PlayStation 5’s latest system beta introduces voice commands

Sony has detailed the latest system software betas for their PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles, which are due to roll out later today. 

While there is plenty of new updates and improvements to go through in this latest beta system update, the feature stealing the show are the new “Voice Command” options which are being rolled out in a limited release to United States and United Kingdom PlayStation 5 users. 

This brand spanking new feature allows you to use your voice to find and open games, apps, and settings, as well as control media playback on the console. All you need to do is enable the “Voice Command (Preview)” option from the settings menu, and then start shouting ‘Hey, PlayStation!’ at your console.

Since this new feature is in an “early testing phase” it probably won’t work flawlessly every single time, and there’s a chance it won’t work well with strong accents, for the time being, so keep that in mind while you’re yelling over and over again at the monolith in your living room. 

Thankfully for PlayStation users outside of the US and UK, there’s more than just voice commands being introduced in this latest beta, as there are also a number of improvements being made to party chats and accessibility features. 

Once the beta systems update rolls out, players on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles will be able to start a party in either an open or closed state, as well as better report the things that get said in the party thanks to new visual indicators that identify who was speaking. 

The PlayStation 5’s Game Base menu is also being updated with simplified tabs and categories to better keep tabs on your Friends, Messages, and Parties (formerly voice chats). 

Additionally, this beta systems update introduces new UI features to the PlayStation 5, allowing players to filter their game collection by genre, as well as keep select games and apps on their home screen for easy access. 

Lastly, Sony has implemented mono audio for headphones as well as more screen reader languages to increase accessibility. The PlayStation 5’s screen reader is now available in 15 languages thanks to the addition of Russian, Arabic, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, and Korean.