PlayStation has officially started rolling out new system software updates for its flagship console. PS5. The studio regularly releases new firmware patches for the base PS5 and the newer, more powerful PS5 Pro to help all owners keep their consoles running smoothly and efficiently. Sometimes PlayStation likes to throw in strange new features or upgrades, but that's not the case with today's update, which is simply meant to improve stability once again.
Despite some lackluster firmware updates, PlayStation has still converted a huge number of consoles since its 2020 launch. In August of this year, the PS5 passed a huge sales milestone, as parent company Sony revealed in a new earnings report that the console has sold more than 80 million units in five years. This is a huge achievement for PlayStation as it continues to get closer to the PS3's lifetime sales figure of approximately 87.4 million units. The report also details year-over-year hardware sales for the PS5, which shows a slight upward trend. In 2024, the console sold 2.4 million units, but by 2025, it has already surpassed 2.5 million units. Unfortunately, as of 2024, it still has a long way to go before it can surpass the iconic PS2, which has sold an astonishing 160 million units in its lifetime.
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New PS5 update is more of the same
With more PS5 units sold each year, PlayStation regularly maintains the console's performance by releasing new system updates that often focus on stability. Today's update is no different, as the company began gradually rolling out another new PS5 update on December 3, bringing the console's version to 25.08-12.40.00. According to the patch notes below this article, the update improves messaging and usability on some screens while also improving system software performance and stability. Given that this is a run-of-the-mill patch, users won't notice any difference the next time they boot their console.
The good news is that it wasn't that long ago that a new PS5 update added some cool new features to the Welcome Hub. In a big new update on November 19, PlayStation not only added a new seasonal theme to the hub, but also a new widget that can display information about the games users have most recently played, including total play time, number of sessions, trophies earned, and more.
The Welcome Hub will be added to consoles for free in September 2024, allowing players to customize their console experience with widgets, backgrounds, and more. When players turn on their PS5, the welcome hub is now the first thing they see. That's why PlayStation allows you to customize it to your liking.
Unfortunately, Welcome Hub misses the mark when it comes to listening to the community and giving users what they want. For years, PS5 owners have been calling for the return of themes. PlayStation appears to be only willing to add this to the Welcome Hub, but is holding firm to its stance and doesn't appear to be adding it to the rest of the console.
On that note, PlayStation made a bit of a move when it released a special 30th anniversary theme to celebrate the PS1's big birthday. However, this was initially a time-limited feature and was removed after about two months. Fans knew this was the closest thing to a theme, so the community demanded that PlayStation make it a standard feature. The studio then brought it back permanently as part of a new update in April. Unfortunately, the PS1's nostalgic startup sound has not returned.
PS5 Update 25.08-12.40.00 December 3 Patch Notes
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Improved messaging and usability on some screens.
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Improved system software performance and stability.
