The PlayStation 4 is a fun little system, and its interface is intuitive and easy to access – but, as with all things, there’s always room for improvement. And Sony definitely has some improvement coming.
The publisher announced that a new 2.0 firmware update for the console, codenamed “Masamune,” will provide a number of most-wanted features that will make the PS4 even more accessible to users – and just in time for the holiday season, at that.
The main focus of the update will be the addition of themes, allowing users to post various backgrounds on their system, instead of just the plain blue background that’s currently available. In addition, users will be able to listen to their own music as they play games, without having to use Sony’s Music Unlimited service. The catch is that a USB drive with the MP3’s (or M4A’s) of the music will have to be plugged in to the system, as files still can’t be installed on it.
The Content Area, or the main menu, will also be customizable, as users can shift the 15 most recently used items to a custom list on the main screen, while still accessing the others through the general library. However, users can sort that area as well by name and type.
PlayStation Plus subscribers can also add games immediately to a library through the PlayStation Store, without having to start a manual download for them.
Firmware 2.0 will also bring support for enhanced voice commands, better live broadcasting over Twitch and UStream, and a list of friends (or ones that the user may know) in a separate window through the PlayStation Network.
There’s no exact date on when the update will be available, but it will be free of charge, and Sony has indicated it will arrive sometime this fall.
