PlayStation 4 Firmware 3.0 Adds 10x Online Storage, More Details


Sony announced the details for the 3.0 firmware update coming to the PlayStation 4 on Tuesday. The reveal confirmed some of the previously leaked information, but it also gave PS4 owners a welcome surprise with significantly more online storage space and other new additions.

PlayStation 4 owners today only have 1 GB of cloud-based online storage to backup game saves and other console data. The first two years of the console have shown that is not nearly enough, as power gamers have quickly bumped up against the storage ceiling. Sony is increasing the amount of online storage to 10 GB with the 10.0 update. That’s not as big as the Xbox One’s unlimited storage, but a much-needed bump for the PS4.

Managing friends will get a little easier with the PS4 3.0 update. The abilities to create Communities was covered before, but owners will also be able to set up Favorite Groups in the Friends app. This will allow players to access the friends that they frequently play with the most out of the current list that can grow into the hundreds.

The ability to save screenshots in PNG format is another new feature from the previously leaked information. Interestingly, this was revealed via the European PlayStation Blog post and was not listed in the North American version. The PS4 uses JPEG format today for screen captures, but it is known as a particularly lossy compression format versus the lossless data compression available in PNG. In short, the PNG format will provide better quality images.

The full details of what will be in the beta for the PS4 3.0 firmware update is below. The first wave of invites has already been sent out. Note that Sony warns that some of these items may not make it into the final release.

Online storage capacity increase — PS4 online storage capacity has increased from 1GB to 10GB for all PS Plus members. In 3.00 system software, you’ll see that we added a handy usage meter to monitor your available storage capacity, and a new Auto-Upload menu has been added to Application Saved Data Management.

YouTube live — PS4 owners will be able to livestream gameplay to YouTube. Livestreams will be viewable across YouTube, including on the new YouTube Gaming mobile app and website.

Events — A new hub for events has been added, giving an overview of activities taking place in the games you play most, as well as official broadcasts. For instance, you may see an update for a Double XP weekend, a special enemy appearing at a scheduled time, or seasonal events like in-game towns being decorated for the winter. You’ll also receive notifications when the event starts, or if the timing changes.

Favorite Groups — Favorite Groups has been added to the Friends app, letting you quickly access groups of people you like to play games with frequently. This will make the process of getting a game session up and running even easier.

Communities — PS4 users will have the ability to create communities based around shared interests, like games, genres, and more. Communities include a message board with general discussion, screenshots shared by players, and the ability to join parties / games. If you want to tackle a big multiplayer raid, but don’t have enough friends available, this could be a great way to connect with other players who are looking for the same thing.

Sharing video clips to Twitter — Users will have the ability to share video clips directly to Twitter. Maximum video length is 10 seconds, though you’ll have the ability to trim longer clips.

Stickers — Tired of typing out messages? With this update, you’ll be able to send stickers to friends through your messages.

Now Playing / What’s New — The Now Playing screen will display even more information about what your friends are doing, and you’ll be able to quickly jump into a game, party, request a screen share, or get sent to the PS Store to buy the game your friend is playing – further enhancing the social relationship with your friends online.

Live from PlayStation — We’ve improved the Live From PlayStation app, making it easier to view popular trending broadcasts in real time.

Request to watch gameplay — Want to view a friend’s gameplay session? Now you can send a ‘Request to Watch’ notification to a player, which will start a live broadcast or Share Play invitation to the person playing.”

[Images via PlayStation]

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