Anticipation over Sony’s next-generation PS5 console is reaching a fever pitch now that launch day is less than a week away. PS5 pre-orders are completely sold out in Japan and will only be available in the US at launch for those who pre-ordered or buy the console online.

Early impressions of the PS5’s advanced hardware and features are finally starting to come out, and the overall reception is already looking very positive. Among some of the more helpful new features is the PS5’s brand new Accolades System meant to foster more positive online PSN communities.

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Reviewers got their hands on the PS5 during the past few weeks and final review impressions are starting to pour out from numerous media outlets. Early PS5 reviews praise the console’s low noise profile, DualSense controller, and UI design. In a similar vein to the PS5’s UI comes the variety of brand new features that are integrated into the PS5. One of those new features the Accolades System which is meant to add profile badges and awards to players who help out other players during online interactions.

The Accolades System is built into a player’s PSN User Profile which is found at the top right corner of the PS5’s brand new UI. The way the Accolades System functions is fairly simple. Once users play online with other PS5 users, they’ll have the opportunity to award them with three different types of badges. There’s the green Helpful badge, the orange Welcoming badge, and the blue Good Sport badge. For example, the Helpful badge may be awarded to a player who provided a useful warning message in Demon’s Souls, or the Good Sport Badge could be awarded to an opponent in NBA 2K21.

ps5 accolade system screen breakdown

The badges that players receive from other players online are displayed in their own section of a user’s profile alongside trophies and games played. Additionally, players won’t be able to just hand out free badges to their friends, as players can only award badges to random players not already in their friends list. The Accolades System is a pretty neat PS5 feature that will hopefully make playing games online over PS5 a much more positive experience. Though the online ecosystem surrounding PlayStation can vary depending on the game or community, it’s nice that there’s some built-in incentive to treat other kindly online.

As more and more details about the various features come to light surrounding the PS5, the early stages of next-generation console wars gets tighter and tighter. No doubt many users are still grappling over purchasing the PS5 or the Xbox Series X as their primary next-generation console. Each console has a variety of pros and cons, so players should weight their options before they commit to a certain console. Perhaps the PS5’s many new features are just what certain players are looking for in a next-generation console.

The PS5 is set to launch on November 12th, 2020.

MORE: All Known Launch Plans for the PS5

Source: GameSpot