Report: Sony’s Latest Firmware Update For PlayStation 4 Could Be One Of Its Biggest Yet

We noted late last week that Sony was prepping its latest firmware update for the PlayStation 4, though the publisher didn’t note what features we could expect from the latest update. However, a few reports around the web have indicated that we could be in for one of the biggest updates for the console to date – yes, even the one that enabled you to use external storage.

Reports are indicating that Sony could be adding the following features to the firmware update, though it still doesn’t have a release date:

• PS One Classics compatibility
• The ability to take game demos and trials from your library by hiding them
• Wish list enabled in the PlayStation Store
• Increasing the maximum number of players in a PSN online party
• Being able to change the PSN ID

Now, Sony has not confirmed any of these, so take these with a grain of salt, but let’s talk about why each of these features is vital to PlayStation 4 owners…

PS One Classics

Sony has proven that there’s an interest in classic games on the PlayStation 4, as a number of PS2 games have come out, and other games, like Patapon and Parappa the Rapper, have gotten the remastered treatment. So enabling PS One Classics for the system would be a big move, and also give Sony the opportunity to cash in on games like Spyro the Dragon trilogy, the earlier Crash Bandicoot games, Jet Moto, WipEout, Twisted Metal and so many others. We’re unsure how the pricing could be set up, or if the games would be remastered in 1080p in any way, but, yeah, we’d totally be down for playing PS1 classics again – and maybe unlocking a few Trophies for our trouble.

Removing Game Demos and Trials From Your Game Library

Everyone knows that a game library can easily get cluttered. Sony has made updates in the past where you could move everything around via folders, which is convenient, but there are little things that pop up in the menu that can get in the way of getting to our favorite games. So, yes, this feature would be pretty beneficial when it comes to “cleaning things up,” as it were, so that you can get back to surfing through the menu of stuff that you want to mess with. Granted, you’ll also miss out on some demos you may want, but I guess you can always find those in the PlayStation Store, so it’s not really a total loss.

PlayStation Store Wish List

This is a good way to remind players about games that they may have passed over the first time they saw them in the PlayStation Store, serving as a subtle reminder to pick them up. It sounds like they’ll be able to keep this list on stand-by as well, so they can purchase the games however they see fit, without pressure. Plus they can probably keep tabs on their favorite games in case they go on sale, since PlayStation Store sales happen on a weekly basis, so they can browse and see what’s going for a rather cheap price. This feature is sure to be a big hit for some fans, especially those big spenders that can’t help but add new games to their library.

Increase the Maximum Number of Players In a PSN Party

While not everyone uses the PSN Party feature, there are those that will find it to be a great benefit for multiplayer games, such as Overwatch and the forthcoming Destiny 2. Increasing the count of players may make things a little more confusing when everyone talks at once, but, on the flip side, some people won’t be shut out of the group because of a low player count, so everyone can join in the fun. It’ll be interesting to see how this feature balances out, and, more importantly, how it’ll manage a group of a larger size, but if that means keeping everyone together in a session of Call of Duty: WWII, we’re all about it.

Changing the PSN ID

This could be a huge feature. Some people have been looking to change the name of their PSN ID for what seems like years, without the ability to do so. It’s unsure how Sony will manage this option, as managing millions of names on the network probably takes a heaping handful of effort. But if Sony can introduce this, it will help players diversify their online personality into something that’s more fitting, rather than the default name they registered with when they first signed up with the PlayStation Network. If there’s a way for Sony to effectively make this happen, it could be a game-changer for a lot of online players.

We’ll let you know when the latest firmware update goes live!