A Major PS5 Feature Won't Work With Your TV At Launch

Since Mark Cerny's "Road to PS5" briefing during GDC earlier this year, Sony has marketed its own proprietary audio innovations that will be included with the PlayStation 5. It's broken down into two separate audio modes that work with either a headset or your TVs speaker, but only one will be ready for launch next month.

In a new blog post, Sony details some of the compatibility features of its new Tempest 3D Audio engine, which will be able to turn any headset into 3D Audio capable cans with games that support it. Sony mentions that its Pulse 3D wireless headset is one of the best ways to experience this on PS5, but stresses that all other headsets connected either via USB or the 3.5mm jack on the DualSense controller will be supported too. It's possible you already have a headset that supports the feature if you're looking to experience it from the beginning.

Games will need to support 3D audio too, with Sony listing exclusives such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West, and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart as some examples. Some third-party titles, such as Resident Evil Village, will also support the feature. Not all of them are available at launch. All of the games mentioned in the post are:

• Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
• Astro's Playroom
• Returnal
• Destruction AllStars
• Demon's Souls
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure
• Resident Evil Village

What won't be ready for launch is the software implementation to bring 3D audio to your TV speakers. Sony says that this virtual surround sound feature is still in development and will be coming sometime after launch. When that might be isn't alluded to in the post. If you want 3D audio in the meantime, you'll have to use headphones. For best audio quality, we'd probably recommend that, anyway.

It's not uncommon for consoles to launch without certain features, of course, especially in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We still haven't seen the system UI, either, although Sony has released a teardown of the console's interior. It features liquid metal for cooling, but without Robert Patrick as a T-1000. It also has two holes to vacuum dust out of, which is very helpful. All you have to do to access them is pop off the cover.

The PlayStation 5 is scheduled for launch on November 12, with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon's Souls, and more as launch exclusives. Some of the launch games, including Miles Morales and Sackboy: A Big Adventure, will also be on PS4. Miles Morales features cross-gen save support. If you haven't yet managed to secure a PS5 preorder, be sure to check out our PS5 preorder guide for stock alerts. You may have to be lucky in order to secure one before launch day.