In this article, I’ll break down the five best universal remotes for PS5 that you can get right now. Two of them are fully compatible with PS5 and will work out of the box. The other three require a bit of a hack to get them to work, but they work great as well.
Here are my picks for the five best media remotes for PlayStation 5:
- #1 – For PS5 Only: PlayStation Media Remote
- #2 – Best Overall Value: Harmony Companion
- #3 – Premium Choice: Logitech Harmony Elite
- #4 – Another Budget Pick: PDP Media Remote
- #5 – Best Remote App: Harmony Hub
Scored a PS5? Lucky.
Unless you were living under a rock this past holiday season, you probably heard about the shortage of PS5 gaming consoles.
However, now more than three months after Christmas, the shortage continues and it remains hard to find a console. Even now, in early March, scalpers are still charging outrageous prices for the PS4 ranging from us much as $850-$1400. And a new report says that the PS5 shortage could last until the end of 2021.
That’s pretty crazy.
If you arrived here, chances are you are one of the lucky ones to have scored one of your own. As I’m pretty frugal, I haven’t bitten the bullet just yet. However, I was talking to my buddy today and he said he just paid a cool $1000 for his. He also said it is worth every penny, save one feature: streaming media.
While PS5 supports a wide range of streaming apps, my buddy says that trying to navigate them using PS5’s DualSense controller is super painful. He can never remember which buttons map to which functions. I asked him if he looked into getting a universal remote, and he said “oh, I didn’t think they would work with PS5.”
Another blog post is born.
Steve, this one’s for you bud.
A Word About Harmony Remotes and PS5
Let me get this out of the way right upfront. Although I recommend a few of them here, Harmony remotes will not work out of the box with PS5 (yet). This is according to Logitech’s device compatibility database.
However, you can get them to work by purchasing the following IR Receiver made by PDP.
The IR receiver will enable Harmony remotes to turn on your PS5 as well as control the console, media, and apps using a Logitech Harmony remote. The receiver connects to your PS5 via Bluetooth, but you can send commands to it via IR. Your Harmony remote then controls the receiver which sends commands to your PS5. Voila! Problem solved.
There is some additional information, guidance, and troubleshooting tips on how to set this up out on the PS5 subreddit.
Best Universal Remotes for PS5: Quick Comparison
The following table compares pricing and basic of the five best universal remotes for PS5, organized by type (universal remote vs wall mount):
Last update on 06/02/2023 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Note: Prices are pulled in from the Amazon API and are current as of the date and time at the bottom of this table. Click Buy Now to see the latest price, see more details, or read the latest customer reviews on Amazon.
#1 – For PS5 Only: PlayStation Media Remote
First and foremost, this is Sony’s official media remote for PS5. It does one thing and it does it well. That is, it controls PS5 media playback seamlessly and easily. Convenient buttons are provided to access two of the most popular streaming services out there: Netflix and Disney+, “plus” you get dedicated buttons for Spotify and YouTube as well.
This remote won’t control other devices in your media cabinet or let you consolidate multiple remotes down to one though. Check out some of my other picks here if this is important to you. If all you want to do is control streaming and apps on your PS5, the Playstation Media Remote is a great choice.
Video Review
TK Bay has a nice review video of the PS5 Media remote out on YouTube. I will embed it below.
Pros:
Cons:
Where To Get It
- Media playback controls - Quickly navigate media with built-in play/pause, fast forward and fast reverse buttons.
- Seamless console compatibility - Power on your PS5 console and navigate its menus directly with the remote for ultimate convenience.
#2 – Best Overall Value: Harmony Companion
The Harmony Companion has been a fan-favorite “pure-play” universal remote of tech reviewers for years. I have reviewed the Harmony Companion extensively on this site, and it really is an all-around impressive universal remote.
You can not only use it control PS5 (with the aforementioned PDP IR receiver), but you can also consolidate eight devices down to one convenient controller, and you get to add icons for 50 of your favorite TV channels from your local cable provider.
However, where Companion really shines is in its ability to let you create custom activities that turn on all required components at the same time. For example, you could have a Play PS5 activity that turns on your TV, your Xbox, your AV receiver, and your surround sound set up at the same time. The same activity could also be programmed to dim smart lights and even change colors as well.
Video Review
Robb Sutton has a nice review of the Harmony Companion out on YouTube.
Pros:
Cons:
Where To Get It
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product...
- Use your Smartphone (with available app) or included Harmony Remote for one-touch control of your entertainment system and home automation devices such as Philips Hue lights or Nest Learning...
#3 – Premium Choice: Logitech Harmony Elite
I own the Harmony Elite and I love it. It’s expensive but once you get past that you realize this is absolutely the best remote that money can buy. And if you think about the cost of the other items in your entertainment center it may help to justify the expense.
The coolest thing about the Elite is its LCD color touchscreen that shows you a list of your activities like Play PS5 or Watch Xbox as well as up to 50 color icons for your favorite TV channels. The Elite will do everything that the Companion will do, abiet a little cooler.
It supports Logitech’s vast device database of 275,000 devices from over 5,000 brands, Activities, Alex and Google, and app control. It will also let you consolidate remotes for up to 15 devices, more than double the Companion. Oh, and did I mention that all of the buttons are backlit and there is ample haptic feedback which makes it a pleasure to use in the dark.
Video Review
TeQreation produced my all-time favorite video review of the Harmony Elite. Check out the cool effect at the beginning of the video.
Pros:
Cons:
Where To Get It
Once the best luxury remote to own, the discontinued-but-still-supported Harmony Elite remains a premium option for home theater and smart home control—if you can get your hands on one.
#4 – Budget Pick: PDP Media Remote
Based on my research out in the forums, the PDP media remote designed for PS4 also works just fine out of the box with PS5. Dear PDP marketing, you may want to call Amazon to clue them in as the information on your product page is wrong. LOL. This is somewhat similar to the Sony remote, sans the dedicated buttons for your favorite media apps. Oh, and it is about half the price! You can easily program the remote to work with your favorite PS5 apps, including:
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime
- NBA GAME TIME
- Blu ray Disc Player, if available on your PS5
- PlayStation Vue
- PlayStation Video
- Crunchyroll
- Funimation
- Media Player
WindowsCentral calls this remote a must-have for cord-cutters.
Video Review
Cord Cutters has a nice overview of the remote out on YouTube:
Pros:
Cons:
Where To Get It
- EASY SETUP - Simplify your set-up and effortlessly control your entertainment with the ultimate universal remote for PS4 and PS5 system. The Cloud Remote uses Bluetooth wireless technology to manage...
- HASSLE-FREE - Programming the remote is straightforward using Bluetooth technology to auto-detect devices connected to the PS4 & PS5 system for hassle-free remote programming.
#5 – Best Universal Remote App: Harmony Hub
The Harmony Hub is essentially then same app that you get with the Harmony Elite and Companion, minus the physical remote control. Instead, you control your PS5 using the Harmony app on your iOS or Android phone or tablet.
This option also requires the PDP IR Receiver hack, but if navigating PS5 media via your smartphone or tablet works for you then this may be all you need. The Harmony Hub also gets you the same support for Activities, as well as integration with Alexa and Google Home for device control.
Video Review
Chris Majestic does a nice job with his Harmony Hub review:
Pros:
Cons:
Where To Get It
Logitech is no longer making new remotes, but the company has said it will continue to support the Harmony line for as "long as customers continue to buy and use them."
Best Remotes for PS5: Mic Drop?
So what do you think of my picks for the best universal remotes for PS5?
Are you good with just getting a remote that lets you tool around your PS5 for streaming media? If so, the official Sony Media Remote for PS5 is a good way to go?
Or do you want to go a step further and consolidate a bunch of the remotes on your coffee table down to one? Here it really boils down to the number of features you want, the number of remotes you want to consolidate, and oh yeah: the price. If you can afford it, I highly recommend the Harmony Elite. It’s a great conversation piece and will be future compatible with pretty much everything you own.
Please leave me a comment below and let me know your thoughts. I would love to hear from you.
ARTICLE IDEA – how to use a harmony remote with PS5
