> I have $200 for extras. Cables in the box are fine. Grab a WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB NVMe SSD with Heatsink for extra storage space. Its a practical, cost-effective upgrade for any Pro owner.

Building on the earlier suggestion, you probably want to play together!

• Sony DualSense Wireless Controller Midnight Black
• Sony DualSense Charging Station Having a second pad is essential tbh.

> I heard there isnt a disc player? Yeah, I had the same scare when I got mine. I picked up the Sony PlayStation 5 Disc Drive for PS5 Pro and Im very satisfied with it, snaps right on. I also grabbed the Sony PlayStation 5 Vertical Stand for extra safety since it feels a bit wobbly without it. Everything works well together, no complaints at all. It feels very reliable.

^ This. Also, I had a moment to think about your budget... unfortuantely the sound quality from most TVs isnt as good as expected and it really let me down when I first set mine up. If you want him to have the best experience without it being super loud in the house, I'd look at these:

• Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset is very reliable and the battery life is solid. Its way better than using random cheap buds that break after a month, which is what I struggled with before.
• KontrolFreek Performance Thumbsticks because unfortuantely the rubber on the standard controllers wears down pretty fast if they play a lot. These protect the sticks so the controller stays in good shape. Dont worry too much about all the technical stuff, you're doing a great job getting him sorted for his birthday. Honestly getting that disc drive is the most important part, the rest is just extra polish for the setup. If you need anything else just ask, happy to help a fellow parent out.

Saw this thread earlier but only just now got a chance to jump in. Honestly, I was just as stressed when I set mine up because I really didn't want to mess up such an expensive piece of tech. I spent way too much time worrying about whether I needed fancy cords or extra cooling stuff, but after a few months, I've realized you really just need the basics to keep things running steady.

• I ended up just sticking with the standard power setup since the cables in the box are actually pretty sturdy.
• My biggest concern was just keeping the console from overheating, so I made sure it had a ton of room on my media shelf.
• I spent my budget on a good warranty instead, just for peace of mind since accidents happen. It feels a bit like overkill sometimes, but being careful has saved me some major headaches. Whatever you decide, just take it slow and dont feel like you need to grab everything at once. The system is pretty solid on its own.