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Sony quietly adds a new function to the PS5, here’s what it’s for



In recent days, several PlayStation 5 owners have noticed the appearance of a small symbol combining a leaf and a lightning bolt on certain games. A seemingly innocuous icon, but which in reality marks the activation of a completely new functionality designed for reduce energy consumption of the console.

Officially introduced during the September 17 update, this option called “energy saver for games” allows you to reduce the power consumption of the PS5especially when used for cloud gaming via PS Portal.

Link with PS Portal and future consoles?

This low-consumption gaming mode is only activated on a selection of compatible titles. In particular, it reduces the resolution or certain resource-intensive features, which is logical: the PS Portal screen does not exceed 1080p, so there is no point in forcing the console to calculate 4K in this context.

A hypothesis is gaining momentum on the forums: this functionality could also pave the way for a future portable console from Sony. The streamer Throw_Me_Away_78 mentions this possibility, supported by the fact that this mode optimizes autonomy while ensuring a smooth display in streaming.

How to activate power saving mode on PS5?

For players wishing to test this mode now, the process is simple:

  1. Open the menu Settings on your PS5
  2. Go to the tab System
  3. Go down to Energy saving
  4. Enable the option Power saver for gaming
  5. Select compatible titles

The effect of this feature may seem marginal for local players, but it becomes particularly useful when it comes to streaming, where connection fluidity and bandwidth are paramount.

A function that is still confidential… for how long?

Few games are compatible at the moment, which explains why some players had not yet noticed the new feature. But this approach could well become a standard on next generations of PS5 gamesparticularly with the development of native streaming and the projects of hybrid console mentioned on the Sony side.

In the meantime, the curious can already experiment with it on supported titles, and why not save a little energy without sacrificing their playing comfort.