Upcoming PS4 2.0 update has a lot in store

Sony is still keeping a lid on the official release date of their upcoming PS4 2.0 system software update, but they were keen on sharing with us some of the many new features included. As PS4 fans may know by now, the new firmware will feature Share Play, YouTube Support, and Themes. However, the list of features doesn’t end here. There are more to come, much more. Scott McCarthy, the director of Product Planning & Software Innovation from Sony, stated on the official PlayStation blog that they are guided by fans’ requests, and this will show in the new PS4 2.0 update. Here goes: “PlayStation has heard gamers when they say they want more ways to find friends to play with, and more ways to personalize their PS4. With this update, we’ve added a Players You May Know tile, the ability to listen to your music while gaming, the option to change the look of your PS4 experience, and easier ways to sort and filter your library of content on PS4.” It’s been almost a year since the PS4 has been officially released, and Sony has hit a series of home runs with their new-gen console, from record sales worldwide to offering players an exquisite overall gaming experience. Sony said they will continue to rely heavily on player feedback to further improve all aspects of PS4 play. Here’s a taste of what to expect in the upcoming PS4 2.0 update:

  • USB Music Player: PS4 owners can play their own music in the background while playing a game using USB Music Player*. After inserting a USB stick loaded with music into the PS4, a new option for USB Music Player will appear. Supported filename extensions include MP3, MP4, M4A, and 3GP.
  • Change colors: In addition to the ability to add a theme, PS4 owners can also change the background of the home screen from light blue to one of seven new colors: gold, blue, red, green, purple, pink, and gray.
  • Players You May Know: PS4 will now suggest players you may know in the ‘What’s New’ section, recommending gamers your friends frequently play with.
  • Enhancements to Live Broadcasting: Masamune brings a variety of improvements to live broadcasting on PS4. In the Live From PlayStation app, PS4 owners can now select a Featured channel, which includes official broadcasts from PlayStation, broadcasts from people on a players friend list, and any game channel that the player has followed. Additionally, Live From PlayStation now has filters for searching broadcasts on a specific game, as well as support for archived broadcasts.
  • Content Area and Library: PS4’s Content Area, which shows the latest games and apps a PS4 owner has used, has been redesigned to help make it easier to quickly find and access content. It now shows 15 of a player’s most used apps or games, and additional items will be added to a player’s Library. The Library on PS4 has improved filter and sort functions to help organize contented by type (game / app / TV & video), name (a – z or z – a), recently used, or install date.
  • Enhanced Voice Commands: The ability to control PS4 using voice has been improved. Players can now say ‘PlayStation’ to begin commands, and ‘All Commands,’ to see a list of all voice command options available. New voice commands were added for live broadcasting, including “Start broadcast,” “End broadcast,” and “Find face.”
  • Add To Library: The monthly free PlayStation Plus games will have an ‘Add to Library’ button in the PlayStation Store. This button will add a game to a PS4 owner’s library without downloading it – saving space on their hard drive.
  • Back Up Data: Data on PS4 can be backed up and resorted using USB storage. This will back up all data for the console, including settings, save data, screenshots, video clips, download data, and more.

Sony announced that the USB Data backup feature that was initially listed, will no longer be included in the 2.0 update. Following up on the update subject, PS Vita and PS TV systems will also be updated to version 3.55, in sync with the PS4 2.0 update, adding four-player Remote Play support to PS TV. Additionally, the Live from PlayStation App will be available for both PS Vita and PS TV systems alongside this update.