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title: Perplexity adds effort controls to Computer's model selector
description: Perplexity is rolling out effort controls within Computer's model selector, starting on the web app, with mobile and desktop support coming later. The new...
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# Perplexity adds effort controls to Computer's model selector

**[Collections](https://daily.dev/sources/collections)** · 1 min read · 1 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

Perplexity is rolling out effort controls within Computer's model selector, starting on the web app, with mobile and desktop support coming later. The new presets pair an orchestrator model with a reasoning depth setting so users can choose lighter presets for quick results or heavier ones for deeper reasoning. Some users are already speculating about combinations like Astra Fast Max once fully available.

## Content

Perplexity is rolling out effort controls in Computer's model selector, available now on web with mobile and desktop support coming later.

The effort presets combine the orchestrator model and reasoning depth, letting you dial in how thoroughly Computer works through a task. GPT-6 Sol is now available in Perplexity and serves as the default Light preset in the selector.

The presets span a range from fast and lightweight to slower, deeper reasoning - so you can trade off speed against thoroughness depending on what the task actually needs.

## Questions this post answers

### What is the default light effort preset in Perplexity Computer's model selector?

GPT-6 Sol is the default Light preset in Perplexity Computer's new effort controls. The effort presets combine an orchestrator model with a chosen reasoning depth, letting users trade off speed against thoroughness. The feature is available now on web, with mobile and desktop support coming later.

_Developers picking an AI agent for coding tasks can track model rollouts like this on daily.dev._

## Community take

How the wider developer community reacted, aggregated from 1 discussion and 18 comments across x (as of 2026-09-22).

**TL;DR:** Reactions center on skepticism about calling GPT-6 Sol the new 'Light' default, with several people calling it a marketing spin rather than a genuine lightweight option, alongside curiosity about how it performs and calls for transparency on cost/quality tradeoffs.

**Sentiment:** 30% positive · 45% mixed · 25% skeptical

**The case for**

- Some see a capable default light tier as potentially reshaping everyday agent interactions.
- A few found the new light option surprisingly intuitive to use.
- Cheap-enough-to-run models are increasingly seen as part of the capability story, not just pricing.

**The pushback**

- Several argue labeling GPT-6 Sol as 'Light' is misleading marketing since it's a different model, not a cheaper run of the same one.
- Some want real transparency: task mix, escalation rules, latency targets, and correction rates before trusting the 'light' label.
- Making Sol the default means most users may never explore other options in the selector.

**By community**

- x (mixed): Replies mix curiosity and mild praise with pointed skepticism over the 'Light' naming and calls for more transparency on how routing actually performs.

**Hottest debate:** Whether labeling GPT-6 Sol as the 'Light' default is an honest simplification or misleading marketing.

**Open questions**

- How does the new Light default actually perform on real workflows compared to before?
- What's the escalation rule and correction rate when the Light tier falls short?
- Will other frontier models like Muse or Gemini 4 get similar effort-control integration?

**Highlights**

> @perplexity_ai Calling that "Light" is doing a lot of work. It's a different model now, not a cheaper run of the same one.
> — [TeksCreate on x · 1 points](https://x.com/TeksCreate/status/2102476179517145547)

> @perplexity_ai Making GPT-6 Sol the default Light path turns routing into product behavior. Publish the task mix, escalation rule, latency target, and correction rate so “light” can be evaluated as a workflow policy rather than a label.
> — [liuzhao\_666 on x](https://x.com/liuzhao_666/status/2102504622577611263)

> @perplexity_ai Making Sol the default Light option means most users will never touch the selector
> — [violetainsights on x · 1 points](https://x.com/violetainsights/status/2102476334299488469)

> @perplexity_ai GPT-6 Sol vs Opus 5.5 is where the real AI price war starts. Similar enough performance, very different economics.
> — [luyileo on x](https://x.com/luyileo/status/2102485982012674339)

> @perplexity_ai Cheap enough to run is becoming part of the capability story, not just the pricing story.
> — [JoshRBarry on x](https://x.com/JoshRBarry/status/2102502759664918582)

**Source threads**

- [x](https://x.com/perplexity_ai/status/2102475058476392943) · 6 points · 18 comments

## Similar posts on daily.dev

- [GPT-6.1 Sol in GitHub Copilot](https://daily.dev/posts/gpt-6-1-sol-in-github-copilot-xpbo94oza) · GitHub Changelog · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

---

Tags: [#ai-agents](https://daily.dev/tags/ai-agents), [#perplexity](https://daily.dev/tags/perplexity)

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