Sony testing Discord voice chat and much more for next PS5 system update
Sony has begun rolling out the next PS5 system software beta, and is testing a wide range of features to be added in the next system software update “in the coming months.”
The headline feature is the addition of integrated Discord voice chat, which among other things allows for voice chat between 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 to the frame rate output by the console on the fly, making for a much smoother, judder-free image. This will be a useful update for people who already own 1440p VRR monitors — a popular configuration for PC gaming.
There are also a ton of enhancements to the user interface, social features, and general functionality in the beta. A few that jump out from Sony’s rundown 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 data transfer from one PS5 console to another; per-game presets for multiplayer sessions; and manual uploads for game captures to the PlayStation App, for those time-critical moments when you just don’t trust the auto-upload feature (hello, game reviewers and guide writers).
In the U.S. and U.K. only, Sony is also testing game capture using voice command: just say “Hey PlayStation, capture that!” to save a video clip of your recent gameplay.
It’s a relatively packed system update, then. Invited beta participants will receive an email telling them how to get involved. As usual, Sony cautions that not all features may make it into the final update for all PS5 owners, and that some features “may see significant changes.” But generally, these beta tests are a pretty good indication of what the final update will consist of in a month or two’s time.
