A new PS5 beta test will introduce voice commands on Wednesday

Sony has announced plans to make new PS5 and PS4 system software beta updates available to testers beginning on Wednesday, February 9.

PS5 beta participants in the US and UK will be able to test new ‘Hey, PlayStation!’ voice command features for finding and launching games and apps, as well as controlling media playback.

Following PS5’s first system software beta last July, the console’s second one will also introduce new customisation options across party chat, Game Base and accessibility settings, which Sony has detailed on the PlayStation Blog.

PS4 players will also be able to preview new parties features coming to both consoles. Voice chats are now called parties. When launching one, testers will be able to choose either an open or a closed party. The former lets party members’ friends see and join without an invite, while the latter is only open to invited players.

New PS5 UI features include the ability to keep chosen games and apps on the home screen, while the visual design of trophy cards and the trophy list has been updated.

In terms of accessibility updates, Screen Reader, which reads aloud on-screen text and provides spoken guidance for operating the console, will be made available in six additional languages, and players will have the option to enable mono audio for headphones.

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The betas will be available in the US, Canada, Japan, UK, Germany and France, with selected participants set to receive email invitations when the updates are available to download. PS5 voice commands will only be available to testers in the US and UK.

The features being tested will be made widely available when the final system software updates launch globally later this year.

PlayStation owners interested in testing software betas can register to do so for PS4 and PS5.