A new firmware update is live for all PlayStation 5 owners worldwide. This is the last major firmware update for the system, after its beta testing period. The main addition of the new PS5 firmware is support for 1440p resolution. Also included is the ‘Gamelist’, which is Sony’s version of the PS4’s ‘Folder’ system. A blog post from PlayStation SVP for Platform Experience Hideaki Nishino has detailed the changes coming with the new update.
As mentioned, 1440p HDMI video is the main addition. “1440p” means screen resolutions with a vertical dimension of 1440 pixels. The most common 1440p resolution is the 2560 x 1440 aspect ratio (a 16:9). 1440p isn’t as common on TVs, but it’s popular for PC monitors halfway between 1080p (1920 x 1080) and the more demanding 4K (3840 x 2160). Now the PS5, which previously could only detect 1080p and 4K, also supports it. There is one caveat though: using 1440p disables VRR (variable refresh rate) support, which only works at 1080p and 4K. VRR is often used in games and on displays that support it to eliminate screen tearing by synchronizing the display refresh rate with the game frame rate.
Check out a video promoting the PS5 firmware update below, along with a handy visual reference for the area difference between the three resolution levels.
There’s more to the package than 1440p, though. The PS5 firmware update includes the much-requested “Gamelist” feature. Game listings live in the “Your Collection” tab of the PS5’s Games Library. Simply select “Create game list” and choose up to 100 games to add per list. You can have up to 15 Gamelists. Games can also be added to multiple game lists. The feature should allow for finer organization and sorting of PS5 owners’ game libraries.
A few additional convenience and social features are also included in the PS5 firmware update. Gamers can now quickly compare 3D audio and stereo on a single screen to decide which presets they prefer. The “Activity” system in the PS5 menu will also make it easier to resume an activity in progress. You can now also request a screen share from a party member, as well as receive notifications when a party member is playing a game that you can join directly. The PS5 now supports things like triggering a YouTube search via voice command (in English).
For PS App users, the update adds the ability to launch a PS5 Remote Play session directly through the app. This feature, however, requires the PS app and the separate PS Remote Play app to be installed on a device.
The latest PS5 firmware update is now available worldwide. PS5 owners can access the update through their systems.