New PS5 update includes some great Xbox Series X features and voice commands

Date:
Wed, 09 Feb 2022 10:30:08 +0000

Description:
A new PS5 system update is rolling out to beta participants and includes new UI enhancements, accessibility features, and more.

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A new PS5 system update is rolling out to beta participants today, which brings a number of changes to the PlayStation 5s UI as well as voice commands for those in the US and UK. Pleasingly, the PS5 update also includes some excellent Xbox Series X features that users will certainly enjoy.

The first notable change in the PS5 beta is the new party chat options. Voice chats are now called parties, as you can now create open and closed parties. Open parties mean anyone can join, while closed parties are invite-only. PS4 users will now also be able to individually adjust the voice chat volume of each player in a party on PS4, just like on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

If someone unscrupulous joins your party and fires off a torrent of abuse, it will be easier to report them thanks to the visual indicators in a party identifying whos speaking. This should help PlayStation Safety crackdown on
my griefers, and you can find out more about reporting people on PS5 here .

Share Play is also receiving an update as part of the new PS5 update. You
can start Share Play directly from the voice chat card, which means you no longer need to start Share Screen first to use Share Play. Youll also be able to start Share Play from the Create menu and stream your gameplay to an open party.

The PS5s Game Base has been divided into three tabs: Friends, Parties, and Messages, which should make navigating to the information you want easier
than before. You can view all your friends under the Friends tab, search for players, send friend requests and decline them. You can also add a player to
a group directly from Game Base in the Control Center and share text
messages, quick messages, images, video clips and view a groups shared media. (Image credit: Sony) PS5 UI enhancements and tweaks aplenty

Even though we still dont have folders on PS5, users will soon be able to
keep a maximum of five games and apps on each home screen (Games and Media)
at all times. Similar to how you can pin games and apps on Xbox , this
feature means your favorite games wont disappear into your library if you
open up other titles or apps.

In addition, youll now be able to have a total of 14 games and apps appear on your home screen, which means theyll be more leeway before the last game you played is pushed back to the end of the queue. (Image credit: Sony)

The PS5s Trophies UI has also been improved, with an updated visual design
for trophy cards and the trophy list. Youll be given suggestions for which trophies to earn on the trophy tracker, and you can access it from the
Control Center while playing a game. (Image credit: Sony)

In terms of accessibility improvements, the next PS5 update will include more screen reader languages as well as mono audio for headphone users, which should help those who have unilateral hearing loss. Its important to note
that this feature can only be enjoyed when using headphones or headsets connected via USB or the headphone jack as Bluetooth isnt supported.

Last, but by no means least, beta participants in the US and UK will be able to use voice commands to navigate their PS5 console. Youll need to enable Voice Command (Preview) from the Settings menu, and then say Hey,
PlayStation! followed by a command to find a game, open an app or setting,
and control media playback. Youll obviously need a microphone, so make sure youre wearing a headset or have an appropriate USB microphone attached as the PS5 HD Camera doesn't include a mic, unlike how Microsoft's now-defunct
Kinect did. (Image credit: Sony) Analysis: an impressive array of changes,
but there's still no VRR or 1440p support (Image credit: Shutterstock/Alex
Van Aken)

Theres no denying that the next PS5 update brings with it plenty of improvements and changes. Users should particularly enjoy how games and apps will no longer vanish from the home screen when other titles and apps are played and whether you like them or not, its always fun to see voice
commands return in some capacity.

However, one notable omission is the lack of variable refresh support ( VRR ) and 1440p support . Sony had previously promised that VRR would come in a PS5 update in the future, but theres still no sign of it. The same is true of 1440p, which is notably absent on PS5 and PS4 and means that if you connect
to a 1440p monitor, the PS5/ PS4 Pro will only output at 1080p.

But why should users even care about variable refresh rate? Well, VRR is a feature that eliminates screen tear and judder and can make small frame rates dips appear imperceptible when playing games. In short, it makes games appear smoother than they actually are, and its been available on Xbox consoles
since 2018. Youll need a compatible HDMI 2.1 display to use it, however.

Auto low latency mode would also be a welcome addition. ALLM lets a game console send a signal to a users display so it automatically switches to the lowest latency setting, such as Game Mode. While most gamers will be aware of the best picture mode to use, weve seen countless users pick picture modes like Cinema or Movie which often introduce a far higher level of input lag
and arent ideal for gaming.

Its great to see Sony continuing to improve the PS5s system software, but hopefully, these two outstanding issues are addressed sooner rather than later. PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition : what's the difference?

Via PlayStation Blog



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/new-ps5-update-includes-some-great-xbox-series- x-features-and-voice-commands/


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