The latest system update for the PS5 is currently in beta and I was fortunate enough to have access to the new features that will be available to all PS5 owners in the coming weeks.

The ability to upgrade the console's SSD has received the most attention, and while the improved labeling of PS4 and PS5 games is useful, I think the best feature included in the new firmware is the improved trophy system.

In the PS4 generation, I was an avid trophy hunter. I played games I didn't care for in order to earn a couple of bronzes, and I even bought some notoriously terrible games just for an easy platinum - I'm ashamed to say that "My Name is Mayo" is on my trophy list.

With PS5, however, my love for the achievement system cooled with notable speed. This is not because I grew tired of collecting trophies, or because the satisfying pinging sound that accompanies trophy notifications lost its luster. I stopped actively collecting trophies because the PS5's trophy interface was awful.

Or, it was awful until just a few weeks ago, when a PS5 system update improved it to the point where I started collecting trophies again and couldn't be more thrilled to spend dozens of hours collecting pointless virtual rewards.

Earlier, I noted issues with the PS5's UI. Chief among them was how the console handles trophies, which was the least of my complaints.

Originally, on the PS5 (and on systems that are not currently still in software beta), trophies are displayed horizontally in large rectangular blocks. In addition to being a huge waste of available screen real estate, this block makes obtaining trophy information unnecessarily difficult.

It is not possible to examine a game's trophy list at first glance; one must click on each trophy one by one. Furthermore, to see the hidden trophy information, one must press the button three times instead of once as on the PS4.

In fact, the interface was so bad that overnight I went from being an avid trophy hunter to a user who rarely checks his trophies. For a while, I tried to use third-party solutions like PSNProfiles and the PlayStation app, but soon gave up in frustration at having to constantly refer to my phone.

Thankfully, the latest PS5 system date has done what trophy enthusiasts have been clamoring for since the console's launch. Trophies are now displayed in what was once a vertical list, giving you the information you need at a glance without having to press anything. Furthermore, if one wants to reveal information about a hidden trophy, one simply taps a square button.

This very small change instantly put me back on the trophy promotion train. I'm looking for easy trophies that I've neglected and am thinking about platinuming more difficult games like Returnal.

Another trophy-specific feature added in the PS5 system update is the ability to individually select up to five trophies to track in the console's control center. With a few presses of the

button, you can bring up a pop-up window that displays all the necessary information for the trophy you are actively tracking. Furthermore, this can all be done without leaving the game currently being played.

This is very useful for collector's hunts or when going after trophies that require you to complete a series of actions in a specific order. It makes it easier to remember what needs to be accomplished and saves time scrolling through the trophy menu, allowing me to focus on playing instead.

Sony has even included the ability to pin this pop-up window to the screen. This allows the player to play while it is still visible. I found this very helpful while chipping away at trophies in the excellent online multiplayer game Chivalry II.

This is another small addition, and while it doesn't fundamentally change the trophy system, it is a useful tool in certain situations. It is a feature that Sony should add to the PS5 UI to make the user experience more seamless.

The fact that Sony has made these tweaks to the way trophies are handled in PS5 shows that the company is clearly listening to its users.

The latest PS5 system update fixes an unnecessary redesign and shows that Sony is paying attention to what users want. Lastly, I hope Sony heeds my wish for the switcher feature to be something actually usable.