Sony has started rolling out tthe next PS5 system software betaand is testing a wide range of features to be added in the next system software update “in the coming months”.
The main feature is the addition of built-in Discord voice chat, which among other things enables voice chat between the PS5 and other gaming platforms. To use it, PS5 owners will need to link their PlayStation Network and Discord accounts and use a Discord app on another device to initiate the chat.
Sony is also expanding Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support to include 1440p displays. VRR allows the monitor to adjust its refresh rate on the fly to match the console’s output frame rate, resulting in a much smoother, stutter-free image. This will be a useful upgrade for people who already own 1440p VRR monitors – a popular setup for PC gaming.
There are also a ton of improvements to the beta’s UI, social features, and general functionality. A few that stand out from Sony’s recap include: wireless firmware updates for DualSense controllers; an improved screen reader; more data transfer options, including much easier save data migration from PS4 to PS5 and transferring data from one PS5 console to another; per-game presets for multiplayer sessions; and manual uploads for game captures on the PlayStation app, for those critical times when you just don’t trust the auto-upload feature (hello, game reviewers and guide writers).
In the US and UK only, Sony is also testing capturing games using voice command: just say “Hey PlayStation, capture that!” to record a video clip of your recent game.
It is therefore a relatively busy system update. Invited beta participants will receive an email telling them how to get involved. As usual, Sony warns that not all features may be in the final update for all PS5 owners, and some features “may see significant changes”. But usually these beta tests are a pretty good indication of what the final update will be in a month or two.
