PDP Official Universal Media Remote for PlayStation 4 Review

Introduction

PDP are one of the biggest aftermarket peripheral brands around, having had great success with products such as the AfterGlow controllers for Xbox and PlayStation, now they’re back again with another great addition, this time exclusively for the PlayStation 4. Sony’s latest console is a great hub for home entertainment, offering a fantastic Blu-Ray player, as well as a host of multimedia applications such as Amazon Prime, iPlayer, PlayStation Video and Plex, but there’s been one glaring omission from the setup; a remote control.

The PlayStation 3 had a Bluetooth remote for ages, so it was expected that one would be made available at the console launch, or at least very close to it, but nothing came to light. Now, all this time after release, PDP has stepped in to make the officially licenced controller and while it almost feels like too little too late, I’m sure many of you are happy to see that a remote has finally been made available! The question is, is the control any good?

“Enjoy the convenience of having one remote to instantly control the endless entertainment options of your PlayStation®4. Want quick and easy access to all your favorite TV shows, movies, music, and videos? Coordinate everything with the officially licensed Universal Media Remote for PS4 and manage up to 4 devices—PS4, Set Top Box, TV, and Audio Receiver. Whether you’re listening to music, watching a video, or settling down with Netflix for the night, the Universal Media Remote for PS4 puts you in control right from the comfort of your couch.”

All the features you could hope for are here too, as you can not only control the PlayStation 4, but also up to three additional devices such as your cable box, surround sound and more, meaning the PDP controller has the potential to be the only remote you’ll need to pick up for movie night. It also promises additional support for many of the multimedia applications that are available on the PS4, which is certainly a big benefit overall.

• Intuitive Control: Enjoy a convenient way to navigate and control your PlayStation® 4 system with ease.
• Command up to Four Devices: Control your PS4™system and up to three additional devices, including a TV, cable box and audio receiver.
• Connects via Bluetooth: Uses Bluetooth to control your PS4™ system.
• Dedicated PS4 Buttons:   Includes the most important buttons for navigating system menus and apps including the Action buttons (triangle, circle, cross, and square), Share, Options, and PS buttons.
• App Control:  At launch, the Universal Media Remote will be fully compatible with the following apps on PS4, with more to come later:
  • Blu-ray Disc Player
  • Crunchyroll
  • DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket
  • FUNimation
  • HBO GO
  • Media Player
  • NBA GAME TIME
  • Netflix
  • PlayStation Video
  • PlayStation Vue
  • Youtube

The packaging is nicely designed and shows off that official product badge proudly. PDP have a small logo on there, but overall this looks pretty much like a Sony branded package.

Again, we see that it has support for PS4 via Bluetooth, as well as other devices via IR.

In the box, you’ll find a simple multi-language user manual.

There’s not a lot here that isn’t obvious, but for setting up other devices to the control, you’ll likely need to read the booklet. Either way, it’s all fairly straightforward.