Sony now testing out “Hey PlayStation!” voice commands and more, launching later this year

While some folks are still trying to get their hands on Sony’s latest-generation of gaming, PS5 voice command support is on the way. The new “Hey PlayStation” feature will be available as part of the latest beta test for Sony’s hard-to-get home console starting today, alongside a host of additional features. Today’s rollout marks the second major PS5 software beta and essentially the first time participants will see the PS5 voice command support in play. Head below for additional details. 

New PS5 voice command support

Beta users will now find a Voice Command Preview menu where various settings for the new virtual gaming console assistant features will lay in wait. The PS5 voice command support, as I’m sure you’re imagining, will allow users to launch games and apps as well as access various settings and control playback options while making use of PlayStation 5’s media players (movies, TV shows, and music). 

All of this is optional of course, but the settings menu does allow for your PS5 to listen and respond to the new “Hey PlayStation!” command that will effectively prime your console for you to bark demands at it. It is to be said this feature is indeed only available in the beta test for right now, and appears that it will eventually work in whatever language your console is set to, though at the moment it is only available in English for beta users in the US and UK. 

And more…

Today’s beta not only brings with it PS5 voice command support but also some party chat enhancements that (now referred to as Parties) allow users to make a chat “open,” allowing friends to join at will without being invited. Again, this will only be available to beta users for the time being. 

Additional features being tested in the latest beta include new trophy cards, additional screen reader languages, and the option to house certain games and apps on the Home screen. 

Anyone interested in trying to get into the beta can give it a shot right here, and be sure to head over to the latest PlayStation Blog post for additional details on the beta. It sounds as though some of these features will be available to everyone sometime in 2022:

While access to the PS5 and PS4 betas will be open to selected participants in applicable countries, the final system software updates will be available globally later this year. If you’re selected to participate in the betas, you’ll receive an email invitation when the updates are available to download tomorrow. As with previous system software betas, some features available during this phase may not make it into the final version or may see significant changes. 

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