PlayStation Update 5.0 Available Now, New Features Revealed Today
PlayStation just launched its highly-anticipated new firmware version for PlayStation 4, version [...]
PlayStation just launched its highly-anticipated new firmware version for PlayStation 4, version 5.0. This is the first time since September a full "point-0" update has swept through, so we were expecting some huge changes. Several new features were teased a while back, chief among them streaming enhancements for PS4 Pro owners, but Sony revealed today that some hitherto undisclosed features also made the update.
For a full outline of the already-announced features, you can look back at our summary right here. Today, we're going to focus on some of the newly-revealed features that we didn't see coming. You can find a full briefing on the PlayStation Blog, but we've outlined some of the more exciting bits for your below!
We're kicking off with a serious competitive update. With the new Xbox OS updates making it easier for players to arrange tournaments, it sounds like Sony is making moves to cater to the competitive scene as well.
Team Tournaments
"Team Tournament functionality will kick off on October 5, shortly after the release of the 5.00 update. The initial batch of titles supporting Team Tournaments will be Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, World of Tanks and Mantis Burn Racing, with more on the way. Head over to the Events section on your PS4 to check out details for different Events and Tournaments, and to start creating your team."
If you have multiple games in which you enjoy competing, don't sweat it. Sony is allowing you to join or manage up to 60 unique teams. There will be an entire team hub where you can view past tournament records at a glance, send messages out to your fellow teammates, and coordinate future competitions.
prevnextFollow Anyone
"Before 5.00, you were only able to follow Verified Accounts, but now you can follow any user without having to be friends with them (subject to privacy settings). This allows you to follow content creators, game broadcasters, and other gamers in a community without having to dip into your friends list. And at the same time, this will allow these users to expand their reach and build more interest in what they're doing."
Let's be honest, we all love following Shuhei Yoshida, the 'follow' feature on PS4 has been largely unused until now. Now we can finally branch out a little bit and follow gamers, developers, or friends that we want to keep up with, even if only to see what they've been playing lately.
prevnextUpdates to Messages and Communities
Sony revealed that, now, if someone sends you a message that contains a link, you will see a preview of the website right there in your messages. With the sudden and rapid rise of sex chat-bots lately, I'm not so sure that this is a good idea. Sony also revealed that the PS4 apps will be getting rolling updates starting today.
PlayStation Communities
"Following this update, you can switch the app into landscape mode when you flip your phone sideways, so you get a wider view of the app and it makes it easier to scroll through. In addition, you're now able to view and post animated GIFs on community walls. We're also adding the following languages to the app: Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Romanian, Thai and Vietnamese."
It was also revealed that we'll be getting stickers to use in messages. Stickers for Horizon Zero Dawn and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy are first up. I'm sure someone out there will be excited about that.
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