The best PS5 accessories for 2023

If the PS5 is your first console or you’re coming from an Xbox, one of the first things you’ll want to pick up is a PlayStation Plus Extra subscription. It’ll help you build out your game library, and you have a few options to choose from since Sony revamped the service last year to add multiple tiers. Of the three that are currently available, the “Extra” one is the best value. Priced at $15 per month or $135 per year, it grants you access to a library of up to 400 downloadable PS4 and PS5 games. Each month, you’ll also get a handful of free games and PlayStation Store discounts. The combination of those perks makes it easy to start making the most of your new PS5.

Do the people you live with a favor and buy yourself a decent headset. It will prevent nerves from fraying and is a must for any multiplayer game. The options for gaming headsets are vast, so we recommend picking one with a solid track record. In 2021, SteelSeries updated its iconic Arctis 7 headset to improve battery life and add a USB-C port for charging. What the company didn’t change was the headband design that many people credit for making the Arctis 7 one of the more comfortable headsets on the market. SteelSeries sells a few different variants of the Arctis 7+. You want to go for the 7P+ model; it comes with support for the PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech.

Since 2021, Sony has allowed PS5 users to expand the console’s modest 667GB of usable storage by installing an aftermarket M.2 SSD. More recently, the company released a software update to add support for 8TB NVMe drives. Most people won’t need that much additional storage. At the same time, the PS5’s base storage can start to feel limiting quite quickly. For that reason, one of the first things new PS5 owners should buy is an NVMe drive. Engadget maintains an entire guide dedicated to the process of upgrading the PS5’s storage capacity. But for the purposes of this article, I’ll point you to one of the best plug-and-play models available right now. The MP600 Pro LPX from Corsair checks off all of the compatibility requirements listed by Sony. Best of all, it’s reasonably priced: the 1TB model usually goes for $70 when it’s not on sale.

If you don’t feel comfortable opening your PS5 to install a new SSD, another option is to purchase an external solid-state drive. Keep in mind that you can’t play PS5 games from an external drive. However, it takes less time to copy one over from an SSD than it does to download it from the PlayStation Store, and you can still play PS4 games from one. One of our favorite portable drives is the Samsung T7. It can write files at a speedy 1,000 MB/s and comes with a shock-resistant enclosure to protect the drive from physical damage. If you plan to use the SSD exclusively for storing games, you can save money by buying the standard model instead of the Shield variant, which has a ruggedized exterior for extra protection for those who are always on the go.

While you can charge your DualSense controller with the USB-C cable that comes with your PS5, a more elegant solution is the DualSense Charging Station. It can store and charge two controllers simultaneously so you can always have a second PS5 controller ready to go if the one you’re currently using runs out of battery. The charger will also free up the USB ports on your PS5 for other accessories.

The PS5’s DualSense controller is already one of the best gamepads you can buy, but for those seeking more customization, consider saving up for a DualSense Edge. It’s pricey at $200, but in the long run, the Edge could end up saving you money thanks to its fully replaceable analog sticks. Plus, the ability to add a set of rear paddles and modify the pull length of the trigger buttons make for one of the most versatile gamepads out on the market right now.

Let’s be honest, using a gamepad to control media playback isn’t a great experience. If you plan to use your PS5 as your primary streaming device, spending $30 to buy Sony’s first-party Media Remote is a no-brainer. Pairing is easy and the dedicated playback controls mean there’s no need to memorize how those controls are mapped on the DualSense. Plus the dedicated Disney+, Netflix, Spotify and YouTube keys make it easy to launch those streaming apps, even when your console is powered off.

In a year that saw so many great new releases, it might seem crazy to recommend a remake of a game from 2008. However, Dead Space’s connection to an earlier era of game design is exactly what makes it worth your time and part of what makes it one of the best PS5 games you can get. It is an experience that respects your time. There is no fat or padding to be found in Dead Space 2023. It’s fast-paced, with brilliant storytelling and level design. The fact it looks so good on the PS5 is icing on the cake.

What’s there left to say about Elden Ring? The strengths of FromSoftware’s action-RPG are many, but what’s most impressive about the game is how hand-crafted it feels despite its scale. The studio has created a rich open world, with something surprising, delightful or utterly terrifying around every corner. I’ll never forget the moment I found a chest that teleported my character to a cave full of Eldritch monsters. Elden Ring is full of those kinds of discoveries.

If giving 100 hours or more to Elden Ring is a time commitment you can’t afford right now, but you still want to see what all the fuss around From’s games is about, the good news is that the PS5 is home to some of the studio’s best games. For a taste of what makes Elden Ring so compelling, there’s Bluepoint’s 2020 remake of Demon’s Souls. It might be a few years old now, but it’s still one of the PS5’s best-looking games. For something a bit different, there’s also the excellent Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. It’s faster paced than some of From’s other recent games, but the ability to customize your mech means it’s also more adaptable in terms of difficulty.

A list of the best PS5 accessories and games wouldn’t be complete without at least one exclusive. God of War Ragnarök can sometimes suffer from pacing issues and overly chatty NPCs, but there’s no denying that Sony’s Santa Monica Studio has crafted another heartfelt chapter in the story of Kratos and Atreus. The PS5 is also the best place to play Ragnarök. On Sony’s latest console, the game ships with two rendering modes and support for variable and high frame rates. Provided you own a relatively recent TV, those features make it possible to play the action RPG at up to 90 frames per second in some situations. That’s a level of technical proficiency rarely seen in most AAA console games.

You’ve played games like Ghost of Tsushima before. It borrows from the familiar, open-world formula popularized by Assassin’s Creed and other Ubisoft titles. But that’s not a knock against it. Far from it: Sucker Punch’s latest is so easy to recommend because it executes the open-world concept flawlessly. The studio has created a beautiful playground steeped in Feudal Japanese culture, myth and history for players to explore, with something interesting to find beyond every ridge. Combat is also a highlight, allowing you to play either as an honorable samurai, a terrifying assassin or a mixture of both. And once you have finished Tsushima’s touching single-player story, there’s the excellent Legends multiplayer mode to keep you busy for the long haul.

I’m going to ask you to trust me on this recommendation, because to say too much about what makes Tunic special would be to rob the game of its magic. Do yourself a favor and try to play this one without turning to the internet if you run into a roadblock. On the other end is one of the most rewarding gaming experiences in recent memory.

For a game that doesn’t have any humans in it, Stray offers one of the most humanist tales in the medium. It’s also just plain cute. Playing as a tabby cat creates opportunities for fun and mischievous opportunities around every corner. You can scratch furniture, jump on tables to knock things over or just loaf for a few moments in a cozy spot. It took me a while to get around to playing Stray, owing to the fact I had only recently lost my beloved ginger cat shortly before BlueTwelve Studio released the game in 2022. But once I finally got around to it, Stray quickly became one of my favorite games.