10 Life Hacks Every PS5 Player Should Know
Sony’s PlayStation 5 is a powerful console, but if you simply plug it into your TV without tweaking the settings, you’re likely not using its full potential. From enabling 120 frames per second to customizing the Welcome Hub, there’s a lot you can do with the PS5 with a little experimentation. Here are the top 10 tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Sony’s current gaming console.
Enable 120Hz and 4K support on your PS5.
Just because you bought a new, expensive PS5 doesn’t mean you’re getting the best performance from it. If you have a 4K TV or monitor with a refresh rate of 120Hz or higher, you should check your video output settings to ensure your console is taking full advantage of that refresh rate.
First, before turning on your device, make sure it’s connected with an HDMI 2.1 cable. This is necessary for frame rates above 60 at 4K resolution. Your PS5 should have come with such a cable, and you’ll know it’s the right one if it has a rectangular frame around the sides. Also, make sure you’re connecting the cable to a port that supports HDMI 2.1, which will look different depending on your screen. On my LG C1 TV, it says “4K @ 120Hz” above the port.
Next, while your console can detect your display’s capabilities and adjust settings accordingly, go to Settings > Display & Video to manually check them and make any adjustments that require manual configuration. I prefer to leave most of the settings on this page set to Automatic so the PS5 can choose the optimal settings for the wide range of content you’re playing, but you can select any setting on this page to review the available options and force the output. If you don’t see 4K (listed as 2160p) or 120Hz here, it may mean you need to replace your HDMI cable.
To see what settings your PS5 is currently using, select “Current Video Output” at the top of this page. While I generally prefer to rely on the PS5’s automatic settings, one specific change you can make is applying VRR to unsupported games, which can improve image quality at the cost of introducing instability. If you scroll down the page far enough, you can also adjust the console’s HDR display time and go through the HDR setup wizard by selecting “Configure HDR.” You can also adjust your console’s display area by selecting “Screen” in the left sidebar, which is handy if your display has an unusual aspect ratio. Here, you can also adjust how long you need to be away from the controller before the console dims the screen.
Finally, if you have a PS5 Pro, you can increase the graphics quality in some supported PS4 games. You can do this in Settings > Display & Video > Video Output > Improve image quality for PS4 games .
Turn off the PS5 startup sound
Let’s say you’re having trouble sleeping, and instead of tossing and turning, you decide to sneak off to your PS5 to play. Unfortunately, the annoying beeping sound the console makes when it turns on alerts your partner, and now you’ll have some explaining to do. To prevent this, let’s disable this beeping sound beforehand.
In Settings > System > Sounds & Lighting , enable “Mute Sounds” to disable the sound your PS5 plays at startup. Or, if you simply want to turn down the volume, you can do so in the Volume section .
While you’re here, you can also adjust the brightness of the LED strip on the front of the console under “Power Indicator” > “Brightness.” Unfortunately, it’s not possible to completely disable it.
Change the widgets on your PS5 Home screen.
See all those widgets at the bottom of the welcome screen when you turn on your PS5? Did you know you can customize them? This is especially handy if you, like me, hate seeing ads that take up more than half the screen.
To customize the Welcome Hub widgets on your PS5, simply press X while hovering over the Welcome Hub tile, then navigate to the controls in the top-right corner. Here, you can select “Presets” to choose from various options set by Sony, or select “Edit Widgets” to toggle specific widgets on and off. Personally, I disabled the “News,” “PlayStation Plus,” “Wishlist,” and “PlayStation Store” widgets, as they’re essentially just for selling merchandise.
After selecting the widgets you want to display, before exiting the Welcome Hub settings, go to the “Settings” gear icon and choose whether to enable a large carousel layout for notifications (temporary widgets) and whether to match your widgets to the system’s general appearance settings (more on this later). If you have the “News” widget enabled, you can also customize which games will display news here.
Finally, to the left of the settings icon, you can choose a background for the welcome window, selecting from options prepared by Sony, included with some games you own, or taken from your media library.
Turn on surround sound on your PS5 and connect Bluetooth headphones.
Your PS5 is capable of more than just stereo sound, even if you don’t have a physical surround sound system. This is made possible by the various virtual surround sound codecs built into the console. To enable them, go to Settings > Sound > Audio Output > Audio Format (Priority) . Here, you can choose between Linear PCM, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio, and DTS. Not all of these options support virtual surround sound, and I admit I’m not audio savvy enough to know which is best for each system, but since Dolby Atmos supports height data, it proved to be the most versatile choice for my soundbar.
Alternatively, you can also use Sony’s own 3D audio technology by selecting “3D Audio (TV)” or “3D Audio (Headphones)” in the sidebar. Personally, I didn’t find the sound quality as rich as Dolby Atmos, but that’s not surprising. This technology is designed for gamers using TV speakers or headphones, so it’s not the best option if you have a soundbar or external speaker system. However, it’s worth a try if you listen through your TV’s built-in speakers or a headset. Note that only Sony’s own headsets can connect wirelessly to the console, but there are ways around this, as my colleague Jake Peterson wrote about here .
Make vibration more responsive on PS5
Sony is so proud of the vibration and haptic feedback of the PS5 controller that it upgraded its classic DualShock to the DualSense at the same time as its release. However, surprisingly, the haptic feedback isn’t as strong as it could be. This is because the PS5 controller has a built-in microphone, and Sony intentionally dampened the haptic feedback to prevent interference from the microphone.
If you, like me, rarely use the microphone on your controller, there are two ways to fix it. The first is more temporary and involves simply pressing the “Clear” button above the microphone icon on the controller to mute it, which will increase haptic feedback until you turn it back on. The orange indicator will remain lit while the microphone is muted.
The second option eliminates the need to manually turn the microphone on and off and eliminates the orange indicator light. You can enable it by toggling the “Mute” setting under Settings > Sound > Microphone > Microphone Status on Login , but keep in mind that you’ll need to re- enable this setting if you need to use the microphone.
Disable (or reduce) haptic feedback for DualSense triggers on PS5.
Sony may be proud of the haptic feedback of its new controller, but I personally think it’s a bit too strong, especially on the triggers. With the PS5, Sony introduced new adaptive triggers, which add resistance to the pull in some games for increased realism. But while the resistance of the controller when you first try to draw the bow in Horizon might be a fun novelty, it quickly becomes tiresome.
Luckily, you can customize this, along with any other haptic feedback settings. Under Settings > Accessories > Controller (General) , select “Trigger Effect Intensity” to set the strength of the adaptive trigger resistance, and select “Vibration Intensity” to set the overall vibration strength. I personally set “Vibration Intensity” to “Strong” and “Trigger Effect Intensity” to off.
Install an SSD or use an HDD for PS4 games or for transferring games from PS5.
The PS5 comes with ample storage by default, and while this can vary by model, it’s typically enough for five to seven AAA games. But if you need more storage, you can easily install a supported M.2 SSD into your PS5. Sony provides detailed installation instructions here , along with a guide on determining SSD support. While the specific steps will vary depending on your PS5 model and the SSD you choose, you’ll typically only need a screwdriver to complete the installation. And what’s even better? The new SSD won’t replace your existing internal storage, so you can use both.
To install games to the SSD after it’s installed, first change the install location to M.2 SSD in Settings > Storage . Then simply install the game as usual. If you want to move games already installed on the PS5’s internal storage to the SSD, go to your Game Library , select the games you want to move, press the Options button, and select “Move games & apps.” If you’re also using extended USB storage, then select “Moved to M.2 SSD.”
Speaking of USB drives, the PS5 also supports external USB drives. You can check the requirements here —compatibility with all devices is not guaranteed. Also note that while you can play PS4 games directly from a USB drive, PS5 games must be installed on an SSD. However, you can store a PS5 game on a USB drive and then load it onto the console’s SSD or your own M.2 SSD when you’re ready to play, bypassing the download process.
Quickly adjust game difficulty, subtitles, and graphics on PS5.
The first thing I do when I launch a new game isn’t to start my adventure, but to dive into the settings to see what can be changed. It’s not the best first impression, but there’s usually some toggle that significantly improves the gameplay experience, especially if it boosts the frame rate. Luckily, Sony is aware of my optimization issue and is doing everything they can to help.
Under Settings > Saved Data & Game/App Settings > Game Presets, you can preset a number of gameplay options, and your PS5 will automatically adjust them when you launch a supported game. The selection isn’t exhaustive, as Sony can’t predict the needs of every game, but here you can choose your preferred difficulty level, game mode (first-person or third-person, if both are available), language, enable subtitles, online multiplayer permissions, and, most importantly for me, my preferred game mode: Performance Mode or Quality Mode (here called Resolution Mode). Finally, I can set my PS5 games to default to Smooth Performance instead of Best Graphics.
Use the Game Help feature on PS5 for tips.
Let’s say you’re having trouble with a game, but you don’t want to open your internet browser and search for a walkthrough. That’s where the PS5’s “Game Help” feature comes in handy. It’s not available for all games, but if you’re stuck, it’s worth looking for. Simply press the PlayStation logo button on your controller, and if available, select the “Game Help” card. Your PS5 will then offer hints for specific objectives depending on where you are in the game, and can even show you videos from other players. It will also warn you if you’re about to see spoilers, so you can return to the game without watching the hint.
Everything is pretty simple and straightforward, and while the tips aren’t always detailed enough for my needs, I appreciate that the “In-Game Help” section also provides estimated time estimates for certain tasks, as well as progress towards them. For me, a busy woman in my thirties, this is a great way to know in advance how long my gaming sessions might take.
As for the source of gameplay videos in Game Help, they come from players who have consented to their publication. To start submitting videos to Game Help, go to Settings > Capture & Broadcast > Automatic Capture > Community Game Help . Select “On ” next to “Participate,” and Sony may occasionally review your gameplay and upload individual clips to its servers to serve as a guide for other players. Voice messages or group chat messages will not be recorded, and uploaded videos will not take up storage space on your console. However, depending on the game, usernames or text chat messages shown in the gameplay videos may be published.
Give your PS5 console a retro look.
Finally, this is just for fun. In 2024, Sony introduced PS5 home screen themes that mimicked the looks of the PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4. They disappeared from the system shortly afterward, but finally returned last April . To try them out, go to Settings > System > Appearance > Appearance & Sound and select the console you want to mimic. Personally, I like the PS2 theme, but for now, I’ve chosen the PS3 look because my husband really likes that console’s XMB menu. I wish Sony would add more themes to the list. Perhaps an Astro Bot theme?