PS5 owners can now sign up to beta test new features — here’s how

PS5 owners can now sign up to beta exam new features — hither's how

(Image credit: Sony via thegameawards YouTube)

Select PS5 owners can now register their interest in participating in the PS5 System Software Beta Program , a public beta plan Sony launched today in an try to get help testing out system updates.

Sony has run similar public beta programs for PlayStation consoles past, merely this time around it'southward especially significant considering many people take reported serious PS5 problems like problems with transferring information to external hard drives or crashing and critical errors when the console is put in Rest Mode.

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Some of those issues have been addressed by organisation updates Sony has been releasing at a steady cadence over the concluding few months, but there'south still a lot of room for comeback.

To bring together the PS5 arrangement software beta program, you must be a PlayStation Network account holder xviii years or over who resides in the United States, Canada, the U.k., Germany, French republic, or Nihon. Of class, you'll besides have to own a PS5, which have been notoriously difficult to get ahold of since the console's Dec 2020 debut.

PS5 restocks are happening regularly at major retailers, but stock still seems to sell out speedily. However, with Amazon Prime Day coming up next week nosotros're probable to see a fresh influx of PS5 hardware. Though we won't know for sure until the deals start flying, these retailers could have PS5 stock for Prime Day.

If yous do manage to get ahold of a PS5 and sign upwards to have part in the arrangement software beta, yous still may not be called upon to serve: Sony says information technology volition select potential beta participants from the pool of those who sign up, and email them directly with instructions on how to download specific beta versions of the system software ahead of time.

While you should always be cautious virtually installing unfinished software on hardware yous ain, these "betas" are probably a safety bet. They'll likely be pretty close to concluding versions of the software, given that Sony is willing to release them onto public consoles and provide testers with an choice to roll their PS5s back to the latest official arrangement software release. Still, it couldn't hurt to support your PS5 to external storage if you have the choice — better safe than pitiful!

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Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than than a decade of experience covering both for outlets similar Game Programmer, Black Hat, and PC Globe magazine. He currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice.