The PS5 has received its first major system update, adding support for several requested features including USB drive storage and support for 120Hz monitors. We’ve broken down the major new additions below, then included the full patch notes for the version 21.01.03.00.00 update in April.
PS5 April update patch notes - Version 21.01.03.00.00
© Sony
One of the biggest new additions is the ability to store PS5 games on external USB drives. Unfortunately, you still won’t be able to play games stored on USB drives, but it is possible to transfer entire games to and from USB drives to skip lengthy downloads and reinstalls when space is running tight. M.2 support hasn’t yet arrived, but Sony does acknowledge that it is working on delivering it soon.
In addition, support has been added for 1080p, 120Hz Monitors, and the option to disable HDR for non-HDR games is available within the PS4’s Screen and Video settings.
Share Play between generations is now supported too, allowing you to invite PS4 gamers to view and control the games you’re playing on the next-gen machine. Accessibility has also received a small boost too thanks to a zoom feature which lets you magnify portions of the screen for easier reading.
The update includes several other adjustments and tweaks to the console’s home page and Control Center. For the full list of changes, check the full patch notes below, summarized from the direct notes of Sony.
Full patch notes
Major changes
- You can now store PS5 games in USB extended storage.
- You can now enjoy Share Play with players on PS4. Use Share Play to invite your friends on PS4 to watch you play a game, or even hand over control to them.
- We've added zoom to our accessibility features. Use zoom to magnify what's on your screen. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display > Zoom to enable this feature.
- You can now request to join game sessions and view friends who are in available game sessions.
- We've added Disable Game Chat Audio in the control center under Sound. If you turn on this setting, your voice won't be heard, and you won't hear other players' voices in game chats. This setting doesn't apply to party voice chat audio.
Game Base
- You can more easily access recent parties and see your online friends. Use the R1 and L1 buttons to quickly move between tabs.
- You can now turn notifications on or off for each of the parties you're in.
- You can now adjust the volume of other players' voices in party voice chat as well as in the game chat of some games. From the voice chat card in the control center, select a player to adjust their volume.
Profile
- You can now share your favorite gaming moments more easily than ever. Under the Shared tab, select Go to Media Gallery and pick your favorite media to share.
- We've separated videos and broadcasts under the Shared tab for easier browsing.
Game library
- You can now manage all the games you follow by going to Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Manage Followed Games. This allows you to unfollow games without having to navigate to the individual news posts or game hubs.
- You can now hide games in Game Library. If you hide a game, it will no longer be displayed under the Your Collection tab.
- To hide a game, go to the Your Collection tab, open the game's options menu, and then select Hide.
- To view your hidden games, go to the Your Collection tab, open the Sort and Filter menu, and then select Hidden Items.
- To unhide a game, turn on the Hidden Items filter, open the options menu for the game you want to unhide, and then select Unhide.
- Games you hide on your PS4 console will also be hidden on your PS5 console.
Save data management
- When you start or resume a PS5 game, your console will check for newer saved data in cloud storage. If you have more recent saved data in cloud storage, you can choose to sync the data.
- It's now easier to manage your saved data directly from the home screen. When you open the options menu for a game, you'll now see Upload/Download Saved Data and Check Sync Status of Saved Data.
Trophies
- You can now access screenshots and videos taken the moment you earn a trophy. Select a trophy you've earned to see related media.
- You can now choose which grades of trophies you want to save trophy screenshots and videos for. To change these settings, go to Settings > Captures and Broadcasts > Trophies.
- Now when you select a hidden trophy, you can press the square button to quickly show hidden information.
- You can now go directly to a game's trophy list from a trophy card by selecting Go to Trophies in the options menu.
- Once you've selected a sort order for your trophies, your trophies will remain sorted in that order for all games.
- You can now view your trophy stats by pressing the square button on the Trophies screen.
- Now when you sort your trophies by rarity or earned date, the trophy cards will show the rarity or earned date information.
Cards multitasking
- Now when you focus on the multitasking icon on a card, you'll see hints about the multitasking modes that are available: picture-in-picture, pin to side, or both.
- We've added a button guide to show you how to interact with a card that's currently in multitasking mode.
Other adjustments
- For displays that support the HDMI device link feature, you can now enable or disable one-touch play and power off link individually. Go to Settings > System > HDMI to change these settings.
- When one-touch play is enabled, turning on your PS5 console will also turn on your connected display.
- When power off link is enabled, turning off your connected display will put your PS5 console in rest mode.
- You can now set the country or region in the parental control settings for PS5 console users and guests who haven't joined or signed in to PlayStation Network.
- The country or region you select will determine what rating system is applied to PS5 games and apps. To change a user's country or region, go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls, select the user, and then select PS5 under Age level for games and apps.
- You can also set the country or region in advance for new users and guests on your PS5 console. To do so, go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > PS5 Console Restrictions > Parental Controls for New Users > PS5.
- We now support more emojis.
- If you install this update, Enable Chat Transcription in accessibility settings will be turned off. If you want to use the chat transcription feature, turn this setting back on.
- You can now see your wireless controller's battery percentage in the control center.
- In the game or subscription hub, you'll now see promotional offers that are currently available, including those for PlayStation Plus, PlayStation Now, and EA Play subscribers. To view the options that aren't displayed in the hub, press the ... (more options) button.
- When playing a game you've hidden by selecting Hide your games from other players in your privacy settings, other players will no longer see information about the game you're currently playing next to your online status.
- Some PC monitors that can display 1080p/120 Hz now support 120 Hz display for games. If you're having trouble viewing your game at 120 Hz, go to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output, and then turn off Enable 120 Hz Output.
- We've added the option to switch the video output to non-HDR when using a game or app that doesn't support HDR. To change this setting, go to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > HDR.
- We've made updates to the system software to improve stability and performance.
Those were the full PS5 April system update patch notes for version 21.01.03.00.00. We’ll do our best to update you on any major changes to the PS5 system in future.
