Sony’s PS5 has been tipped to get proper Discord integration and PS5 game streaming with the next major console update.
That’s according to Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson who also believes that the 7.00 update will bring the ability to stream PS5 games directly from the cloud. Henderson is also pretty certain that the update will begin to roll out on March 8.
PS5 and PS4 users have been able to link their PSN account to Discord since January 2022 but this only offers a limited set of features that are primarily focused on sharing what you are playing rather than communicating with other users.
We may live in the era of cross-play, but there is currently no universal voice communication system between Xbox, PlayStation and PC gamers. Discord’s arrival on PlayStation will hopefully rectify this and make buddying up with friends on different platforms much easier. Meanwhile, Xbox has had full Discord access since 2022. There has currently been no mention of PS4 users getting Discord voice chat integration.
PS5 game streaming could be coming
Alongside proper Discord integration, Henderson — who has a reasonable track record of accurate gaming tips and leaks — claimed the PS5 7.00 update is expected to bring in the ability to stream PS5 games, apparently under a project called "Cronus."
While the PS5 supports streaming PS4, PS3 and PS2 games via the cloud, the function isn't available for PS5 games. But this update could change that, providing you're willing to pay.
That's because PS5 game streaming will reportedly be locked behind the PlayStation Plus Premium tier which currently costs $17.99 / £13.49 / AU$21.95 a month.
PlayStation Plus Premium is Sony’s equivalent to Xbox Game Pass and offers a large collection of PS5 and PS4 games to download as well as a smaller selection of classic PlayStation titles to stream. However, unlike it's rival service, it doesn't offer exclusive games at release.
Thankfully, Henderson doesn't suggest that Discord features will be locked behind a PlayStation Plus paywall. And this makes sense as it's unlikely that Sony would want to price its community out of talking with friends.
After all, Discord is free to use on rival platforms, and if Sony were to construct a paywall on PlayStation hardware, many users would surely opt to use Discord via an alternative device instead. Furthermore, the available Discord features on PS5 and PS4 are completely free to access.
If a PlayStation Plus subscription of any kind was a requirement for full Discord access it would also be jarring for fans of some of the biggest free-to-play games. Currently games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends don't require any form of online subscription to play and considering the benefits of voice chat in these games, a form of paywall would put non-subscribers at a disadvantage.
Of course, all of the above should be taken with a grain of salt. These new PS5 features have not been confirmed by Sony. Fortunately, if Henderson's information is correct and console update 7.00 is indeed set to roll out in early March we should expect to hear official word in the near future.
