You Can Test Out New PlayStation 5 Features Before They Release - Here's How

Video games and the word "quality" rarely go hand in hand these days. Sure, each year sees excellent releases with games like "Clair Obscure: Expedition 33" and "Black Myth: Wukong," but way too many are plagued with bugs and performance issues. It's enough to make you think you could do a better job at beta testing. Well, time to put your money where your mouth is because Sony runs a beta program for PlayStation that lets you test just about everything software-related on the PlayStation 5.

Games are at the forefront, and you can play them on your console or stream them on your PC, but the beta program also gives you other opportunities. Depending on what's on tap, you could potentially evaluate phone app updates or explore the next evolution of the PlayStation website. You could even assess new features designed to help you get the most out of your PlayStation 5. Signing up is easy. Just visit the beta program website and click "Join now." Sign in to your account (or make one), then follow the on-screen instructions. You'll be asked to agree to certain terms, as well as select the kinds of programs you want to help test.

These will include your preferred platform, the sorts of betas you're interested in (e.g., playtests or console features), and your favorite game genres. Once you're done, click the "Continue" button at the bottom, and Astro Bot will pop up on your screen surrounded by PlayStation icon-shaped confetti. You're done. Now all that's left to do is wait for an invitation in your email and follow whatever instructions it provides. Here's hoping future participants can help perfect PlayStation's cloud streaming service.

Even if you sign up for the beta program, there's no guarantee Sony will call on you to test any games or programs (speaking from experience here, unfortunately). Just because you want to help beta test upcoming PS5 games and features doesn't mean you can. The first hurdle you must clear is regional availability. In other words, the beta program is limited to certain countries, and you have to visit the PlayStation support page to find out if you can even sign up in the first place.

However, you can apply for the beta program by creating a new account based in a supported region (e.g., make a U.S. account). You also need to meet any legal age requirements for your region of choice, and your account has to be in good standing, meaning you haven't been temporarily banned for cheating or shouting racial slurs during multiplayer matches. Since signing up for the beta program is free, you won't actually own the games you test after the beta period, and even if you buy it, you'll have to start from scratch.

Furthermore, if you actually get into a beta, you need to sign an NDA, which means no sharing screenshots on social media. In fact, if you get into a beta, you should probably err on the side of caution and not let anyone know you got into a beta. Finally, if you want to opt out of a beta, you can simply ignore the invitation email.