New PS5 beta update makes roommate-friendly changes to Remote Play, audio

polygon.com:

If you’re a PlayStation 5 owner who participates in the console’s beta program for testing new features before the rest of the public gets them, you’ll receive access to an update on Thursday that includes some new features for PS5 Remote Play and 3D audio. Both features seem designed for households where multiple people are sharing just one PS5.

I’m a big fan of the Remote Play feature on the PS5, and this specific update is addressing a hyper-specific need for Remote Play users — but if it’s a need you happen to have, it’ll be great news. Basically, this feature lets PS5 owners “adjust Remote Play settings per user and choose who is allowed to connect to [their] PS5 console using Remote Play.” The PlayStation blog includes this handy picture of what it would look like in action, depicting multiple user profiles with a toggle switch that would presumably allow you to shut off each person’s access to Remote Play.

My wife and I both use the PS5 in our house, but I’m the only person who uses PS5 Remote Play; I use it all the time on my Steam Deck. It’s actually even possible to get PS5 Remote Play to work on a Steam Deck if you’re away from your PS5 and not connected to your home internet; it’s difficult to set this up, but it’s feasible. That’s part of why I think this feature could end up being weirdly useful in very specific circumstances, such as households where a lot of people are using Remote Play, including people who are away from home.

It’s kind of passive-aggressive to just turn off somebody’s access to Remote Play when they’re no longer in the PS5’s vicinity, but sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do. I can’t help but think of those times in my life when I’ve had a breakup and had to change my Netflix password. Obviously that’s a worst-case scenario. More likely, you’d just want to turn off this option if somebody isn’t living with you anymore, but they might still visit you and want to use Remote Play in the future. Again, pretty specific need, but