Technology
Genius PS5 tricks you didn’t know about – including dodging spoilers and finding your playtime
IT MIGHT be nigh on impossible to get your hands on a PlayStation 5 but for those who have, there’s a tonne of useful tricks to learn.
From dodging game spoilers to tracking your playtime, here are a few hidden settings and features on Sony’s next-generation console.
Hold the PlayStation button to go home
There’s a quick and easy way to get straight to your PlayStation’s home screen.
While pressing the PlayStation button opens the control centre, holding it down takes you to the console’s dashboard.
Hold the button for about five seconds to activate the shortcut.
The console hit shelves worldwide in November[/caption]
Turn off your controller manually
You can also hold the PlayStation button for other shortcuts.
Pressing it down for about 10 seconds switches off your controller manually.
This is a quick and easy way to save battery if you’re stepping away from your console for a while.
Mute shortcut
Silencing your console often involves physically muting the TV you’re playing on.
But that’s not always ideal: maybe the remote is out of reach, or maybe you’re connected with wireless headphones.
Whatever the reason, it’s actually possible to mute the PS5’s system audio with the DualSense controller.
Hold the microphone-mute button down to mute audio. An orange light will glow to confirm that mute is on.
The same trick will unmute the console.
Find out your playtime
You can view game stats such as your progress and total play hours from within the home screen.
To access the stats section, head to your home screen and select the your avatar icon.
Select Games and then scroll down to view your stats – including how many trophies you’ve earned.
Dodge spoilers
Your PS5 has a setting that helps to protect you from spoilerific content sent by your mates.
When activated, a pop-up will warn you if it thinks you’re about to see something in a game you haven’t finished yet.
It’s a handy tool if your friends have a habit of sending you screenshots or clips from games before you’ve completed them.
To activate the setting, head to Home > Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Spoiler Warnings.
PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X – when did they launch and how much do they cost?
Microsoft launched the Xbox Series X and its smaller, cheaper sibling, the Series S, on November 10.
The release date covered the UK, US, Australia and a bunch of other countries worldwide.
The disc-free Series S costs £249/$299, while the Xbox Series X comes in at £449/$499.
So how does that compare to the new Xbox’s biggest rival, the PlayStation 5?
The PS5 launch fell on November 12, but not everywhere.
That date only stood for the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
UK gamers had to wait until November 19 to order one of the consoles.
The PS5 proper costs £449.99/$499.99, while the digital edition comes in at £359/$399.
Fit more games onto your console
If your PS5 is already starting to get full, don’t panic – it’s possible to expand the console’s storage.
After all, even though your PS5 has an 825GB SSD, only 667GB of that is actually usable.
Plug in an external hard drive or solid-state drive via USB to immediately boost your storage while the unit is connected to the PS5.
The catch is that you can’t play PS5 games using this method, as the storage won’t be fast enough.
However, you can play PS4 games stored on the drive – freeing up space on your PS5 for native games.
Turn off automatic trophy clips
By default, your PS5 records a 15-second clip every time you unlock a trophy.
While this can be a handy way to document your game progression, it also quickly eats into your hard drive space.
To deactivate automatic trophy clips, head to Settings > Captures and Broadcasts > Trophies.
Most read in Gaming
In other news, The Sun’s favourite alternative to a games console is the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset.
Grab a VR headset and you’ll be able to play the legendary Beat Saber – like Guitar Hero, but with lightsabers.
And Dell’s Alienware R10 Ryzen Edition is a gaming PC powerhouse that crushes both the new consoles.
Are you still on the hunt for a PS5? Let us know in the comments!
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