The gaming gods have listened, and this is turning out to be the most glorious of birthdays. Not only is Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain currently firmly inserted into this author's PlayStation 4, but Sony has confirmed that the new-gen format's forthcoming firmware update v3.00 will boost the console's cloud storage space to 10GB. That means no more 'Cannot Upload to Online Storage' error messages – well, for now.
There's much more good news, though: you'll now be able to store screenshots in the vastly superior PNG format, which means no more nasty compression. Moreover, a new Communities feature on the system sounds like it's going to allow us to create a Push Square section, where we'll all be able to get together to share screenshots, usernames, and much more. That's going to be a lot of fun.
Other improvements include an Events facility, which will update you on new content and updates to your most played games, YouTube Gaming compatibility, and the ability to favourite friends, which will surely come with online notifications. Last but not least, you'll be able to upload short video clips to Twitter, and both the Now Playing and Live from PlayStation facilities are getting an upgrade. Oh, and emojis are on the way.
It sounds like a pretty fantastic update to us, but we've included the full list of improvements courtesy of the PlayStation Blog for you to peruse. There's no word on a date for this just yet, but the Japanese giant is looking to beta test it soon. What's got you most excited about this system software overhaul? What features are still sorely lacking from Sony's flagship format? Shout and scream in the comments section below.
Update (00:42PM BST): According to the North American PlayStation Blog, the beta will actually start today, but there's no word on Europe. We'll obviously update you as soon as we learn more about when this is kicking off around the globe.
PS4 Firmware Update v3.00 Screenshots (Japanese)
PS4 Firmware Update v3.00 Highlights
- Events
- A new hub for events has been added, giving an overview of activities taking place in the games you play most, as well as official broadcasts. For instance, you may see an update for a double XP weekend, a special enemy appearing at a scheduled time, or seasonal events like in-game towns being decorated for the winter.
- YouTube live
- PS4 owners will be able to live stream gameplay to YouTube. Live streams will be viewable across YouTube, including on the new YouTube Gaming mobile app and website.
- Online storage capacity increase
- PlayStation Plus members' PS4 cloud storage capacity will increase from 1GB to 10GB
- Favourite Groups
- Favourite Groups has been added to the Friends app, letting you add new or existing groups as a Favorite Group and quickly access groups of people you like to play games with frequently. This will make the process of getting a game session up and running even easier.
- Communities
- PS4 users will have the ability to create communities based around shared interests, like games, genres and more. Communities include a message board with general discussion, screenshots shared by players and the ability to join parties or games. If you want to tackle a big multiplayer raid, but don't have enough friends, this could be a great way to connect with other likeminded players.
- Sharing video clips to Twitter
- Users will have the ability to share video clips directly to Twitter. The maximum video length is 10 seconds, but you'll have the ability to trim longer clips.
- Live from PlayStation
- We've added the ability for users to view popular broadcasts, video clips and screenshots on the Live From PlayStation area
- Screenshots
- We've listened to your feedback and we're happy to confirm that PNG format is now an option for Screenshot saves
- Now Playing
- The Now Playing screen will display more information about what your friends are doing, and you'll be able to quickly jump into a party, request a screen share, or jump to PlayStation Store to buy a game your friend is playing.
- Request to watch
- Want to view a friend's gameplay session? Now you can send a 'Request to Watch' notification to a player, which will start a live broadcast or Share Play invitation to the person playing.
- Stickers
- Tired of typing out messages? With this update, you'll be able to send stickers to friends through the messages.
[source blog.eu.playstation.com]
Comments 50
Awesome update! Happy with that!
Nice update.. @get2sammyb I will be waiting for your Tearaway streams while wearing that squirrel outfit.
@Tasuki Haha! We'll see...
So sick of the 'cannot upload' prompts. Yet when I try to look at/edit the storage through my PS4, it perma-loads and I can't actually do anything about it. :/
More space is awesome!
Still no friend notifications? Or online status updates? Custom backgrounds?
@itshoggie The 'Favourite Groups' will surely pave the way for friend notifications. I wouldn't be surprised if they snuck into this update.
@get2sammyb awesome update i wonder if they will make a separate app for utube gaming like on phones
YESS!!
Stickers: Tired of typing out messages? With this update, you'll be able to send stickers to friends through the messages.
Great idea - I use a live chat system in work for customers who come through the internet and don't want to call (this is happening more and more now) I have fifty odd automatic responses such as 'Hello your through to ____ how can I help' and 'Would you like to reserve the car you are looking at' etc etc you get the picture. This saves so much time. I would love a similar system on ps4 as writing takes forever due to the setup.
That community feature, if done right could be game changing! They would have to find this sweet spot, not a full blown forum but not just a plain old news feed. and @themcnoisy PS3 had that but no one really used it.
10gb? That'll do me!
Would love for them to add the ability to change our user names but I'm happy with what we are getting!!
@wittypixel I had a 360, Wii and laptop last gen. I did not know that.
@Angrod that's been a staple on the xbox for years - costs £5 to change. Sony is missing a trick.
@themcnoisy a trick that they need
This is great but... I WANT EXTERNAL HDD STORAGE FOR GAMES, APPS AND DATA!!!!! The Xbox One can do it, why not PS4?! It's cool I can use one to clone my internal, but it'd be even better if I could use one to expand my storage without removing my internal. I have a 1TB in there already, but it won't last forever with all the great games coming out that have tons of replay value that I won't want to remove in case I want to play them.
Let us all give thanks for the bountiful cloud storage we are about to receive.
that all sound greats but they shouldn't be focusing on this thing if they don't have the basics right yet... being able to organize things in folders and having external HD support is way more important than any of these
I wonder if youtube gaming will fix the kinks with its content id system, a guy got his audio blocked by ingame music in dying light and well that seems like a not so great thing.
Thank God for that online storage increase!! Managing cloud save files were a nightmare on some games, I'm looking at you Witcher 3 & Dragon Age!! = )
I'd love to be able to delete game installs separate from dlc and updates it would help create so much HD space. I can't be bothered to put in an old game for a quick blast when I have to download a 7gb patch. I'd love folders to help my organisation.
@get2sammyb what about making a pushsquare community?
Really pleased about the PNG screenshots! Sick of having to capture from other means when submitting screenshots for articles!
Will Netflix still dim after 20 minutes? We shall see.
Awesome update! Especially pleased about the online storage going up. Those notifications were getting pretty annoying.
I like the upload video clips to Twitter feature!
@SanderEvers
Yep the second I saw communities I thought of Miiverse. You know it's a good idea when Sony copies it.
Oh god. I get my PS4 in a month or two...all the downloads at launch -.-
Heads up guys - the beta is live
https://psnbeta.eu.playstation.com/
Enjoy
@darkswabber Will definitely happen.
@JesWood13 That would be great to have one. The only external I found only saves the game saves, but that's not what's taking up the most space. Plus, I need to get an internal, and after I got one for the PS3, it seemed like it took forever to re-download everything, then go through all of the updates for it all...pain in the a**. Let me know if you find an external that would work for downloads.
I'd really like for Sony to take the 'lock button' off of all of the downloads. Since I live in the middle of nowhere, my internet is not always the best...sometimes it picks up good enough to take the lock buttons off, and sometimes it doesn't. Can't sony just get rid of that, I don't have to have an internet signal to play all of my downloads on PS3, Wii U or 360.
Thanks @Zed just got my voucher code..
Very cool. Incredibly happy about the cloud storage upgrade. The PNG option is great, too. What would really go well with that is the ability to automatically save screenshots onto an inserted memory stick. Communities could be a very useful thing.
I think the only thing missing from my wish list is the ability to pin or otherwise customise the PS4 main menu. Oh, and I guess to use your own images as wallpaper.
Edit: I should say that Xbone still has better cloud storage by far, though. Each game you have entitles you to cloud storage for that game's saves. You'll never run out of space. It also doesn't require XBL Gold. Though to be fair, Microsoft do own One Drive and have a lot more background in this regard. It's not nearly as expensive for them to provide this service as it is for Sony. Still, credit where credit's due.
Beta is invite only from sony?
Communities sounds fantastic, endless possibilities there. Also cloud storage update and request to watch are nice additions too.
i applied a few weeks ago, signed in on this page https://psnbeta.eu.playstation.com/ and bingo i have the beta in my download list
Glad all that's useful to you guys , personally won't use any of those features. Use the PS4 everyday and have never thought any one could care less about seeing my screenshots or clips on YT and Twitter in fact I know that friends wouldn't give 2 hoots. Guess it's more useful for you gaming journos and people with YT channels .
@MinerWilly I think share button is the biggest innovation of this generation. I really do.
finally more cloud space!
@get2sammyb I think the rest mode/resume feature the PS4 has is beyond amazing. I use it quite a lot.
Be glad to have some usable cloud storage.... Everything else, meh.
i just want to be able to save any pictures and be able to use them as wallpaper with the ability to adjust the brightness.......like on ps3.
also an option to change the UI so it is small and pushed to the top or bottom of the screen so we can see our themes
@get2sammyb got my beta 3.0 test invite, guess they're going out to EU now.
Anyone else currently have the issue where if suspend/resume is enabled in power save then the "What's New" tab is aways on "Cannot Load"
@get2sammyb Agree Sammy, people use the Share button on my twitter feed all the time. It was such an ingenious idea.
I still want custom backgrounds, especially with .png screenshots.
Other than that, nice update!
If I still had a PS4 there's a couple of those additions that would be getting a smile from me. Online storage and more Sharing isn't though, never used either.
It's not exactly surprising though to see the one update almost every single PS4 owner past or present wants isn't there: folders. Disappointing isn't the word, expected is. Whoever Sony have as there man who 'listens to what the customers want' should be fired as he clearly isn't doing what's he's paid for.
This looks cool, I just want the ability to put whatever games and apps on the bar as I want.
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