Includes changes to Party and Messages features, new avatars, updated parental controls and more.
UPDATE: Following this update, users are seeing a notification about Party Safety and that voice chats in parties may be recorded. Voice chat recording for moderation is a feature that will be available on PS5 when it launches, and will enable users to record their voice chats on PS5 and submit them for moderation review. The pop up you’re seeing on PS4 right now is to let you know that when you participate in a chat with a PS5 user (post-launch), they may submit those recordings from their PS5 console to SIE.
Our latest system software update for PlayStation 4, version 8.00, is launching today globally. This update includes changes to the existing Party and Messages features, new avatars, updated parental controls and more.
Here are some of the key features in this update:
Updates to Party and Messages
Following this update, Party and Messages will be more tightly linked together and you will see changes to the UI. Both apps will now use the same ‘Groups’ of players for Party voice chats and message exchanges, instead of having different groups setup across the two apps. So now you can start a Party chat or send a message to the group you’ve previously chatted with across PS4, as well as PS5 when it launches.
New Avatars
We’re expanding the collection of pre-set avatars for players to showcase on their Profile. An array of new avatars from your favorite games will be available, including Bloodborne, Journey, Ghost of Tsushima, God of War, The Last of Us Part II, The Last of Us Remastered, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and many more.
Mute all Mics from Quick Menu
We’ve added an option to “Mute all Microphones” in the Quick Menu, so you can easily mute your mics while gaming.
Simplified and more flexible Parental Controls
Under Parental Controls, we’re combining the ‘Communicating with Other Players’ and ‘Viewing Content Created by other Players’ into one setting – ‘Communication and User Generated Content’- to cover both areas of communication and UGC sharing. This offers a simpler setting that’s easier for parents to understand and apply to their children.
In addition, children can send a request to their parents to use communications features in specific games. When a child sends this request, the parent will receive an email notification and can choose to make an exception for that game and allow the child to use its communications and UGC features. This will provide more flexibility to both parents and children.
Enhanced 2-Step Verification
The 2-Step Verification (2SV) feature on PS4 will be enhanced to support third party authenticator apps as an option during the activation flow and 2SV sign-in across PS4, mobile and web.
Removal of Event Creation and Private Community Creation
After 8.00, you will no longer be able to create Events or access existing Events created by other users.
We’re also removing the ability to create private Communities under the Community app on PS4. If you already have existing private Communities, you can continue to access them.
Updates to Remote Play App on Mobile and PC
At the same time as 8.00, the existing PS4 Remote Play app on mobile (iOS/Android), Windows PC and Mac, will change its name to PS Remote Play, and the option to connect to PS5 will be added. You’ll need to sign in to PSN from your PS5 to be able to access the feature, so sit tight until PS5 launches this November!
As a reminder, a PS4 system with a wired connection via a LAN cable is recommended to download the update.
Friends list is broke, cant join any of my friends parties, and now communities will die thank you.
I don’t like how it basically made my console run like a 2008 pc and the fact that you deem it ok to record my conversation and the only way I can use your party feature is to accept it please fix this
Why did you change the party/friends lay out? It is horrible, why can’t I just add my friends to a party? I have to make a new group every time I want to add a friend in, which is the most annoying thing ever! What was the point of changing it?
Revert this update and reevaluate it please.
The new party chat discourages multiplayer, meeting new players, and even makes it difficult to communicate with current friends. Think about any game with an LFG system, now you have to create a new group message for your new team and nobody else but them can join, then the group will be disbanded and never used again after that. Players are also unable to create a party and add additional people that aren’t in their premade group, a new party would be started if an invite is sent to the player outside the group. Solo players will also no longer be able to create a party chat for themselves.
The changes to the mute functionality were also half baked, muting a player makes it so you can’t hear them BUT they can still hear you. I’m hoping most of what I listed are just bugs, but a lot of important components of PSN seem to have been overlooked with 8.00. Lots of players are also reporting PS+ not recognizing their account and games are failing to even boot up. This is why I think a revert would be the best course of action in order to keep things afloat, and it’d give 8.00 more time back in beta.
Bruh this update is trash idk why they would do something new with the parties now when they were working fine 1/10 on this update fix you console Sony 😤
So-…. I can’t Access my Friends list and I Can’t invite my friends to games. We can be in a party just fine but we can’t play games together. I wish this to be fixed
Mine says it’s going to take 5 hours to download
I don’t like the new update chat party I like the old one better bring his back Sony
Why change the party system that was working fine. I can’t create an open party now that friends can come and go from. Terrible change
the new update legit so annoying i can play any games see whos online and it keeps signing me out of my playstation and @ slashingshadow it is bad that the message and the party are together one more thing does in say that playstation network might be temporarily busy
Now I have to have so many groups just to have a party. You have a group then someone doesn’t want to play then you need a new group without that person. I play playstation socially now its such a mission.
Seriously? This update is beyond terrible. Who tested this? I can’t be the only one mad about this. This update completely destroys communities. Several features were REMOVED not added. I can’t join or create community voice parties anymore. Most of the people I play with I met in communities and now it’s taken away. Play Together is now no longer an option that we have. I can’t simply invite to parties anymore. Why would I want to give my money to a company that doesn’t even have the common sense to realize how many features are being taken away here. Or maybe you just don’t care. Either way, I will not be buying a PS5. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Sony should be embarrassed by this monstrosity.
Oh ya no not the only. Pretty much EVERYONE