PlayStation 5 owners are treated to massive 30th anniversary surprise – but it’s only for a limited time

PLAYSTATION is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its first console’s launch, and it brought a free surprise to PS5 owners on Tuesday.

A feature update for PS5 rolled out yesterday, on the anniversary of the original PlayStation’s release date in Japan, December 3.

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony Interactive Entertainment

The PS5 30th anniversary update surprised players by changing the startup screen and music of PS5 consoles to those of the PS1.

The iconic startup sound of Sony’s first console is instantly recognisable by fans and a great way to celebrate the original PlayStation’s anniversary.

What’s more, the update adds five new themes for the PS5’s home screen and control centre menu.

Each new design is based on one of the previous PlayStation home consoles, PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4, plus a special 30th anniversary theme.

The new themes add visual elements reminiscent of Sony’s past console models, and also change the system sounds the PS5 makes to those of past PlayStation consoles.

PS5 owners can switch between the new designs from the Settings screen or even turn them off, if they prefer PS5’s standard interface.

Sony has said that the new themes and startup screen will be available “for a limited time” without specifying when the new features will be removed.

PlayStation fans were delighted by the new customisation options, but many were disappointed that the nostalgic looks are only a limited-time feature.

Many players posted on Reddit and Twitter/X, begging Sony to make the new anniversary themes and startup screen a permanent option.

User Aggravating-Cap-6686 started a Reddit thread calling fans to petition Sony so that the new themes remain available after the limited-time period.

Other redditors also asked for more startup screen options, for the PS2, PS3 and PS4, instead of just the PS1 that’s available right now.

This is the first time the PS5 gets any option to customise the appearance of its user interface, so naturally, players are excited to give their console menus a new look.

A lot of PlayStation fans miss the themes feature from the PS3 and PS4, which allows users to change the look of menus with themes they download from the PS Store.

For more on PlayStation’s anniversary celebrations, check out a new quiz you can take to test your knowledge of PlayStation’s history and grab rewards.