New PS5 Console Update Releasing in Beta, Here’s What Is Changing

February 23, 2026, 12:51pm

Sony is releasing a new PS5 console update in beta to close out February 2026. For some new firmware updates to PS5 and PS5 Pro hardware, Sony will push them out initially in beta for some PlayStation users to test ahead of time. These patches are only ever available to those who opt in to the PS5 beta program, with all other users getting the final patch in the weeks or months to follow. Now, another PS5 preview update has dropped and has added one new feature to the console.

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Available to begin downloading this week, this new PS5 beta update is actually quite a minor one. Other than improving core features of the PS5 tied to stability and usability, PlayStation has only added support for Unicode 17.0 emojis. These new emojis can be used when messaging other PlayStation users and improves upon this aspect of the PS5 just a bit. As for when this feature will become widely available to all PS5 users outside of beta, it should roll out at some point in March.

Here are the full patch notes for this new PS5 update:

Unicode 17.0 emojis are now supported. You can use them in your messages.
We’ve improved messages and usability on some screens.
We’ve improved system software performance and stability.

PS5 Pro Owners Are Still Waiting for a Big Update

While it’s nice to see that Sony continues to upgrade some smaller elements of the PS5, there should be some larger updates on the horizon. Specifically, those on PS5 Pro should expect a new patch at some point this year that improves the PSSR tech at the heart of the platform. Sony announced this improvement to PSSR would be coming about this past year, but has yet to state when the update that would upgrade the feature will go live.