Sony Discontinuing PS5 Feature Due To Limited Use

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The PlayStation 5 includes several features that its predecessor lacked, such as cards providing in-game help and a built-in PlayStation Store. Unfortunately, one of the PS5 innovations received little use, meaning that the feature will soon be removed.

Per Siliconera, PlayStation 5 users will soon be losing access to the Accolades system. For those unfamiliar with the feature, it was a function designed to award gamers who positively contributed to multiplayer experiences. Gamers could obtain three Accolades, which were Helpful, Welcoming, and Good Sport. With these Accolades being neutral profile badges and not for one specific game, players could get them by playing a number of multiplayer titles. Unfortunately, most players will likely have empty Accolades sections if they inspect their profiles.

The announcement that the PS5’s Accolades system is being abandoned comes from a post on the Japanese PlayStation Support site. While an exact date has not been shared for the feature’s removal, a Fall 2022 window was provided. It can be assumed that, when the feature is removed, gamers will lose access to any Accolades they have received thus far. According to Sony, gamers were not utilizing the feature nearly as much as the company had expected, pushing the company to stop supporting Accolades.

There could be a few reasons why PlayStation fans were not making use of Accolades, though the biggest could be that they were simply inconvenient. While the idea of rewards for players who are good sports or helpful when playing online makes sense, the execution could have been far better. Players can not see or give out Accolades unless they visit someone’s PSN profile, something that takes a fair bit of time. For gamers hopping from one multiplayer match to the next, taking the time to give out Accolades could be seen as tedious. Further, players were unable to give out Accolades to their friends, something that may have caused them to lose interest in Accolades early on.

Currently, it is unclear if Accolades will get a replacement, though the feature does take up a good bit of space on PSN Profiles. Perhaps this spot could be filled by the digital collectibles mentioned in the blog post about the PlayStation Stars rewards program. Though this is purely speculation, this would be a solid place for these digital items, as players looking at their friend’s profiles could see some of their collectibles. With Accolades taking up so much space, giving that position to a new and potentially more popular feature would be ideal, so perhaps Sony will replace them as soon as they are removed.

While some PlayStation fans may be disappointed in the removal of the Accolades feature, most will likely feel indifferent to the announcement. Hopefully, a new PS5 feature will be added alongside the removal of Accolades to help soften the blow.