Next PS5 update will have Discord voice chat, VRR support for 1440p, and more

Sony has begun rolling out the next PS5 system software beta, and is testing a wide range of features to be added in the next system software update “in the coming months.”

The main feature of the integrated Discord voicechat is that it allows voice chat between PS5 devices and other platforms. PS5 users will have to connect their PlayStation Network accounts to Discord and then use Discord on another device for the conversation.

Sony has also expanded variable refresh rate (VRR), support for 1440p displays. With VRR, the monitor adjusts its refresh rate automatically to the frame rate output from the console. This allows for smoother images and less judder. This will be a useful update for people who already own 1440p VRR monitors — a popular configuration for PC gaming.

You will also find many improvements to the user interface and other social features. A few that jump out from Sony’s rundown include: wireless firmware updates for DualSense controllers; an improved screen reader; more data transfer options, including much easier save data migration from PS4 to PS5, and data transfer from one PS5 console to another; per-game presets for multiplayer sessions; and manual uploads for game captures to the PlayStation App, for those time-critical moments when you just don’t trust the auto-upload feature (hello, game reviewers and guide writers).

In the U.S. and U.K. only, Sony is also testing game capture using voice command: just say “Hey PlayStation, capture that!” to save a video clip of your recent gameplay.

It’s a relatively packed system update, then. All invited beta participants will get an email letting them know how to join. As usual, Sony cautions that not all features may make it into the final update for all PS5 owners, and that some features “may see significant changes.” But generally, these beta tests are a pretty good indication of what the final update will consist of in a month or two’s time.