Sony’s next PlayStation 4 system update will bring increased cloud storage, the ability to stream game footage live on YouTube, a new hub for in-game events, and a host of other upgrades. The version 3.00 update — one of the biggest in the console’s lifespan — was detailed on Sony’s PlayStation blog today.
Core among the new features is the increase in online storage capacity, bumped from the current 1 GB to 10 GB as standard for all players when the update rolls out. The PS4 uses this cloud storage for save files, but at present, it quickly fills up. In addition to increasing the capacity, the update will also add a meter that allows users to monitor their online storage, making it easier to check when you’re about to run out of space and delete files accordingly.
PlayStation 4 players could already stream live over Twitch, but the new update also adds the ability to stream live over YouTube, with streams visible, as the blog post notes, on the new YouTube Gaming mobile app and channel. YouTube launched the own dedicated video game streaming service earlier this week, the site’s attempt to make a play for the millions of viewers who’ve flocked to the wildly successful Twitch. As well as longer game streams, Sony is also finding more use for the PS4 controller’s dedicated share button for shorter videos, adding the ability to post 10-second clips of game footage direct to Twitter.
Interface tweaks and community additions round out the 3.00 update. In-game events such as double-XP weekends will be flagged up in a new dedicated events hub, and users will be able to create communities around games or interests, each coming with a messageboard, a place for shared screenshots, and an easy way to join parties with other members. If you play together with the same set of people a lot, you’ll soon be able to designate it as a favorite group, making getting your Destiny raid squad together much easier than it currently is. It’ll also be simpler to jump into a friend’s game from the Now Playing screen on console startup, and you’ll be able to request to watch their session in action, should you want to do some backseat gaming.
There’s no set date for the update to arrive just yet, but Sony says people selected for the PlayStation beta program — which was expanded earlier this month — will get to try out the new features “very soon.” The changes all sound welcome, but the company warns that it can’t guarantee every feature described in the blog post will make it to your PS4 later this year, as some may be stripped out as feedback from the beta comes in.
Some developers use 150 MB save game files. 10 GB cloud storage should be enough for now.