Boxing Day sales are upon us, and they might be the perfect way for you to upgrade the PS5 that Santa so kindly delivered to you. Out of the box, the PlayStation 5 is impressive enough - I can personally recommend testing out Astro's Playroom and the amazing features of the DualSense - that's still a must for everyone after setting it up.
That said, there are always going to be ways to upgrade your console to suit your needs. Luckily, the best PS5 accessories are here to do just that. If you've already started downloading every game in the PS Plus library, you may soon find you need more storage space. If you play competitive shooters online, a pro controller with back buttons may help close the gaps between you and your rivals. If you have another week or two off work and you plan to speedrun Marvel's Spider-Man 2 after everyone else you live with has gone to sleep, a headset will let you appreciate that Tempest 3D audio in peace.
Frankly, there's almost too much choice when shopping around for those three accessories. I've been testing and reviewing plenty of them this year, so I can say with some confidence that you're spoiled for choice. So, as my late Christmas gift to you, allow me to walk you through the PS5 accessories I couldn't live without. I've detailed the ones I use in my setup every day (as well as some alternatives) to make your hunt through Boxing Day sales that little bit easier.
You might be glad to learn that if you pop off the rear faceplate of your PS5, there's an M.2 slot you can use to slide in a speedy NVMe SSD. These are the ones used in modern-day gaming PCs, so they're very capable of keeping up with the console's internal drive.
The Samsung 990 Pro is undoubtedly one of the best PS5 SSDs money can buy. Admittedly, it's not the cheapest, but for the performance it gives you it's so worth splashing out on. As of this year, there's even a 4TB model so you'll pretty much never need to think about buying an SSD again for another console generation to come.
These SSDS can come with or without a heatsink, and whether you end up going for this drive or another, please make sure you get a heatsink one way or another. I've listed a cheaper drive, and my favourite separate heatsink for you down below if you need some recommendations. Heatsinks are small pads that lie across the surface of a drive like this to keep it cool and undamaged while it zips your files here, there, and everywhere.
Regardless, Samsung's 990 Pro is one of the best SSDs for gaming. In fact, it's so good that at this point, I barely even use the console's internal drive. It really is that good.
For those looking to jump to the top of any online leaderboard, one of the best PS5 controllers is what you need. As I mentioned at the start, the DualSense has some downright showstopping features, but when it comes to competitive situations, a pro controller will always be a handy tool to have.
That's where the Victrix Pro BFG comes in. This is an officially licensed gamepad that sports a modular design. What that means is that those facial components like the buttons and thumbstick modules unscrew and come out. Depending on your preferences and the game you want to excel in, you can swap them around, flip them so they're symmetrical, and even modify them to suit you. There's even one attachment you can slot in that gives you six facial buttons which essentially turns this controller into a mini arcade fightstick.
Perhaps most importantly, the Victrix Pro BFG has four back buttons, and they're easily the best and most ergonomic ones I've had the pleasure of testing. When I'm playing any first-person shooter or competitive game on PS5, this is almost always what I'm holding.
I'm currently reviewing the Nacon RIG 600 Pro HS gaming headset, and although I've used better headsets, the amount of quality on offer in this $100/£100 set of ear muffs is growing on me. The sound quality isn't breathtaking like it is on some of the very best PS5 headsets, but the 40mm drivers still deliver a well-balanced sound that very precisely conveys the sound design of my favorite games on PS5.
The main feature that led me to this headset was its dual connectivity because while it's connected to your console via a wireless USB-C dongle, it can connect to your phone via Bluetooth at the same time. However, the biggest issue I have with the headset overall is that the marketing is somewhat misleading. That connection can happen at the same time, but the headset itself will only play from one device at a time.
In fairness, simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity isn't really found at this price tag, but at the same time, I wouldn't exactly say the marketing communicates that clearly. Regardless, that's really a nitpick, since being able to push a button and immediately divert sound for a phone call when needed may still be a useful feature. What's more, the companion app lets you switch EQ profiles and you will notice a big difference in sound quality when you sort between them. For the money, this is just as good, if not better than the Pulse wireless headset from Sony.
For more PS5 loadout boosts, check out the best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X, the best PS5 external hard drive, and the best monitor for PS5.
