Major PS5 update goes live and it includes game-changing upgrades

While it's true that every year of gaming is a 'big' one, 2026 feels like an especially monumental one.

2025's standout moment was undoubtedly the long-awaited release of the Nintendo Switch 2, but with no new consoles on the horizon, it's back to the games themselves to duke it out in 2026.

If slashing your way through the streets as Logan in Marvel's Wolverine, returning to Racoon City with Resident Evil Requiem, and taking out goons with your Walther PPK in 007 First Light wasn't enough, there's also the release of a certain little game you might’ve heard of.

Unless you've just woken up from cryosleep, you’ll know Rockstar Games is set to decimate the competition in 2026, with the decade-long wait for Grand Theft Auto 6 (hopefully) finally over.

We previously reported how other games appeared to be moving their release dates to stay out of GTA 6's way, but as Rockstar keeps shifting its own release around, everything still feels like it's up in the air.

The general consensus is that the PlayStation 5 Pro will be the ultimate way to play GTA 6, and with Sony reportedly splashing out on a massive marketing campaign for the next entry in automotive adventure, some are arguing it might as well be a PlayStation exclusive.

Whether Sony is bracing for a deluge of sales thanks to GTA 6 or not, its latest PS5 update is ensuring its console is firing on all cylinders for when Jason and Lucia eventually race into Vice City to shoot up the joint.

Released on January 28, Update 26.01-12.60.00 might look like your standard PlayStation tweak, although there's a little more going on under the hood.

Notably, there's the option to turn on read receipts for your messages, helping you stay a little more connected with your PS community friends. The patch notes reiterated that this feature will gradually be turned on, even for those who haven't updated.

There's the standard mention of "system software performance and stability" getting a bump, but the other big one is also tied to connectivity.

2026's first PS5 update allows you to jump into a game from the Friends Activity widget on your Welcome Hub. If you see the squad is getting reads for a game of Fortnite and hasn't told you yet, you can leap over there at the press of a button.

Let's not forget about the PS4, and even as Sony encourages us to upgrade to the PS5, the PS4 system software version 13.04 is also out (albeit with no major changes).

With reports that Sony could be looking to extend the PS5's lifecycle beyond that of a typical console generation, it's a bit of a blow for those who've already started saving for the PS6. Then again, if the gaming giant keeps us fed with updates and QoL updates, why would we want to encourage it to make us fork out for a whole new console sooner than we need to?