PS5 software update brings 3D Audio to your TV speakers

By Dan Sung
published

M.2 SSD storage expansions for local PS5 game playback too

Sony PlayStation 5
(Image credit: Future)

Sony 3D Audio technology can come to your simple, two-channel, built-in TV speakers from today with the second major PS5 software update to date. The September system update includes M.2 SSD storage expansion and a host of social gaming feature additions too.

From an AV perspective, it's the 3D Audio that is by far and away the biggest addition and, once updated, you can enable it in the menus and then measure your room's acoustics using the DualSense controller. After that the PS5 will perform some clever DSP to virtualise height effects from your TV sound system.

Sony has introduced the feature after noticing the popularity of 3D Audio in the Pulse headset, but how effective that's going to be when using TV speakers remains to be seen.

The Pulse 3D Wireless Headset itself also gets a software bump with access to an EQ system which includes a set of different sound profiles to choose from.

PS5 3D audio screenshot

(Image credit: Sony PlayStation)

The other big change is the support for M.2 SSD storage expansion. These slimmer, high-speed modules can be installed on the both standard PS5 console or PS5 Digital Edition console and can be used to download, copy, and launch PS5 and PS4 games, as well as media apps too. You can then play your games directly from them and switch between storage as needed.

You'll need to make sure your choice of M.2 SSD comes up to minimum standards and add some heat sinking hardware too. You can read detailed and fairly straightforward instructions on how to add an M.2 SSD to a PS5 console.

Outside of sound and storage, there are UX tweaks which allow players to customise the look and feel of the Control Center and Game Base. Different versions of the same game are now separated in the library. There's a resolution selector tool for game streaming and there are better ways to track trophies and achievements, and improved party control with online play.

Finally, there are refinements to the PS Remote Play App over mobile networks and more screensharing options from the PS App. You can take a look at the full details of the September PS5 software update on the PlayStation Blog.

MORE:

PS5 vs Xbox Series X: which is better?

These are the best gaming TVs to go with your console.

Here's where to find more PS5 stock.

Dan Sung
Dan Sung

Dan is a staff writer at What Hi-Fi? and his job is with product reviews as well as news, feature and advice articles too. He works across both the hi-fi and AV parts of the site and magazine and has a particular interest in home cinema. Dan joined What Hi-Fi? in 2019 and has worked in tech journalism for over a decade, writing for Tech Digest, Pocket-lint, MSN Tech and Wareable as well as freelancing for T3, Metro and the Independent. Dan has a keen interest in playing and watching football. He has also written about it for the Observer and FourFourTwo and ghost authored John Toshack's autobiography, Toshack's Way.

2 Comments Comment from the forums
  • bristollinnet
    I got caught up in the surround system craze back in the 1990s and thought I was mega cool. I wasn't, and arguably still am not. As I have got older (matured?), I have come to realise that surround sound 'just about' works in a cinema but in a domestic environment that most of us inhabit, its a complete and utter faff and truly doesn't add that much.

    The industry including their media hangers-on will keep trying to get us to upgrade to the latest 'thing'. If you have a PS5 already, then maybe give it a go and tell us what you think. However, I'm happy for now with my PS4 Pro in bog-standard stereo.
    Reply
  • Woogy
    bristollinnet said:
    I got caught up in the surround system craze back in the 1990s and thought I was mega cool. I wasn't, and arguably still am not. As I have got older (matured?), I have come to realise that surround sound 'just about' works in a cinema but in a domestic environment that most of us inhabit, its a complete and utter faff and truly doesn't add that much.

    The industry including their media hangers-on will keep trying to get us to upgrade to the latest 'thing'. If you have a PS5 already, then maybe give it a go and tell us what you think. However, I'm happy for now with my PS4 Pro in bog-standard stereo.

    Firstly, your PS4 Pro isn't limited to just stereo output. Not unless you only have it connected to a TV with two speakers of course.

    Secondly, with regard Sony's clumsy attempt at faux surround with this 3D nonsense, the few that will benefit from it are the ones that own the games that utilise it (of which there's only around a dozen).

    It doesn't improve or add anything to every game. If you toggle it on with a game that doesn't utilise it, it sounds worse.

    So, just like Sony's screwed up approach to DV via their UHD players where you have to toggle DV on and off accordingly, the same goes for the few games that will benefit from 3D audio via the PS5.

    Keep your PS4 Pro.
    Reply