PlayStation users, here it is when you discover that your PS5 or PS4 is a console quite certainly a thing other than gaming. The consoles are indeed media devices, having a great value, capable of inserting Blu-ray and DVD disks and playing various favorite movies and music from the USB drive. Yes, that dusty old DVD collection? It’s been given a second life already.
In what way is it working then? So simple. Insert disc into the drive or stick in a USB filled to the brim with the media files and…voila! Your console transforms into mini home-theater system. No installation fuss, no subscription hassles. Just raw, unadulterated movie nights or background jams while you grind through your backlog.
But hold on, there is a catch, as always. Not every file type is compatible. So, says the support page on the Sony’s site: MP4, MKV, and AVI videos? Mostly good. FLAC, MP3, or AAC audio? All golden. But if you’re trying to stream that obscure .OGG thing from 2004, uh maybe not. The console’s a bit picky like that.
And oh wonder, if you are that hardcore consumer who still keeps all the physical media (No shame, collecters unite); PS5 4K Blu-ray support shoots clarity for movie crazy. Now, that was just to differ from the fact that PS4 has no short end of the stick; playing standard Blu-rays and DVDs goes just fine, even though spicing the upscaling is with a touch less fancy.
Now this is where it becomes really hot: USB playback. You want to binge-watch your own ripped movies or that mixtape from 2012? Assuming the files are formatted correctly and your drive is formatted FAT32 or exFAT, you’re good to go. Just plug it into one of the USB ports, navigate to the Media Player app, and let the nostalgia hit.
Oh, and here’s a tip: If your files aren’t showing up, look closely at the folder structure. PlayStation’s weird about where stuff’s stored—drama queen for Sony: “VIDEO” (all caps, of course) for videos, “MUSIC” for music. Otherwise, the console never knew files existed. Classic.
Is this, like, life-changing? Probably not if you’re already using streaming for everything. But if you happen to have a whole library of hard copies or are carting around a USB stuffed with concert bootlegs, this is a nifty bonus. Plus, no ads, no buffering—just press play and zone out.
So tell that next person who says a console is just for Fortnite, “Actually, my PS5 is also a DVD player.” Mic drop.
Truly, easy steps? Here, Sony gives the skinny little guide-but really it is easier than figuring out the timeline of Kingdom Hearts.
