With all the new gaming consoles available it can be hard to keep track of what external connections you can manage on your ps5 or xbox.
The short answer to how many usb ports on the ps5
The short answer is that the ps5 has 4 usb ports.
- 1 USB type C, Superspeed USB
- 1 USB type A, Hi-speed USB
- 2 USB type A, Superspeed USB
The USB type C, Superspeed USB and the USB type A, Hi-speed USB are located on the front of the gaming console while the 2 USB type A, Superspeed USBs are located at the back of your ps5.
Don’t worry we’ll cover what each of these mean as well.
What the different USB types mean?
USB type A, Hi-speed USB
As mentioned, this port is found at the front of the ps5 and this port allows you to connect a controller and charge it as well.
Due to the charging capabilities it comes in handy as you can use the USB port to charge other wireless accessories as well.
Handily, the port and also be used to connect PS4 technologies and controllers as the PS4 has some of the same capabilities as the PS5.
What’s really exciting about this PS5 USB port is that you can connect your Playstation VR to the port and be ready to go in seconds.
USB type A, Superspeed USB
These 2 ports are located at the back of the gaming console and are just an upgrade to the Hi-speed USB on the front, also why there are two of them.
The major upgrade here is that as well as being able to connect PS5 devices is that you can also connect external storage such as SSDs and HDDs to use in conjunction with your console.
USB type C, Superspeed USB
Also located at the front of the ps5 this USB port is to connect a camera. Connecting an external HD camera is easy but the Playstation camera will require an additional adapter to connect with this port.
Comparing the PS5 USB ports to the Xbox
The new Xbox Series X only has type A ports, meaning there is no type C to directly attach a HD camera.
The other factor is that the Xbox ports (type A) run on a speed of 5gpbs while the PS5 ports run on 10gbps, double the Xbox capacity.
As we’ve talked about in previous articles, speed is important for competitive gaming and most want to take any competitive edge they can get. That’s why things like input lag and display delays can become such a big issue when choosing a monitor and console.
As the connection speed is double for the PS4 if you are looking for a quick gain to your gaming experience you should consider the PS5 over the Xbox series X.
Are 4 ports enough? What about using an external USB hub?
In some cases, the three type A USB ports provided on the PS5 won’t be enough to connect all the external devices and storage methods you would like.
When this is the case it might be worth considering an external USB hub, also commonly used for monitors and other pc gaming.
When looking at external USB hubs to connect to your PS5 the main considerations are design, number of ports and speed.
As with all technology adding another layer of connections adds another delay. The same is true when you use a USB hub, so speed is an important consideration here, especially if you chose the PS5 over the Xbos due to connection speed.
USB 3.0 is the gold standard when it comes to speed for USB ports, USB 2.0 works for things like mouses and keyboards but any real external drive will need 3.0. So don’t settle for anything less.
Design is another factor, while not directly impacting performance, when setting up a gaming system I’m sure you have an idea in mind about what you want it to look like, where you want the monitor to go, the gaming console, and how the cable systems work.
Thus you should consider the size and design of the USB hub you want to use.
Finally the number of ports is important for how you intend to use the external hub, it’s also always nice to have an extra buffer just in case you expand your capabilities in the future as well.
You shouldn’t really need more than 2-4 additional USB ports given how many the PS5 already comes with but some do come with 5 ports.
Wrapping Up
So the PS5 has 4 USB ports with various reasons for use and different capabilities. Two are on the front and two are on the back. The speed is much better than the Xbox Series X USB ports and the PS5 should allow you to connect all the additional devices and storages you need. If you do find yourself needing more USB ports then you can go for an external hub to boost the capacity as well.