Online User Guide Confirms No 3D Blu-ray Support For PS4

Peter Chapman 25 Comments

Well, this is odd. I’ve been skimming through the fancy online user guide for the PS4 since I posted about it and I’ve come upon something that’s a little bit interesting: the PlayStation 4 won’t support 3D Blu-Rays.

That’s a little bit strange, considering how hard Sony pushed 3D content over the past few years and how consummately the PlayStation 3 handled 3D Blu-ray playback but it is perhaps something that might be patched back into the system – as with many features we took for granted. It’s surely something that the hardware is capable of, given its support of the relevant HDMI 1.3 standard and the power in the box.

The relevant section is under the Video/TV section in the user guide. It states that the PS4 won’t support obvious media like DVDs that haven’t been finalised and recordable Blu-rays, as well as the CDs we already knew about (and they’re patching that back in). And then there it is, right there at the bottom: no support for 3D Blu-rays. Weird, huh?

The same section also confirms that the PS4 has HDCP protection on its HDMI output – this is an anti-piracy measure that scrambles the signal so that less scrupulous (and intelligent) people can’t capture movies. Unfortunately, it also prevents external capture boxes that work via HDMI – the PS4’s only source of A/V output – from recording gameplay. So the only way to get your gameplay off the PS4, at launch, is via the Share button and a Facebook account. They’ve promised a patch to fix that problem too, hopefully it all comes very soon after launch.

UPDATE: Official response is in: “Technically, the PS4 system supports 3D gameplay at launch on day one, though no launch titles are currently 3D compatible. 3D Blu-ray movies will not be compatible at launch.”

Source: PS4 User Guide

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25 Comments

  1. 3D bluray playback is included in the day one version 1.5 update. The guide is for the current version of the software pre 1.5 and doesn’t include features that will be added in the 1.5 update.

    • Do you have the source for this? I know it will enable DVD and BluRay features but I can’t find anything that specifies 3D.

      Cheers

      • thanks for that link, that story is a bit older so I’ve asked SCEE for confirmation that this is sorted in FW1.5 and I’ll update the story when I hear back.

      • Phew, that’s good news. Seems like licenses for features are being bought at a staggered pace by Sony, maybe for financial reasons? As long as all the desired features show up eventually then that’s fine, 3D blu ray would be a disappointing omission at launch though.

    • Well the guide clearly says at the bottom “This guide is for use with system software version 1.50 or later.”, which suggests you’re incorrect.

  2. Link with info from my previous comment: http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/09/xbox-one-ps4-3d-blu-ray-playback/

  3. Not really fussed, I’ve watched the Olympics on my TV once, never bothered with gaming as it looks crap. This wouldn’t be missed anyway I doubt.

    • 3D generally works better with games than TV and film.

  4. I’m sure they confirmed months ago that the PS4 wouldn’t have HDCP

    • They confirmed that they would be patching it out for gameplay capture kits in a post-launch patch but never put a timeframe on it. It’s the one thing that’s really annoying me about the PS4!

    • It was “we’ll remove HDCP later, to allow recording games”.

      It’ll still be there for watching Blu-Ray video. It has to be there if they want to let you watch anything. It’s a requirement of the Blu-ray standard.

      But they don’t have to apply it to games. Or any films you download (although I’m sure they’ve probably had to agree to it when licensing the films in the first place)

  5. No 3d blu ray support? No cd support? What can it play other than games? Does it have DVD playback?

  6. I belive both PS4 and XO have HDMI 1.4. Because that’s the requirement for full HD 3D playback and 4K. PS3 has it, so going back to 1.3 makes no sense.

    • PS3 has HDMI 1.3. There is no HDMI 1.4 port on the PS3.

      • Oh, you’re right. I just read up on it as I could have sworn you needed 1.4, but it’s possible with a 1.3 port if you have the 1.4 firmware and a high speed cable. But from what I can find, 1.4 is still required to do 4K video (up to 30fps @ 8bit colour), something the PS4 is promised by Shuhei Yoshida to support.

  7. They need to fix this asap. I don’t like 3D but I know people who use the PS3 to watch 3D movies. Movies they won’t be able to watch on PS4 if this is true. Sony were all about 3D a few years back. You’d think they would have this from the beginning… ?

    I imagine there will be a ‘3D coming to PS4’ article in a few days.

  8. Never even knew the PS3 can play 3D blu ray just always used my blu ray player.

  9. Not a big surprise considering how badly 3D is doing. Both at cinemas and TV sales show that it really is a fad. About two months ago 2D surpassed 3D ticket sales at the box office after 18 months or so of 3D dominating sales. And, well, as for 3DTVs it’s been obvious for a while no one is buying them.

  10. Definitely weird that this isn’t supported at launch. It’s odd what Sony’s missed, given all the things they’re getting right this round. Maybe it’s just a smaller team this time.

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