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The PS5 has plenty of useful features disabled by default. From the ability to pick a default difficulty level for all games to automatically hiding spoilers, there’s a lot for you to explore. To make the most of your console, check out the following PS5 settings.
Mute the microphone
Whenever you boot up your PS5, the microphone in the DualSense controller powers itself on, too, which means your screen recordings could be recording your voice. You can ensure the microphone stays muted by default on your PS5. After you boot up your console, press the up arrow on the D-Pad once. Then, press the right arrow until you arrive at the gear icon, which will take you to the PS5's settings menu. Go to Sound > Microphone > Microphone Status When Logged In and change it to Mute.
Enable Remote Play
PS5's Remote Play feature lets you play PS5 games using your smartphone. You can enable this feature from Settings > System > Remote Play. Then, use Sony’s official apps or third-party alternatives to stream PS5 games to your smartphone.
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Make the most of surround sound
You don’t want to miss out on your PS5's 3D audio feature, as it creates a more immersive gaming experience. You can enjoy this surround sound using your headphones or the fancy 5.1 or 7.1 speaker systems in your gaming den. Check out our in-depth guide to enabling 3D audio on PS5.
Set default difficulty levels
If you’re the kind of person who always chooses the same difficulty levels, your PS5 has an option that automatically selects your choice in each game. You can access this feature by going to Settings > Saved Data > Game Presets > Difficulty. On the same page, you can set up camera defaults for first- or third-person view, subtitles and audio languages, and if you want each game to run in performance mode.
On a related note, your PS5 allows you to opt into receiving spoiler warnings before viewing certain kinds of content. To enable it, go to Settings > Saved Data > Spoiler Warnings.
Protect your privacy
Your PS5 asks you to choose your privacy preferences when you set up the console for the first time. If you don’t remember what you chose, you can always review these preferences. Go to Settings > Users & Accounts > Privacy. Ideally, you want to limit or disable all options under Control how your data is collected and used. You should also go through View and Customize Your Privacy Settings for granular control on what’s publicly shared on your PSN profile.
Configure the power savings features
If you want to cut your energy bills, you should always shut down your PS5 when you’re done using it. If you often forget, your PS5 has power savings features. Go to Settings > System > Power Saving to check out these options, including how soon your PS5 switches itself off after inactivity. Then, select Features Available in Rest Mode and ensure the console isn’t consuming more power than it needs to. For example, you can stop your PS5 from powering on the USB ports completely, or stop this power supply after the console is in Rest Mode for three or five hours.
Log in automatically
Finally, if you’re the only one in your household who uses your PS5, you can ask the console to log you in automatically, saving you a couple of button taps each time you boot up the console. Go to Settings > Users & Accounts > Login Settings to enable this option.
