Sony has begun rolling out a brand-new update for the PlayStation 5 on April 23, bringing the console and its more powerful big brother, the PlayStation 5 Pro, to version 26.03-13.20.00. The new firmware update is available to download worldwide right now, but PlayStation 5 owners shouldn’t expect any major improvements, as Sony says it has simply improved the messages and usability on some screens and added more emojis for players to use when reacting to messages.
The good news, however, is that there does seem to be a significant improvement to the console in the works. Earlier this month, some users enrolled in the console’s beta testing programme received a new console update that made a major change to the PlayStation 5’s home screen. Sony has yet to comment on the new design, but as it is currently available for certain users to test, the company appears to be gearing up for a full release in the coming months. For those who haven’t seen the redesign yet, the horizontal section of the home screen now only displays games and the Welcome Hub, while the PlayStation Store, PS Plus, and other media have been moved to a smaller section above and can be navigated with L1 and R1.
Sony Rolls Out New PS5 Update
As for today’s new PlayStation 5 update, users can download firmware version 26.03-13.20.00 directly from their console or from the official PlayStation website right now. However, as detailed in the patch notes, which can be found further down this article, there isn’t much to get excited about. The latest update has added more emojis for players to use when reacting to messages and has also improved the messages and usability on some screens. Sadly, that’s all, as it doesn’t look like Sony is ready to roll out the new home screen design to users just yet.
For those who have yet to get their hands on a PlayStation 5, now might not be the best time to take the plunge. While PS5 sales spiked earlier this month, the reason for the sudden increase in units being shifted was for all the wrong reasons. On April 2, a new price increase for the PlayStation 5, the PlayStation 5 Pro, and the PlayStation Portal came into effect. The announcement came a few days before the hike hit retailers, which caused many to flock to purchase a console before it became unreasonably expensive. The digital edition of the PS5 now costs $599.99, the standard version with a disc drive is $649.99, and the beefy Pro console is a whopping $899.99.
It’s becoming more and more expensive to be a gamer these days, but those who already own a PS5 are in for a treat this year, as there are some big exclusives set to release in the coming days and months. The highly anticipated spiritual successor to Returnal, Saros, is set to release on April 30 and will be a PS5 exclusive. Then, one of the biggest releases of the year will arrive exclusively for PS5 in September, as the long-awaited Marvel’s Wolverine will finally launch on September 15.
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PlayStation users also got their hands on another first-party Xbox title this month, as Bethesda’s most recent RPG jumped ship. Unfortunately, reports claim that Starfield has had a “middling” launch on PS5. Although sales figures are impressive, with 140,000 copies apparently being sold in its first week, it has a long way to go if it wants to beat the likes of Forza Horizon 5, which had a huge launch on PS5 last year.
PS5 Update 26.03-13.20.00 Patch Notes
- We’ve added more emojis that you can use for message reactions.
- We’ve improved the messages and usability on some screens.
