4 New Features Added To Your PlayStation 5 In September 2026

Most of the time, when software updates pop up, you simply download them and go about your day. After all, they’re usually there to fix a bug or generally improve your system’s performance. Occasionally, though, some of these updates actually give you something new to play around with. And that’s the case with the latest PlayStation 5 system software update, version 26.06-14.00.00, which rolled out on September 16, 2026.

Of course, there are the usual performance bits, but there are also four notable changes. Voice chats got an upgrade, so you can now see who’s speaking without opening the chat menu. The Welcome Hub can now show you which games and multiplayer modes are trending, as well as the 10 most popular games in your region over the past week. There’s also a new Bluetooth setting that should come in especially handy at esports venues. And if you own a PS5 Pro, it’s now much easier to enjoy Sony’s improved PSSR tech, which promises sharper and clearer graphics in supported games.

If your PS5 is connected to Wi-Fi and you have automatic downloads enabled, you may already have some, if not all, of the new features. If not, you can simply go ahead and manually update the system software on your PS5.

Enhanced PSSR is now turned on automatically

You probably thought long and hard when trying to decide between the PlayStation 5 Pro and Slim consoles. Most people do, considering the price hike. Well, Sony has added one more feature to the PS5 Pro. In March, Sony announced an upgraded PSSR Image Quality setting. With the September update, that setting is now turned on by default. What’s the big deal, you might ask? PSSR, or PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, is Sony’s AI-powered upscaler.

The idea here is to give you sharper graphics without making your console’s performance buckle too hard under pressure. So, instead of rendering every pixel at the highest resolution, PSSR analyzes the image and uses AI to reconstruct a version that looks much better without demanding as much from the hardware. When PSSR first launched with the PS5 Pro in 2024, though, it wasn’t perfect across titles. The upgraded version improves that.

Some games have already been updated by developers to support the upgraded PSSR directly. That includes Resident Evil Requiem, Silent Hill 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Dragon’s Dogma 2, among others. The setting can also enhance other supported titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Hogwarts Legacy. How much of an improvement you see varies from game to game. But you can toggle it off whenever you want. Not everyone is a huge fan of AI-assisted processing, or AI anything in general, and you may simply prefer how a particular game looks without it. Whatever the case may be, head to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Enhance PSSR Image Quality and switch it off.

You can finally see who’s talking in voice chat

When you’re playing a 1v1 game like UFC, there’s no need to keep up with who’s speaking. But when you join a party for a multiplayer session like Call of Duty: Warzone, where a couple of your friends are talking all at once, you have to make a conscious effort to keep up. Sometimes, someone’s mic is making so much noise, but you can’t even tell who it is. So, Sony included a fix.

The update adds an on-screen tag with the speaker’s name to all PS5 models. Once you turn it on, your console displays the name of whoever is currently speaking in a voice chat. You can also choose where the tag sits on your screen, so it doesn’t end up blocking something important like your map or health bar and distracting you mid-game.

Unlike the upgraded PSSR setting, though, this feature doesn’t come on automatically. To enable it, open the voice chat card from the PS5 Control Center. From there, click More > Display Who’s Speaking, then toggle on Display Names. You can also click on Position to decide where you want to place the speaker tag.

The Welcome Hub now shows what’s popular on PlayStation

Every once in a while, when you boot up your console after an update, there’s a new Welcome Hub background waiting for you. If you’re a fan of The Last of Us, there’s a new one to check out. To celebrate The Last of Us Day 2026, Naughty Dog dropped a The Last of Us-themed background featuring young and old Ellie from the two games, as well as Joel and Abby. It’s not the most dramatic animated theme we’ve seen, but it’s a nice touch nonetheless if you’re a fan of the series.

Beyond that, the September update adds a new Community Activity widget with two views: Trending Now and Top 10. Trending Now shows 10 multiplayer games or modes that are suddenly picking up steam, while Top 10 shows the most popular games over the previous week in your country or region. That way, you can quickly see what everyone else has been busy playing and maybe get a piece of the action too.

And speaking of countries and regions, the final feature only affects some of them. On PS5 and PS5 Pro consoles in certain locations, you’ll now find a Turn Off Bluetooth option under Settings > Accessories > General > Advanced Settings. It’s mainly meant to help manage controller connections at esports venues. There are some trade-offs, though. When you turn Bluetooth off this way, the PS5 can no longer enter Rest Mode, and HDMI Device Link stops working too. That’s why Sony recommends reserving it for esports venues and similar setups. So, unless you’re heading to a tournament, this is one update you can ignore.