New PS5 System Software Beta Boosts DualSense Audio Capabilities and More

A new PS5 system software update is rolling out in beta, and if you've ever bemoaned your DualSense's poor mic or speaker quality, you're in luck.


Published: February 6, 2024 8:29 AM /

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The new PS5 slim models with a DualSense beside them to represent the PS5 system software beta

Sony has released a new PS5 system software beta that features some pretty impressive-sounding improvements to the DualSense controller's audio capabilities.

First up, the DualSense's speakers can be cranked up for some extra volume so that you don't miss any important voice chat or game sounds.

The controller's mic has also been improved "courtesy of a new AI machine learning model"; noise cancellation has been improved, so background button press noises and game audio should be suppressed.

A duck DJ at a table while players surround it with foam in the PS5 game Foamstars
Trying to hear your friends over a frantic game of Foamstars? The new PS5 system software beta should help.

As well as improvements to the way the DualSense's audio works, you can also look forward to new Share Screen interactions.

If you're watching Share Screen in fullscreen mode, you can now react to gameplay with "pointers and emoji reactions", allowing you to help players find objectives (or, more realistically, troll them into oblivion).

Don't worry, though; if you're hosting gameplay and you'd really rather not use this feature, you can turn it off. Both host and viewer must be taking part in the beta for this feature to work.

Lastly, the strength of the PS5's LED power indicator's light can now be adjusted, so if it's too bright for you, you can lower the brightness. You can't make it any more bright than it already is, though.

Gameplay of The Last of Us with the PS5 system software beta's new emoji reactions and pointers overlaid onto it
Now don't misuse this feature, y'hear?

The beta is rolling out in the US, Canada, Japan, the UK, Germany, and France, which, as Sony points out, are the same territories in which the last system software beta (and, indeed, the one before that) was released.

Following this initial rollout, the new system software update will be introduced globally "in the coming months", according to Sony's official announcement post.

In the meantime, if you've been selected to take part in the PS5 system software beta program, you'll get an email at some point today inviting you to download the update and see what it's like for yourself.

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