PlayStation 4

We’re right in the heart of that sensitive period before launch where forum goers opt to freak out over every little scrap of information pertaining to next generation consoles. One sizeable nugget that caused some controversy over the weekend is the fact that the PlayStation 4 will require a firmware update to unlock many of its advertised features on release day. It turns out that you won’t be stuck twiddling your thumbs while you wait for the 300MB patch to download, though.

Responding to a fan query, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida has confirmed on Twitter that you’ll be able to dive straight into a single player game and start playing while the download is being pulled off the PlayStation Network in the background. You’ll still need to have it installed if you want to go online, access Remote Play, or share any gameplay clips – but hopefully this should prevent any potential backlashes when the system’s servers inevitably get hammered.

The big question is: what are you planning to play while the firmware update downloads? Are you going to gun down a few Helghast in Killzone: Shadow Fall, or put your platforming skills to the test in Knack? Share your launch day plans in the comments section below.

[source twitter.com, via neogaf.com]