If you already have your PlayStation 5 and you have it perfectly placed in your gaming corner, probably even reviewed to the last detail so that everything is perfect. And one of those details could be voice control, since there is nothing like getting home and telling Alexa to prepare the console. But can we do that?
PS5 is not compatible with Alexa as standard
The first thing you should know is that there is no direct compatibility between the Sony console and the Amazon assistant. Contrary to what happens on Xbox Series X, the PS5 is not able to understand the commands sent by the voice assistant, so there is no direct way to associate your console with a smart speaker.
Luckily, there are alternative ways to achieve this, and for this you will need the help of a secondary device. The options are to have a TV compatible with Alexa, or to use a smart infrared hub, and in both cases we would use the HDMI function: CEC.
What is HDMI: CEC?
Within the HDMI standard there is a feature that allows certain devices to take control of others through an HDMI link. This is the function that allows you to control the volume of a speaker system from the remote control of your television, or turn on other devices remotely, as is the case that we are looking for with this article.
Enabling HDMI CEC on the PS5
To activate this function we will only have to go to the configuration section of our console and activate the “Activate link of the HDMI device” function. You will find this option in Settings> System> HDMI.
With this function activated, every time we turn on the television our console will turn on automatically, so you should consider activating it, since there will be times when you simply want to turn on the TV and not the console. But remember that if you do not activate it, you will not be able to continue with the intention of this guide.
Option 1: Alexa compatible TV
If your TV is compatible with the assistant and you are able to turn on the device with a simple “Alexa, turn on the TV”, you have done it. The moment the wizard turns on the television, your PS5 will automatically turn on, so you don’t have to do anything other than find the DualSense and start playing.
Option 2: Smart Infrared Hub
If your television is not one of those that includes Alexa compatibility, you will have to get an extremely inexpensive device that will turn all your gadgets into smart devices by remote control. The solution is the Broadlink RM, a small infrared device that has WiFi connectivity so that we can send you orders from our mobile phone or from Alexa.
Thus, we can program a task that by reciting “Alexa, turn on the TV”, is in charge of sending the start command to our infrared television, and thus, achieve our purpose of turning on the console with our voice.
The only solution available
The process is not particularly elegant, nor is it 100% functional. As we’ve already discussed, you’ll only need to turn on the television for the console to turn on, and that could lead to times when you turn on the console when you don’t need it. But for now it is the only possible solution in the absence of Sony including some kind of compatibility with Alexa or other assistants.
Microsoft in this case has decided to pay more attention, and in addition to offering compatibility with the Google Assistant and Alexa, the console is able to open applications just by saying it by voice. Will we see something like PlayStation 5?
