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Your PlayStation 5 is due for an upgrade. Sony pushed the latest system software update for all PS5 consoles, version 23.01-07.00.00, on Wednesday, March 8. The changelog sports a lengthy list of new features and changes, with four in particular that will interest most players.
The main features of the newest PS5 update
The biggest new feature by far is Discord integration. It’s limited to voice chat right now, but, hey, you can finally chat with your Discord friends through your PS5. You’ll find the option to transfer a voice chat to your PS5 in the Discord app. The Verge’s Tom Warren has a walkthrough on how it works here:
First look at Discord on PS5
Next up, there’s now an update to 1440p output, which Sony originally rolled out to everyone in September. Now, VRR (variable refresh rate) is supported in 1440p, as well as additional modes and HDMI devices. Sony recommends you check if your HDMI device supports 1440p resolution from Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Test 1440p Output.
Voice Command is getting an upgrade. If you say “Hey PlayStation, capture that,” your PS5 will save a video clip of your recent gameplay. You can get specific with it, too, asking your PlayStation to save anywhere from the last 15 seconds of gameplay to the last hour. “Hey PlayStation, start recording” will start a gameplay recording, and “Hey PlayStation, stop recording” will end it.
Finally, you can now transfer all data from one PS5 to another. If you ever need to move consoles, this new option will come in handy.
Other features and changes in the latest PS5 update
Those updates are what Sony calls the “main features,” but there are plenty of smaller changes the company added you might notice while using your PlayStation:
Screen reader gets an upgrade, offering more detail when navigating your PlayStation.Game hub now features a timer for tracking elapsed game time. You’ll also see game progress for games with a maximum amount of story activities. There’s now a “Friends Who Play” tile, showing which of your friends owns the game and offering details about what they’re up to.The trophy tile is now easier to access.Competitive multiplayer cards now support full screen, and “Start Activity” will take you directly to a game.You can now see which platforms others are using in cross-play games.Share your screen with a friend or request they share their screen from their profile.You’ll see friends as online when they’re using the PlayStation app. Change the default sort order for gamelists. Filter through PS VR- and PS VR2-compatible games. In Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Game Presets > Online Multiplayer Sessions, you can select your preferences for Who Can Join and Who Can Invite.Your PlayStation will let you know if you have cloud storage available when downloading a new PS4 game, if there’s no game data on your console. Choose Media Gallery files to upload to Captures in the PlayStation app. When typing on your controller, you’ll see suggestions. Press the R1 button to select a suggestion, then press the cross button to enter it. Delete learned suggestions from the options menu. On Japanese keyboards, the suggestions that appear while entering characters are now shown in both half-width and full-width characters.You’ll see Unicode 15.0 emoji. Sony reduced the time it takes to perform integrity checks on downloaded data. Sony changed the way installed games are started, but didn’t say what that change was. You can now play disc-based games from the digital game file if you have it downloaded to your console, rather than waiting for the disc game to install first. The reverse is true: You can play a game you installed using the disc from the digital download if you bought it, too, without needing to use the disc.You’ll see a list of objectives (if provided by the game) through the hint system. You can manage your authorized apps in Settings.There are updates for the device software for DualSense, DualSense Edge, and PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers that improves stability across the board. You can also update the DualSense controllers over a wireless connection (other named controllers already support wireless updates).An error dialog message that gave misleading information referring to parental control restrictions when using the web browser was fixed.Sony made an update to address an issue causing some IPS LCD monitors to flicker when VRR (variable refresh rate) is enabled.How to update your PS5
If you have automatic updates enabled, your PS5 may update on its own. However, if you don’t have this feature set up, or you want to update manually, go to Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings. You’ll see “Update Available” if you haven’t updated yet. Just choose “Update System Software” to update.
To update automatically from now on, go to Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings, then enable “Download Update Files Automatically” and “Install Update Files Automatically.”
