Sony has rolled out new features for the PlayStation 5 console, with the addition of 1440p support in beta the headline, in addition to a range of new accessibility features.
The company said it’s adding 1440p HDMI video output to the PS5’s list of viewing options, providing a QHD bridge between Full HD at 1080p and 4K UHD at 2160p.
Of course, the new capability will only work with games that support 1440p rendering. Moreover, gamers will also need a monitor or TV that supports the higher resolution.
It’s an exciting update because, with the PS5 only supporting native 4K and 1080p, and downscaling graphics on 1440p displays since its launch in November 2020, fans have been crying out for native 1440p support for over a year. What’s more, Sony has seriously lagged behind the Microsoft Xbox in this respect. The Xbox Series X and Series S consoles have supported native 1440p output since they launched, and even the older Xbox One S and One X supported it. On the other hand, Sony’s older PlayStation consoles have never offered such a capability, with the previous-generation PS4 Pro downscaling 4K output just as the PS5 has done, until now.
Sony said that games with higher natve resolutions such as 4K will see benefits including anti-aliasing, which means sharper and less jagged edges of subjects on screen. While PS5 games do already look razor sharp on 1440p displays, the console’s newfound ability to output content without any downscaling should lead to superior image quality and responsiveness, with games rendered in their original supported resolution.
On the downside, Sony said that Variable Refresh Rate, which is another highly requested feature that was only recently enabled on the PS5, is not supported over 1440p output. Sony said VRR is only supported on 4K and 1080p outputs, and it’s not clear if that will change with a later update.
As for the other features in this week’s update, users may appreciate the new Gamelists capability that lets them add up to 15 customisable lists to their Game Library. The idea is that avid gamers can put their video game library into various different groups, such as different genres, kid’s games, multiplayer games, “to play next” or whatever they like. Sony said it’s possible to add up to 100 games in each Gamelist, which includes disc-based, digital and streaming titles.
There’s also a new option to compare stereo with 3D audio when using headphones, providing users with an easy way to listen to the different audio modes and decide which one they prefer. Sony has also added a new one-touch “Resume Activity” function that allows users to jump straight back into the last game they were playing, right where they left off. Meanwhile, social gamers can take advantage of the Request Share Screen option to view a party member's screen and receive notifications for when one of their friends is playing a game that they can join. Last but not least, Sony has added the ability for users to see a new friend’s profile and send stickers and voice messages in Game Base to others within their group.
The beta test of native 1440p HDMI video output is taking place in the U.K., U.S., Canada, France, Germany and Japan now. Sony said those chosen to participate in the beta will have already received an email to join in the fun, so if you didn’t receive any such message, it probably means you’re out of luck and will have to wait until the feature becomes more widely available.
