16 Awesome PS4 Accessories

While the PS4 is an incredible console by itself, there are a multitude of accessories out there that can make your gaming experience even better. Some of them are weird, others are pretty much necessary, but all of them are awesome!
Let's take a look at 16 accessories which are set to advance your PS4 gaming experience. Use the slider to flick through each.

1. A Vertical Stand

A vertical stand flips your console ninety degrees and stands it on its end, freeing up space on your shelf or entertainment center for other consoles, games, or anything else. If you don't have a lot of room in your gaming area, a vertical stand looks cool and lets you reduce a little bit of clutter. The Ortz PS4 Vertical Stand comes with a cooling fan to prevent your console from overheating and a charging station on the base.

2. A Charging Station

Speaking of charging stations, if you own more than one controller they are a great accessory to own because they plug directly into the wall, saving your console from having to be on or in standby to charge the most important tool in your gaming arsenal. The PowerA Dualshock 4 Controller Charging Station in particular is a great product in terms of both form and function. It can charge two controllers at once.

3. The PlayStation 4 Camera

A whole new way to play games comes out of the box with the PS4 Camera. Whether you want to broadcast a session on Twitch, play "Just Dance 2015" with the family, peek around corners in "Alien: Isolation", or call out plays to your team in "FIFA 15," there are a ton of awesome features that make the PS4 camera an awesome accessory.

4. Additional Storage

The PS4 already has a huge hard drive, but in the age of digital downloads and day one updates, a time will soon come when you're having to take time away from playing to manage your storage. An external hard drive negates this problem, allowing you to download to your heart's content. The Nyko Data Bank is a two terabyte drive that's fairly cheap and worth the purchase. Why not upgrade the HDD yourself? it's rather simple to do when using our PS4 HDD upgrade guide.

5. The Nyko Smart Clip

This one falls into the "weird" category, and your friends will probably make fun of you if you use it in front of them, but you have to admit that it has its uses. The Smart Clip attaches your smartphone to your Dualshock 4, allowing you to take advantage of second screen features with the PlayStation App or reference strategy guides or walkthroughs as you play through a tough level on your favorite game.

6. A Gaming Headset

I talked about headsets in a previous article, and I still love them because of how much they can add to your gaming experience. Audio is so important in games, and developers of titles like the upcoming "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" put so much effort into audio that it'd be a shame to have to experience it through tinny TV speakers. Check out the previous article to see which headset would be best for you.

7. Additional USB Ports

The PS4 can support 4 players on a single console but only has two USB ports to charge a controller with. A device like the SE 5 Port USB Hub 3.0 gives you three additional USB ports so that everyone can stay fully charged while playing and have a slot left over so someone can charge their phone (which is hopefully also connected to a Nyko Smart Clip).

8. A Gaming Chair

A chair absolutely counts as an accessory, as it's where you spend the majority of your time while playing. And if you buy the admittedly pricey X Rocker 51396 Pro Series Pedestal 2.1 Video Gaming Chair, you're getting so much more than a place to sit. This thing is comfortable and functional, as it features two speakers and a subwoofer imbedded inside of it, making immersion a guarantee.

9. A Remote Control

Many people watch Netflix on their PS4 or use the console as a Bluray player, and it can be annoying to constantly have to turn a controller on and off and figure out which button does what in order to pause, rewind, etc. A device like the PS4 Media Remote Control makes these problems a thing of the past.

10. A Thumbstick Extender

Somehow, a taller thumbstick will make you a more accurate shooter, according to the makers of the FPS Freek Elite Analog Stick Extender. Since I don't have one, I die a lot in the "Black Ops 3" beta… that's the excuse I'm sticking with, anyway. This accessory qualifies as awesome simply because of how ridiculous it is.

11. A Racing Wheel

While the PS4 doesn't have any truly great racing games on the market yet, the time will inevitably come when a great racer is released, and at that time a racing wheel will be a fantastic accessory to own. Most of them are expensive, but they have historically added a whole new level to a racing game that the price tag is usually worth it.

12. The MixAmp Pro

For the true audiophiles in the PS4 community, this $130 product may be worth a purchase. With four EQ modes and a range of other features, you're able to fully customize the audio of your gaming experience with the MixAmp Pro, pinpointing all the sounds that you want to hear while lowering the volume of the ones you don't.

13. Customization Accessories

From decals to faceplates, there are a number of ways to customize your console and controller and make it yours. Most of these are pretty cheap, too, which makes personalization easy. The PS4 is already a beautiful console, so why not enhance it even more?

14. A QWERTY Keypad

I actually owned one of these last-gen, and I surprisingly got a lot of use out of it. Perfect for sending chat messages, entering billing information, browsing the Internet or naming characters, the keypad makes typing a breeze, and it's even faster than using the controller's motion sensors to type.

15. Thumb Grips

They need an infomercial for this product- frustrated gamers whose thumbs keep slipping off their analog sticks throw their hands up in exasperation, shaking their heads until they're introduced to the world of thumb grips. I don't find the Dualshock 4 to be a slippery controller, but thumb grips are highly rated on the Internet, and I like the idea of colored thumb grips, which serve the dual purpose of keeping your thumbs on the stick and adding a bit of personal flair to your controller.

16. An Arcade Stick

This accessory is a must have for those who enjoy games such as Street Fighter V. Not only does it give you that arcade feel, which the controller doesn’t offer, but it also gives you that extra edge when playing. The only down side is that it's not a cheap accessory and will set you back around $300. What's more, there isn't a huge catalogue of games to fit this genre, although there are still enough to warrant the purchase if you're a big fan of this type of genre.