New PS5 and PS4 system software rolls out globally today PlayStation has announced. The system software update brings fan-requested features like the ability to join open and closed parties on both PS5 and PS4. There are also UI enhancements for PS5’s game base and trophy cards.
Both the PS5 and PS4 recently had a system software beta phase that allowed owners to try out these new features.
PS5 owners in the U.K. and U.S. will also be able to rest out a new Voice Command feature that comes with the latest system software update. The Voice Command (preview) feature will let PS5 owners from these countries find and open games, apps and settings and also control media playback with their voice. In the English language only for now.
Pro Tips Cards
Another nice new feature that arrives with the latest system software update for PS5 is the Pro Tips Cards.
Pro Tips Cards give you a quick refresher on how to do things like apply game presets, use voice commands, share your screen with your friends, pin videos and apps to your screen and use the Trophy Tracker.
To access the new Pro Tips cards simply tap the PS button on your DualSense and scroll along to the Pro Tips cards.
Enhancements to the PlayStation App and Remote Play
Starting today, PlayStation will also be rolling out enhancements to the PS APP and PlayStation Remote Play feature. App users will be able to create and join closed and open parties from the app. And the app’s Game Base interface has also been updated to make it easier to get access to friends, messaging and party features.
Remote Play app users will also get a new Dark Mode based on their phone settings and new screen reader languages.
VRR for PS5 coming in the next few months
PlayStation also announced that VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support will be added to PS5 in the coming months. For HDMI 2.1 compatible TVs and gaming monitors, VRR dynamically syncs the refresh rate of the display to the PS5 console’s graphical output. You can read more about VRR on the PlayStation Blog article.
Full Patch Notes for System Software version 22.01-05.00.00
In (Game Base), we’ve updated the following:
- Voice chats are now called parties.
- For easier access, we’ve divided Game Base into three tabs: [Friends], [Parties] and [Messages].
- From the Game Base control menu and cards, you can now do the following:
View all your friends under the [Friends] tab in the control menu.
Start Share Play directly from the voice chat card. You no longer need to start Share Screen to use Share Play.
Add a player to a group, or create a new group directly from the messages card. You can also send video clips, images, quick messages and view a group’s shared media from this card. - Now when someone in a party is sharing their screen, you’ll see the on air icon. You can check this in the [Parties] tab.
- The player search feature and friend requests are now under the [Friends] tab.
- We’ve made it easier to decline friend requests by adding a [Decline] button to your friend request list.
In (Accessibility), we’ve updated the following:
- We’ve updated the following for the screen reader:
The screen reader is now supported in six additional languages: Russian, Arabic, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish and Korean.
The screen reader can now read aloud notifications. - You can now enable mono audio for headphones so that the same audio is played from both the left and right headphones.
While your headphones are connected, go to [Settings] > [Sound] > [Audio Output] and then turn on [Mono Audio for Headphones]. Alternatively, go to [Settings] > [Accessibility] > [Display and Sound] and then turn on [Mono Audio for Headphones]. - You can now show a tick on enabled settings so you can easily see that they’re turned on.
Go to [Settings] > [Accessibility] > [Display and Sound] and then turn on [Show Tick on Enabled Settings].
In (Trophies), we’ve updated the following:
- The visual design of trophy cards and the trophy list has been updated.
- You can now see suggestions for which trophies to earn on the trophy tracker when you’re playing a game.
For the features available from the Create menu, we’ve updated the following:
- You can now start Share Screen and stream your gameplay to an open party.
We’ve added a new feature: Voice Command (Preview).
- Voice Command (Preview) understands speech commands for finding and opening games, apps and settings, as well as controlling media playback.
- To get started, go to [Settings] > [Voice Command] and turn on [Enable Voice Command (Preview)]. Then, call out “Hey, PlayStation!” and ask your PS5 to do something.
- You can use this feature to help you find and open games, apps and settings, control your media without even touching a button and much more.
- Currently, Voice Command (Preview) is only available in English for players with PSN accounts in the US and UK.
We’ve added Ukrainian language support.
Other updated features
- We made the following improvement in game library:
- Under the [Your Collection] tab, you can now filter your games by genre to find the games you want to play more quickly.
- We’ve pinned PlayStation Plus to the left edge of the games home screen.
- You can now redeem monthly games more quickly.
- Get easier access to the PS Plus game collections from your home screen.
- We’ve added a button guide to show you how to reload and zoom while using the internet browser.
- If you want to report something that someone in a party said, there are now visual indicators for you to identify who was speaking. This will help PlayStation Safety take appropriate action based on your report.
- We’ve made the console safer for child accounts:
- When viewing a purchased or installed game they’re restricted from playing, the background image of the game is hidden.
- Activity cards, such as those displayed in the control centre or game hub, won’t be displayed for age-restricted games.
- Now you can keep the games or apps you choose on your home screen.
- When focused on a game or app, press the options button to open the options menu and select [Keep in Home]. The games and apps you choose to keep will stay on your home screen.
- You can keep a maximum of 5 games and apps on each home screen.
- You can now have three more games and apps appearing on your home screen.
- We’ve changed the appearance of the User’s Guide to make it easier to view. If you prefer the old appearance, you can change it back.
- We now support more emojis.
- We changed the keyboard layout for Polish.
- We’ve updated the DualSense wireless controller device software to improve stability.
Full patch notes can also be viewed here.
The new PS5 and PS4 system software updates should be able to be downloaded and installed now, depending on your region. The PS5 update is coming in at 1.057 GB and the PS4 update was only 491.8 MB.
Source: PlayStation Blog
