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Sony has made version 2.50 of the PS4 firmware available as part of its new testing program, offering a glimpse at some exciting new features.
The company is letting a number of PS4 owners test out the next major PS4 firmware update in beta form.
Sony has sent out emails to certain PlayStation MVPs offering them the opportunity to test new PS4 software features ahead of time. These emails have, naturally, leaked out onto the internet, spilling the contents of the new update in the process.
It's a similar preview program to that successfully utilised by Microsoft with its own Xbox One console. Whether this shift from Sony will mean a similar increase in development and regularity for the PS4's firmware remains to be seen.
As for the 2.50 update itself, it brings a number of notable additions and improvements.
Chief among these is a true sleep function, or the ability to suspend apps and games when you partially power down your PS4 system and resume where you left off when you return. As Kotaku points out, this function has been promised since the early days of the PS4, so it's quite a big deal.
Another improvement is to the Share Play function, with the gameplay recording refresh rate increasing from 30fps to 60fps.
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PS4 firmware 2.50 will also allow you to remap the buttons at a system level, which seems aimed at those who experience accessibility difficulties, as well as those who insist upon a very specific set-up for hardcore shooters and the like.
Hopefully the fact that this PS4 2.50 software is in the public testing phase means that a full release isn't too far away.
