PS5 System Software Beta Adds Power Light Brightness and Improves DualSense Sound

I have been lucky enough to be selected to test out the new beta version of the PS5 system software. My PS5 is updated with the beta version and I have had a look at a couple of new features. There are some main updates with this beta version of the PS5 system, these include a new brightness option for the PS5 power light and improvements to DualSense audio.

Here are the main features that have been included in the beta.

PS5 System Software Beta Main updates

1. The DualSense and DualSense Edge wireless controllers have had their software updated to improve sound features. The controller software update also improves the stability
   • The controller speakers can now produce higher volume sound, allowing you to hear in-game sounds and voice chat audio more clearly.
   • The mic input quality on these controllers has been improved, courtesy of a new AI machine learning model. Background noise from button presses and game audio are suppressed, resulting in a better voice chat experience. Install the system software beta and update the controller device software to enjoy enhanced clarity of your voice chat audio when using the controller mic.
2. You can now adjust the brightness of your PS5’s power indicator (see below).
   • Go to [Settings] > [System] > [Beep and Light], and then select [Brightness].
3. New features have been added to parties and the share screen.
   • Players watching Share Screen can use pointers and emoji reactions to interact with the host’s gameplay.
   • Viewers can use a pointer or indicate a specific location on the gameplay screen with ping.
     Viewers can also send emoji reactions.
   • This feature is available when the host turns on [Viewer Interactions] in the Share Screen settings.
4. Unicode 15.1 emoji is supported. You can now use them in messages.
5. PS VR2 and the Access controller have also had device software updates to improve stability..
6. Messages and the usability of some screens have been improved.

The power of light

One of the first new features I tried on the PS5 beta was adjusting the brightness of the PS5 power light.

This feature can be accessed by going to Settings > System > Beep and Light and then select Brightness.

You can select three different brightness levels for your PS5’s power light. Bright (standard), Medium and Dim. Here’s a short and crappy video of how the different light levels look. I shot this on my phone so probably not the greatest of quality.

This feature might not seem that useful but dimming the light on your PS5 could potentially save some energy, much like dimming the DualSense light can save battery.

The PlayStation Blog has also posted an article detailing the new features of the PS5 system software beta. You might want to check it out.