The PS5 has been commercially available for 10 months now, and despite the still palpable shortages, Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to enrich its machine with updates and other improvements. The update for September 2021 was particularly eagerly awaited and it turns out to be quite massive. In a press release and explanations on the PlayStation Blog, we learn that the manufacturer has finally opened its ports to allow users to add storage with new M.2 SSDs. But that’s not all, because on the side of 3D audio, there are also improvements since the function will be extended to TV speakers. Come on, we’ll tell you all about these new features without further ado.
ADD MORE STORAGE VIA THE SSD
It therefore took almost a year for Sony to finally allow access to the M.2 SSD port. to allow players to add additional storage. Because although the PS5 comes with a space of 1TB, this is obviously not enough to hold games that often exceed 100 GB today. From now on, it is possible to have a screwdriver to install an additional SSD, knowing that the latter can be used to download, copy and launch PS5 and PS4 games, but also multimedia applications. It is also possible to launch PS5 and PS4 games directly from the M.2 SSD drive, but also move your games between the different storage options.
3D AUDIO ALSO FOR TV SPEAKERS
In addition to the storage that can be added, the update for September 2021 allows gamers to enjoy 3D audio on the speakers built into their TV. Rather handy when you don’t have the right gear to still enjoy an immersive sound experience. As of this writing, we have yet to perform our own tests, but according to Sony, this feature turns the standard channel audio from the TV speakers into three-dimensional sound. In this regard, it is possible to calibrate the acoustics of your room via the microphone of the DualSense controller, and thus apply an optimal 3D audio setting for the environment. A bit like Bose and its ADAPTIQ system or the TrueDepth at Sonos to calibrate the speakers with your iPhone.
BETTER USER INTERFACE
But that’s not all, the update being beefy, Sony has also planned improvements to the user interface, by facilitating access to trophies, but also by offering more options to manage the content of its games. For example, we can now customize the control center, with the possibility of reorganizing the orders. You can even decide to hide or show the keys at the bottom of the screen. Also simpler, if you want to send Parties to your friends, it is possible to do so from the Game Base, located in the control center. Thus, we see more quickly the status of his comrades, knowing that it is also easier to accept or refuse a friend request.
Regarding the game library, if you have installed the PS4 and PS5 versions of the same game, they are now displayed separately in the “Installed” tab, with a clearer mention of which version it is (PS4 or PS5). We also learn that the screen reader controls have been made easier, with the ability to pause or restart the Screen Reader by pressing the PS and Triangle keys, but also to make it repeat everything it reads. by pressing the PS and R1 keys.
As for users of the PlayStation Now service, subscribers can now choose between 720p and 1080p (depending on the games) as their preferred video resolution for game streaming.
IMPROVEMENTS ALSO ON PS4
Finally, be aware that new features have also been planned on PS4, such as the ability to view PS5 trophies from a PS4 profile and from the trophy list as well. Players will also be able to view others’ PS5 trophies from their PS4. On PS4 and PS5, the owners of a Party will be able to dissolve it without having to remove individual players.
