Nobody wants to tell their friend off for having bad audio quality. While many of us have excellent PS5 headsets, sometimes you might need to rely on the DualSense controller’s onboard microphone to get you by. Thanks to the new PS5 update, using the DualSense’s microphone is more viable than ever, and I can prove it, as I’ve been testing it over the last month.
It can be easy to dismiss the latest PS5 update if you’re not bothered about improvements to sharing your screen, but there are some vital updates to the DualSense’s hardware. If your current microphone or best PS5 headset is falling apart or out of charge, then the update’s improvements to the DualSense are a blessing.
From Wednesday, March 13, 2024, players can experience the following enhancements to the definitive and best PS5 controller out there:
- Controller speaker enhancements: The controller speakers can now produce higher volume sound, allowing you to hear in-game sounds and voice chat audio more clearly
- Improved noise cancellation: The mic input quality on these controllers has been improved, courtesy of a new AI machine learning model. Background noise from button presses and game audio are suppressed, resulting in a better voice chat experience. Install the system software beta and update the controller device software to enjoy enhanced clarity of your voice chat audio when using the controller mic
You may have already heard about these features in our previous report on PlayStation’s quest to make the DualSense even better. After a few weeks of testing it for myself while the system update has been in beta, I’m genuinely surprised to hear how much better the DualSense’s audio is sounding. Previously, the onboard microphone’s quality was quite thin sounding, and was often interrupted by furious button pressing and background noise.
With far better noise cancellation and equalization, this microphone sounds fuller and more in-line with the best cheap gaming headsets on the market. Sure, it isn’t on par with higher tier gear from Corsair or SteelSeries, but it’s passable enough to ensure your comms are heard in FPS games like The Finals with your friends.
Alongside this, the DualSense’s speaker is exceptionally louder. Having immersive sounds from the DualSense speaker is always an added benefit in my eyes (and ears), and you’ll be surprised just how much volume the controller boasts now. My sessions saw me test it with co-op games like Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, as we heard the roar of Bane-themed gear better than ever while achieving a combat combo. You can also tweak the volume of the controller from the dashboard, just in case it’s a bit too loud for you.
I’m really impressed with this update, and you can put it to use right now. You’ll need good team comms, too, as PS5 exclusive Helldivers 2 is preparing to unleash flying bugs into the galaxy.