PlayStation Classic Themes Are Returning to PS5 in Next Update
If you’re anything like me, gaming just hasn’t quite felt right without the impactful sights and sounds of the PlayStation 2’s start-up menu. If that is the case for you — for starters, you’re probably also turning 30 this year and we’ll get through it together — but also, Sony has great news: the classic themes for the PlayStation 5 are coming back, this time for good.
Sony confirmed this news in an official blog post on Wednesday, laying out the new features coming to PS5 in the next system update. In addition to some nifty new audio options, you’ll also once again be able to deck out your console’s UI with themes based on its classics predecessors: the PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4. These were first introduced as a limited-time offering last year for the PlayStation brand‘s 30th anniversary, but they went over so well with longtime fans that they’re back for good.
“Due to the overwhelmingly positive response from our community, we’re happy to bring back the look and feel of the four console designs for players to customize the home screen on PS5!” the post explained.
The update that includes these classic UI themes will go live on Thursday, April 24.
“It’s a great move for Sony to give players the option to reskin their UI to remind them of their treasured days booting up their first PlayStation games,” CNET senior reporter David Lumb said. “Seems silly to have only kept the themes around for a limited time only to return them now, but I’ll take what I can get. That PS1 boot-up sound deserves to live outside my head.”
The initial offerings last year also included a more general 30th anniversary UI theme that will not be coming back in this update, though I doubt most people even remembered that one.
It’s unclear based on Sony’s announcement whether these new themes will alter the PS5’s appearance during its start-up sequence, or if the changes are limited to the sights and sounds of the main menu. Sony did not respond to CNET’s request for comment prior to publication.
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