Send command

The Send command action emulates a button press on a PlayStation 4. It mimics the buttons available in the PS4 Second Screen App, so you can navigate the console from an automation or a script. These are not the buttons on a DualShock 4 controller.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To send a command from an automation or a script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger. They run when something else calls them.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. From the search box, search for and select PlayStation 4: Send command.
6. Select the Entity of your PlayStation 4 and the Command to send.
7. Select Save.

This action does not support targets. In the UI, use the Entity field to choose which PlayStation 4 to send the command to.

Options in the UI

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required.

In YAML, refer to this action as ps4.send_command. A basic example looks like this:

action: ps4.send_command
data:
  entity_id: media_player.ps4
  command: ps

This presses the PS (PlayStation) button on media_player.ps4.

Options in YAML

Good to know

The Command accepts one of the following values, each emulating a button:

• up: Swipe up
• down: Swipe down
• left: Swipe left
• right: Swipe right
• enter: Enter
• back: Back
• option: Option
• ps: PS (PlayStation)
• ps_hold: PS hold (long press)

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Developer tools > Actions, search for this action, fill in the fields, and select Perform action. You see what happens on your actual entitiesAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more] without writing a line of YAML.

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.