The beta for Playstation 4’s system software 3.00 was released yesterday. The beta launch, codenamed Kenshin, was announced by Sony’s VP of Platforms Marketing John Koller on the official Playstation blog.
Many new key features have been added or improved upon. Koller noted that some of these key features may be removed from the system software’s final build.
Online storage capacity increases from 1GB to 10GB for PS Plus members. A usage meter is added to easily monitor available storage space
Video sharing is made a lot easier, especially when it comes to livestreaming as players can now livestream directly to YouTube. Their broadcast will be viewable on all YouTube platforms including the new YouTube Gaming apps for iOS and Android. Users can also upload a 10 second maximum video clip to Twitter. They will have the ability to trim down longer length videos if needed. Gamers can even watch their friends gameplay sessions by sending a ‘Request to Watch’. It will either start a live broadcast or a Share Play session with the person currently gaming.
Special events for the games currently being played by the user will have their own special hub for announcements and official broadcasts. Notifications will pop up as an event nears closer or if timing changes.
Emphasis on player to player interaction is one of the beta’s key selling points. Users can now find other like minded gamers through a new Community system. Communities are created through mutual interests in games or genres and will include message boards for general discussion, screenshot sharing, and the ability to join parties/games. In addition, the Friends app is now equipped with a Favorite Groups option, which allows players to group together their favorite friends to play games with for a smoother party up experience. Also being introduced is Playstation’s own emoji bank called ‘Stickers’ which can be sent to other players via message.
Two existing features of the PS4 firmware received some nifty upgrades; The Now Playing screen and the Live from Playstation app. The Now Playing screen will show more information about friends and will allow gamers an easier entryway into interacting with friends. The Live from Playstation will make it easier for users to view popular broadcasts.
Owners that have been selected to participate in the beta have already started receiving their invitations. More info on Kenshin will be revealed in the coming days