PS4 Firmware Update v2.00

Well, that was a short evening. This editor was just about to put his feet up, but Sony has released details regarding the PlayStation 4’s hotly anticipated firmware update v2.00 – and let us tell you, this is a real humdinger. It may be months in the making, but the software refresh – which was originally announced at Gamescom 2014 all the way back in August – comes packing a plethora of fan demanded features, including USB music playback, themes, and much more. Let’s take a look at what’s new...

Back Up

Whether you want to switch hard drives or just store a mirror of your console in its current state, the new PS4 back up tool will allow you to create a snapshot of your system’s HDD, and store it on an external USB device. [Update: Sony's since issued a correction stating that this feature will not be available with PS4 firmware update v2.00. You can assume that it's coming later, though.]

Cleaner Content Area

The content area on the PS4 is prone to getting messy when you have a lot of games and applications installed, but PS4 firmware update 2.00 will limit this to your 15 most recently used items in order to keep things clean. Any other titles will be added to the Library application, which will be improved by a variety of filtering functions, including content type, date, and more. You’ll also be able to add PlayStation Plus games directly to your library without needing to download them, saving precious hard drive space.

More Voice Commands

Despite not being a well publicised part of the system, the PS4’s voice commands work brilliantly well. The only problem is that it can be difficult to remember certain commands. Fortunately, with PS4 firmware update v2.00, you’ll be able to bring up a list of options by saying “PlayStation, All Commands”. Moreover, there’ll be new commands for when you’re live broadcasting.

Share Play

Share Play was one of the things that Sony revealed when it announced its next-gen console, and will be implemented as part of PS4 firmware update v2.00. It will essentially allow people to take control of your console via the PlayStation Network, creating a kind of virtual couch. This will come in handy if you’re, for example, stuck on a level in a specific game – or you want to turn a local multiplayer game into an online one. There will be a limitation to this, however: you’ll need to manually re-establish the connection every 60 minutes.

Superior Live Streaming

One of the PS4’s hidden treasures, the ‘Live from PlayStation’ application is set to get a jolt as part of PS4 firmware update v2.00. Indeed, there’ll now be a Featured tab added to the live streaming tool, allowing you to access streams directly from PlayStation, as well as your friends and game channels that you may have liked previously. You’ll also be able to filter based on title, while there’ll now be support for archived broadcasts as well.

Themes and Colours

Bored of that basic blue background? Things are about to get significantly snazzier with PS4 firmware update v2.00, as you’ll be able to toggle between a handful of different backdrop hues. The update will also see the return of premium themes similar to those on the PlayStation 3, so expect to see the PlayStation Store bursting with different designs once this update has actually deployed.

USB Music Player

Arguably one of the most demanded features since launch, PS4 firmware update v2.00 will allow you to insert a USB stick into your console, and listen to your own tunes while you play. While you won’t be able to copy music to your HDD, a separate app will appear while your storage drive is connected, which will allow you to access your personal audio. The supported file extensions at launch will include MP3, MP4, M4A, and 3GP.

You May Know

An update to the ‘What’s New?’ application on the PS4 home screen will recommend you PlayStation Network users that you may already know. This information will be determined by data from your friends, and should help to get you connected to more gamers across the globe.

YouTube Compatibility

In addition to a native YouTube application – allowing you to browse cute kitten videos instead of playing games – PS4 firmware update v2.00 will also enable you to upload gameplay clips directly to the video sharing website, meaning that you’ll no longer have to jump through hoops to broadcast yourself to one of the largest audiences in the world.


Which of the abovementioned PS4 features are you most looking forward to? Are there any other improvements that you’re desperate to be added? Try to get excited over operating systems in the comments section below.

Which PS4 firmware update v2.00 feature are you most looking forward to? (108 votes)

  1. Back Up3%
  2. Cleaner Content Area13%
  3. More Voice Commands  0.9%
  4. Share Play8%
  5. Superior Live Streaming  0.9%
  6. Themes and Colours37%
  7. USB Music Player19%
  8. You May Know  0%
  9. YouTube Compatibility18%

Please login to vote in this poll.

[source blog.us.playstation.com]