You Have a PS5. The Hard Part is Done. Now Enjoy.
Congratulations! You, or someone you’re buying something special for, have already done the hard work and managed to score a PlayStation 5 sometime over the past year. Or maybe you’ve got one hidden in the closet, poised to become the best. holiday. gift. ever, and you want a few things to add even more awesome sauce to the day. Relax, your pals at COGconnected have your back.
Whether it’s games, extra storage, organization for your gear, or headphones for your earholes, we’ve got some suggestions for some choice kit that has the COGconnected seal of approval.
It’s All About the Games, My Friend
Over the past year, the PS5 has maybe not seen quite as many exclusives as we hoped, but some of the biggest is yet to come. Still, there are more than enough great PS5-only games to keep you busy with that shiny new console.
Two of our favorites are Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Returnal. Ratchet and Clank is one of those games that will probably appeal to just about everyone. It has production values that definitely show off the potential of Sony’s new machine. Returnal is more hardcore, a roguelike sci-fi action RPG that sends players back to the beginning when they fail. Happily, a new save anywhere system definitely takes a little of the sting out of those inevitable and frequent deaths.
Just about every great game this year appeared on the PS5, whether exclusive or not. Check out Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Psychonauts 2, Deathloop, Tales of Arise, The Ascent, Monster Hunter Rise…we could go on and on. Oh, and looking back just a little to the launch of PS5 a year ago or so, no library is complete without Demon’s Souls (the reason I personally bought the machine) or Spider-man: Miles Morales.
What’s really exciting for new PS5 owners is just about the time they finish one of last year’s games, a couple of new, very highly-anticipated games will be poised for release. FromSoftware’s Elden Ring and Guerilla Games’ Horizon Forbidden West are both PlayStation exclusives. So, whether you or your special someone scored a console at launch or are just about to plug one in, the future is bright.
Stay Organized
The PS5 is an eye-catching piece of technology, so you want peripherals that fit with Sony’s distinctive-looking machine. Check out the NexiGo PS5 stand. It includes a mount for your console and integrated charging stations for two DualSense controllers. Plus, there’s a hook for a headset, a slot for an external drive, remote control, and a library of physical disks, if that’s still your jam. If you’re into fancy RGB lighting effects, the NexiGo has you covered there, too.
Plenty of Real Estate
The PS5 comes with 825 gigs of storage. We all know that’s a bit of stretch because after you toss in the operating system you only have 667 gigs available for games or other media. At some point, almost everyone will want to add an external drive to their setup. The WD_Black P10 external drive for PS5 comes in 2,4 and 5 terabyte sizes. It’s a super-fast HDD with the potential storage capacity for 125 games. It’s compact and durable and just looks hardcore.
When It Comes to Sound, Lots of Options
Some gamers blast their audio through a massive home sound system. Even they would probably acknowledge there are times when you gotta strap on some decent headphones, just to let your neighbors enjoy some peace and quiet. We reviewed a very large number of quality headphones this past year. Most all of them are very affordable and more comfortable than Sony’s branded PlayStation 5 headphones. All have quality mics for those late-night co-op matches.
Wired…Or Not
Headsets come in two general flavors: wireless and wired. Let’s start with the wired devices. The Turtle Beach Recon 500 is a comfortable, multi-device pair of headphones. It’s a closed ear design that does a great job of blocking the noise of the outside world. On par with the Turtle Beach Recon 500 is the slightly flashier Razer Kraken V3 Hypersense headset. The Kraken V3 is also a closed ear design that’s very comfortable for long play sessions. It also sports some cool RBG lighting that can synch with Razer’s gaming mice. Although primarily built for PC, the Kraken connects to PlayStation 5 via USB (the Recon uses a 3.5 mm jack). The only caveat is that your console will need to be within a cable’s distance away. The supplied cable is a little short.
I’m a big fan of wireless headsets and their feeling of freedom but they have two disadvantages. They have to be charged now and then, and they can be subject to latency issues. There are a large number of wireless headsets on the market. One of the best is the Logitec G733 Lightspeed. It connects to the PlayStation 5 via a USB dongle, which of course means it uses up one of the console’s USB ports. It sounds great and is lightweight and comfortable, with fabric-covered foam earpieces. Like the Kraken, it features some awesome looking (if just-for-show) RGB lighting options and a removable microphone.
The PS5 is an amazing console that’s only just beginning to come into its own. Anyone lucky enough to find one among their holiday gifts will have many years of enjoyable gaming ahead.
Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.