Not only did Sony announce its newvirtual reality headset Project Morpheus this week, but it also unveiled a number of big changes headed for the PS4 later this year. From dimming the DualShock 4′s light bar to removing always-on HDCP, these updates are going to make the PS4 better than ever, and answer some of the loudest criticisms from the gaming community.
On Wednesday, Sony made an official blog post detailing a handful of the biggest changes. First and foremost, HDCP can now be toggled off when unprotected content is being displayed. As long as you’re not watching a Blu-ray or streaming a protected video, you’ll now be able to capture high-res video over HDMI. Those of us looking to record long-form videos in HD quality can finally rest easy. This update will also include a built-in video editing suite, and allow for videos to be saved directly onto USB drives. If you’re excited about producing high-quality game videos, this update will make your life a lot easier.
In a firmware update scheduled for later in the year, streaming video will be improved as well. Ustream and Twitch broadcasts will now stream at a maximum of 720p, so small details like UI elements will be readable to viewers. Even better, broadcast archives will be enabled for PS4 content sometime in the coming months. Once the switch is flipped on the backend, your sweet headshots and hilarious quips will no longer be swept away into the void.
Yesterday, Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida also confirmed on Twitter that the upcoming firmware update will allow the DualShock 4′s light bar to be dimmed. For poor schlubs like me, the current brightness of the light bar can be blinding. Instinctually pointing the controller upwards to rest on my chin during gameplay is quite disconcerting in an otherwise dark room. Those of us with glossy televisions also have to deal with the obnoxious blue glare the light bar foists upon us. The dimming is not quite as useful as an on-off toggle, but my poor damaged retinas are grateful nonetheless.
Lastly, a bit of news regarding game pre-loading slipped out thanks to a tweet from the developers of Infamous: Second Son. When asked about the possibility of pre-loading the new game on PS4, the official Sucker Punch Twitter account responded that there will be “No preload on PS4 until April.” While this certainly disappointed fans of Infamous, this is happy news for eager gamers looking to play games starting at midnight on release day. Until then, we’ll all just wait impatiently as the status bar slowly fills over the next few hours.
