Here’s What’s New in the Latest PS5 Update
Following the announcement of the PS5 Pro this week, Sony is releasing a fresh update for current PS5s. The next time you boot up your console to play Astro Bot , you may also notice some new features and changes.
Welcome Center
With this update, Sony is launching Welcome Center, a place on your PS5’s home screen that can be customized with a variety of widgets. You can view your PS5’s total storage capacity, the battery level of connected devices such as controllers and headphones, which of your friends are online, as well as your various trophies and more. Like widgets on other platforms, these UI elements can be resized, so you can choose how much of any widget you want to see in the welcome section.
For some PlayStation fans, the best part is the new ability to change the background of the welcome screen. You can choose from preset backgrounds, some of which include animation, or use your own photo instead. I’ll never know why Sony abandoned custom backgrounds, but it’s a great addition.
Sony says the Welcome Center is replacing the Explore tab for US users and that the Welcome Center will be available in the US starting today. (Users around the world will see a welcome section in the coming weeks.) The company first started testing the feature in beta back in March .
Personalized 3D Audio Profiles
With this new update, you can customize your 3D audio profile when wearing headphones with PS5. 3D audio can make your games sound more realistic, so sounds resonate where they occur in the game space.
You can run a series of tests to customize your personal profile by going to Settings > Sound > 3D Audio (Headphones) . These settings are saved for each user.
Remote play
Remote Play settings are being updated to let you choose which users are allowed to connect to your console via Remote Play. If you want friends to be able to log into your PS5 when they’re done working and connect to it when they’re away from your home, great. If not, no problem.
You can manage these options in Settings > System > Remote Play > Enable Remote Play . Here you’ll see all the users who have access, and you can turn that access on or off using the switches next to each name.
Adaptive charging for DualSense controllers
Sony tries to reduce power consumption by automatically pausing charging when connected controllers reach an appropriate charge level. Oddly enough, this feature is not available on the original PS5 and is reserved for the thinner PS5 model and the upcoming PS5 Pro.
If you have a newer PS5 console, you can find this option in Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode , then select USB Power Delivery > Adaptive . This setting will also stop supplying power to the USB ports after a period of time if the controller is not connected.
Party share
Unlike Welcome Center, Party Share is not yet released today. Sony says this will happen within the next few weeks. But once the feature arrives on your account, you’ll be able to share PS5 voice chat links on any platform of your choice. This way you can invite a friend on, say, WhatsApp to start chatting in-game without having to be friends with them on PSN.
Sony says you can create a party link by opening a voice chat card in the PS5 Control Center, selecting Invite Players , then selecting Share Party Link . This option will generate a QR code that players can open on their phone and join the party from the PS5 or PlayStation app. Over time, this option will also appear in your PlayStation app.
How to update PS5
Your PS5 may update automatically. However, if not, go to Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update & Settings . You’ll see an “Update Available” if your console doesn’t already have one installed. Select Update System Software to download and install the update.