New PS5 update adds Voice Command, accessibility features, and more; Variable Refresh Rate coming soon
Host of new features coming players’ way.
Trent Cannon 
Image via Sony
PlayStation might still be struggling with sluggish sales due to supply issues, but that hasn’t slowed Sony Interactive Entertainment down. SIE has just announced a handful of new features for the console, rolling out a host of quality-of-life improvements to the console’s operating system.
According to the post on the PlayStation blog, these new features were requested by fans and have just finished their time in beta.
The update will allow PS5 players in the US and the UK to test drive a Voice Command feature, letting them open games, apps, and settings with the power of their voice. This feature will currently work only in English, but more languages will likely be added as the feature is tested more thoroughly.
Players will also be able to create “parties” in the PS App. These parties are temporary spaces where you can voice chat with other players. They can be Open, which are open to anyone on their friends list or to those on their friends’ friends list, or Closed, which are only open to people in a specific group in the PS App.
There are also a handful of other features being rolled out in this update, including the ability to filter games by genre, an easier way to start sharing your screen from the Create menu, more Screen Reader languages, and a mono audio option for headphone users.
Finally, PlayStation has announced that Variable Refresh Rate will be coming to the PS5 in the coming months. This feature will dynamically sync the refresh rate of the PS5 output with the refresh rate of the HDMI 2.1-compatible TV and monitor, reducing visual issues like screen tearing and frame pacing issues for PS5 games.
It is a big update, with some solid accessibility features mixed in with the usual feature updates that fans have been craving.
About the author
