The first major update for the PS5 console is released: support for external USB hard drives to store games

PlayStation announced that the first major system update for the PS5 console will be launched globally today, including many new features and improvements. Here is the new content for PS5, PS4 and PlayStation App:

PS5 storage expansion and management

●Save PS5 games to a compatible external USB drive. With this feature, you can transfer PS5 games from the console's internal storage to USB storage. This is a great way to expand your PS5 console's storage capacity, and when you're ready to play, you can smoothly copy PS5 games back to the console's internal storage. Reinstalling PS5 games from USB storage is faster than re-downloading or copying from a disc.

●Since PS5 games are designed to take advantage of the console's ultra-fast SSD, PS5 games cannot currently be played from USB external storage, nor can PS5 games be downloaded directly to USB external storage. However, games you transfer or copy to internal storage will automatically update when applicable. In addition, for certain games that support the option, you can choose which game mode to install (such as campaign mode or multiplayer mode).

As previously announced, PS5 consoles will support storage expansion with M.2 hard drives in the future. We are working on implementing this feature and will keep you updated via the PlayStation Blog.

New social features for PS4 and PS5 consoles

●Share Play Across Generations. PS4 and PS5 players can now use Share Play together and chat in a party at the same time. This means PS5 console players can let friends watch their game screen on the PS4 console, and even try out PS5 games through Share Play, and vice versa. Options include the ability to share your screen with a friend, virtually hand off a controller to a friend, or virtually hand off a second controller to a friend to play multiplayer co-op games together.

● Request to join a game session. The Friends Can Join Game Sessions dialog will appear on both PS4 and PS5 consoles, giving you more opportunities to play together. It also serves as a shortcut to send game invites, shortening the time it takes to start a game with your friends. Through the Privacy Settings menu, you can adjust who can interact with you through parties, games, and messages.

Enhanced control and personalization options for the PS5 console

●Redesigned Game Base. The Game Base menu has been improved to provide quicker access to important content and features. You can easily switch between parties and friends to start a chat in an existing party or see what each online friend is doing. In addition, you can choose to turn notifications on or off for each party you join.

●Disable game chat or adjust player volume. You can now quickly disable in-game chat, which will turn off your microphone and other players' voices. Additionally, you can easily adjust other players' individual voice chat volumes in the same chat, so you don't have to remind your friends to lower or raise their microphones every time.

●Pre-download of game updates. Once enabled by the developer, game updates will be pre-downloaded to your console if the "Automatic Updates" setting is enabled and your console is on or in standby mode. This will allow you to play the latest version of the game as soon as the update is released.

● Customize your game library. Now it’s easier to find content in your game library or personalize the view, with the ability to search your library and hide games from the view.

●Screen zoom. You can now zoom the screen to the size that works best for you from the settings menu.

●New Trophy Settings and Statistics Screen. Trophy levels generated by automatic capture of screenshots or movie clips are now customizable - you can now capture only those moments when you earn high-level trophies (such as Gold or Platinum) and save them as images/videos. We've also introduced a new Trophy Statistics screen that allows you to quickly view a summary of your trophy level and status.

New features in PlayStation App

We’ve also brought a host of new features to the PlayStation App, making it easier than ever to connect to your console experience remotely. Recently, we’ve introduced the ability to save products to your favorites, get notified when friends are online, and change your console’s online status. In the coming weeks, we’ll be rolling out more features, including the ability to join a PS5 multiplayer session from the app, manage PS5 console storage, compare trophy collections with friends, and sort and filter products displayed on the PlayStation Store. You can download the PlayStation App for free from Google Play and the App Store.