PS5: The essential accessories to ensure you get the most out of your PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch console
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The PlayStation 5 proved a gaming phenomenon in 2020, selling out in minutes. In 2021, it's still remarkably difficult to find it in stock. (The current insider intel is the best place to find them is an eBay).
As a handsome consolation prize, the Nintendo Switch has also enjoyed healthy sales.
If you've one or either of these brilliant consoles, you'll need certain accessories.
Both the Sony PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch come with all the basics you require, but it's useful to have a few extras to enhance your experience. Here, we've collated the best PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch accessories available now.
Each of these accessories solves various problems. There are controllers so you can team up with a friend during a spot of local co-op play, headsets so you can be fully immersed in the action, and charging stations that simply mean you can recharge your batteries a little faster.
If you're keen to be the next big thing in game streaming, you need the Sony PlayStation 5 HD Camera. The device allows you to be seen while you're gaming and is an excellent way of interacting more with your potential audience.
There's no microphone built-in as that's left to the one built-in to your controller, but the PS5 has tools to remove your background if you have a green screen, which is useful if you want to be a bit more professional about how you look online. Streamers generally fare better when they're visible to others, so this is an essential addition if you want to be big on Twitch.
Much has been said about the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset: for a good reason. It's been designed with the PlayStation 5 in mind making for a truly immersive audio experience.
Fine-tuned for 3D audio, certain games have been made in mind of it, taking advantage of the technology, so you feel even more involved in the experience. In particular, swinging around NYC in Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a joy when combined with this great headset.
It's also immensely comfortable, so you won't have to worry about any aches detracting from the experience. Other headsets may be more flexible when it comes to compatibility, but for playing on the PlayStation 5, the Pulse 3D wireless headset is a joy.
The Sony PlayStation 5 comes with one controller, which means you need a second to enjoy playing various games as a family this Christmas. The DualSense Wireless Controller is precisely like the one that came with the console.
That means it has haptic feedback that reacts uniquely to various situations, a built-in microphone, and even the ability to 'breathe' at the controller to interact with certain sequences in-game.
It's a revolution in controllers and, arguably, one of the PlayStation 5's strongest features. Share it with a friend or family member.
The Sony PlayStation 5 isn't just a games console; it's also a great way of streaming your favourite movies and shows. While you can use a regular controller to negotiate the Netflix or Disney+ menus, the PS5 Media Remote is far more convenient.
It has intuitive buttons that remind you of a standard TV remote, plus dedicated buttons for Disney+, Netflix, Spotify and YouTube, saving you the need to open each app yourself. It's particularly useful if less tech-savvy users want to use your console to watch something, as it's so much easier to use than a controller.
The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons are great for many games, but there are certain times when you'll prefer to use a traditional controller to manipulate the action.
That's where the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a great accessory to buy, allowing you to feel in control of the action in a way that feels more like it used to.
We've found it particularly useful when playing sports games like FIFA or other multi-platform titles like The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, but it works with first-party titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild too, giving you a new way to control the action.
Despite what we just said, Joy-Cons are great, and they're even better when you have multiple ones. That's because you can all game together as a family with each pair of Joy-Cons often breaking down to two controllers a piece.
Buy a new pair of Joy-Cons and a family of four can easily play some great games this Christmas, from the likes of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to Super Mario Party, and more. They're nice to hold too, fitting snugly in your hands and offering a strap to keep them secure to your wrist.
As the Nintendo Switch is a highly portable console, it's essential to keep it safe using a carry case. The Orzly Nintendo Switch carry case is the best of the bunch.
It offers a hard EVA shell that keeps your device protected while its soft inner material keeps the console itself scratch-free while you move it around. There's room in the case for multiple game cartridges, as well as extra Joy-Cons, cables, and some other accessories too.
A convenient carry handle means you can carry it around like a mini-briefcase. Just make sure to buy the right one for your console with Orzly offering cases for both the regular Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch Lite.
Buying a memory card isn't the most exciting of purchases but it's crucial. The Nintendo Switch only has 32GB of internal storage which is soon filled with game installations, save files, and other data.
The Nintendo eStore often has sales that entice you to buy digital copies of games cheaply, but you need the storage space to reap the benefits. Buy a SanDisk 128gb MicroSD card and you'll have a lot more space at your disposal giving you the ability to have more games installed at any one time. A dull gift perhaps, but immensely useful.
There's no Nintendo branded wireless headset out there, but we suspect the SteelSeries Arctis 1 wireless would beat anything Nintendo could develop.
It works with most game consoles which is very useful if you have multiple systems at home, but it's how it interacts with the Nintendo Switch that we really appreciate.
The headset offers superior sound, providing crisp and clear beats, allowing you to be truly immersed in what's going on. It has a microphone too for those times when you want to chat with other players. It's not the cheapest of headsets but it's an excellent investment.