The PS4 universal remote hits stores later this month

[compl3x]

Sony America announced on Thursday that the wait for its PS4 universal remote is nearly over. The much-anticipated accessory is set to go on sale for $30 "later this month," according to a company post. The remote will serve to replace the DualShock controller for non-gaming applications. It will communicate via a Bluetooth connection and be able to control up to three additional AV devices. What's more, it will also be compatible with a number of existing streaming apps including Crunchyroll, HBO Go, Netflix (obvs),Twitch and YouTube. If you can't wait to purchase it in person when it actually hits store shelves, Amazon, Best Buy, Gamestop and Toys R Us all have it available for pre-order.

 

 

Not sure why we can't use the PS3s, but whatever.

 

 

[+Asmodai MVC]

I've seen a lot of posts about this recently (twitter, facebook, other sites, etc.) but it was announced and even listed for pre-order a while back.  I know because I've had it on my Amazon wish list for MONTHS so it seems odd to me that there is suddenly such big hype for it.  I guess just because it's closer to actual release now but it's still over two weeks out... apparently that's close enough.

As for the product itself I'm a tad disappointed it doesn't have a back light but for $30 I can't complain.  I have the PS3 one though and this one seems to big a big improvement over that in that it seems to be a universal remote.  My PS3 was my only blu-ray player up until I got a PS4 so I used the remote a fair amount but it was kind of annoying that it didn't work with anything else, this seems to solve that.  I'm hoping this will do everything I need for my living room setup and become my go to remote for the TV, A/V receiver, Cable box, and PS4. (which really only leaves my PS3 left out but that will hopefully make it's way to another room if the PS4 ever gets Pandora and better Blu-Ray support)

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Can this control your cable set top box/DVR and/or a receiver too? I got the Harmony One for Christmas last year, and it's terrible. I wish my old Harmony still worked.

[+Asmodai MVC]

Can this control your cable set top box/DVR and/or a receiver too? I got the Harmony One for Christmas last year, and it's terrible. I wish my old Harmony still worked.

From the Amazon listing, note the PS4, TV, AMP, and CBL buttons so it appears to be a universal remote.

Under this image on the Amazon site:

Command up to 4 Devices

Easily control up to 4 devices with the Universal Media Remote. Take charge of your PS4, Set Top Box, TV, and Audio Receiver with a single remote.

 

[compl3x]

Can this control your cable set top box/DVR and/or a receiver too? I got the Harmony One for Christmas last year, and it's terrible. I wish my old Harmony still worked.

Maybe through CEC? My experience with my Harmony 650 have been overwhelmingly positive.

I think Sony missed an opportunity here to offer a universal remote which was also natively compatible with the PS4 (and if they wanted to be charitable the PS3) Who the F wants another remote that can only control one device? I think this is a misstep.

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From the Amazon listing, note the PS4, TV, AMP, and CBL buttons so it appears to be a universal remote.

Under this image on the Amazon site:

 

Sweet.

[soniqstylz]

 

Maybe through CEC? My experience with my Harmony 650 have been overwhelmingly positive.

I think Sony missed an opportunity here to offer a universal remote which was also natively compatible with the PS4 (and if they wanted to be charitable the PS3) Who the F wants another remote that can only control one device? I think this is a misstep.

It works with up to 4 devices including cable box, receiver, tv, etc.

[adrynalyne]

 

Maybe through CEC? My experience with my Harmony 650 have been overwhelmingly positive.

I think Sony missed an opportunity here to offer a universal remote which was also natively compatible with the PS4 (and if they wanted to be charitable the PS3) Who the F wants another remote that can only control one device? I think this is a misstep.

My TV remote controls my ps4 through CEC

[compl3x]

 

It works with up to 4 devices including cable box, receiver, tv, etc.

Bluetooth remotes suck battery and this isn't a programmable remote. If you have specific or exotic set-up you can't program them. The fact that the PS3 nor the PS4 has an IR port is really the problem here. The extra devices it can control is the type of functionality you can find in any off-brand universal remote or with CEC and the only reason this remote is unique is because it can control a PS4 which Sony seems to have deliberately made uncontrollable by other devices so they can sell you this remote.

My harmony 650 controls everything in my set-up (except PS3 & PS4 because of no IR) & I can control things very specifically (jump to specific HDMI ports for example) or set up one button sequences if I need to access things nested within different menus (e.g. Input -> DLNA -> Videos -> Movies). I can even program it with another remote because it has an input IR sensor on the back. It's also backlit.

I just don't think the selling points for this remote are all that great.

[soniqstylz]

 

Bluetooth remotes suck battery and this isn't a programmable remote. If you have specific or exotic set-up you can't program them. The fact that the PS3 nor the PS4 has an IR port is really the problem here. The extra devices it can control is the type of functionality you can find in any off-brand universal remote or with CEC and the only reason this remote is unique is because it can control a PS4 which Sony seems to have deliberately made uncontrollable by other devices so they can sell you this remote.

My harmony 650 controls everything in my set-up (except PS3 & PS4 because of no IR) & I can control things very specifically (jump to specific HDMI ports for example) or set up one button sequences if I need to access things nested within different menus (e.g. Input -> DLNA -> Videos -> Movies). I can even program it with another remote because it has an input IR sensor on the back. It's also backlit.

I just don't think the selling points for this remote are all that great.

I'm not saying it's a great remote, I'm saying the remote controls more than one device as per the post I quoted.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

 

My TV remote controls my ps4 through CEC

Same!

I actually use a raspberry pi 2 with OSMC for media streaming now. It's fantastic.

Crazy this remote has taken 2 years to come out...

[+Asmodai MVC]

 

Crazy this remote has taken 2 years to come out...

It's not even Sony that's releasing it.  Like the controller chargers in the U.S. it's a third party that makes it (PDP in this case) and Sony has just "officially" blessed it.  The chargers are even worse because there ARE Sony made official ones (I've imported two from Japan) but in the U.S. they are not available and the "official" ones are made by PowerA instead.

[+Eternal Tempest MVC]

FINALLY !!!!

That being said, I don't see why the could not use the PS3 remote, and re-map the two buttons to correspond to the share and options on the PS4.
(Edit) hmm not too keen on the "official licensed" 3rd party...
Torn between non-official sony, but the additional universal functionality is nice....

Edited October 14, 2015 by Eternal Tempest

[+Asmodai MVC]

So apparently this thing is out.  I still have it on my wish list but haven't pulled the trigger yet.  Anyone get it yet and if so I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts and opinions on it.

[+Asmodai MVC]

Ok I went ahead and got it:

In case things weren't clear the remote itself is BOTH bluetooth and IR depending on which source you select.  PS4 is obviously bluetooth (thus the source button is blue) and the three other sources are standard IR (tv, amp, cbl).

Obviously it's not super advanced as a sub-$30 remote so if you've already bought a nice harmony remote or something you're clearly not going to want to bother with this.

I for one had no universal remote at all before this (other than the standard ones that came with the devices) and my living room setup is perfect for it with a TV, AV Receiver, Cable Box, and PS4.

I was able to set it up for all of them without too much trouble.  It has an "audio punch through" feature that you can set that makes the volume buttons always work for a specific device.  I used that because my TV and cable box volume is always 0 and I use the AV receiver for sound so I just set the "amp" source to "punch through" so the volume buttons always control the receiver no matter what source the remote is currently set to.

It also has 4 colored buttons that you can program (per IR source) to anything you want by pointing the other devices remote at it and pushing the button to save the signal.  For my receiver "amp" I set the first two buttons to cable box and PS4 for inputs on the receiver.  For my cable box I set the colored buttons to match the similar colored buttons on the cable remote.  I didn't program anything for the TV because really all I do with the TV is turn it on and off so I'll likely never even use that "devices" button.  It needed to be set so it knows what TV I have but you can turn it on and off by the green TV button on top instead of having to switch the source.

For me it stays most of the time in the cbl setting because I can shut off the TV (using the green TV button on top) and control the volume on the receiver (via the "punch through") without switching off cbl.  I just need to switch to PS4 to turn on and use the PS4 and amp to switch the receiver between the cable box and PS4.

Overall I'm happy with it.  The bluetooth part of it sleeps to conserve power when not in use so you need to hit the PS4 button to wake it up if it's been a while.  I think it's a fine remote for the sub-$30 category but clearly not meant to compete with more expensive devices.

[HawkMan]

Can this control your cable set top box/DVR and/or a receiver too? I got the Harmony One for Christmas last year, and it's terrible. I wish my old Harmony still worked.

How is the harmony one horrible ? I find it a great upgrade from my previous harmonies, I hve the ultimate version with the hub though, but would have settled for the regular one. 

[HawkMan]

 

Bluetooth remotes suck battery and this isn't a programmable remote. If you have specific or exotic set-up you can't program them. The fact that the PS3 nor the PS4 has an IR port is really the problem here. The extra devices it can control is the type of functionality you can find in any off-brand universal remote or with CEC and the only reason this remote is unique is because it can control a PS4 which Sony seems to have deliberately made uncontrollable by other devices so they can sell you this remote.

My harmony 650 controls everything in my set-up (except PS3 & PS4 because of no IR) & I can control things very specifically (jump to specific HDMI ports for example) or set up one button sequences if I need to access things nested within different menus (e.g. Input -> DLNA -> Videos -> Movies). I can even program it with another remote because it has an input IR sensor on the back. It's also backlit.

I just don't think the selling points for this remote are all that great.

The ultimate models of the harmony range with the hub also controls anything that uses BT and WiFi. including most all smart home products. But they're kinda costly  but also kinda worth it, using old ipad 2's as giant touch remotes is pretty cool

[Hedon]

 

How is the harmony one horrible ? I find it a great upgrade from my previous harmonies, I hve the ultimate version with the hub though, but would have settled for the regular one. 

OMG, my Harmony One remote is phenomenal. The thing just works wonders. I have had a Harmony One remote since they first came out and I can't live without it. I just wish my PS4 had IR

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How is the harmony one horrible ? I find it a great upgrade from my previous harmonies, I hve the ultimate version with the hub though, but would have settled for the regular one. 

Sorry, I should have specified.

I HAD this one for a long time, and I loved it. However, some of the buttons stopped registering presses, which made it harder to use. So I had to get a new remote. That model was discontinued, so I asked for the new one one for Christmas, assuming it was going to be a more refined version of the one I had, similar to the previous generations. I was wrong.

There is a lot I don't like about this remote:
- I don't like the focus on the touch-screen. There are no more physical number buttons, and I don't like having to look at the remote in order to use it. It's a small thing, granted, but it's annoying when you want to type in a channel number manually.
- The touch screen is slow, which is annoying.
- The remote takes longer to register operations with my cable box and receiver; the same ones in which my previous Harmony had no trouble interacting with, only much faster. In fact I tested them side-by-side and the new one is a a full 1 or 2 seconds slower.
- The battery life is worse. Probably due to the focus on the touch-screen.
- The button placement is terrible. The DVR controls are stuffed at the very top of the remote so you have to hold the remote in an awkward grip in order to press them.

Overall, its design is a huge step backwards. So if I can find a reasonably priced replacement, I would.

[Hedon]

Sorry, I should have specified.

I HAD this one for a long time, and I loved it. However, some of the buttons stopped registering presses, which made it harder to use. So I had to get a new remote. That model was discontinued, so I asked for the new one one for Christmas, assuming it was going to be a more refined version of the one I had, similar to the previous generations. I was wrong.

There is a lot I don't like about this remote:
- I don't like the focus on the touch-screen. There are no more physical number buttons, and I don't like having to look at the remote in order to use it. It's a small thing, granted, but it's annoying when you want to type in a channel number manually.
- The touch screen is slow, which is annoying.
- The remote takes longer to register operations with my cable box and receiver; the same ones in which my previous Harmony had no trouble interacting with, only much faster. In fact I tested them side-by-side and the new one is a a full 1 or 2 seconds slower.
- The battery life is worse. Probably due to the focus on the touch-screen.
- The button placement is terrible. The DVR controls are stuffed at the very top of the remote so you have to hold the remote in an awkward grip in order to press them.

Overall, its design is a huge step backwards. So if I can find a reasonably priced replacement, I would.

Ohhhh....see I have the ONE that you mentioned that you had originally. I love it, though the up/down buttons are getting kinda squeaky. The NEW one you linked would NOT be something I would like. I have to have the number keypad.

[HawkMan]

Sorry, I should have specified.

I HAD this one for a long time, and I loved it. However, some of the buttons stopped registering presses, which made it harder to use. So I had to get a new remote. That model was discontinued, so I asked for the new one one for Christmas, assuming it was going to be a more refined version of the one I had, similar to the previous generations. I was wrong.

There is a lot I don't like about this remote:
- I don't like the focus on the touch-screen. There are no more physical number buttons, and I don't like having to look at the remote in order to use it. It's a small thing, granted, but it's annoying when you want to type in a channel number manually.
- The touch screen is slow, which is annoying.
- The remote takes longer to register operations with my cable box and receiver; the same ones in which my previous Harmony had no trouble interacting with, only much faster. In fact I tested them side-by-side and the new one is a a full 1 or 2 seconds slower.
- The battery life is worse. Probably due to the focus on the touch-screen.
- The button placement is terrible. The DVR controls are stuffed at the very top of the remote so you have to hold the remote in an awkward grip in order to press them.

Overall, its design is a huge step backwards. So if I can find a reasonably priced replacement, I would.

I used to have the old one but have the new one ultimate now and I by far prefer it, like most people I don't actually use the number buttons which is why they removed them from the physical. 

the slowness however is not due to the remote itself. it's you configuration. you can set up all the timing and delays and inter device delays in the configuration app. these are all by default set very conservative to avoid overlap and such. 

Their new top line model is slightly larger again. with more physical buttons though and their mid range non ultimate compatible ones still have number keys. 

[Aergan]

On 10/10/2015, 02:28:13, adrynalyne said:

 

My TV remote controls my ps4 through CEC

My PS4 controls my amp but not the other way around (guessing as it's Yamaha and now quite old). Hopefully this remote might help resolve that.

[HawkMan]

12 minutes ago, Aergan said:

My PS4 controls my amp but not the other way around (guessing as it's Yamaha and now quite old). Hopefully this remote might help resolve that.

 

CEC is quite horrible though, it's compatibility is sketchy at best and even when it works you're likely missing important functions. about all it's good for is sending play, stop and pause, and to cause a major mess with shutting down and starting up devices. 

[Aergan]

2 hours ago, HawkMan said:

 

CEC is quite horrible though, it's compatibility is sketchy at best and even when it works you're likely missing important functions. about all it's good for is sending play, stop and pause, and to cause a major mess with shutting down and starting up devices. 

 

Yeah, I've got various devices that officially or unofficially support a form of CEC and they all behave differently. The only thing that's consistent is the inconsistency.