The DualSense gamepad that comes with the Sony PlayStation 5 does a fine job controlling the gaming action on screen, but it’s not quite as good for entering text, running searches, or typing out passwords.
That’s where a keyboard and mouse come in. You can attach these PC peripherals to your PS5 to make typing a whole lot easier, so you won’t struggle to get through menus and fill out forms.
Check support and compatibility
Just because the PS5 supports an attached keyboard and mouse doesn’t necessarily mean you can game with them, not least because it might give you an unfair advantage over other players online. Some developers have built keyboard and mouse support into their games, but it’s not all that common.
The games that will work with a keyboard and mouse tend to be those with a slower pace, such as Minecraft or The Sims—the sort of games where you’ve got time to reach for a mouse or look down and type. A quick web search should tell you if your favorite game will work with a keyboard and mouse, and you can also find full lists online.
[Related: This year’s best mechanical keyboards]
It’s also worth bearing in mind that the PS5 won’t work with every keyboard and mouse out there. Most models will function fine, but it’s not guaranteed. If you want to use a piece of hardware you already own, just try to connect it and see how it goes. If you’re buying something specifically for this purpose, check online or in the product listing to see if it supports a PS5 connection.
If a keyboard or mouse spec sheet doesn’t mention PS5 support one way or the other, it’s difficult to know for sure if it will work besides actually trying it. There are lists you can consult on sites such as Reddit, and you’ll see that some peripherals won’t work wirelessly but will work if you plug them in directly, so it’s worth trying both options before giving up.
How to connect a keyboard or mouse to a PS5 via USB
The easiest way to connect a keyboard and mouse to your PS5 is to simply plug these peripherals into spare USB slots on the console: You’ve got a USB Type-A port and a USB Type-C port on the front, and two USB Type-A ports on the back, and any of them can be used to hook up a keyboard and a mouse.
You won’t have to configure anything, and the peripherals should work straight away. Try running a search, for example, via the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner of the interface, to verify that the devices are properly connected. Even if a game doesn’t support a keyboard and mouse, you should be able to use them in the PS5 menus.
While these devices should start working straight away, there are a few settings you can tweak for further customization. Open up Settings (the cog icon in the top right corner of the PS5 interface), then select Accessories, and Other Accessories. You can configure the keyboard layout and its repeat rate and repeat delay, the pointer speed of the mouse, and whether you’re using it with your left or right hand.
You can also use a USB hub to connect a keyboard and mouse to your console—you’ll only use one PS5 port this way. As with the peripherals themselves, check that the USB hub has PS5 compatibility before you buy it. Most will function fine, but it’s worth double-checking by reading the product listing or reviews from other users.
How to connect a wireless mouse or keyboard to a PS5
You can do away with cables and connect a keyboard and mouse over Bluetooth too. First, get your input device in pairing mode, so it’s ready to connect. If you’re not sure how to do this, check the instructions that came with it, or run a web search using the model name of the keyboard or mouse.
Open up Settings on your PS5 via the cog icon in the top right corner, then choose Accessories, General, and Bluetooth Accessories. The console will start looking for nearby Bluetooth devices, and the peripheral you’ve put into pairing mode should show up—select it to make the connection.
[Related: This year’s best wireless mice]
The device will be added to the registered accessories list at the top (where you should also see your DualSense controller). In the future, whenever the PS5 and the input device are both switched on, they should connect automatically. If this doesn’t happen, select the peripheral in registered accessories and choose Connect.
Some keyboard and mouse models come with wireless USB dongles that will plug into your PS5 and automatically connect your peripheral without any wires involved. However, these will need to be specifically PS5-compatible to work (not just made for Windows PCs, for example)—check the specs of the keyboard and mouse to make sure.
