on AAA releases, and they remain yours to play while you have an ongoing subscription. PS5 owners also have exclusive access to the PlayStation Plus Collection, which includes access to twenty of the most popular PS4 games for free.
Furthermore, you’ll get exclusive PlayStation store discounts alongside 100GB of cloud storage for save files. That means you can continue your in-game progress even if you sign-in to a PlayStation while away from home. There’s perks-a-plenty to be sure, but it is still a needless paywall to online content. However, even if you don’t play online games, the additions to your game library might be worth the price of a subscription alone.
Looking ahead: PS VR2 & Project Spartacus
PlayStation VR2
You may be wondering why our list of the best PS5 accessories doesn’t include Sony’s popular PSVR headset. The reason isn’t compatibility, as the headset, PlayStation Camera and library of PSVR games are entirely compatible with the PS5. Instead, when it comes to Sony’s PSVR, the writing is on the wall.
Last year, Sony revealed the first details of their long rumored next-gen VR headset, ingeniously dubbed the PSVR2. The new system seemingly leaves the original PSVR in the dust with improvements right across the board. As such, recommending anybody spend $300+ on the original PSVR at this point seems futile. That is, of course, unless Sony announces that the PSVR2 is not backwards compatible with older PSVR titles.
If you’d like to keep in the know about PSVR2 and hear the latest rumors and speculation, feel free to check out our dedicated page for the PSVR2 and everything we know so far.
Project Spartacus
To put it lightly, last gen started as a bit of a disaster for Xbox. Aside from an initial attempt to kill the used games market, the insistence that we allow a Kinect camera to observe our every move and remain always online did have quite the Big Brother vibe to it. However, even after dropping many of these cursed features, Xbox had an uphill battle on its hands. One of the things that pulled it back for Microsoft was the mightily impressive Xbox Game Pass service, a subscription based game library that works a bit like Netflix.
Sony has its own similar subscription service in PS Now. It’s a reasonable offering of downloadable and streamable titles, but it hasn’t quite managed to reach the same heights as its Xbox counterpart. Luckily though, it hasn’t reached the same depths as Google’s. With that being said, if rumors are to be believed, Sony has something up its sleeves with revamping the service entirely.
Project Spartacus is the heavily rumored revamp and merging of both PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now services into a single subscription package with even more to offer. Owners of either the PS4 or PS5 will apparently be able to access online multiplayer and a library of classic and modern PlayStation titles stemming all the way back to the original console. While true backwards compatibility has been a thorn in Sony’s side, a recently filed patent does seemingly indicate that there may finally be a solution on the horizon, adding further weight to the mounting Spartacus rumors.
While there’s no official word from Sony about the validity of these reports, the service could be unveiled as early as the Spring of 2022 if they are to be believed.
