Sony is marking the thirtieth anniversary of the PlayStation legacy, and now, we can join in the celebration as the company has unveiled some delightful nostalgic customization options for the PS5.
When you power up your PS5 today, you may be prompted to restart for a software update, and when your console reboot, you will likely be in for a delightful surprise. Besides loading the classic PS1 startup video, you can venture into the settings to adjust the appearance and sounds of your PS5 menus.
There are several options available – the ’30th Anniversary’ theme introduces a brand new banner that stretches across the edges of your UI menu with the number 30 cleverly integrated into the iconic Triangle, Cross, Circle, and Square symbols. For ‘PlayStation,’ ‘PlayStation 2,’ ‘PlayStation 3,’ and ‘PlayStation 4,’ there are similar banners, with the original featured alongside an image of the respective console on your display, while the others reflect the aesthetic of the background elements from their respective consoles. These console-specific themes are certainly the most exciting, as the sounds that play while you navigate and select items in the menu have been reworked to resonate with the respective periods.
It is all really impressive, and honestly, the most frustrating aspect of it all is that, for some reason, these themes will not be available indefinitely. In the settings, the option specifically states: “For a limited time, you can change aspects of the PS5 interface based on your favorite PlayStation generation. Select a theme to apply to your home screen and other areas.”
Sony has not clarified how short of a time frame we are discussing here – is it a week, a month, a year? Regardless, it’s unfortunate that it is not intended to be available permanently. The PS5 in general has been somewhat lacking in customization features when compared to the PS4 – many users have been requesting for Theme options to be reinstated since its launch. Recently, we received the Welcome Hub update allowing you to choose a background for a section of your UI display and personalize it with widgets, which means I was finally able to at least pretend I’ve created a Metaphor: ReFantazio theme using one of my screenshots in the interface. That’s something, at least.
While you are here, be sure to check out our suggestions for the best PS5 games you can play right now.