The best PS5 accessories

Out of the box, the PS5 comes with everything you need to get started: a DualSense controller, a power cable, and a high-speed HDMI cable. What it doesn’t come with is very much storage. Its 1 TB internal SSD actually has 825 GB of storage (the PS5 Pro has 1.89 TB of its advertised 2 TB). Though, in reality, the OS takes up some space, so even less of that storage is available to use for games and apps. And once you begin installing stuff, that storage might disappear faster than you think it will. So, the accessory that we recommend for most people is an M.2 SSD, especially since the console now supports up to 8 TB of SSD storage.

Corsair’s MP600 Elite is not just a fast SSD for PS5, but a cost-effective one, too, offering the most storage per dollar compared to the competition. But there are plenty of other good models to choose from, which we’ve rounded up in our handy guide to the best PS5 SSDs.

Sony makes different colors of PS5 console covers, in case you want to yank off the white ones that come by default. You can go for a full color swap or mix and match different colors — but this upgrade doesn’t come as affordably as you might expect. Each set starts at $54.99, and this price goes up for some color schemes.

Another option for giving your PS5 a makeover are Dbrand’s Darkplates 2.0. They have a slightly different design, and you can pay more to customize them.

You might not always want to blare your PS5’s audio through your TV or soundbar speakers. When you need to do some private listening, or when you’re jumping into your online squad, a headset is another easy recommendation. Pricing, styles, and capabilities are all over the place in this category, but Sony’s $199.99 wireless Inzone Buds are a great option. They’re available in white or black, and their sound quality is superb, rivaling that of Sony’s flagship earbuds, the WF-1000XM5.

If you prefer over-ear headsets, we have a couple recommendations for those below.

If over-ear headphones are more your style than buds, check out the Inzone H9. While pricey, this headset is made for PS5 and PC, and its USB 2.4 GHz transmitter has a switch that you toggle depending on what you’re using. Its flip-to-mute boom microphone is an improvement over the beamforming mics on the Pulse 3D, partially because it’s easier to bring the mic right up to my mouth. But in terms of quality, online friends have told me that the difference isn’t stark compared to cheaper headsets.

It has some other perks, including Bluetooth support, so you can toggle between game audio, a phone call, or podcast audio. The H9 also features very effective noise cancellation, which is handy if you want to really focus in on games.

For most people, I don’t suggest spending $300 — nearly the price of the PS5 itself — on a headset. It’s just not practical advice. Now that I’ve gotten that levelheaded intro started, I can say that SteelSeries’ Arctis Nova Pro might totally be worth it to you. I reviewed it over at The Verge, and its build quality and design are a couple of notches above the Inzone H9 and Inzone Buds. It looks so sleek, the Arctis Nova Pro might even pass as high-end over-ear headphones when you’re out and about. The active noise cancellation is also a huge boon for when you need to concentrate.

Part of the high price is due to the wireless base station that’s included. This lets you connect to a PS5 and another device, like a Switch or a PC. (SteelSeries makes a slightly different model with USB ports that works with Xbox.) You can switch audio sources easily on the station. The station also houses and charges a spare battery, so you can hot-swap batteries during gameplay with relative ease.

This is the full package, and I recommend it to someone who wants the ultimate personal audio setup — and especially to those who want a headset that’s just as great on PS5 as it is on other platforms. If you’re looking for a wireless SteelSeries PS5 headset with some, but not all, of the same features at a lower price, you should consider its Arctis Nova 7P, which currently costs $175 at Amazon.

Do you like the DualSense, but want a more pro-level version of it? The DualSense Edge is what you’re looking for. Sony’s $199 option adds customizable back paddles, as well as the ability to toggle through custom control schemes with a couple button presses. It’s largely the same as the DualSense in terms of look and feel, and it has the same stellar haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. But there’s just more stuff to tweak to your liking here, in exchange for a small yet noticeable hit to battery life.

The triggers, for instance, have switches that adjust the pull distance in case you want a more responsive feel. Those back paddles I mentioned? Those can be mapped to almost any button on the controller, so you can more comfortably execute a move, drink a potion, or do anything else without taking your fingers off the analog sticks. On the topic of analog sticks, these use the same sticks as the DualSense’s, but one big difference is that they are in modules that can be swapped, in case one should break.

While the original PSVR was designed for the PS4, the Sony PlayStation VR 2 headset was made to take advantage of the PS5’s power. This kit includes the wired headset, plus two controllers. The setup process has been greatly simplified from the previous generation, requiring just a single USB-C connection on the front of the PS5 console. The PlayStation VR 2’s built-in cameras and sensors can also detect where you are in your room to safeguard you from obstacles.

Every platform’s VR library starts out small, and the PlayStation VR 2’s is no different. It’s not helped by the fact that it isn’t backward-compatible with PSVR games. Still, there are some winners already, including Gran Turismo 7, Resident Evil Village, No Man’s Sky, and Horizon Call of the Mountain. The Resident Evil 4 remake now has a free VR mode, too.

Sony also released a PC adapter that makes it possible to connect the PlayStation VR 2 headset to a gaming PC, so you can play PC VR titles, such as Half-Life: Alyx.

Sony is out of the handheld game (for the moment) and doesn’t compete directly with the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, but it carved out an area of its own with the PlayStation Portal. It’s a game streaming device that, over Wi-Fi, can display games from your PS5, allowing friends and family to hijack your TV for other purposes.

It’s far from an essential accessory, as modern phones that support Remote Play can effectively mimic the Portal’s features. However, the Portal’s design, large display, and convenience make it a more premium alternative.