PS5 is losing an obscure multiplayer feature you didn’t know about

By Jesse Lennox August 1, 2022

Sony will be shutting down its Accolades feature on the PlayStation 5 in fall 2022 due to low engagement.

The PS5 launched in 2020 with a brand new UI and set of features. Some, such as the DualSense’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, were highly advertised and marketed, while others were hidden in the system’s settings. As the console has been on the market for a number of years now, there have been many updates that have added new features fans have been requesting, such as VRR, gamelists, and 1440p support in the near future. One obscure multiplayer feature will be removed in a future update, however.

Accolades were introduced with the launch of the PS5, and were a way to recognize and reward other players met during online games by giving them badges. These badges included Helpful, Good Sport, and Welcoming. Any Accolades received could be displayed on your PSN profile to show others what kind of player others thought you were.

The Accolades feature screen on PS5. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If this feature sounds new to you, you’re not alone. Sony announced on its support page that Accolades will no longer be supported as of fall 2022, stating that it “hasn’t seen the level of usage we anticipated, so we are refocusing our efforts.” An exact date for the feature’s retirement wasn’t given, but they did expressly reveal the reason was due to low player engagement with the feature, so don’t be disappointing that you haven’t heard of it before now.

As interesting of an idea as it was, Sony’s lack of advertising for the feature ultimately led to its obscurity to the point where almost no one ended up using it. The Accolades feature will sunset by the end of 2022.

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