I usually dread seeing that “System Software Update” notification pop up right when I have thirty minutes to play. It usually means waiting ten minutes for “stability improvements” that I’ll never notice. But the update that landed this morning—version 26.01-10.60.00—is different. Actually, I should clarify — I read the patch notes, and for once, I didn’t immediately roll my eyes.
Sony finally addressed the friction points that have been driving me up the wall since I picked up the Pro model last November. It’s not flashy stuff. No new UI overhaul or visual gimmicks. Just buttons doing what they should have done three years ago.
The Discord Integration Isn’t A Chore Anymore
Let’s start with the big one. If you use Discord on PS5, you know the pain. Before today, joining a voice channel felt like filing tax returns. You had to pull out your phone, transfer the call, wait for the handshake, and hope it didn’t disconnect. But I tested the new native integration this morning with my usual Destiny 2 fireteam, and it’s just… there. Right in the Game Base.
I clocked the difference because I’m nerdy like that. On the old firmware (25.02), getting into a voice channel took me about 14 seconds of menu navigation and phone fumbling. With 10.60.00? 2.8 seconds. I just hit the PS button, tabbed to Discord, and clicked “Join.” No phone required. Why wasn’t it like this at launch? Well, that’s not entirely accurate — who knows. But I’m just glad I can finally put my phone away when I’m raiding.
Audio Mixing That Makes Sense
Here is a scenario that used to make me scream. You’re in a party. The game audio is quiet. Your friend’s mic is blown out and loud. To fix it, you had to leave the game, go to Settings > Sound > Audio Output, and fiddle with sliders that covered the whole screen. But they fixed it.
Now, double-tapping the PS button (if you set that shortcut) brings up a mini-mixer overlay. You can adjust game-to-chat balance on the fly without suspending the software. I tried this while running GTA Online, and the overlay is transparent enough that I didn’t crash my car while muting a screaming twelve-year-old.
I tested this with my Pulse Elite headset, and the changes reflect instantly. No lag. No audio dropout while the system processes the change. It’s snappy.
Storage Management: The “Other” Bar Shrinks
We need to talk about the “Other” storage category. For years, my SSD has been held hostage by 4
