The PS5 Controller's Most Obscure Feature Mutes All System Audio
A feature that PS5 users are slowly discovering allows all system audio to be muted with just a push of the mic button on the controller.
A feature that PS5 users are just now learning allows all system audio to be muted by pressing the mic button on the DualSense controller. The PS5 controller has a bevy of features that set it apart from its predecessors, including a microphone below the PlayStation logo button. Players can talk to one another using the microphone with audio outputted through the controller's speakers. However, it is sometimes easy to forget that the microphone is on when one is using the system.
Upon booting up the console, the PS5 automatically switches on the microphone on the controller. Without manual input, the first player will always start with the microphone on, but other DualSense controllers have the mic switched off, with a visible orange glow coming from the button. The PS5 uses the microphone to record audio for its achievements, capturing about 15 seconds of gameplay in a small video for the user to look at in the media gallery. This option can be turned off, as can the settings for the microphone upon logging in to the system.
As reported by The Verge, the microphone button on the DualSense can turn off the system audio entirely if the player simply holds the button down for one second. That includes any audio going to the controller, headsets, or even to connected PS4 controllers. If the controller has muted all audio, the microphone will give off a pulse of orange light, rather than the solid orange color present if one mutes exclusively the microphone. Pressing and holding the button again will turn all audio back on. This function was only recently rediscovered, but it's been found before, as this video released by My Mate VINCE near the launch of the PS5 shows.
The reasoning for this late discovery stems from multiple factors. One such factor is the ongoing difficulty of securing and locating PS5s due to the stock shortages plaguing next-gen consoles, not to mention the prolific industry of console scalpers. Because of the shortages, not nearly as many people are experimenting with different hidden features on the console, let alone reporting them. The PS4 had similarly hidden features like the ability to turn TVs on and off along with the console or the option to dim the lightbar on the controller to boost battery life.
As the PS5 eventually makes its way into consumers' hands over the coming year, more features are likely to be discovered hidden among the system settings. Additionally, the PS5 is getting more features through updates, like unlocked SSD expansion and 3D audio for TVs. Expect more add-ons over the next few years as the transition from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 continues.
Source: The Verge, My Mate VINCE