The 10 Best PS4 Accessories of 2018 - Holiday Gift Guide
Here at TronicsFix, we love all things gaming, so we thought we’d lend you some of our knowledge and help you find some of the best games, accessories, consoles, and more with our new "Best of 2018" series! From Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Playstation, 3DSs and more, we’ll strive to bring you valuable info from all over the gaming world. We’re starting it off with a collection of our favorite PS4 accessories: things to make your life easier or to make your games just a little more real! Curious? Let’s jump right in…
1. Magma Red Sony DualShock 4 Playstation Wireless Controller
If you only have one controller for your PS4, you should really consider getting another one! Even if you only play single-player, an extra controller still could be useful. The PlayStation 4 DualShock controllers are notorious for having a short battery life, so you could always have another charged up and ready for those crucial gaming moments. The new series of PS4 controllers also have improvements over the first generation such as: rugged analog sticks, springier triggers, a light in the touchpad, and a better battery life. They also come in a variety of new colors including the magma red one we linked, go check them out! Once you have decided on getting a second controller, you might want to look at our next list item...
2. DualShock 4 Charging Station
A charging cradle is a great accessory if you want to have a more tidy and easy way to charge your controllers. The charging station allows users to place two controllers into it and charge whenever. The nice thing about these devices is that you can set them up somewhere convenient in your house and always have it plugged in. It eliminates the need to have micro-USB cords strewn throughout your living room making a mess of things.
3. PlayStation Gold Wireless Headset
A headset is a great addition to any set-up. They can be useful if you want to keep your sessions quiet around others or if you want to experience the action, closer than ever. Headsets can make you feel like you’re right there in battle, the stadium, or whatever your game of choice is. Of course, you can also talk to your friends online with a good headset. The first party Sony headset is a great option and was designed from the ground up for the PlayStation 4 offering virtual 7.1 surround sound and amazing quality.
4. Budget PS4, Xbox One Stereo Headset
If the price tag of the PS4 Gold headset is a little too steep for you and here’s a budget option for you instead. These headsets have lots of great reviews on Amazon and are widely regarded as a very nice piece of gaming gear! It may not have the sound quality of the 1st party headset but it makes up for it in its price.
5. External Hard Drive
As most contemporary gamers are aware, modern games are HUGE. Titles can easily occupy more than 50 gigabytes of space, with some over 100GBs (Red Dead Redemption). Luckily, Sony allows external hard drives with the PS4. We’ve found that a 4TB hard drive is a sweet spot that will allow most gamers to install most of their library of titles and this Seagate drive is extremely reliable.
And here's a great external hard drive for the Xbox One
6. PlayStation VR
This might be a controversial item on the list and isn’t really essential to your gaming set-up but… There’s no denying that Playstation VR is one of the cheapest high-quality virtual reality experiences out there. You can play games like Doom, Skyrim, and more with just the addition of the headset and camera. It’s a little bit of a pricey investment but if you compare it to the prices of an Oculus Rift or Vive with a compatible PC, you’ll find that this option is so much less expensive. The bundle we linked comes with the camera, headset, and a free copy of Doom VR for less than $300. With virtual reality, seeing really is believing, so why not try it? If you’re really interested in diving into virtual reality, we’d suggest buying the bundle with the included PS4 move controllers. They will add yet another level of immersion to your experience and put you right in the middle of the action.
7. Streaming Media Remote
Do you use your PS4 as your home media center watching Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Blu-Ray discs? Do you use it with Spotify or other audio apps? Instead of having to use a controller all of the time, you should really consider this more traditional remote! This remote is licensed by Sony and has all of the buttons you need to navigate your PS4’s menus and apps. This might be one of the less interesting items on the list but there’s no denying its usefulness.
8. Logitech Steering Wheel
This steering wheel and pedal set-up from Logitech is slick. If you’re into racing games at all, you should definitely pick one of these up. The wheel is as close to the real thing as you’ll get on PS4. It’s pretty pricey but with that price tag comes dual-motor force feedback, 3 metal pedals, and a leather grip for the wheel. You can also use this on your PC which adds a little extra versatility.
9. Portable Gaming Monitor
One of the things that's always frustrating, especially during those family gatherings is that everyone wants to watch something different and there's only one or two tvs. This is the solution! Let them do whatever they want with the TV's...you have your own monitor and can play any game on your PS4 or Xbox One just by plugging in this monitor. We recommend this 15.6" full HD monitor because it is large enough to see what you're playing while being small enough to be portable. Since it's full HD your games will look really sharp.
10. Kootek PlayStation 4 Vertical Stand
Our last list item for this time is a vertical stand for your PS4. As you probably know, you can just stand a PS4 up in a vertical condition. If you have space, why not make your PS4 a display item? It also might help fit your console into different spots in your entertainment center. This stand is for the regular/slim version of the PS4 but models are also made for the PS4 Pro. This Kootek stand includes USB ports, charging spots for your DualShock controllers, a cooling fan, and an optional game storage/display shelf. Now that’s value for money. We don't recommend using the cooling fan feature of this stand but the rest is very handy!
A Few Extra Recommendations:
Looking for something a little out of the box? We get it...many gamers already have all of the common stuff. No worries...we've got ou covered! Here are a few extra items that we thinkg any gamer would love:
PS Vita
The PS Vita is a great little handheld console made by Sony. You can buy games to play just in the Vita itself, but one of the coolest features of the Vita is remote play. You can play any game you have loaded onto your PS4 right on the Vita. So no matter where you are you can pull out the Vita and play your favorite PS4 Game right from this little console. It's like a miniature PS4 right in your pocket.
VR Aim Controller
This PS4 controller is not something many gamers have in their collection but they should! The Aim controller gives you the look and feel of a real gun while playing shooter games. While you need to be sure that the game you want to play is compatible with it it works great when you are looking for a more lifelike experience from your controller. It works great with the PS4 VR system.
The Hottest PS4 Game for Christmas 2018
Wrap Up
Hopefully, you enjoyed our first article in a series of our favorite gaming items and accessories! We hope to bring more great topics in the future and help you shop this holiday season for the gamer in your life. Thanks again and see you next time!