So you managed to buy a PlayStation 5 – congratulations, you beat supply shortages to obtain one of the most sought-after consoles in recent memory. Now comes the fun part. No PS5 is complete without a library of games and accessories to elevate your experience. Thankfully, you won’t have as much trouble getting your hands on those. However, if you’re new to the console, the tricky part is knowing what titles and peripherals are worth your time. We’ve gathered our favorites here to make the search easier for you.
PlayStation Plus Extra
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 flesh out your library. Sony recently revamped the service to add separate tiers. Of the three tiers that are currently available, the “Extra” one is the best value. Priced at $15 per month, 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.
SteelSeries Arctis 7P+
Do the people you live with a favor and buy yourself a decent headset. It will help you stop 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. SteelSeries recently updated its iconic Arctis 7 headset with the 7P+ which has improved battery life and 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. The 7P+ costs the same as the standard 7+ variant, but also adds full support for the PS5’s Tempest 3D audio technology.
WD Black SN850
Sony recently released an update to allow PS5 owners to expand their console’s internal storage. And it’s a good thing, because the 667GB of usable storage the console comes with can feel limiting quickly. We already published a comprehensive guide on the best SSDs you can buy for your PlayStation 5. You’ll want to check that article out for a step-by-step guide on how to upgrade your SSD. But if you want to make things as simple as possible, your best bet is a Gen4 M.2 NVME SSD with a built-in heatsink. One of the better plug-and-play options is the SN850 from WD Black. It checks off all the compatibility requirements listed by Sony and is reasonably priced, too.
Samsung T7 SSD
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. 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.
DualSense Charging Station
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. In that way, 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.