What is possible, by platform
- PlayStation (PS5, PS4, PS3, Vita, PS PC): the Home Assistant PlayStation Network integration shows the game you are currently playing (with artwork), plus sensors, and supports friends' online status tracking. It is cloud-based and needs your NPSSO token from playstation.com. Per the docs, the NPSSO token is valid for two months, and PSN imposes a rate limit of 300 requests per 15 minutes (the integration makes 3 requests every 30 seconds). Only the last used device reports as active.
- PS5 power control: the community add-on ps5-mqtt (FunkeyFlo/ps5-mqtt on GitHub) integrates PS5 consoles over MQTT. Its README lists power (wake/standby, called rest mode), local network discovery, a web UI for acquiring credentials, and matching PSN account activity to the device. It does not claim to turn a console fully off.
- PS4: the older Home Assistant PlayStation 4 integration needs the PS4 Second Screen app (Android or iOS) to be installed and working, and needs port access (see its docs).
- Xbox One and Series S/X: the Home Assistant Xbox integration uses Xbox Network via OAuth2 through Home Assistant Cloud's account-linking service, and needs a non-child (18+) account. It creates a media player and remote entity (app launch, dashboard, controller button presses) and tracks friends' online status. You must enable Remote features on the Xbox. A known limitation: consoles cannot be woken from energy-saving mode, so for remote wake the console must be set to sleep mode, which uses significantly more power.
- Nintendo Switch: there is no local control, but the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls integration gives you screen time sensors, a "max screen time today" control and a switch to suspend software at bedtime. It needs a cloud connection, and (per the docs) setup requires you to capture an authentication token from your Nintendo account on a device without the official parental controls app installed.
- Steam / gaming PC: the Steam integration tracks the online status of public accounts, and needs a free API key. The Wake on LAN integration can power on a PC or any device that supports magic packets.
- Dim the lounge lights when a game starts, and bring them back up when it ends (using the media player state).
- "Console left on" reminders, or a bedtime that turns the TV and console power off.
- Switch bedtimes for kids: Parental Controls limits that you can change from Home Assistant on weekends and holidays.
- A "gaming mode" scene with a button on a tablet or a voice assistant.
- The PSN NPSSO token and Nintendo and Xbox account tokens are effectively logins to your accounts. Keep them out of screenshots and forum posts, store them in Home Assistant only, and consider a dedicated account for integrations where the platform allows it.
- The docs recommend retrieving the NPSSO token in a private browser window. Logging out of the PlayStation website afterwards invalidates the token.
- Consoles are not a place to harden. Put them on your normal network and the IoT or guest VLAN as you prefer, but do not forward ports to them. Remember that console discovery protocols use multicast and may not cross VLANs.
- Parental controls are for supporting parenting, not for bypassing a child's account settings. Talk about it with the family before locking devices remotely.
Question for the group: which consoles do you have connected to your smart home, and what do you automate with them? Has anyone found a reliable way to wake or power off a PS5 or Xbox from Home Assistant?