The PS5 is a gaming console first, but it ships with a surprising range of additional capabilities that most players never fully explore. Whether you're wondering if it can replace your Blu-ray player, whether Discord works natively, how game sharing actually functions, or whether plugging in a USB keyboard does anything useful, the answers aren't always easy to find in Sony's documentation. This guide covers each capability clearly and practically.
DVD and Blu-ray playback: what the disc edition can do
The PS5 Disc Edition plays standard DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. That last point matters. The Xbox Series X also supports 4K Blu-ray, but many standalone 4K Blu-ray players still cost more than you'd expect. The PS5 handles the format well, with HDR and Dolby Vision passthrough depending on your TV's capabilities.
Standard DVDs play at their native resolution. The PS5 does not upscale DVD content to 4K, so older discs look the same as they would on a cheap standalone player. Blu-ray discs at 1080p play back without issue. For anyone building a home theatre setup, the Disc Edition covers all three disc formats in one box.
The PS5 Digital Edition has no disc drive and cannot play any physical media. If you bought the Digital Edition and want disc playback, Sony sells a detachable disc drive accessory that clips onto it. The PS5 Slim has the same split between disc and digital variants. If you're weighing these options, the breakdown in PS5 vs PS5 Pro vs PS5 Slim covers the hardware differences in more detail.
One caveat: the PS5 is region-locked for Blu-ray playback. Region A discs (which covers most Australian releases) play fine. If you import discs from Japan or the US, those also fall under Region A. European Region B discs will not play on an Australian PS5.
4K Blu-ray: does the PS5 do it properly?
Yes, and it does it well. The PS5 Disc Edition decodes Dolby Vision from 4K Blu-ray discs when connected to a compatible display. It also supports HDR10 and HDR10+. The HDMI 2.1 port handles the bandwidth required for 4K at high frame rates without trouble.
One thing to know: the PS5 does not support Dolby Atmos for gaming audio, but it does pass Dolby Atmos through from Blu-ray discs to a compatible AV receiver. So if you're watching a 4K film with an Atmos soundtrack via physical disc, the audio will carry through correctly to your receiver. Streaming apps like Netflix do not carry Dolby Atmos on PS5 due to licensing restrictions Sony has not resolved as of 2026.
Discord integration: what it actually does
Sony added native Discord integration to the PS5 in 2023, and the feature has been refined since. You link your Discord account through the PS5 settings menu, which then lets you join Discord voice channels directly from the console without needing a phone or PC as a relay.
The integration does a few specific things. It shows your PS5 gaming activity as your Discord status, so friends on Discord can see what you're playing. It lets you move an active Discord voice call to your PS5 from the phone app. Voice audio comes through the DualSense controller's speaker or your TV, depending on your audio settings.
What it doesn't do is give you access to Discord's text channels, servers, or any non-voice features. It's purely a voice and presence feature. If you need a full Discord experience, you'll still need a phone or PC running alongside. The setup process and what to expect from the feature is covered in more depth in the guide to PS5 Discord integration.
Game sharing: how it works across two consoles
PS5 game sharing lets two players access the same digital library across two consoles. It works through a system called Console Sharing and Offline Play, which you enable in the PS5 settings under Users and Accounts.
Here's the structure. One console is designated as the account holder's Primary Console. Any other account on that primary console can play the account holder's digital games without the account holder being signed in. The account holder can then sign into any second PS5 and access their games from there using their own credentials.
This means two people can play the same game simultaneously. One on the primary console using a secondary account, and the account holder on any other PS5. Each person needs their own PlayStation Plus subscription to access online multiplayer, but the game licence itself only needs to be purchased once.
The limits: you can only have one primary console at a time. Switching primary consoles is possible but Sony limits how often you can do it. Game sharing doesn't extend to PS4 consoles in the same way. Physical disc games can't be shared this way at all since the disc needs to be physically present. The full mechanics, including what happens with PS Plus and game updates, are covered in the dedicated piece on PS5 game sharing.
Keyboard support: what actually works
The PS5 supports USB and Bluetooth keyboards. Plug a USB keyboard into one of the console's USB ports and it's recognised immediately. No drivers, no setup. Bluetooth keyboards pair through the Accessories section in PS5 settings.
What you can do with a keyboard: type in the PS5 browser, fill in search fields, write messages in party chat, enter passwords, type in the PlayStation Store, and input text anywhere the on-screen keyboard would normally appear. Keyboard input replaces the on-screen keyboard throughout the system interface.
What you cannot do: use a keyboard for in-game controls in most PS5 games. Unlike PC gaming, the PS5 doesn't expose keyboard-as-controller functionality to games. A small number of games support keyboard and mouse as an alternative input method (some shooters and strategy games), but these games explicitly list keyboard and mouse support and it's not a system-wide feature.
Mouse support follows the same pattern. A USB mouse works for navigating the PS5 interface and in supported games, but most titles won't respond to it at all. If you're using the PS5 for media browsing or typing-heavy tasks, a wireless keyboard is genuinely convenient. For gaming, it's largely irrelevant unless a specific game supports it.
Streaming apps and media centre capabilities
The PS5 runs most major streaming platforms available in Australia. Netflix, Disney+, Stan, Binge, Kayo Sports, Apple TV, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video all have PS5 apps. The Netflix app supports 4K streaming on PS5. Disney+ also streams in 4K on the console.
The PS5 Media Remote is a separate accessory that makes navigating these apps easier, particularly for anyone using the console as a primary TV device. The DualSense controller works for media playback but it's not ergonomically suited to it, and the battery drains faster during streaming than a dedicated remote would.
The console's web browser is a lightweight implementation, accessible through the PS5's built-in tools. It handles basic browsing but isn't a full browser in the way a PC or smart TV browser is. It lacks extension support and doesn't render every site correctly.
Other capabilities worth knowing
The PS5 supports remote play, letting you stream games from the console to a phone, tablet, PC, or Mac over your home network or the internet. This requires a PlayStation Network account and the PlayStation Remote Play app on the target device.
The console also supports Share Play, which lets you hand a virtual controller to a friend over the internet so they can play your game remotely. Neither person needs to own the game on their account for Share Play to work.
USB storage devices work for backing up save data and storing PS4 games (but not PS5 titles, which must run from internal or expanded M.2 storage). The PS5 has two USB-A ports and one USB-C port on the front, plus two USB-A ports on the rear.
In short: the PS5 is a capable media device alongside its gaming role. The disc edition handles 4K Blu-ray properly, Discord voice works natively, game sharing functions reliably between two accounts, and keyboard input works throughout the system interface. None of these features require a subscription or additional cost beyond the console itself.