Sony will release new beta software for the PS5 and PS4 on Wednesday that will include support for the use of voice commands. That will now only be available to a limited group in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Hideaki Nishino, a senior vice president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, said in an update that the use of voice commands will only be available Wednesday in the United States and the United Kingdom, partly because there is only an English language setting. Voice commands can be used not only for finding and opening games and apps, but also for controlling media files.
Sony says that the beta software for the PS5 and PS4 is open to a limited group of participants as usual. It’s limited to the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and France anyway. The final versions of the software updates will be released worldwide later this year. Whether that also applies to broader support for the use of voice commands, Sony does not say.
In addition, new options will become available for chatting in groups. Sony says it has made certain updates based on feedback, so that players with the beta software on the PS5 and PS4 now have the option to create a closed or open party. In such an open group, friends can see the group and join without invitation. The same goes for friends of group members. Closed groups are only accessible to players who receive an invite.
The new software also gives players on the PS5 the option to set a filter for game genres. This should make it easier to quickly find certain types of games within a larger collection. Another interface innovation is the ability to pin games or apps to the home screen. Up to five games or apps can be held on each home screen. The total number of games and apps that can be displayed on the home screen has also been increased; a maximum of fourteen now applies.