PS4 Update 3.5 Release Date Confirmed
By Rob Gordon 26 March 2016
Sony confirms that the 3.5 PS4 update will see release on April 6, as well as revealing a number of features including PC and Mac remote play as well as improved social features.
Sony’s PS4 has already taken a strong claim as the go-to home console for gamers, maintaining a strong lead in worldwide sales. However, there is still plenty of room for improvement with the platform, which the tech giant is clearly trying to address. As a result, Sony has now confirmed the features of another update to the console, revealing plenty of information surrounding exactly what users can expect as well as its release date of April 6.
The PS4 3.5 update is set to make some big changes to the ways in which users can interact with other PS4 owners. For starters, Sony is going to implement an Appear Offline function for gamers. The setting, which can be found on the profile tab, quick menu, and login screen, could prove useful for users who do not want to be interrupted while playing a game or watching videos.
It’s not entirely antisocial changes, however, with Sony also bringing in a feature that will allow a user to get notifications when friends appear online. Meanwhile, the PS4 update will also allow users to create scheduled events, making it easier for gamers to make a group invitation for a gameplay session. As well as the ability to share these events to a Community, this functionality is also available through the PS App.
Perhaps the most interesting change that will be arriving in this update is the expansion of the PS4’s remote play ability. With update 3.5, remote play is going to arrive for both PC and Mac, providing the user has a device with Windows 8.1, Windows 10, OS X 10.10, or OS X 10.11. A number of different resolutions and frame rates will also be available, depending on bandwidth, with the default resolution and frame rate set at 540p and 30fps.
As well as these major improvements, Sony will also follow through on a number of other changes. Users will now have the option to broadcast video content to Dailymotion, while sharing content on social media sites will now be more flexible, with the ability to tag friends in posts. PS Plus users will also receive a hub, making it easier to keep track of PS Plus games such as Broforce and Galak-Z.
The number of additional features being added to the PS4 with this update is certainly impressive, with the amount of flexibility around multiplayer gaming and social most likely to prove useful. The move towards PC and Mac remote play is also intriguing, with Sony perhaps making steps to catch up with Microsoft’s Xbox One. Hopefully, all the new features will work exactly as intended when the update sees release.
Source: Sony PlayStation (YouTube) (via GameSpot)
