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A VR Headset
Sony PSVR 2
A Second Controller
Sony DualSense Controller
A Charging Dock
Sony DualSense Charging Station
Colorful Console Covers
Sony PlayStation 5 Console Covers
It’s not as hard to buy a new PlayStation 5 as it used to be, but its capabilities are still impressive. The cybernetic clamshell tower of a console is packed to the gills with killer hardware. It can run games in native 4K, hit frame rates in excess of 120 frames per second, and output video at 120 hertz for that ultra-silky-smooth look and feel.
Still, not everything you need comes in the box. A few more add-ons will make your game session that much easier and enjoyable. Sony’s DualShock controller is one of the best game controllers available, and the PS5 is the first console that can really take advantage of a great home theater setup. To that end, we’ve compiled our favorite PS5 accessories, including a few luxury picks for those of you looking to turn your living room into a cathedral for your new PS5.
Be sure to check out our full review of the PlayStation 5, along with our roundup of our favorite PlayStation games. For more home-theater buying advice, see our Best TVs and Best Soundbars guides.
Updated March 2024: We added the PlayStation Portal, PlayStation 5 Covers, SteelSeries Arctis 7P+, LG C3, WD Black SN770 SSD, WD P4 Gaming Drive, Yamaha ATS-2090 soundbar, and updated links and prices throughout.
Jaina Grey contributed to this guide.
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Photograph: Sony
A VR Headset
Sony PSVR 2
It’s pricey at $550, but the PS VR2 is a worthy successor to the original. Most VR headsets are a solitary experience, but the PS VR2 streams to TV by default. It’s also super adjustable, so you can find a comfy way to fit it to your head.
Eye-tracking is the standout feature here. In games like Horizon Call of the Mountain, you can highlight menu items just by looking at them, and characters can even make direct eye contact with the player. The Sense VR controllers boast best-in-class haptic feedback, making it feel like you’re actually grabbing something when you’re interacting with objects in VR. For more details, check out our review (8/10, WIRED Recommends).
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Photograph: Sony
A Second Controller
Sony DualSense Controller
It’s 2024 and game consoles still don’t ship with two controllers. The first thing you’ll need with your new PS5 is an extra gamepad if you want to get in on any couch co-op, and the best one is still Sony’s official DualSense model. No other third-party controller really packs the same level of immersive feedback the DualSense does.
Thanks to the placement of haptic feedback motors throughout the controller, you can feel more nuanced vibrations than you can with other controllers. It’s like spatial audio for your hands. If something whips by your character on the left side, you might feel a little rumble under your left hand. Games can control how much resistance the left and right shoulder triggers give you. If you’re pulling the drawstring on a bow and arrow, for instance, a game might make it more difficult to press the triggers.
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Photograph: Sony
A Charging Dock
Sony DualSense Charging Station
Next, you want a charging dock. Keeping multiple controllers charged is a task too big for a single USB cable. It’s much nicer to just drop it in the dock when you’re done playing instead of remembering to plug it back in. This is the official charger from Sony, so it matches the cyber-clam aesthetic of the PS5, and there’s something nice about your accessories matching your console.
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Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Colorful Console Covers
Sony PlayStation 5 Console Covers
The PS5 has a design that could charitably be described as “bold,” but it’s certainly eye-catching. Doubly so with the rather wide range of alternate color covers that Sony offers. One set has galactic-themed names like Nova Pink and Starlight Blue. More recently, the Deep Earth Collection has introduced red, blue, and silver covers, each with a metallic sheen. These won’t improve your gameplay much, but they can help your PS5 brighten up your living room.
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Photograph: Scuf
A Controller for Competitors
Scuf Reflex Controller
Scuf’s Reflex controller manages to do everything the DualSense does, but better (and for a higher price tag). The DualSense is about $70, and the Reflex starts at $200. The latter’s body is covered in a soft-touch material that doesn’t pick up fingerprints and is grippy without feeling sticky. It’s like the suede of plastic.
It has four (removable) back paddles, which you can configure individually. These are handy in games like Destiny 2 where you have to juggle multiple abilities at once. The faceplate comes off so you can swap out the thumb sticks for taller ones that provide a more nuanced sense of control. You can also swap out the faceplate itself for other colors. Overall, it’s everything a premium controller should be, and if you’re going to play a lot of competitive online games, it’s a worthy upgrade.
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Photograph: SteelSeries
A Great Wireless Headset for PS5
SteelSeries Arctis 7P+
The Arctis 7P+ is one of our favorite gaming headsets for good reason. It gets up to 30 hours of battery life and comes with a wireless USB-C dongle that makes it compatible with most systems. So, you can use it for your extended Spider-Man 2 sessions, and then swap it over to your Switch or even use it with your phone. It doesn’t hurt that these headphones sound great, too.
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Photograph: HyperX
A Good Headset Under $50
HyperX Cloud Stinger Core
Need something a little cheaper? The HyperX Cloud Stinger Core is a great pick if you need a headset that’ll produce rich sound with an ultra-clear microphone attached. It’s a no-frills headset that gets the job done and stays out of your way. It’s also comfortable to wear for long periods, which can be important during marathon gaming sessions when your roommate is trying to sleep.
★ Alternatives: We have many, many other great headset picks, including a nigh-immortal headset by HyperX that lasts 300 hours and has earned one of our very few perfect scores (10/10, WIRED Recommends). For more, check out our guides to the Best Wireless Gaming Headsets and the Best Wired Gaming Headsets.
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Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
A Media Remote
PlayStation 5 Media Remote
The PS5 isn’t just an excellent game console. It also has apps to watch shows and movies on Netflix, Hulu, Max, and all the other Best Streaming Services. The only downside is that the PS5 controller is a little annoying to use as a TV remote—especially if you share the space with non-gamers. The PS5 Media Remote is the perfect solution to this minor nuisance. When paired with the console, it can automatically set itself up to control most TVs and soundbars, and the battery life from just two AA batteries lasts for months.
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Photograph: Western Digital
An Internal M.2 Drive for Extra Storage
WD Black SN770
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Photograph: Western Digital
An External Drive to Hold Games
Western Digital P40 Gaming Drive
If you’re not comfortable with cracking open your PS5, we don’t blame you. This WD Black external drive is another great option, though it’s most ideal for archiving games or storing screenshots and recordings. In our testing, it wasn’t quite fast enough to run some of the biggest AAA games directly, but an extra terabyte or two of storage can never hurt. We have a few more picks for external drives in our guide to the Best Portable SSDs.
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Photograph: Sony
For Streaming PS5 Games
Sony PlayStation Portal
In a market that’s suddenly flooded with gaming handhelds of sometimes questionable quality, Sony’s PlayStation Portal (8/10, WIRED Recommends) stands out in two main ways. First, it’s only $200, substantially cheaper than even some Switch models, much less competing handhelds from Valve, Asus, and Lenovo. The second distinction is … it doesn’t play games. Not directly anyway. Instead it relies on streaming from your existing PS5. And while it’s also possible to stream games to your phone or tablet with the PS Remote Play app, the Portal is straightforward to set up and simpler to use. It also feels better to play because the device is nearly identical to a typical PS5 controller, but split down the middle with a frankly gorgeous screen stuck in the middle.
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Photograph: Backbone
A Controller for Streaming
Backbone PS5 Edition
While the PlayStation Portal is probably the best way to stream games from your PS5, the PlayStation Remote Play app is a viable alternative. The service lets you play your PS5 games on your phone or tablet. That might not sound appealing at first, but the Backbone controller makes the whole system click.
The Backbone is an attachment for your phone that turns it into a mobile gaming device, similar to a Nintendo Switch. You can use it for other games on your phone too, not just ones you stream. But streaming games from the PS5 with the Backbone PS5 edition is one of its best use cases. You can sit back on your couch, put something chill on your TV, and still play your PS5 games every bit as smoothly as you would straight from the source.
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Photograph: LG
The Best OLED for PS5
LG C3 OLED (65 Inch)
The LG C3 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is currently our favorite TV for gamers. OLED panels are unique in that each pixel emits its own light, so only the pixels that are actually needed for an image light up. This gives the TV the darkest blacks possible, and incredibly high contrast with vivid colors.
This set also has an impressive array of features that gamers in particular will care about. Its ultra-fast response time (9.2 milliseconds) is crucial for competitive online games, it supports up to 4K content on all four of its HDMI 2.1 inputs, and its 120-Hz refresh rate means this TV can handle the fastest of fast-paced games without looking jittery or choppy.
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Photograph: Vizio
A Great Non-OLED TV
Vizio M-Series Quantum X (2022)
One of our favorite non-OLED TVs right now is Vizio’s M-Series Quantum X (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It boasts quantum dots and local dimming, which means it can deliver bright highlights and rich black levels without losing much detail in either one. It also has the requisite 120-Hz refresh rate and 4K resolution that makes all those PS5 games look so good. We have even more picks in our guide to the Best TVs, if neither of these options suit your needs.
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Photograph: Yamaha
An Affordable Soundbar
Yamaha SR-C20A
There are few upgrades you can make to your home theater setup that will improve your experience more than just getting a soundbar. We have a lot of suggestions in our guide to the Best Soundbars, but this Yamaha SR-C20A has the dual distinction of not only being our top overall pick, but also being one of the more affordable options on our list. It’s small, light, and has 100 watts of powerful audio that can fill your living room with every explosion, jump scare, or … whatever sounds cozy games make.
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Photograph: Nakamichi
An Insane Dual-Sub Sound System
Shockwafe 9.2.4 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
If a soundbar isn’t enough, and you are really decking out your gaming space, the Nakamichi Shockwafe system is a great way to go. It’s super expensive, but for that price you get two subwoofers, a soundbar, and four surround sound speakers. It’s overkill in the best way. With all the speakers set up, this system turns even the most humble YouTube video into a cinema-level experience.