Sony plans to add some new tricks to the PS5 and PS4 on Wednesday. Console owners interested in seeing these features will have to first sign up for the system software beta program.
Party chat, voice commands and other new features will be available Wednesday in the PS5 and PS5 software beta, Sony said Tuesday in a blog post. This is the second software beta for the newest PlayStation console, and it’ll be available only for beta testers in the US and the UK.
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The most notable additions revolve around the party chat feature. Gamers will be able to have open parties where friends can easily join, or closed parties to keep it limited to those with a party invite. There’s also a new visual indicator to identify which member of the party is talking.
Voice commands will also be in the beta. Users can say “Hey, PlayStation” to open games, apps and settings, along with controlling media playback on the console. Sony says the feature is available only in English. Those who don’t want their voice recorded can opt out.
Another change to the PS5 is the option to keep five games and apps on the home screen, instead of them moving off the screen after you’ve used various other apps and games. The number of slots on the home screen is also up, to 14.