Sony has announced that a new system update will be available to all PlayStation 4 owners later this week, adding to the system’s online features.
Firmware update 7.00 should be rolling out in the coming days, though there has yet to be an official release date posted by Sony at this time.
This latest firmware version comes tagged with two headline features. While not exactly game changers, they continue to expand the PlayStation 4 console’s suite of online features with some added accessibility options which never go amiss.
First up we’ll see some improvements being made to the way PS4 parties work. For years this simple tool has allowed groups of friends to band together in other to communicate (over audio chat or text speak) while also being able to join each other’s in game sessions.
When 7.00 arrives later this week, you’ll be able to increase the number of players in your party from 8 to 16 – ideal if you’re taking party in bigger online multiplayer games such as the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Sony has also promised improvements to the party system’s network connectivity as well as audio quality. Another great addition is a new chat transcription feature. By hooking up a mobile or tablet to your PlayStation 4 and launching the party app, you’ll be able to access a speech to text tool (note that this will only be available in the United States, at least to begin with).
Remote Play is also getting another shot in the arm. For those out of the loop, this popular system feature allows PS4 users to remotely stream their game from a console to a range of devices including smartphones, tablets, computers, laptops, and of course, the PlayStation Vita.
This will now support devices running Android 5.0 or higher with the DualShock 4 now being compatible with Android 10, iOS 13, iPadOS 13, or macOS Catalina.
Source: PlayStation Blog US
TSBonyman
Console features that require a separate tablet or phone app to function properly should be banned.
camdaz
If a tablet or something is needed to play the game properly it should be banned then yes it should be banned but if it used to enhance the experience it should be allowed.
I use Sim Dashboard on a tablet fixed to my racing cockpit. It great for displaying the info that would normally be displayed on screen.
TSBonyman
Oh yes i wouldn’t complain about an optional method of accessing a feature – just when it’s the only possible option.
stueeeee
Love that remote play is now on Android!