PS4 owners, especially in the era of the PS5, we all know your struggle. But with how the new Sony console's been out of stock basically anywhere for over half a year now, it's old news at this point.
However, it also doesn't mean that you're in a bad way if you're still stuck with your old PS4. The truth is, there are still a lot of upgrades and accessories you can get for it to make your experience on it still worthwhile. You'll be a bit surprised to find out that your now 8-year-old last-gen console still has some fight left in it, if you know how to upgrade it.
As such, here are the best Sony PlayStation 4 accessories and upgrades you should get to improve your last-gen console experience, at least until you can get a PS5 for yourself.
PS4 Storage Upgrade: External and Internal
The base PS4 model came out with a 500 GB HDD. In 2021, this is way less than ideal because game install sizes are almost getting bigger by the day. If you've felt like your console has been running out of space easily (and you've never upgraded its capacity ever), it's time to do so.
Go with a large-capacity external drive for the quickest storage upgrade, like the Seagate 2TB external game drive that WIRED recommends. It might not speed up load times, but it's convenient enough to use and has more than enough space for today's big games. Just plug it in and fill it up: no setup needed because it's compatible with the PlayStation 4 out of the box.
But if you really want to feel a noticeable speed upgrade with your console, you'll need to use an SSD. One of the best things about the PS5 is that it uses an internal SSD which speeds up load times to a fraction of what they were in last-gen. However, who says you can't install an SSD on a PS4? You definitely can, but you'll need some tinkering. Here is a YouTube video detailing the step-by-step process:
To get you started with what SSD to buy, any SATA-based 2.5-inch drive will do. Go for reputable brands like Kingston, Corsair, and Samsung to start with, and try to get a minimum of 1 TB of storage capacity.
Read also: Which SSD is Better? SATA vs NVMe
Controller Upgrades
The Sony PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 controller is one of the best PlayStation controllers around, but there's nothing wrong with wanting an upgrade, right? While you can't use the PS5's innovative DualSense controller, your console can still make use of controller upgrades that would do you well for, say, specific types of games.
Take this situation, for instance: if you love playing racing games, the DualShock 4 will not offer you the best and most immersive racing experience. So why not try out the Thrustmaster T300RS Racing Wheel with pedals? TechRadar recommends this setup for its strong sense of realism, which a normal gamepad can't compete with when it comes to racing games.
Aside from that, the T300RS is also compatible with the PS3 and PC, which means you won't only get to use it on your PS4 (assuming you have the other two gaming systems). The only drawback is its high price: it's currently priced at $399.99 on Amazon.
Another game genre-specific controller upgrade you can try an arcade fight stick. If you love playing fighting games like "Mortal Kombat," then you should try to get a fight stick for your PS4, writes IGN. The Razer Panthera Evo is a great place to start because it's got PS4-specific features such as a dedicated Share Button and touchpad.
For Streamers
Not everyone can afford a high-end, streaming-capable gaming PC. Fortunately enough, you can still use your PS4 to record and/or stream your gameplay on sites like Twitch. All you need is a dedicated capture card like the AverMedia Live Gamer ULTRA, which can record gameplay videos at 4K 60 FPS.
What's even better is that once you get your PlayStation 5, you can install your AverMedia capture card and use it just as easily. Here is a video detailing how you install the capture card on a PS4 for your reference:
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by RJ Pierce
