PS5 beta firmware adds Dolby Atmos, support for bigger capacity SSDs
You can finally make use of that expensive Dolby Atmos soundbar you have with your PS5.
Sony has rolled out a new firmware update for PlayStation 5. This is only a beta test, with the full launch expected sometime later this year.
The new firmware is fairly significant because of a couple of the key features it introduces. For one, the new update finally adds support for Dolby Atmos devices. More specifically, it allows Sony's Tempest 3D audio tech to be transferred to HDMI devices that support Dolby Atmos.
This is great news for anyone who uses their PS5 with an Atmos-enabled TV, soundbar or home theatre setup. Better yet, the 3D engine also supports overhead (height) channels. There's now an option under Settings > Sound > Audio Output for Atmos on the Audio Format Priority list.
The other big addition is support for NVMe SSDs with larger capacities. Assuming the drive you want to install into your PS5 meets Sony's requirements, they can now go up to 8TB, which is double the old limit of 4TB. Those drives are very expensive, though, so that's likely meant to future-proof the console more than anything.
For anyone who appreciates accessibility features, the new PS5 firmware update makes it possible to use a second controller for assistance. Basically, you can now assign a second controller specifically as the assist controller, which means you can use the console with both controllers as a single input device.
The benefit of that is to play the game alongside someone who can't operate the full functions of a single controller. You can assign any controller as main, but only the standard DualSense can be an assist controller (not the DualSense Edge).
Another welcome feature is the ability to turn on haptic feedback effects specifically when navigating the PS5 UI. This option is available to all official controllers, including PS VR2 Sense. This option turns sound effects into physical haptic pulses, which is great for anyone with a sight or hearing disability (or really, anyone who wants another level of feedback).
Like the recent PS5 beta firmware, only owners from select countries will be able to participate. Players from the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, and Japan can sign up for a chance to get to experience everything in the new update.
Invites should already be out, if you took part in any of the previous PS5 tests, so check your email. That said, Sony stressed that spots are limited, so don't get your hopes up too much.
Catch up on all the other changes in the upcoming firmware update on the PlayStation Blog.