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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When Sony set out to highlight the power of the PS5 and its SSD, it did so with a modified version of Marvel's Spider-Man. We were treated to a flythrough of the city from end to end at speeds greater than even our web-slinging hero could hope to match without a hiccup or drop in graphical quality. That makes it fitting that the first game that feels like it fully lives up to the promises the PS5 was sold on is none other than Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

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Size
Obviously, a slim model would mean that this new version would be smaller than the frankly comically large launch version. While that's true, it isn't a huge reduction in size. The PS5 Slim disc version weighs 3.2 kilograms (18% less that the original PS5) while the discless version weighs 2.6kg (24% less), and both are 30% smaller by volume.
Versions
Once again, you will have the option to choose between an all-digital and standard version of the PS5 Slim. However, unlike the original discless PS5, the new version will give you the option to add a disc drive later on if you purchase a separate detachable drive.
Price
The current PS5 models are priced at $400 and $500 for the digital and standard versions, respectively. While the PS5 slim standard version that includes the disc drive will remain at $500, the discless version will get a price increase to $450. This price increase had already been seen in other territories outside the U.S., but will now be introduced here once these new versions launch. It is also worth mentioning that the detachable disc drive you can get to upgrade your discless version will cost $80, meaning you would spend more to buy the digital version and add the drive than you would by simply buying the version with the drive already included.

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