The PlayStation 5 is getting another system update that will begin rolling out five new features, including a surprise one that lets players add a little more customization to the home screen. It’s not full-blown background themes as fans keep asking for, but it’s a start.
Sony is calling it the Welcome Hub, a replacement for the exploration module on the home screen when you first log onto the console. It sounds a bit like the current setup of the Xbox Series X/S except that players can customize which modules appear and where. The PlayStation Blog gives some examples, including “console storage, battery levels for accessories, online friends, trophies, and many more.”
You can also choose different backgrounds specifically for the Welcome Hub, including images from the screenshot folder that players capture while playing their favorite games. Like I said, it’s not a replacement for background themes for the rest of the console but it’s a start. Now if only there was a widget to protect my PS5 from suddenly having the power turned off before shutting down.
The rest of today’s update includes the following previously previewed features:
- Party share
- Personalized 3D audio profiles
- Adjustable Remote Play settings
- Adaptive charging for controllers
Party share makes it easy to link party voice chat groups on social media and mobile, personalized 3D audio lets you create presets based on your headphones and unique hearing sensitives, and adjustable Remote Play settings lets you save friends info so they can tap into your PS5 whenever they’re around. Adaptive charging is the coolest of these, making charging more economically efficient while the console’s in rest mode, but only for newer PS5s, including the slim models and PS5 Pro when it launches in November.
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