New PS5 update sneakily adds an Xbox Series X feature

The latest PS5 update, which rolled out to all users on March 23, includes a hidden Xbox Series X feature that wasn’t highlighted in Sony’s original patch notes: auto low latency mode (ALLM).

If you’re not aware of what ALLM is exactly, it’s a TV technology that prompts your display to automatically switch to Game Mode when your console begins playing a game. The feature has been available on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S since launch and has now been added to PS5.

Vincent Teogh of HDTVTest confirmed ALLM was active after the latest PS5 update using a Sony X900H. I can also confirm that ALLM is also working on my LG OLED CX.

ALLM might not sound like much for those who already pick the appropriate picture setting when playing games, but it’s a handy feature for those who aren’t accustomed to or comfortable with adjusting their TV settings.

The benefit of ALLM also ensures that you’re always using the optimal picture setting on your TV when playing games, which will provide a more responsive experience as game modes tend to offer significantly reduced input lag albeit at the expense of some picture options.

Analysis: PS5 is closing the gap when it comes to display features 

It’s a little odd that Sony didn’t note that ALLM was part of PS5’s latest update, as along with VRR support – which has been confirmed to arrive “in the months ahead” – it’s a desirable feature on modern-day consoles.

Until now, both features were exclusive to Xbox Series X|S, so it’s certainly a win for PS5 gamers to have parity with Microsoft’s new systems.

However, there’s still one big omission that some PS5 owners will be hoping to see, and that’s 1440p support. Right now, if you plug a PS5 into a 1440p display the console can only output at 1080p with downsampling. 

That means gamers are missing out on 43.75% more detail than they should be, and with 1440p monitors being one of the most adopted display resolutions out there, it’s a big oversight from Sony that the PS5 can’t natively output games at this resolution.

What makes the problem more egregious is that Xbox consoles have had 1440p support since 2018, along with VRR. It’s taken four years for VRR to come to PS5, so surely the wait for 1440p will soon be over as well? Maybe not. Sony has previously said that it wants to “prioritize support for TVs”, which when VRR arrives, you could argue the company has accomplished. Still, we hope Sony doesn’t forget that not everyone plays games on a TV.