PSA: PS5 owners can now turn off that pesky screenshot notification icon

No more ruining my perfect shot

Last week, the PlayStation 5 got a firmware update that added a bunch of new quality-of-life features for PS5 owners. These ranged from M.2 SSD support to a vertical trophy tracker, but I want to highlight one overlooked, but important, update: the ability to turn off the PS5’s screenshot notification.

The ability to capture screenshots and videos in consoles without the use of a third-party device was an incredible addition to consoles. And those who are a little prone to constantly screenshotting, like me, have probably run into some issues with the “captured” icon appearing in the top of their otherwise perfect pic.

Well, fret no longer. As people like Twitter user Nibel and other outlets have pointed out, PS5 owners can finally turn that icon off. Just head into the settings menu and it’s there, under the shortcuts options for the Create button. (Don’t worry, you’ll still hear the telltale shutter noise when you take a quick snap.)

https://twitter.com/Nibellion/status/1438075884687216642

I was away from my PS5 for most of last week, but over the weekend I flipped the screenshot icon setting off and took it for a test run while I was playing through the new Life is Strange (which is really good, by the way). It was so much easier to be able to snap away, without worrying about timing up shots or waiting for just the right angle. Before now, hitting the screenshot button meant hoping you got the screen you would want within a certain window, lest you take another and have that little icon in the top-right corner, taunting you. I’ve had to retake or discard good screenshots in the past because of this; the PS4 had this toggle, but PS5 users have seemingly had to wait on it.

I get that, as a media person and someone who genuinely shares a lot of their gameplay online, this is a very specific issue for myself and others like me. But the advent of the “share” button has made it so easy to preserve little moments in games. My PS4 and Switch drives are filled with screenshots of funny moments, weird glitches, and major triumphs. And with this nice update, all those moments will be pristine and free of tiny icons.