As the new year kicks into high gear with an amazing slate of PS5 game releases like The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Tekken 8 and Helldivers 2, along with FINAL FANTASY VII Rebirth later this month, we’re pleased to roll out another PS5 system software beta today with a number of quality-of-life enhancements and new features.

While beta access is limited to invited participants in select countries*, we plan to release the update globally in the coming months. If you’re selected to participate in the beta, you’ll receive an email invitation today when it’s available to download. Some features available during the beta phase may not make it into the final version or may see significant changes.

Let’s jump in to the newly added features:

DualSense wireless controller built-in mic and speaker audio enhancements

We’ve updated the device software of the DualSense and DualSense Edge wireless controllers to improve their sound features.

• Controller speaker enhancements. The controller speakers can now produce higher volume sound, allowing you to hear in-game sounds and voice chat audio more clearly.
• Improved noise cancellation. The mic input quality on these controllers has been improved, courtesy of a new AI machine learning model. Background noise from button presses and game audio are suppressed, resulting in a better voice chat experience. Install the system software beta and update the controller device software to enjoy enhanced clarity of your voice chat audio when using the controller mic.
• With this update, you may feel that the sounds coming from your controller speaker may sound louder. You can adjust the controller speaker volume from the control center.

Share Screen Interactions

Players watching Share Screen in full screen mode can now use pointers and emoji reactions to interact with the host’s gameplay.

• Viewers can move a pointer around, send a ping or draw a line on the shared screen, allowing them to highlight certain objects or areas to guide the host player more accurately.
• Viewers can send emoji-based reactions to the host’s screen to visually encourage and celebrate gameplay actions.
• Note: this feature is available by default but can be turned off by the host in the Share Screen settings. Both the host and the viewer must be participating in the beta to use this feature during the beta period.

Adjust Brightness of PS5 Power Indicator

You can now adjust the brightness of your PS5 console’s power indicator.

• Go to [Settings] > [System] > [Beep and Light], and then select [Brightness].

A heartfelt thank you to our community for always providing valuable feedback and supporting our beta programs. We’re excited to hear your though

Welcome to the first Players’ Choice poll of 2024! Let’s welcome the new year by picking your favorite title for January among the heavy hitters, indie knockouts, and virtual bangers. 

How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation.Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year.

What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Shadow of the Colossus and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will.

How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted.

Until Then is an indie game with unexpectedly profound things to say and a breathtaking art style set among Philippine-inspired landscapes. Don’t mistake its simplistic controls for a lack of substance—from its addictively mundane minigames to its meaningful look at healing from trauma. This game has the potential to stand among the classics in the narrative adventure genre.

Until Then unravels a bittersweet story of mystery and tragedy, unpacking the trauma of loss through the eyes of the main character, high school student Mark Borja. In a world still recovering from catastrophe, Mark and his friends navigate the joys and woes of another year of high school—piano practice, homework deadlines, and school drama— as you reminisce about the daily insecurities of high school life.

That is, until a fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction, upending Mark’s life. People

disappear, and memories prove unreliable. You’ll work to uncover a hidden truth with Mark and his friends in this narrative adventure as you race to unravel the mystery before it’s too late.

Play Video

An emotional rollercoaster blending tearful moments with delightful fun

Throughout Until Then, you’ll meet a diverse and achingly familiar cast of characters to converse with in person, over text, and through email. Watch how their personal stories unfold alongside yours as you get to know them, build relationships, and possibly flunk group projects.

Weave through familiar, busy corridors in your school uniform, wake to the roosters’ crows, and calls for Tahooooo! (a popular local sweet snack) and, of course, don’t miss the train for your morning commute. Immerse yourself in the sights and songs of the daily lives of Filipino students, barreling their way through high school in a rich and intricate city inspired by Metro Manila and the developers’ alma maters.

Attribution: Rizal Provincial Government 

The game confronts you with philosophical issues as you walk alongside Mark as he makes mistakes and struggles to heal his wou

Last week, we asked you to share new skins unlocked in The Last of Us Part II Remastered’s No Return mode using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

RevolutionAndre shares Ellie facing forward in the Astronaut skin

secondcapture shares Abby looking up through aviator sunglasses in the Bomber skin

W3bmast3r_vp shares Ellie with her gun drawn and a spore mask on in the Savage Starlight skin

Morph__1 shares Abby looking down in the rain in the Eighties leather jacket skin

jabivgp shares Ellie wearing the red Plaid skin, looking at the camera with a spore mask on

SneakyMikeVP shares Abby looking over her shoulder in the Badlands skin

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME:  Cool

SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on February 7, 2024

Next week, we’re feeling cool. 😎 Share moments with an undeniably cool character from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Have you ever watched the anonymous soldiers of a sci-fi movie get obliterated by aliens and thought to yourself, “I could do better”? Helldivers 2 is Arrowhead Game Studios’ invitation to brave players dying to experience the chaotic fun of facing seemingly impossible odds.

For the uninitiated, Helldivers 2 is a full sequel that maintains the 4-player cooperative essence of the 2015 top-down PS4 entry, while adding modern over-the-shoulder third-person gunplay and deeper customization options.

View and download image

Read more

Today’s Spider-Man creators grew up adoring Marvel’s web-slinging Super Heroes. Beyond this shared love for Peter Parker and Miles Morales, these creative minds approach their craft in surprisingly similar and divergent ways. Exploring how creators of different mediums approach crafting unique stories featuring shared characters is endlessly fascinating.

That’s why we’re excited to reveal a new entry in Sony’s Creator to Creator series, featuring some key people responsible for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This two-part series includes:

• Bryan Intihar, Senior Creative Director, Insomniac Games
• Jacinda Chew, Senior Art Director, Insomniac Games
• Robert “Bobby” Coddington, Senior Animation Director, Insomniac Games
• Bill Rosemann, Marvel Games Vice President & Creative Director
• Joaquim Dos Santos, Director, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• Kemp Powers, Director, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• Justin K Thompson, Director, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Part one of the Creator to Creator series dives into everything from authentically portraying Marvel Super Heroes in film and games to the parallel bonds between the Spider-Men and the creative teams that bring them to life.

Play Video

In part one, Coddington reflects on foundational lessons from Marvel artists and how to pose the Heroes dynamically. Thompson explains how technology has evolved so far that it’s no longer the main hurdle for telling visually complex stories, like those of the Spider-Verse. Chew reveals her excitement and sense of duty around creating convincing Symbiote tentacles in the game. Finally, Intihar discusses how the bond between Peter and Miles reminds him of growing alongside his fellow Insomniac developers.

We also had the opportunity to check in with the Insomniac Games team that participated in the Creator to Creator series, asking them to share what they learned and think will stick with them from these conversations:

“It was inspiring to talk to another creative team working in the Spider-Man universe and discovering that we were all dealing with similar problems and challenges regardless of medium.”

– Jacinda Chew, Senior Art Directo

Prepare for a massive drop of new content with the arrival of Season 2 for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone. Introducing new maps, modes, weapons, a new Zombies story mission, the return of Fortune’s Keep, Resurgence Ranked Play, and more, there’s plenty to challenge players across all modes.

Play Video

Season 2 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone launches on February 7 on PlayStation 4 and PS5.

Multiplayer Overview

New Core 6v6 Maps

Departures (Launch): Deploy to Zakhaev International Airport in a competitive 6v6 map with areas for all playstyles. Battle in the main lobby, up on the mezzanine walkway, or take it outside by the airport drop off. This map is larger than Terminal, rewarding exploration with new routes and strategies.

Stash House (Launch): Prepare for chaos as battle erupts on this compact map featuring a luxury ranch home filled with cash. Explore the modern décor within or fight by the outside bar, hot tub, and driveway. For those who like tiny maps, this is for you.

Vista (Launch): Explore a mountaintop resort in Brazil in this classic three-lane map featuring tight interior spaces with long-ranged outdoor sight lines. Battle around the gift shops and restaurants or flank through the lowered jungle route away from the bustle of stores.

Das House (Mid-Season): The seminal small map returns with an all-new look as Operators navigate an under-construction skyscraper in the vicinity of Highrise. Looking for constant combat? This is it.

Plus, two more otherworldly-themed maps will join Tetanus, Sporeyard, and Satan’s Quarry for the Vortex Mid-Season Event: Airborne and Skidrow.

New War Map — Operation: Tin Man

Compete in a new large-scale War map with Operation: Tin Man. Skydive to the roof of a skyscraper and crash into the inner lab in the search for enemy data. The attacking team must find a way into the building, complete the mission, and move onto extraction as the other side defends the building and attempts to run down the clock.

New Game Modes

Team Gun Game (Launch): Every player

Welcome to February, PlayStation Stars members. This month brings a host of exciting challenges, Campaigns, and Digital Collectibles to elevate your gaming experience. Let’s delve right into some of the offerings for this month.

PlayStation Plus Game Catalog: Must-play this Month | Reward: 50 Points

Available February 1 

Get into the Valentine’s Day mood by playing any one of these couch co-op games from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. Try any one of these titles and earn 50 Points.

• Moving Out 2
• Overcooked 2
• Untitled Goose Game
• Portal Knights
• Resogun
• Child of Light

Campaign Name: Your PlayStation Monthly Games Await | Reward: 50 Points

Available February 6  

New month, new PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup. Try any one of this month’s games for 50 Points.

Campaign Name: Narrative Adventure Game Club | Digital Collectible: A Dark and Dusty Tome

Available February 8

Experience dark, mature narratives and sleek presentations in these narrative adventure games. Playing any of these modern thrillers will earn you a shiny new Digital Collectible.

• Detroit: Become Human
• The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners
• Observer: System Redux

Campaign Name: Lunar New Year | Reward: 2 Points & Digital Collectible: Red Envelope with Dragon

Available February 9

Happy Lunar New Year! The Lunar New Year Campaign celebrates the Year of the Dragon with some good luck rewards. Play any game to earn 2 Points and a Red Envelope with Dragon Digital Collectible.

PlayStation & You: PS4 | Digital Collectible: PlayStation 4 console – Glacier White

Available February 15

Available only to PlayStation 4 console – Glacier White owners. Play any game on PS4 or PS5 to unlock your Digital Collectible.

Campaign Name: Wind Down with PlayStation | Digital Collectible: Leap Year, Sleep Year

Available February 21

Wind down and relax by playing any one of these PS4 or PS5 games to unlock your cozy Digital Collectible.

• Saltsea Chronicles
• Unpacking
• Spirit of the North

Stay tuned to PlayStation App for all the latest updates throughout the month. Not a PlayStation Stars member yet? Learn more about PlayStation Stars and join for free here

If you missed the live broadcast of the latest State of Play, you can find the full show, all the individual trailers and the announcements collected in one handy list below. Enjoy. 

Play Video

State of Play: All the trailers 

Dave the Diver 

Play Video

Death Stranding 2 On The Beach 

Play Video

Read more

Hi PlayStation Blog readers! We are very excited to share the newest trailer for Dragon’s Dogma 2 revealed today during State of Play. In this article we will be diving deeper into some of the information revealed in it: the brand new Warfarer vocation, the vocation maisters, and the mysterious dragonsplague.

Play Video

Introducing the Warfarer vocation

Wield a greatsword, chant high-level magick, and deceive enemies with illusions. The Warfarer is a vocation that allows you to engage in combat while switching between the weapons of other vocations.

The Warfarer is a vocation exclusive to the main character, the Arisen. Warfarers can use all weapon types and learn the core skills of all vocations. It is the “ultimate vocation,” so to speak. Some vocations excel at close combat, or are skilled at support, and the Warfarer can utilize the strengths of each vocation as the situation demands. The Warfarer has the potential to release powerful combos, such as using Trickster skills to deceive enemies and open opportunities to chant powerful attack magick.

However, the Warfarer is not an all-mighty vocation. Their basic stats are not high, and they must carry many weapons in order to use their various skills. They will require the player’s skill to exploit strengths in different situations, or else the vocation will remain a lesser version of each of the respective vocations.

Only those who have honed their skills and adaptability will be able to bring out the full potential of this vocation.

Create an ice platform with your archistaff and attack the enemy with a greatsword. It is up to the player to connect combos utilizing different weapons.

Vocation maisters

Around the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2, there are vocation maisters, who have mastered their respective vocations.

Lennart, the Fi