8 Things You Should Try On Your PS4

1. Type Faster with Motion Control (or Your Phone)

Trying to type in email and password on a PS4 is brutal, but there are a couple of ways to ease your frustration. When the PS4 keyboard is displayed, press the right joystick to activate motion control. This will allow you to type with the motion controls, using your PS4 DualShock 4 as a Wii Remote.


You can also use the PlayStation app. Download it for iPhone or Android, sign in to your PlayStation account, then go to Settings> PlayStation app connection settings on your PS4. Follow the instructions and activate the second screen of the app to type on the console and check other things.

2. Stream PS4 Games to Your Mac or PC

If you live with a TV pig, do not worry about negotiating game time. You can stream games directly from your PS4 on any Mac or Windows PC. No big scream! Install Sony Remote Play software and connect your DualShock 4 to your computer with a USB charging cable or this Sony wireless dongle. Make sure your computer and PS4 are on the same Wi-Fi network, and then stream. It’s much simpler and simpler than you think it may be.

3. Manage Your Friends

If you have a normal band of players with whom you chat and play, it simplifies the process of creating a chat by creating a list of friends. Go to Friends> Add favorite group and choose the friends you want to include. The next time you create a chat, you can select them all at once. Go easy. To chat with them more frequently, download the PS Messages app for Android or iPhone. It’s basically an instant messenger for PS4.

If you want to keep an eye on your beast in a possibly disquieting way, you can do it too. Go to Settings> Notifications> Notifications when friends go online and select your favorite best friends.


Even breaking away from the world is easy. The quickest way is to press the Options button when you are in the login screen. It will allow you to log in with an “Offline” status, keeping what you do most private. You should also check your privacy settings in Settings> Accounts> Privacy settings. Here you can control who sees your gaming activities, public information and PS social media.

4. Eke Out More Battery Life from Your Controller

The PS4 DualShock 4 controller drains the battery. It seems to have less than 8 hours of charge when it is new, and only gets worse over time. It’s exasperating when the controller dies in the middle of a gaming session, especially if you compare it to the 40 hours of fun of a controller for the Nintendo Switch or Xbox One. There is a way to improve the situation, at least a little.


Press and hold the PlayStation button to display a quick menu. Go to Sounds / Devices and make the following changes: Turn the volume down to zero, change the lightbar to Dim, and set the controller to turn off “After 10 minutes.” It’s not much, but these changes will make a small difference. You’ll still need to buy a charging dock and have a second DualShock 4 ready, anyway.

5. Easily Share Screenshots and Videos

Transmitting your gameplay or capturing screenshots in funny moments has become a modern pastime, but often requires more menus than it’s worth. To simplify the process, press the Share button on the controller and go to Sharing and transmission settings> Share the type of button control, select “Easy Screenshots” and your sharing life will become much easier. Use the opportunity to change other settings and configure Facebook or Twitch.

6. 6. Turn on the TV With Your PS4

Just like the Nintendo Switch, your PS4 can turn on the TV or change its input by simply pressing the PlayStation button on your DualShock 4. It’s also easy (assuming your TV has the feature). Go to Settings> System> Enable HDMI Device Connection. Check and have done. If your TV does not behave, go to the TV settings and enable it. Usually, the setting contains the word “Link”, but it is one of those functions that has a different name everywhere. See this list of names for the function if you get lost.

7. Remap the Buttons On Your DualShock 4

I’ve never found a good reason to remap the buttons on my controller, but you could. If you want to fumble with them, go to Settings> Accessibility> Button Assignments. Get out!

8. Save Games to the Cloud

If this is the most obvious tip on this whole list, fine! You’re already saving your games on the cloud and it’s great. I’ve lost a whole console of backups before and it’s not funny. Go to Settings> Manage saved data from the application and make sure it is set to upload your saves to the cloud. It never hurts to back up to a USB drive if you appreciate your progress.