IPEGA PlayStation 5 & PS5 Digital Horizontal Stand with USB Hub Review
0In this episode, we unboxed and test out the horizontal stand and USB hub designed for the Sony PlayStation 5 from Ipega.
While I overall like an appreciate the design of the Sony PlayStation 5, their solution for laying the console horizontally is terrible. Your system is not held securely, it can fall off the stand through normal operation, it's just not good. I have used a horizontal stand for some time and absolutely loved it, and now the folks from Ipega look to raise the bar with a new horizontal stand that also incorporates 4 USB ports. This could be interesting.
The concept and design is fairly simple, the horizontal stand supports the PlayStation 5 on either the left or the right side of the system, versus the pedestal style that Sony went with. As you're looking at the face of the system, the right support also includes four USB ports. While this was something I was excited about initially, the more I dove into it the more disappointed I became.
The PS5 and PS5 Digital use USB 3.0 and USB C ports. As such, I would expect any USB hub accessory to also utilize USB 3.0 at a minimum. This does not, which really hampers the overall performance and usability of the stand to me. The front USB port is USB 2.0, 2 space point space 0. This makes the front port practically useless for connecting accessories such as USB drives or anything that utilizes data transfer. I don't understand why, besides simply looking to save on cost of production, you would utilize USB 2.0 on a port that's designed for USB 3.0. This was a bad design move. One of several.
The horizontal stand is designed to be used with both the PlayStation 5 disc and digital versions. As such, the left foot of the stand is molded to accommodate both systems. This is great in theory but in practice, it leaves something to be desired, at least on the disc version. The left foot does not sit flush with the system, it can't. There is webbing and the left side of the foot that is permanently molded in it to accommodate the digital system. I don't have one of those to test the fitment but I will say that on a disc version it pushes the left foot out considerably.
The final thing I want to bring up is the instruction sheet, with some of the worst translations I have seen in a long time. The sentence structure doesn't make sense, words are just thrown wherever, it's just not good. I understand English is not the primary language for the manufacturer, that being said other companies managed to hire competent translation teams, and they should look to do it as well.
In use, Ipega horizontal stand works perfectly fine. It's definitely more stable than the stock Sony unit and provides a much more stable platform. All of the USB ports worked just fine to power devices, but the read and write speed of that USB 2.0 Port was not fast enough for my preferences. The best I can say about it is that it is functional.
Why it RoX:
- Compatible with both the PlayStation 5 disc and digital systems
- Holds your system much more securely than the Sony stand
- Adds 4 additional USB ports to your PS5 or PS5 digital
- Available for under $20
What could be improved:
- USB 2.0 data transfer
- Poor fitment of the left foot on the disc version
- Instruction translations are terrible
- Placement of the USB ports on the side doesn't make a lot of sense inside an entertainment center
Should you buy one?
I firmly believe if you have a PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 digital you need to get a horizontal stand if you're going to be laying your system down. The question is should this be the one you go with? I will say if you're looking to access a hard drive by a USB on the front of your system, you shouldn't buy for that. The USB 2.0 speeds really hinder the data transmission rate and are not optimized for something like this. If, however, you're simply looking to add USB ports to charge multiple accessories, then perhaps. I don't love how the left foot attaches to the system, that extra gap just bothers me aesthetically. At under $20 it is less expensive than most of the other horizontal stands that are out there, but it takes a lot of compromises that it really didn't need to. Consider it, but definitely shop around.
#Playstation5 #PS5Accessories #PS5Stand #Ipega