If you have somehow managed to acquire a mythical PlayStation 5—perhaps using occult rituals or sheer luck—you might be eyeing up some of the official Sony accessories to go with your sleek new console.
While the DualSense Charging Station and the Pulse 3D Headset are the obvious choices, there is something a bit less obvious on the shelf: the official PlayStation 5 Media Remote. It promises to be the ultimate tool for navigating your entertainment. But is it actually any good at that?
Let’s find out.
Design and Build: Sleek, but Lightweight
The remote is a sleek piece of kit built to match the PS5’s stark black-and-white color scheme and sweeping lines. It’s light in the hand—perhaps a bit too light—and doesn’t feel like the most luxurious item for its £25 price tag.
However, it fits neatly into the palm. The “rounded arse” of the device means it settles comfortably in your hand, and as a bonus, it spins incredibly well on a table if you need something to fidget with. The buttons offer a satisfying click, avoiding the squishy, “prodding a jellyfish” feel of cheaper remotes.
- The Battery Situation: It runs on two AA batteries (included). The compartment on the bottom is slightly overdesigned, requiring a fingernail to pop a button rather than a standard slide-cover.
The Setup: Easy, But Limited
Connecting the Media Remote to the PS5 is a doddle. You simply head to the settings, select the setup option, and follow the on-screen instructions. It can also link to your TV, allowing you to control volume and power.
However, this is where the remote stumbles. Sony had a chance to create a universal remote to rule them all, but they missed the mark.
- No Input Switching: You cannot change the input source on your TV. Want to swap to your Xbox Series X or Nintendo Switch? You’ll need your old TV remote.
- No Menu Access: You cannot access TV menus or change channels.
- The Verdict: As a universal remote replacement, it kind of sucks.
Functionality: Good for Streaming, Weird for Navigation
When used strictly with the PS5, the remote is competent but has strange caveats.
- The “PlayStation Shapes” are missing: There is no Triangle, Circle, Square, or Cross button. If an app (like Now TV) asks you to press Triangle to search, you are out of luck.
- Dedicated App Buttons: The bottom features four non-reprogrammable shortcut buttons for Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, and YouTube. This is great if you use them, but frustrating if you prefer Amazon Prime or Plex.
- Media Controls: You get standard Play/Pause and Fast-Forward, but no Chapter Skip.
- The Mystery Mic: There is a microphone button at the top that, as of writing, does absolutely nothing.
The Verdict: Who Is This For?
Ultimately, the official PlayStation 5 Media Remote is 100% “okay.”
Whether you should buy one depends entirely on your habits. If you use your PS5 as a primary media center for movies and music, this remote is worth picking up to save your DualSense Controller battery (and to stop the controller from timing out during a film).
But if you mostly just play games, or if you were hoping this would replace your TV remote entirely, there is little reason to pick this up.
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