PlayStation 5 Media Remote Review

Late last week, PlayStation Canada sent over the brand new PlayStation 5 media remote, and we instantly put it to the test on family movie night! While relatively inexpensive compared to other video game console accessories, is the PS5 media remote worth the investment? Read on below and see why we say both yes, and no!

Determining Your Needs

Ultimately, the need to buy a PS5 media remote comes down to whether you use your PS5 as your primary device for entertainment outside of video games. In most situations in 2020, TVs that folks are buying for their brand new consoles are already smart enabled, which means they are running Netflix, Disney+, Crave and more. That is definitely the case for us, using our new Hisense Canada Q8G 4K ULED TV. If I’m downstairs with the family, it is unlikely that I’m going to fire up the PS5 to watch Netflix. I’ll just use my TVs smart capabilities.

The PS5, however, is my only disc based unit attached to my TV, and many of the old holiday classics that we enjoy – both for Halloween and Christmas – are only available on DVD / Blu Ray, or are on streaming services we don’t subscribe to. Further, we’ve been purchasing a slew of 4K Blu Rays to enjoy on our new devices! Navigating those menus with a PS5 controller is atrocious, so having the remote is a huge plus!

So, if the PS5 is your primary entertainment system, yes – the PS5 Media Remote is an easy recommendation.

Design and Performance

The PS5 Media Remote is incredibly compact, and provides all your standard remote buttons, plus additional ones that are ALL very handy. Dedicated buttons are included for YouTube, Disney+, Netflix, and Spotify; ironically, these are the only 4 media services we are subscribed to (or use in the case of YouTube), so this remote is hitting all those needs should we ever hook up the PS5 to a TV without smart capabilities.

The remote can also be paired with your TV, which eliminates the need for your TV remote, and keeps your entire system neat and clean. I’ve used console specific remotes in the past that do not have this feature, which was incredibly infuriating. The more remotes I need to keep track of, the more remotes I’m bound to lose…

I feel like we’ve been spoiled by the new Chromecast with Google TV remote, and the addition of volume controls on the side of the device, much like a cell phone. It’s the most natural place for those buttons, and now that I’ve experienced it once, I wish all remotes used this design. That being said, this is a personal preference as opposed to a knock on the PS5 remote; everything about it is adequate, and that’s not meant to be a criticism.

And of course, with the built in PlayStation button, you can quickly navigate to your home screen from wherever you might be on your PS5, and check in on other things happening around your PS5 ecosystem!

Conclusion

At only 39.99, this is a relatively inexpensive remote option for your PS5. When it comes to navigating DVD / Blu Ray menus, the PS5 controller just isn’t as efficient and easy to use as we might have liked, and the PS5 Media Remote fills that void nicely. As you’ll likely watch at least a few 4K Blu Rays on your new machine, this remote from Sony is an easy recommendation, and a must buy product in our opinion.