PlayStation 5 Update adds Welcome Hub, Custom Backgrounds, and more!

New PlayStation 5 Welcome Hub

Sony has begun rolling out the new update for PlayStation 5 consoles today; this time around new features include the new Welcome Hub, the ability to customize backgrounds, invite parties to Share Play, and the previously announced beta features.

For more, here is what Hiromi Wakai over at the PlayStation Blog had to say.

Today, we’re happy to announce a new PS5 system software update that introduces a number of new features, including:

Welcome hub: a new personalized space with customizable widgets and backgrounds in your PS5 home screen. Welcome hub is a reimagined version of the Explore tab, which was previously only available in the U.S. It will roll out globally over the next few weeks, starting today for select players in the U.S.

Party share: the ability to share party voice chat links on messaging and social media apps will roll out globally in the coming weeks.

Additionally, thanks to support from our beta participants, the following features that were tested in our latest PS5 beta will be released globally, starting today:

  • Personalized 3D audio profiles for headphones and earbuds
  • Adjust Remote Play settings per user and choose who is allowed to connect to your PS5 console using Remote Play
  • Adaptive charging for your controllers (available for the slimmer PS5 model and PS5 Pro when it’s available)

Aside from adaptive charging for your controllers, all PS5 system update features mentioned in this blog post are available for all PS5 models. Let’s take a deeper look at what’s included in this update:

Welcome hub (phased release)

We are introducing a new personalized space in your PS5 home screen called Welcome hub – a dedicated space you can customize with widgets, allowing you to see information at a glance before you begin your gaming sessions. For players in the U.S, Welcome hub will replace the current Explore tab with enhanced customizability and an upgraded user experience.

You can easily customize your Welcome hub by selecting from a variety of widgets*, including console storage, battery levels for accessories, online friends, trophies, and many more. Use presets to quickly change your layout, and simply select and arrange a variety of widgets as you see fit. You can change the size of your widgets, expanding or shrinking them to give more focus to the features that are most important to you.

In addition, you can also change your Welcome hub’s background. Choose from a range of designs, including some with cool animated effects, or pick out a screenshot from your own Media Gallery for a truly personal touch.

Welcome hub will become available to select users in the U.S. starting later today. We will gradually expand support in other regions over the coming weeks, starting with players in Japan, followed by select countries in Europe, and finally releasing worldwide.

Party Share (phased release)

In the next few weeks, we’ll also add the ability for you to share party voice chat links on any messaging or social media app. This will allow you to invite a friend whom you’re chatting with on any messaging app to join your party voice chat, even if you haven’t added them to your friends list on PlayStation Network.

To create a party link, open the voice chat card in the Control Center on PS5, select [Invite Players], then click [Share Party link] to generate a scannable QR code. Recipients can open the link on their mobile device and seamlessly join the party on their PS5 or from PlayStation App.

In the coming weeks, we will also release an update for PlayStation App which will allow you to similarly generate a shareable party link from your mobile device.



For a complete breakdown of the previously announced Beta Features, head on over to our previous article breaking down what's new, including: 3D Audio Profiles, Adaptive Charging, and user remote share.

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