PlayStation
PS5 gets new Welcome Center update, custom 3D audio, adaptive loading for controllers and more
Sony is updating its PlayStation 5 consoles with new accessibility, customization and power-saving features. We round up all the major changes and new features.
PlayStation 5 consoles around the world are receiving a new system update today, September 12, 2024, that includes improvements to the Welcome Hub, custom 3D audio profiles, adaptive charge, and more. We told you about this patch a few months ago, but the additions were only available for certain profiles in a limited number of countries. Below is a summary of all the changes and new features in this update:
All the changes and new features of the September 2024 PS5 patch
As announced on the PlayStation Blog, the latest system update brings the following elements and features to PlayStation 5 consoles:
- Welcome Hub: A new home screen with customizable widgets and backgrounds. Available now in the United States.
- Party Share: a new feature that lets you share links to group and voice chats in messaging and social media apps, available globally in the coming weeks.
- Personalized 3D audio profiles for headsets: a new feature that lets you edit the 3D audio settings for our headsets.
- Remote Play Permissions: a new feature that allows us to control which users can and cannot access our PS5 console via Remote Play.
- Adaptive Charging for Controllers: This new power-saving option that will only provide power for as long as necessary to controllers that are automatically charged via cable from the console. Available on PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro consoles only.
What is the new PlayStation 5 Welcome Hub and what does it consist of?
Over the coming weeks, PlayStation 5 consoles around the world will feature the new Welcome Hub, a customizable space through widgets where we can place the content that interests us most.
Thanks to the Welcome Hub, we will be able to reorganize the console’s home screen to our liking, to have more of what we want at our fingertips, and to save time.
Another additional feature is the feature to change the background of our Welcome Hub, using images or screenshots that we have taken ourselves.
Party Share on PlayStation 5: the new voice chat feature
On the other hand, PS5 voice chats and groups will have a new key feature: the ability to share links to already created groups from messaging applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram, or social networks such as X or Facebook. This will make it easier for our friends or other players to join group chats with us.
Again, this is a tool that will save us time and make things easier when playing with friends or acquaintances. Like the previous feature, this one is not available today but will be rolled out globally over the next few weeks.
New Personalized 3D Audio Profiles for PS5 Headphones
As we said at the time, the 3D audio profile customization feature in our PS5 headset will allow us to create 3D audio profiles that are tailored to our hearing ability, a measure designed primarily for accessibility for users with difficulties in this area.
For example, we will be able to better detect enemies by hearing their footsteps in multiplayer games. 3D headsets that are officially supported on PS5 consoles, such as the Turtle Beach Atlas Air, Sony Pulse Explore, or BlackShark V2 Pro for PlayStation, will be able to benefit from these new features.
New settings for remote game access on PlayStation 5
Another key feature available globally today is the ability to allow or block remote play access to our PlayStation 5 console on a user-by-user basis.
New adaptive charging settings for controllers available on PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro only
Last but not least, the adaptive charging setting is now available worldwide, but only for users of the PS5 Slim console. Basically, the console calculates how long it will take to fully charge a controller based on its current battery level.
Once it estimates that the controller should be charged, the console will automatically stop supplying power to the USB ports. This also has the benefit of extending the life of the controller’s battery.