PlayStation has officially begun rolling out a new system software update for its flagship console, the PS5. The studio regularly deploys new firmware patches for the base PS5 and its newer, more powerful counterpart, the PS5 Pro, in order to keep consoles running smoothly and efficiently for all owners. Occasionally, PlayStation likes to throw in an odd new feature or upgrade, but the same cannot be said for today’s update, which is merely for stability improvements once again.
Despite the somewhat lackluster firmware updates, PlayStation has still managed to shift a huge number of consoles since its launch in 2020. In August of this year, the PS5 passed a huge sales milestone as parent company Sony revealed in a new earnings report that the console had sold over 80 million units in five years. This is a huge achievement for PlayStation, as it continues to draw nearer to the PS3’s lifetime sales, which were approximately 87.4 million units. The report also details the PS5’s year-over-year hardware sales, which appear to have a slight upward trend. In 2024, the console sold 2.4 million units, whereas it has already surpassed that with 2.5 million units in 2025. Unfortunately, it’s still a ways off from beating the iconic PS2, which has an astonishing 160 million lifetime units sold as of 2024.
New PS5 Update Is More of the Same
As more and more PS5 units are sold each year, PlayStation regularly maintains the console’s performance by releasing new system updates, which are often focused on stability. Today’s update is no different, as the company has begun a gradual rollout of another new PS5 update for December 3, bringing the console to version 25.08-12.40.00. According to the patch notes, which can be found further down this article, the update has improved the messages and usability on some screens while also improving system software performance and stability. Given that this is a run-of-the-mill patch, users likely won’t see any differences when they next boot up their console.
The good news is that it wasn’t all too long ago that a new PS5 update added a cool new feature to the Welcome Hub. In a substantial new update on November 19, PlayStation added a new seasonal theme to the Hub, as well as a brand new widget that can display information about a user’s most recently played games, including total hours played, number of sessions, trophies earned, and more.
The Welcome Hub was added to the console for free back in September 2024, allowing players to customize their console experience with widgets, backgrounds, and more. When players turn on their PS5, the Welcome Hub is now the first thing they will see, which is why PlayStation allows users to customize it however they see fit.
Sadly, the Welcome Hub kind of missed the mark in terms of listening to the community and giving users what they want. For years now, PS5 owners have been demanding the return of themes. While PlayStation appears to be willing to add them solely to the Welcome Hub, it’s remaining firm in its stance and seemingly not adding them to the rest of the console.
With that being said, PlayStation did budge slightly when it released special 30th anniversary themes to celebrate the PS1’s big birthday. However, these were initially a limited-time feature and were removed after approximately two months. Given that fans knew this was the closest they were ever going to get to themes, the community demanded that PlayStation make them a standard feature. The studio then brought them back permanently as part of a new update in April. Unfortunately, the nostalgic startup sounds from the PS1 did not return.
PS5 Update 25.08-12.40.00 Patch Notes for December 3
- We’ve improved the messages and usability on some screens.
- We’ve improved system software performance and stability.
