Latest PS5 Firmware Update Finally Brings Fans A Much-Requested Feature
Ever since Sony released the PlayStation 5 (PS5) back in November 2020, Sony has been inundated with feature requests from its customers. As a result, the company spent the better part of 2021 working on these community-requested features. In August 2022, Sony completed internal evaluations for the new system software for the gaming console and released a beta version for beta testers. Following more than a month of testing and listening to feedback from PS5 beta testers, the company announced on September 7, 2022, that it has started rolling out the final version of the system software for the PS5 for all users.
The biggest feature added to the PS5 is support for 1440p resolution. This has been a long-standing feature request from PS5 users across the globe. Note that the original PS5 system software only supported two resolution options when connected to external displays: 1080p and 4K. People who owned displays with resolutions higher than 1080p and lower than 4K had to default to 1080p. The new 1440p resolution will address the requirements of these users, who will no longer have to default to the lower 1080p resolution while gaming.
All is not well, however, with the 1440p resolution option, with some reports claiming that switching to 1440p disables the VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) functionality.
New features enabled by the latest PS5 firmware update
Aside from the new 1440p resolution option, the new PS5 firmware adds several social features that were missing from the original firmware. Key among these features include options to share screen with friends and easier access to view profiles of users. The new firmware also lets people send stickers and voice messages from the Game Base tool. Sony has also attempted to improve the YouTube experience on the PS5, with the console now getting the option to execute a YouTube search using voice commands. This feature, however, is only open to PS5 accounts registered in the UK and the U.S., with the only supported language being English.
Another key feature enabled by the new PS5 system software is Gamelist — which simplifies the task of organizing games easier. Users can create up to 15 Gamelists, with each list containing up to 100 games. The updated software also lets users compare the difference between PS5's 3D audio and standard audio. In addition to bringing new features to the PS5 console, Sony also made several updates to the PlayStation app — PS App for Android and iOS devices. Chief feature additions to the app include launching a PS Remote Play Session from your smartphone and initiating and accepting screen sharing requests.