Sony Defends PS5 Party Chat Recording Feature

Users have been expressing concern about a notification that party voice chats on PlayStation 5 may be recorded. While Sony already clarified the purpose of the feature, the controversy has continued. Now, the company has posted a blog with some additional comments. It discusses why the team at Sony considers the PS5 party chat recording feature to be an important one.

What Sony Said About the PS5 Party Chat Recording Feature

First of all, in a previous post, Sony wrote, “Following this update, users are seeing a notification about Party Safety and that voice chats in parties may be recorded. Voice chat recording for moderation is a feature that will be available on PS5 when it launches, and will enable users to record their voice chats on PS5 and submit them for moderation review. The pop up you’re seeing on PS4 right now is to let you know that when you participate in a chat with a PS5 user (post-launch), they may submit those recordings from their PS5 console to SIE.”

Now, in a new blog, Sony has added, “Managing online safety is an important part of ensuring that. We believe that it’s critical that gamers be able to quickly and accurately report abuse or harassment if they experience it while on PlayStation Network. As part of this initiative, we’ve been preparing to roll out a new feature on the PS5 console that enables gamers to report verbal harassment through a new Voice Chat reporting function. Its sole purpose is to help in reporting of inappropriate behavior, including actions that violate our Community Code of Conduct. Please note that this feature will not actively monitor or listen in on your conversations – ever – and it’s strictly reserved for reporting online abuse or harassment.”

The company also apologized for the confusing way in which many users first discovered the feature. Sony regrets the poor phrasing that led to the misapprehension that the company would be spying on conversations. Some gamers are still upset, but most seem reassured. For more updates on PS5, see our PlayStation news.