Playstation 5 Pro with different colored lights shooting out from underneath it.
By
Kyle Gratton
Published 18 minutes ago
Kyle Gratton is an editor and writer based out of Kansas City. He received a bachelor's degree, dual majoring in English and History with a minor in Film and Media Studies, and has been a senior staff writer and reviewer for Screen Rant's Gaming section since 2021, with roles in editorial, and various freelance projects.
A terminal Midwesterner who graduated from the University of Kansas, Kyle also has knowledge and interest in literature, film, film adaptions of literature, and history.
Find Kyle on Bluesky: kwg.bsky.social
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A common gripe with the PlayStation 5 is a lack of customization options compared to its predecessor. The PlayStation 4 had plenty of home screen themes which radically altered the system's background, music, and icons, but it took the PS5 five years to receive animated themes, and they only change the background of one home screen tile, the Welcome hub. Steady progress has been made in giving PS5 users control over what their console looks like, and a new software update beta shows more is coming.
As detailed by YouTuber Mystic, the most recent PS5 system software beta update not only introduces a new, seasonally changing theme, but also adds new customization options. Showcase Mode causes your Welcome screen widgets to disappear while your PS5 is idle, giving you a clearer view of your chosen background. Slideshow will cycle through a number of backgrounds pulled from an album you've curated. A final addition to the Welcome hub is a new Recently Played widget, which gives you playtime, session, and trophy information on the game you last played.
PlayStation 5's Next System Update Could Be A Big One
PlayStation Logo on Blurred Sony Background
The PlayStation 5 system software beta has been around for a long time, and is not to be confused with the PS5 Beta Program, which focuses on upcoming games. By signing up for the system software beta in your PS5's settings, you get a sneak peek at upcoming features, though they might not always work as intended – you're helping test features before they're fully released. The beta is a great indicator of what's coming to the PS5 system software, however.
These new customization options may be relatively small, but they can make a huge difference in personalizing your experience. The Showcase Mode can be set to appear after a very short idle period (as low as 15 seconds), and also has options to display game info and a clock, essentially giving your PS5 an easily accessible screensaver. The Slideshow setting just gives you more control over what that glorified screensaver shows.
Gamers Have Been Asking For This Feature
Astro Bot holding Kratos hammer
These new system software features coming to the PS5 continue a trend of Sony moving in the right direction. The PlayStaiton 5 home screen might not be as customizable as users want, but the gradual introduction of new personalization features is more than welcome. Widgets were a great addition, but using them blocks most of the background you've selected, an issue Showcase Mode at least partially rectifies.
The main issue, as Mystic points out, is that Showcase Mode only works when you've moved down on the Welcome screen to highlight a widget – it does not work when you're on any other home screen tile. Users will continue to request more customization options, and as the PS5 only grows more popular (helped by the console being $100 off for Black Friday), we'll hopefully see these features refined even further. Maybe the PlayStation 5's Showcase Mode will be improved immediately when it leaves beta, but that's just well wishing for now.
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PlayStation 5
Brand
Sony
Original Release Date
November 19, 2020
Original MSRP (USD)
$399.99 (Digital Only), $499.99 (Disc Drive)
Weight
Digital Edition now weighs 3.4 kg & base version weighs 3.9 kg
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PlayStation 5
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