Beyond the Controller: The Best PS4 Accessories Every UK Gamer Should Own
Let's be honest — the PlayStation 4 might be a decade-old console now, but millions of British households still have one humming away under the telly. And why not? It's cheap, the game library is enormous, and second-hand units go for peanuts on eBay and CeX. But if you're still running your PS4 with nothing but the original controller and a single-pad charging cable, you're missing a trick.
Here's our no-nonsense rundown of the extras genuinely worth owning — and a few you should steer clear of.
A Second Controller (Because Arguments Happen)
The DualShock 4 remains one of the best-feeling controllers Sony ever made. If yours is suffering from stick drift — and after years of FIFA marathons, it probably is — a replacement or a second pad is the single best upgrade you can make. Refurbished DualShock 4s regularly go for £25–£35 on UK refurb sites, a fraction of the £50+ price tag for new ones.
Pro tip: check the model number. CUH-ZCT2 controllers have the improved light bar and slightly better battery life than the original launch revision.
A Charging Station That Actually Works
Plugging two controllers into the console with micro-USB cables is 2013 behaviour. A twin charging dock — you can pick up decent ones for £15–£20 from the likes of Amazon or Argos — keeps both pads topped up and your setup tidy. Look for one with clear charging indicators and proper contact pins rather than fiddly magnetic connectors that fall off when you breathe on them.
An External Hard Drive (The Unsung Hero)
If you've got an original launch PS4 with a 500GB drive, you'll know the pain: modern game installs eat storage like a starved teenager at a buffet. The good news? The PS4 supports external USB 3.0 hard drives natively — just plug in, format, and go.
A 2TB portable drive costs around £55–£70 these days and will hold dozens of games. Honestly, this is the accessory that extends your console's life more than any other. Your future self will thank you.
A Proper Headset
Gaming audio matters more than most people realise. You don't need to spend £250 on a premium headset either — the £25–£50 bracket is stacked with solid options from the likes of HyperX, Turtle Beach, and SteelSeries. Even Sony's own entry-level wired headsets do the job nicely.
If you play online with mates, a decent mic is non-negotiable. Nobody wants to hear your tumble dryer in the background of a Warzone match.
A Vertical Stand and Cooling Fan — Proceed With Caution
Here's where we get a bit contrarian. Those £20 stands with built-in cooling fans? Mostly unnecessary. The PS4's cooling system is adequate on its own, provided you give it breathing room and occasionally hoover the vents (seriously — do this, dust buildup is the number one killer of ageing consoles).
That said, a simple vertical stand without the fan gimmick is handy if you're short on shelf space. Just skip the ones with flashing RGB lights. It's a PS4, not a Blackpool arcade.
A PS Plus Subscription (The Obvious One)
Not an accessory in the physical sense, but if you're playing online or want access to the monthly games catalogue, PlayStation Plus is essential. The Essential tier sits at around £6.99 a month in the UK, and deals regularly pop up during Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day — we've seen 12-month subscriptions discounted by 30% or more.
The Ones to Skip
- Fancy controller skins and wraps — they peel, they leave residue, they look naff
- Cheap third-party controllers — stick drift in a fortnight, guaranteed
- Bluetooth adapters — the PS4's audio support is patchy at best
- Motion-sensing extras — the PS4 ecosystem moved on long ago
The Bottom Line
For around £120–£150, you can kit out a PS4 with everything it genuinely needs: a second controller, a charging dock, a 2TB hard drive, and a solid headset. That's less than the price of a single next-gen console game, and it'll keep your trusty old machine fighting fit for years yet.
Got a PS4 accessory you can't live without? Or one that turned out to be a total dud? Let us know in the comments.
