Sony moves to explain PS5's new voice chat recording and moderation in more detail Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Sony moves to explain PS5's new voice chat recording and moderation in more detail Following misunderstandings earlier this week. News by Matt Wales Reporter Updated on 16 Oct 2020 77 comments Following some surprise and confusion earlier this week surrounding a message in PS4's latest system update notifying users that "voice chats may be recorded and sent to us by other users" - a statement that spawned more than a couple of memes - Sony has offered further clarification on just how, exactly, PS5's new voice chat reporting works. In a new post on the PlayStation blog, global consumer experience division head Catherine Jensen began by apologising for the confusing way the new feature had been presented to PS4 players. "PlayStation gamers learned about this new function in an unexpected way following the recent PS4 8.00 system update," she wrote. "We didn't clearly communicate this feature or explain why we were introducing it, and we apologise for that." Expanding on Sony's initial attempts to offer clarification earlier this week, Jensen explained that PlayStation 5 will include a new online security feature that enables a player to submit a 40-second audio clip from a current voice chat session for moderation in instances where other players engage in problematic behaviour. Watch on YouTube "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," wrote Jensen. "If a PS5 player needs to file a harassment report, they will be able to include up to a 40 second-long voice chat clip in their report - 20 seconds of the main conversation with the other player, plus an additional 10 seconds before and after the conversation selection. Only the most recent five minutes of a voice chat will be available for a player to use for this reporting function." "These reports can be submitted directly through the PS5 console," continued Jensen, "and will be sent to our Consumer Experience team for moderation, who will then listen to the recording and take action, if needed". She did note, however, that "some submitted reports won't be valid, and our team will take this as an opportunity to provide guidance and education." Jensen explained that PlayStation 5's new voice chat security feature is non-optional as Sony wants "all users to feel safe when playing with others online, not just those who choose to enable it". And given the cross-console voice chat functionality possible between PS4 and PS5, owners of Sony's current-gen machine are now being informed, as we saw earlier this week, that their conversations with PlayStation 5 users will be recorded too. "We appreciate your support, and want you to know that our team will always work to create a positive experience on PlayStation so you can focus on playing great games and having fun with your friends," Jensen concluded. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 3 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 10 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 3 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store