Hiding away on your relevant app store are of right now you should find the new PlayStation Messages app, which does exactly what it says on the tin. No more faffing away trying typing in “lols” via the PlayStation controller, use your smartphone instead.
- Check your Friends List to instantly see who’s online and what they’re playing
- Send text messages or voice messages to individual friends or to groups of friends anytime you like
- Upload and share your own attachments and swap PlayStation-themed stickers
- Search for, and add, new PlayStation Network contacts
Source: PS Blog
MrYd
Can’t you do messages from the existing Playstation app?
Presumably they’ll remove that feature now and force you to have two apps when one would do. It’s the Facebook way. Which leads to “I can’t be arsed using 2 apps, so I won’t bother with the new one”.
But stickers. Woo!
camdaz
Yeah you can, don’t see the need for another. Unless it’s a lot faster?
MrYd
It’ll be like that time Facebook did it and Zuckerberg was all “blah blah blah because reasons and I’m right” and some people downloaded the separate messenger app and some people just added it to the list of reasons why they want to punch Zuckerberg in his smug little punchable face.
I think his alleged reason was it makes people respond quicker. You must have your messages straight away and reply instantly, rather than check them when it’s convenient for you.
I sound old, don’t I?
camdaz
Old? Not at all, I’m sick of getting alerts from Facebook about every hour or so.
Tomhlord
90% of the time I open the PlayStation app, it’s to message. The new IM app is quicker to open and a lot more focussed. It’s slicker to use.
So nice, yes another app, but if you want to send or reply to a message, this is quicker.
dave87fez
I wondered if the new app is quicker than the current (or “old” now!) PlayStation app. Loading that up was like waiting for a PSOne game to load sometimes, and half the time failed anyway for me
AngryCoward
Exactly. You can use it from within the app, as before, OR use it standalone
dave87fez
I’m not sure how these things work but I read in the news this week that the PlayStation Network is a haven for terrorists to plan their attacks because it’s so well encrypted (ironic considering that not too long ago Sony’s problem was not enough encryption).
I wonder if this app will give some kind of back door into snooping and catching this kind of thing.
MrYd
Was that the hilarious suggestion that terrorists could plan their attacks using PS4s by writing messages on the walls with bullets in Call of Duty. Or using coins in Super Mario Maker? (Which is impressive on a PS4 ;)
Some Belgian politician after the Paris attacks? Which it turned out were planned using completely unencrytped text messages?
Whoever had that story originally might have exaggerated things or made stuff up. Maybe they saw footage from a game and thought it was real terrorists too.
colmshan1990
Messages on these systems aren’t seriously encrypted at all.
I mean, why would they? The vast majority of messages are trying to organise a gaming session.
It’s the credit cards/identity section Sony best have beefed up.
dave87fez
Just checked my history for the article I read and yeah, it was the Belgian minister, but it was actually voice chat he was referring to rather than text-based messages. Link here in case anyone cared http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/619722/ISIS-Terrorist-Attack-Paris-Sony-Playstation-4-PSN
AngryCoward
You seems to have fallen into the Microsoft viral FUD trap. It was a vile attempt by Microsoft to exploit the dead for their own purposes. Thankfully someone spotted a hole in their FUD.
http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/16/9745216/playstation-4-paris-attacks-reporting-error
MrYd
I’ve not seen any suggestion anywhere that MS had anything to do with it. Slightest hint of terrorism, and journalists are quite capable of making up complete bollocks on their own.
I’d say it was more an attempt by so-called journalists to exploit the dead for their own purposes.
dave87fez
Wow, the terrorist had a PS4 and that was all it took to make someone suggest it was planned on it?!
That’s like saying the terrorist’s mobile device was an iPhone, so FaceTime is to blame.
The Lone Steven
Or, maybe, the daily rags went “Let’s make video games related to this!” Somehow, they got Super Mario Maker onto the PS4. Either the entire Daily Rags lot know something we don’t and Nintendo and Sony are preparing to join forces oor they are spouting pure BS. MS wouldn’t stoop that low to use it as a chance to spread lies about their rivals. Hell, they don’t even do that. They just focus on their own systems. Same with Sony and Nintendo.
Gaming is generally an easy target for the rags and almost every major thing is somehow connected to gaming. Or as most of us know it as,
GRADE A HOMEGROWN ORGANIC BULLLSHIT. Oh and it causes cancer. What? If the Daily Mail can get away with claiming everything causes cancer. Why can’t i claim that their bs causes cancer?
MrYd
Don’t get me started on the “it causes cancer” bollocks the papers like to jump on at least 14 times a week!
Ignoring the tiny list (I think it contains 1 item) of things that definitely don’t cause cancer, everything else is either “definitely causes instant, deadly cancer, but you’re not going to be eating it anyway, unless you’re an idiot, because cancer is probably the least of your worries if you do” or “probably doubles the chances of something incredibly rare in the first place, so why are you worrying about it either way?”
Which do so-called newspapers like the Daily M*** do worse at? Anything to do with games? Anything to do with science? Or anything to do with reality?