The latest version 25.06-12.00.00 system software updates were just dropped for the PlayStation 5 by Sony to grant every single life enhancement the gamers have been truly yearning for. The update perks include energy saver mode in cases where games support it, dual pairing of DualSense controllers, thus letting them connect with up to four devices at once, and some improvements in stability for the system and controllers.
The official PlayStation account went right onto tweeting this upgrade with sparkle emojis and panache. But what does this imply for the people who own a PS5? Let’s really talk about this because there are a few features that might tend to become real game-changers.
First on the list: high energy saver mode. The energy saver mode is not some background thing that just drifts in your subconscious. For the games supported-and we don’t have an exhaustive list of them right now, which is kind of annoying-the system basically reduces the system’s performance to use less energy. Great for the environment and all, but hey, it’s also great for your electric bill, which can lessen their terror by a bit should you be gaming for like 8 hours, maybe a little less. Some of us do, no judgments.
Then, the real winner: multi-device pairing for DualSense controllers. Now, with multi-connect, you can pair your controller with up to four different devices and switch between them with ease. So if you use your DualSense on your PS5, your PC, your phone, and maybe a tablet or whatever, there is no need to re-pair every single time. That is a real nail in the coffin of inconvenience for people who use their controllers across multiple absurd levels.
Then they tossed in a series of general and vague stability improvements-that is really a catch-all for, “Yeah, we fixed some bugs but don’t want to list them all”-but judging from some of the replies to the tweet, certain players reported issues with black screens after restarting from updating, so perhaps give it a day or two if you have that sort of fear.
Talking about replies, well, the comments on the tweet are just as expected from the PlayStation gamers: people are questioning the algorithm behind the Discord screen sharing (XBOX has had it since forever by the way, come on Sony!), trophy organization update, real web browser support, and of course, the ever-present PS5 Pro questions. Like seriously, almost every single update query is about the Pro version; it feels like a tradition at this point.
Then there was an awfully weird debate on some AtomMan G7 Ti PC supposedly surpassing the vanilla PS5, which is really… yeah, no kidding? A PC with an i9-14900HX and RTX 4070 reasonably ought to outperform a console that’s a couple of years old now. That’s how technology works, right? But then someone made an argument saying that with the upgrades to GPU and the PSSR upscaling, the PS5 Pro will put that distance in check, which is probably true-if bittersweet-because we don’t even have the official specs for that thing yet.
What is actually interesting is how many people are asking about specific features that still aren’t there. Mic settings seem to be particularly painful-several users are complaining about having to manually turn off the controller mic every time they switch between using a headset and not using one. Like how has this not been automated yet? It’s 2024; the console should know when you plug in a headset that you probably want to use that mic instead of the controller one.
Also, several people are asking about fixing issues with PS4 games throwing error codes when starting up, which apparently require a restart meanwhile online to fix. That sounds annoyingly broken, and it doesn’t look like this update fixes or even addresses that particular problem.
One thing that comes with the Discord integration discussions keep popping up. Xbox has had Discord screen sharing for ages while PlayStation players are getting restless about their turn. Which is fair-if you want to show a couple of buddies some cool stuff in a game, being able to screen share via Discord is far quicker than any streaming built-in options.
Someone later asked if DualSense’s update would show on Windows… I highly doubt it? Controller firmware updates typically come via the PS5, so you’d have to connect it there before it got the latest.
What is kinda funny is how many folks are asking about features already in the update. For instance, one person questioned if they need to update the controller firmware to obtain the multi-connect button, and umm… yeah, obviously? The multi-device pairing is within this update, meaning you are going to have to upgrade your system software and your controller firmware to use it.
Then there’s the gray area on transferring controllers across consoles – apparently, when the transfer is happening, these said controllers unexpectedly shut off on the original system, which some people find kind of inconvenient. Most likely is the design, though, so it can’t cause conflicts during transfer, right?
Quite frankly, the update is out at the moment, nice little bundle of things that don’t fully change everything but do lend a half-speed nudge toward the positive basis; an energy saver mode is a treat for environmentally-minded gamers, multi-device pairing sounds like heaven for those with many developing devices, and stability improvements, of course, would be great-although no one knows for sure what they’ve addressed and what they didn’t.
