New PS5 System Software update features audio focus and the return of the classic console UI customizations

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New PS5 System Software update features audio focus and the return of the classic console UI customizations

Includes a new feature for amplifying audio and classic console designs for the PS5 home screen.

Shuzo Kikuchi VP of Product Management, Sony Interactive Entertainment

We continue to work behind the scenes to bring new enhancements to the PS5 experience, and today we are excited to announce two key additions based on player feedback – audio focus  and the return of the classic console designs for the PS5 UI.

The PS5 system update will roll out globally in a phased approach, starting April 24.

Here are details of the new features:

Audio Focus

Audio focus increases immersion by providing presets to amplify soft sounds to meet your hearing preferences, ensuring a clearer audio experience when using headphones or headsets. This feature supports broader accessibility in audio experiences.

New PS5 System Software update features audio focus and the return of the classic console UI customizations

When the audio focus setting is turned on, you can choose from a range of preset options which makes it easier to distinguish sounds like in-game character dialogue, subtle sound effects such as footsteps and rustling grass, as well as voices in party chats for a more immersive gaming experience.

●  To enable audio focus, go to [Settings] > [Sound] > [Volume] > [Audio Focus]. This feature can also be accessed from the Control Center, so you can easily adjust the settings during gameplay.

●  You can choose from four preset focus type options for which sounds to boost:

  • Boost Low Pitch:  Amplify low-frequency sounds like roaring engines and rumbling noises.
  • Boost Voices: Amplify voice chats, character voices, and other middle-frequency sounds.
  • Boost High Pitch: Amplify high-frequency sounds like footsteps and metallic noises.
  • Boost Quiet Sounds: Amplify low-volume sounds in a wide range of frequencies.

●  You can set the level of support for each preset type from three different levels (Weak, Medium, Strong).

●  Additionally, you can also choose to adjust the level of support for the preset for Left / Right channels separately to meet your specific preferences.

●  The audio focus feature is available when using headphones connected via USB or analog jack. It is not supported for HDMI connections through TV, AV receivers or soundbars.

PS5 UI screenshots showing audio focus settings menu

Classic console designs for the PS5 UI returns

During our 30th anniversary celebrations, we surprised our fans with a limited time selection of nostalgic customization features for the PS5 System UI to honor the four PlayStation consoles that paved the way for PS5: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive response from our community, we’re happy to bring back the look and feel of the four console designs for players to customize the home screen on PS5!

Classic console designs main menu customization

This feature will be called the Appearance, and can be accessed under the Settings menu.

Appearance and Sound settings menu

We’re excited to bring the update to you and would love to hear your thoughts on them. Which features are you looking forward to seeing? Share your comments below!

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169 Comments

  • thraser79
    April 23, 2025 at 1:13 pm PDT

    very good news!!

  • Pedrof_Shelter
    April 23, 2025 at 1:16 pm PDT

    Please add the ability to invert both the sticks axises (X and Y) separately in the Dual Sense Edge custom profiles.

  • rabidbit
    April 23, 2025 at 1:23 pm PDT

    Would you please release a “1994 Edition” of the PS5 Pro for those who missed out on the 30th Anniversary edition (and make enough so everyone who wants one can get one)?

  • ohmyforce
    April 23, 2025 at 1:23 pm PDT

    Please, can we have the startup Sound and Graphics from the PlayStation?

    Pure nostalgia, of a simpler time.

    • lless-ulrich
      April 24, 2025 at 4:46 am PDT

      Exactly this, why have it during the anniversary thing and not being it back now?!?!?! Breaks my heart 😭💔❤️‍🩹

  • JGfan24
    April 23, 2025 at 1:25 pm PDT

    Thanks Sony for bringing back the classic themes I can’t wait try the audio settings on my ps5
    Thanks again Sony PlayStation team

  • skylar-7
    April 23, 2025 at 1:32 pm PDT

    Thank you Sony for these changes. I also suggest you fix the most annoying feature: I can’t get voice chats (GTAV) on my TV speakers. Instead I hate the stupid design of the weak speaker/mic in the controller unless I use my Turtle Beach headset. I think on the PS3 all voice/gamer audio was available through the TV HDMI. In other words: the PS5 screen/audio design is a big mess/disappointment. PS5: two steps backwards.

  • RealStAmant
    April 23, 2025 at 1:34 pm PDT

    Is the PS5 getting Dolby Vision support for blu-rays and games anytime soon?

  • yamiyugi09
    April 23, 2025 at 1:54 pm PDT

    This is nice & all but I want the ability to play Play Station 1,2 & 3 games on my PS5. They’re aren’t a lot benefits for users who don’t have PS Plus the price of PS Plus is too high if you ask me. Please give us the option to purchase/play PS1,PS2 & PS3 games

  • sam_prosmasher
    April 23, 2025 at 2:04 pm PDT

    Sony, I’m so proud of you for re-implementing the PS5 retro themes. Here’s a list of my favorites.

    🥇 PlayStation 4
    🥈 PlayStation 2
    🥉 PlayStation
    🏅 PlayStation 3

    • REALROBLAW
      April 23, 2025 at 4:29 pm PDT

      PS4 theme and start up are very generic. PS3 on later firmware bootup sequence wasn’t as good as the launch version of the PS3 OS.

  • Superstone
    April 23, 2025 at 2:14 pm PDT

    Fix your backwards compatibility and you’ll have the perfect console

  • skateb1rd
    April 23, 2025 at 2:22 pm PDT

    I cannot access the new appearance or accessibility settings and my console claims it is up to date for both features and system software. Is there a fix?

  • asunayukki234
    April 23, 2025 at 2:29 pm PDT

    as some one who plays and played alot of ps2 growing up ps2 was the best playstation so glad this is now a feature massive change

  • ddsikz
    April 23, 2025 at 2:38 pm PDT

    When exiting team chats, the team is not deleted. Re-entering the team repeatedly causes the menu to become completely disorganized. After leaving a voice chat, there should be an option to delete the team. This is a necessary feature.

  • uriel_17sn
    April 23, 2025 at 2:41 pm PDT

    Great work PS5!,but I do suggest to see more car games in subscriptions like motorfest,grid legends,fh5,another car games

  • guitarhero6127
    April 23, 2025 at 3:19 pm PDT

    Hey sie PlayStation I recentlylpre ordered the days gone game on ps 5 pro why should customers pay separately for the add-ons for the a on for the days gone game? Do you think that should be free with the preorder game?

  • shadowxghostly
    April 23, 2025 at 3:32 pm PDT

    FINALLY The Classic Themes Are BACK! Glad PlayStation Actually Cares About The Features We All Suggest, I Really Hope That We Will Be Finally Able To Copy PS5 Game Data To A USB Rather Than Being Forced To Use PS Plus Cloud Storage, Would Also Be Cool For PlayStation To Have A Setting That Lets Your Welcome Hub Wallpaper Be Used Instead Of The Game Wallpaper When Highlighting Games On The Home Screen.

  • REALROBLAW
    April 23, 2025 at 4:28 pm PDT

    YES!!! Thanks for bringing back themes! I’m hoping you will give us the boot up themes to choose from too!
    As far as audio goes, I’m glad you are trying to improve it but also the surround sound profile calibration tool in the settings is really bad. It doesn’t allow you to really show on the surround map the actual direction you are hearing the sound effects fly by on the calibration. Why can’t we have accurate pinpoint sound mapping? I thought that’s what PS5 is supposed to be able to do. As is, many games you can’t hear well enough enemies who come up behind you when games are supposed to be using the system’s surround features. It jeopardizes the gameplay experience. I really hope you fix that.

  • joel_dio
    April 23, 2025 at 4:46 pm PDT

    I’m worried about the specification of “look and feel” when it comes to the UI… All I want is the pax bootup sound back so hopefully that’s a returning feature. The screenshots also have me worried that this isn’t exactly the same thing we had for the anniversary. Also a firm supporter of the idea that a randomizer would be great for a different console theme each time you boot up. Anyway I guess we will find out tomorrow!

  • joel_dio
    April 23, 2025 at 4:47 pm PDT

    Psx, not pax

  • caseno1
    April 23, 2025 at 4:57 pm PDT

    Love this for Us..Stepping in a new direction

  • wexlad35
    April 23, 2025 at 5:09 pm PDT

    I hope I’m not alone in this, but I would like to see the RESUME ACTIVITY option restored, I hate having to go through the startup menus every time. It was a great feature to just jump back in.

  • SLAENERMAN64
    April 23, 2025 at 5:14 pm PDT

    Beautiful update sony 💙🤍💙

  • jwalter87
    April 23, 2025 at 5:25 pm PDT

    Thank you Sony!

  • SphereTubeBox
    April 23, 2025 at 5:40 pm PDT

    Good additions! Thanks! But I have a request for a future update…

    PLEASE separate the screenshot/snapshot capture sound effect from the system menu sounds!! I’ve always wanted this… I would like to be able to hear that a capture was successful without having to check, while also having home menu sound effects set to silent.

    Another idea is to add the ability to use L2 and R2 to jump to the far left and right of the home screen, like how PS4 used L1 and R1 to do this. But it would also be nice to let the user decide to invert/flip this behavior to allow L1/R1 to do the left to right jump and have R1/R2 do the switching between Games and Media.

    Thanks!

  • foxhoundtiger
    April 23, 2025 at 6:15 pm PDT

    My feedback heared very good thank you Sony entertainment

  • TheBat_mp
    April 23, 2025 at 7:42 pm PDT

    Just give us control over our own homescreen. You don’t need to maintain that level of control over how people have fun.

  • oridium44
    April 23, 2025 at 7:57 pm PDT

    Can you make these themes animated? It’s relaxing to watch the ps3 waves and the ps2 lights move around. Also, for the ps4, add an airplane taking off sound on startup to remind us of those good times.

  • shinigami_kp86
    April 23, 2025 at 8:17 pm PDT

    The fact thatbthey brought back the old UI is epic. The PS1 start-up is basically my childhood and brings back so much fun memories

  • Xgndevious55
    April 23, 2025 at 8:26 pm PDT

    Thank you guys for being a great service.Keep up the great work

  • Xgndevious55
    April 23, 2025 at 8:27 pm PDT

    Thank you guys for all your service that you’re done.Keep up the great work

  • Xgndevious55
    April 23, 2025 at 8:31 pm PDT

    Thanks for the experience, Sony.You guys never gave me a problem.I’d love you guys to survey.You guys a good job keep up good work playstation you guys have great games and good services for player to enjoy and share and play with family and friends together love to see more in the future with you guys

  • dogboi-1
    April 23, 2025 at 8:32 pm PDT

    So glad theyre adding the themes back. If anything, they should add more. Have new ones available for each new game and for classics. The personalization on PS helped make it stand out compared to Nintendo or Xbox back then.

  • laundry_time
    April 23, 2025 at 8:33 pm PDT

    Great update, especially the themes coming back, but still no audio source mixing? Not being able to mute certain games (the ones that doesn’t have any audio options) while having for example Spotify on is still weirdly left out. Feels like it should be easy to implement?

  • NubNubsThe1st
    April 23, 2025 at 8:44 pm PDT

    This update looks nice. I wanna see the menu have the same menus as the originals.

  • JonTtrx
    April 23, 2025 at 8:52 pm PDT

    Nicely done, Sony!

    I’d personally love to see more customisation options like this. We need more dynamic backdrops and customisable UI… icon sets and menu appearance mods would be superb!

  • AXEL_PLAY1234
    April 23, 2025 at 9:17 pm PDT

    I really hope you can have the look of the ps5 UI but keep the sounds of the ps1

  • engles7831025
    April 23, 2025 at 9:56 pm PDT

    WELL DONE SONY!!!

  • DApp13533d
    April 23, 2025 at 10:55 pm PDT

    The feature I want most from my PS5 that it does not presently have, is the ability in the settings to output all Audio to USB Headphones AND HDMI simultaneously, like Xbox does.

    I run a Buttkicker haptic motor on my chair from the Optical out of my TV, but PS5 disables the audio to HDMI when you choose the audio setting to send both game & chat audio to the Headset.

    I don’t choose the only other option currently available- to output just chat to the Headset, and game audio to the TV- because I don’t want to bother my squad with echoing game audio coming from the TV to the Headset mic, and miss out on the full benefit of 3D audio through the headset.

    Xbox allows you to choose to output to either TV or Headset or both at the same time in its audio settings, and my TV continues to output from its Optical even when it’s muted, so I still get near-silent subwoofer rumble from the Buttkicker. This is what I’d like to acheive with my PS5.

    The PS4 also had this limitation, but had the workaround of simultanteous output from its Optical out even when full audio was sent to the Headset. Of course, Sony omitted the Optical connection on the PS5.

    There are also Headsets with Optical or HDMI passthroughs that could address this, but to date not with the other features & functionality I am seeking.

    PS5 will output all audio to both Headphones & TV for PSVR2 games, so it’s not a hardware limitation.

  • Dreman00
    April 23, 2025 at 11:05 pm PDT

    Please give us the ability to use PS4 themes that we purchased on ps5! And please give us the ability to purchase avatars on ps5, this is currently locked to PS4 for whatever reason.

  • Dreman00
    April 23, 2025 at 11:06 pm PDT

    Please give us the ability to use PS4 themes on our ps5. And please give us the ability to purchase avatars on ps5!

  • k26ozzx
    April 23, 2025 at 11:54 pm PDT

    Audio focus is amazing, thank you👍👍❤️❤️❤️

  • Viryu
    April 24, 2025 at 12:48 am PDT

    All I want is to only use the intro from PS1.

  • slackenmacken
    April 24, 2025 at 1:45 am PDT

    Old PS1 start up and 30th anniversary theme are a must especially if you have a 30th anniversary console…… Please and thank you.

  • TheAizien
    April 24, 2025 at 2:25 am PDT

    UI PS5 for Marathon and The Last of Us, please Sony

  • nino-brown12
    April 24, 2025 at 4:02 am PDT

    For these themes… you guys should’ve included the 30th anniversary one that was on there when you guys launched it the first time. That one was fire!

  • tamrail
    April 24, 2025 at 4:14 am PDT

    Please bring back Themes.

  • itslonnybr
    April 24, 2025 at 4:21 am PDT

    Where’s the PS1 startup? It was the best thing about that 30th Anniversary update 😢. Please bring it back.

  • doctert667
    April 24, 2025 at 4:34 am PDT

    Those are interesting, but the feature I am desperately waiting for is the ability to force inverted x and y axis on any game. There are so many games I cannot play because they don’t offer both inverted axis.

    You could add it to the button remapping.

  • lless-ulrich
    April 24, 2025 at 4:44 am PDT

    No PlayStation 1 theme?!?!?? That’s literally the only one i used and want that start up is my favorite most nostalgic ever!!! How and why you bring all but that one back?!?!?!

    Please, being The PlayStation 1 theme and intro back!!!!!

  • lless-ulrich
    April 24, 2025 at 4:55 am PDT

    Could you please add as a separate option the boot sounds and animations???!!! I most wanted the m to have the original PlayStation boot up! That out of enjoying else is what i want. Could give just that and it’s be ecstatic! Please bring us the boot ups!!!

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