The PlayStation 4’s next big system update is now out for users who signed up to be part of the beta testing program.
The update includes new parental controls, custom friends lists, broadcasting/messaging improvements, notification tweaks, Quick Menu additions, PlayStation VR virtual surround sound, new tournament bracket view and additional language support. More details on each can be found below.
Family on PlayStation Network
Sony’s new parental control management, called “Family on PlayStation Network,” exchanges the master and sub-account setup for more personalized settings.
Under the family system, one account will be the “Family Manager,” who can promote other accounts to a parental status. Both the manager and parent-level accounts can customize parental controls for each child account.
For example, rating restrictions preventing accounts from starting age-inappropriate content can be adjusted for each account instead of the previous system-wide block.
Custom Friends List
A ‘Custom Lists’ tab replaces ‘Favorite Groups’ in the Friends section, allowing users to build specific lists of users.
Broadcasting
Community owners can link their community page to broadcasts, giving spectators the community details.
Other broadcasting updates are for PS VR and the higher-powered PS4 Pro. PS VR users can toggle a setting that displays spectator comments in both cinematic and VR modes. PS4 Pro owners can now stream to Twitch in 1080p at 60fps.
Messaging
Users can leave multiple message groups at once by selecting ‘Leave’ in the messaging options and check each thread they no longer want to be in.
Music can be shared and played through messages on the console. Mobile users on the PlayStation Messages app will be sent to Spotify for playback.
Notifications
Users have more control over the display options for notifications, like disabling pop-ups during video playback, removing message previews and changing the notification window’s color from white to black.
Quick Menu
Notifications also has a tab in the Quick Menu, allowing faster access to download progress, missed party invites, messages and friend requests.
A ‘Leave Party’ option and the system’s clock also join the Quick Menu.
PS VR Surround Sound, Tournament Bracket, Languages
Rounding out the features list is virtual surround sound support (5.1ch and 7.1ch) for Blu-ray and DVDs in Cinematic Mode, a new bracket viewer for tournament standings and system language support for Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Romanian, Thai and Vietnamese.