This PS5 Update Comes With 2 New Features, But There's A Catch

The PlayStation 5 was released in late 2020, but that doesn't mean that Sony has stopped improving the console's performance. The company is constantly coming out with new tech, new software updates, and new functionalities that expand the console's stability and functionality. The latest system update (Version: 25.06-12.00.00) has just launched on September 17, 2025, and there are several features that will be added to the console. 

Many of these changes are the sort of bug patches and quality of life improvements that you see in just about every update. Some of them include improvements to controller stability, improvements to the messages and usability on some screens, and basic system software performance and stability updates. However, there are also two new major features that we're going to see that will have a direct impact on your interactions with the console.

PlayStation is adding a new power saver mode for select games that will help reduce power consumption, and it has updated the DualSense wireless controller and DualSense Edge controller interface software to allow for multiple pairings. Both of these new features will add handy new capabilities for gamers, but one of them comes with a catch.

The first of the new capabilities that stands out from the rest is the new power saver mode. This is a setting that you can activate in the console's settings, which allows you to marginally scale back the system's performance in order to reduce power consumption. According to PlayStation, you can access it by navigating to Settings–System–Power Saving–Use Power Saver. Once this is activated. 

You can individually turn it on or off for each game that supports the feature. Once the feature is active, and you are playing a supported game, an icon will appear next to the game in the Switcher section of the control center. The PS5 typically runs on about 200-220 watts of electricity while gaming, which can be a big draw on certain power systems, such as if you choose to connect electronics to a generator or power station. Reducing the power draw can also be a handy way to cut down your monthly electricity bill. This initiative is part of Sony's 'Road to Zero' environmental plan.

The other major update involves the DualSense wireless controller and DualSense Edge controller. Until now, these controllers have only been able to be paired to one device at a time. This can be tedious and time-consuming if you want to use the controller for multiple devices. For example, if you own a PS5 and a gaming PC, or if you like to bring an extra controller to a friend's house for 1v1 and co-op gaming by connecting two controllers to one PS5 at the same time. PlayStation states that, "It's now possible to pair your controller with multiple devices. You can register up to 4 devices and switch the device you're connected to using your controller."

This all sounds great so far, so what's the catch? Well, unfortunately, it seems that the new power saver mode doesn't have a whole lot of games that it's compatible with yet, and sources seem to vary in their appraisal of which games, if any, currently support the feature. YouTuber Mystic stated that there aren't any games that currently support this feature, but a few of the lists that have been published suggest otherwise. 

An official post from Sony Interactive Entertainment's VP of Product Management, Suzo Kikuchi, on the PlayStation Blog back in July stated that, "Future updates for games such as Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Demon's Souls, and Ghost of Yōtei will include support for the Power Saver option with more titles to follow." It's unclear if any of these games received the update immediately when the feature became available in the update, or if compatibility is still forthcoming.

These are definitely some of the better single player games available on the PS5, and so it's likely that more high-profile titles will be on the horizon. On the other hand, this soft launch implies that there likely won't be a blanket addition of this feature to every game on the PS5. Rather that it will likely be added to a curated selection of popular titles on a case-by-case basis, with the feature being more common on newer games coming out in the future.