The first major system update for the PS5 is now live, and as you’d expect, the new PS5 update is packed with some new features and quality of life improvements, but the big news is that you can finally store PS5 games on an external hard drive. There are also some hidden surprises, too.
Users can now copy PS5 games on the internal storage to a compatible external USB drive. Because PS5 games take advantage of the console’s super-fast SSD, you won’t be able to play any PlayStation 5 games from the external hard drive, nor can you download them directly to it. However, having the option to store them elsewhere is certainly welcome.
Disappointingly, Sony hasn’t shed any further light on support for storage expansion via M.2 drives. The PS5 has an empty M.2 drive bay behind the face cover, which is currently inoperable until Sony releases a firmware update and specifies which drives will be compatible.
The new PS5 update is also adding some new social features and personalization options. Users will be able to take advantage of cross-generation Share Play, which lets PS5 and PS4 owners share their game screen with a friend, pass your controller virtually, or pass a second controller virtually to play co-op games together.
A ‘Request to Join’ will now appear on both PS5 and PS4 consoles more often when gameplay opportunities to play together appear, and will also serve as a shortcut to jump into games with friends quicker than before.
The PS5 April Update makes a number of improvements to the PlayStation UI, too, with changes to Game Base that make chatting with Friends and managing Parties easier. You’ll also be able to disable game chat or adjust players’ volume quicker, and customize your game library so you can search or hide games from view.
Pre-download for game updates is also part of the new PS5 update, which when enabled by developers, lets some title updates for games pre-download if your console is set to receive automatic updates. Users will also notice some visual tweaks to the Trophy settings and stats screen, as well the option to adjust screen zoom in the Settings menu.
Finally, the PlayStation App is also getting some more functionality. In the coming weeks, Sony has promised that the app will allow users to join a multiplayer session on PS5, manage your PS5 console storage, compare trophy collections with friends and sort and filter products shown in the PlayStation Store. You can download the PlayStation App from Google Play and the App Store.
Hidden surprises
As is often the case with system updates, Sony didn’t touch on every feature in the PS5 April update. It turns out that users will also be able to switch the video output to non-HDR when a game or app doesn’t support it. To do this, got to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > HDR. The update also allows some 1080p/120Hz monitors to be supported. Here’s how to enable 120Hz on PS5.
Spaced out
The PS5 April Update includes some nice changes, however, it’s frustrating that users who want to add more genuine PS5 storage are still unable to do so. Unlike Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S owners, who can purchase the 1TB Storage Expansion Card that slots into the back of either console, PS5 owners only have 667GB of usable storage to work with. With more games releasing and updates often bloating up a game’s file size, the sooner Sony can let users expand their PS5 storage, the better.