The best PS4 accessories can significantly upgrade your console. If you plan to upgrade to a PS5 later down the line (because you're saving up or haven't been able to find one in stock), many of these accessories will work with the next-gen console, which means you're not left coasting on the final waves of the last generation.

This guide covers two main kinds of PS4 accessories. There are essential accessories, which include gamepads, chargers, service subscriptions, and headsets. These aren't exciting, but they're important.

Then there are the PS4 pulse-racers. These include accessories like force feedback steering wheels, arcade sticks, and VR headsets these are the kind of PS4 accessories you could give as a gift or buy yourself as a special treat. They're more than capable of supplying a blast of excitement and hours of fun.

With that in mind, here is a selection of PS4 accessories that get our vote, including the bread and butter basics and more exciting upgrades.

1. PS Plus 12 Month Subscription

Got a PlayStation 4? Great. Your next step should certainly be to consider a PlayStation Plus subscription. Having Sony's membership plan, which is sold in one-month, three-month, and annual options, is the only way you can play PS4 games online and access cloud storage for saves, but there's a potentially even bigger perk: free games every single month. You can also Take advantage of free psn codes to buy PS Plus 12 Month Subscription.

That's right, at the start of every month Sony drops a handful of free downloadable on PS4, and they're yours to keep and play to your heart's content so long as your Plus membership is active. With two or three PS4 games free each month, as well as additional discounts during sales and other promotions, the membership rapidly pays for itself.

2. Thrustmaster T300 RS steering wheel

Like an arcade stick, a racing wheel with pedals isn't necessary for everyone, but if you take your racing games seriously then it's probably the number one accessory you can pick up. The Thrustmaster T300RS is worth every penny if titles like Project Cars 2 and Gran Turismo are among your faves.

Impressive precision is essential of course, but force feedback is the T300RS's most important feature – this uses motors to pull against your hands as you turn around corners, simulating the forces you'd feel in a real car. And as Thrustmaster uses a belt-driven system, here you get the smoothest, most realistic feel of any racing wheel that's not ridiculously expensive.

3. Hori Fighting Stick Mini

The Hori Fighting Stick Mini is the perfect PS4 arcade stick for most people. And by "most people", we don't include those who spend months training for Street Fighter tournaments, punching the air like Rocky after matches.

It's small, it doesn't cost too much and the buttons and stick are of solid quality, as you'd hope from controller veteran Hori.

The result is an arcade stick you can bring out every now and then, and you won't have to dedicate a whole cupboard to thing when your intermittent 1v1 fighter bug wears off.

Why is it not for the "pros"? The Hori Fighting Stick Mini has much smaller buttons than a standard arcade cab, so may not offer the legit experience a Hadouken hustler wants. But for those of us who just want some of that arcade flavor, minus sticky floors and pockets of change, it's spot on.

4. SteelSeries Arctis Pro

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro is one of the best-sounding headsets you can buy. As such, it's doubly worth considering if you use your PlayStation 4 to watch films and listen to music as well as play games.

Clarity and audio balance are much better than most of the other sets here. Both the Arctic Pro Wireless and GameDAC versions will work with a PlayStation 4 console, but the vanilla wired version is just for PC – so make sure you pick the right set before buying.

The GameDAC model has an outboard box with top-quality Hi-Res audio converters. It needs to be wired-in though, so this may not be the best choice if you play a few meters away from your PS4. The wireless version may be a better choice.

All versions have LEDs around the cups. It may be made for audio perfectionists, but it's still a gamer headset.

5. PlayStation Platinum Wireless Headset

There's plenty to like about Sony's Platinum Wireless Headphones, offering exceptional – and balanced – audio performance and an above-average mic. There's also 3D Audio support that creates 100 'virtual speakers' for more immersive positional sound.

That said, the Platinum Wireless doesn't have the same surround sound panache as the very top models.

Ultimately, it's hard to find a better value headset that's this easy to use and sounds this good overall. Those qualities definitely exist at a higher price, but if you're looking for something you can set up without a fuss, you're going to want a pair of these.

6. PlayStation VR

Sony's PlayStation VR is no longer brand new red-hot tech, but it's still one of the best high-end virtual reality experiences around, not least because it's the only one that plays nice with a home console.

The headset is comfortable and immersive, and it's greatly helped by an increasingly impressive library of games. By the way, these are our picks of the best games on PSVR.

Experiences you won't want to miss include the terrifying Resident Evil 7 (OK, some of you will want to miss this one) and Superhot VR. For the full experience, you'll also need a PlayStation Camera and Move controllers, as many of the top VR games require them.

7. PlayStation Camera

Unlike the Kinect on Xbox One, Sony's PlayStation Camera was never a big focus of the PS4 platform. However, it's well worth buying if you want PSVR as it's used to track your movements and translate those into gameplay.

There are other uses for the PlayStation Camera, as well: you can use it while streaming live games on Twitch, for example, so your viewers can see your face. However, less and less games are using the PlayStation Camera - unless you're a big fan of Just Dance 2019.

8. PlayStation Move

The only true competition we've seen to the Wii motion controls, Sony's Move Controllers are perfect for those who want to kick their PSVR experience up a notch.

With near-perfect precision and movement accuracy, Sony's PlayStation Move controllers truly enhance virtual reality, providing more immersive gameplay (for the games which are compatible with it of course).

If you aren't interested in PSVR (or already own a headset) then there's little reason to invest in Move controllers but for those who love stepping into virtual reality, having a Move controller in your arsenal can prove useful.

9. Seagate 4TB External Hard Drive

Do you need more hard drive space for all the games you want to play but aren't overly keen on digging into your console's internals? You should definitely consider an external hard drive.

External hard drive support was introduced in February 2017 and it was something of a revelation for those who were unwilling to consider an internal hard drive change.

There are some great models out there but Seagate tends to make the biggest and the best of the bunch. This 4TB beast will hold around 100 games and since it's made just for the PlayStation 4 you know it's going to work well.

10. Sony PlayStation DualShock 4 Charging Station

There's nothing worse than settling down for a long, lazy gaming session only to discover that your controller is dead. Now you're hunting for a charging cable and moving to make sure you're close enough to the TV – it's sure to infuriate you more than any trash-talking 12-year-old Call of Duty guru can. But there's an easy solution.

Sony PlayStation DualShock 4 Charging Station is a dock designed to keep two PS4 gamepads fully charged. Simply pop your DualShock 4 into the slot when you finish playing and it'll top off while you're not playing, ensuring the controller is ready to go the next time around. Also, you're less likely to lose a controller if you keep 'em docked.