Sony's New PS5 Update Includes Dolby Atmos and the Ability To Mute the Startup Beep

Sony is rolling out a big new PS5 update today, just over a month after it first started testing the changes in a beta. From a report: The update adds Dolby Atmos, lets you mute that annoying bootup beep, and even supports pairing a second controller as an assist one to let you help friends or family complete a game. Sony is also expanding its PS Remote Play app to Google's Chromecast with Google TV (4K), allowing you to stream games from a PS5 or PS4 to Android TV OS 12 devices. The Dolby Atmos support comes in the form of Sony's 3D Audio implementation (Tempest 3D AudioTech). It's compatible with Dolby Atmos devices like sound bars, TVs, or home theater systems. Media apps like Netflix can also update their apps on PS5 soon to support Dolby Atmos audio.

You can now mute the PS5 beep sound that chirps when you turn the console on or off, or even when it goes into rest mode after being idle. If you just want to adjust the volume of the beep there's now an option for that, too. One of the most useful additions is the ability to use a second DualSense controller for assistance. "You can now assign a second controller to one account as an assist controller, and use two controllers to operate your PS5 console as if you were using a single controller," explains Hideaki Nishino, senior vice president of platform experience at Sony Interactive Entertainment. "This feature introduces a new way for you to enjoy games collaboratively with others or help a friend or child navigate a particularly challenging section of a game."

Dolby ProLogic IIz?

[kurkosdr]

What I would really like to see is Dolby ProLogic IIz, which can create height channels from surround and can also create height and surround channels from stereo. It's not as good as real Atmos obviously, but it makes sure your height and surround speakers don't stay silent if there is no Atmos audio. You see, there's just not that much Atmos content out there. But very few players or soundbars do Dolby ProLogic IIz unfortunately.

Re:

[kurkosdr]

Not sure if trolling or just stupid, but Dolby ProLogic IIz is a real thing, look it up.

Re:

[posixively_true]

This comment remind me that the Wii was actually capable of outputting Dolby ProLogic II (without z or x after the II). As weird as it was, it was a nice hack to get Surround sound through simple stereo inputs - even though I never actually tested it.

Re:

[kurkosdr]

Dolby ProLogic II (all the variants) work regardless of whether information encoded as out-of-phase information between the two channels exists (which is what ProLogic II "encoded" output is), the out-of-phase information "helps" the Dolby ProLogic II decoder but is not necessary. I think both home cinema systems and consoles should have a Dolby ProLogic IIz decoder today, so even if your old home cinema doesn't have it, the console does.

A buddy box!

[Talon0ne]

That's a great idea from Sony! Just like how I can use a master/slave a remote for flying RC planes! What a great idea. I can't tell you how many times I get a controller just thrown at me to get one of my kids out of a bind. This will be really helpful.

Mute Startup Beep

[Artemis3]

May your parents never find that you are skipping homework to play video games again.

And now it sure can output 8k video, right?

[ffkom]

I mean "8k" was printed in big boldface letters on the PS5 packaging from the very beginning, so it cannot possibly be a complete lie, right? Oh wait, the PS5 is from Sony, the company who installed root kits on the PCs of their paying customers. So yes, they are still the same gangsters, lying to their customers.