Sony has begun testing 1440p support on the PlayStation 5. The option is included in the latest PS5 beta software, along with game lists and new social features. It is unknown when the option will become available to all PS5 owners.
The new beta software will be available on Thursday, according to Sony for ‘invited participants’ in a limited number of countries. The Netherlands and Belgium are not yet included. PS5 users with beta access will be able to set their video output to 1440p on supported displays in the new software version, under the ‘Screen and video’ settings.
Games that support 1440p can then be rendered at a native resolution of 2560×1440 pixels. In other cases, the game is rendered at 4k and then scaled back to 1440p, which should allow for better anti-aliasing. Users can test if their screen supports 1440p under the ‘Screen and video’ menu. Variable refresh rate does not work at 1440p, Sony warns. That feature only works on 1080p and 4k resolutions. The Xbox Series consoles already support 1440p.
The PS5 beta also adds game lists, a kind of folders that users can use to organize their games on their dashboard. Users can create up to 15 lists with up to 100 games each. Users can add digital, disc and streamed games via PS Plus Premium. It is also possible to add a game to multiple lists.
The console also gets new social functions. For example, users will be able to send a request to friends to share their screen in the future. Users who join a party will also be notified when they can join another party member’s game. It will now also be possible to send stickers and voice messages in parties and users will soon be able to switch more easily between 3D audio and stereo sound for headphones. It is not known when the features will be available to everyone, but it will probably happen in the coming months.