Sony’s First PS5 Software Beta Arrives with M.2 SSD Support

Today, Sony is starting to roll out the PS5 system software beta program. The program will include access to the long-awaited M.2 SSD slot. The first version is available for select users in the U.S, Japan, Canada, UK, France, and Germany.   

While the beta includes some new UX customizations and enhancements, but the biggest addition is M.2 SSD support.  

In their blog, Sony stated that uses will need an M.2 SSD that is PCIe Gen4 and has reading speeds of 5,500MB/s or more.   

“Using an M.2 SSD with your PS5 console requires effective heat dissipation with a cooling structure, such as a heatsink,” explains Sony. “You can attach one to your M.2 SSD yourself, either in a single-sided format, or double-sided format.”  

Despite the read speeds of 5,500MB/s or faster on Gen4 drives as recommended, Sony does not guarantee that all M.2 SSD devices will work with the console.  

Even if read speeds exceed 5,500MB/s, playing games from this expandable storage may not have the “same performance as the internal drive.  

Moreover, this latest software also includes 3D audio support for TV speakers. You can search the feature in the PS5’s console system settings and uses the DualSense controller to measure the acoustics.  

Also Read: PS5 Gets New Patch for Overall System Performance Improvement

Sony is also improving the Control Center interface to include more personalization options. It will give users more control and options to rearrange or choosing controls.   

Users will also be able to view and write messages to other parties from the Game Base.  

Sony is also updating the Friends tab to better manage options and the ability to friend’s status. They are addressing some confusing aspects of PS4 or PS5 versions.   

This new version will have a trophy tracker that allows players to access up to five trophies. It will also give options to pick between 720p and 1080p for its PlayStation Now service, and enabling a new automatic video clip for PS5.