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.
This update just killed my experience. I cant even play offline games with out them frequently freezes or crashes. The console even shuts off during loading screens that cause my system to say its corrupt even after resetting it every time. Just wondering if you guys can get a roll back for ps4 users to stabilize gameplay?
I have got to be honest about the recent changes to the party system. I absolutely loved the old style. It was practical vs the new system. The old one even allowed you to be in a lobby by yourself instead of having to mute every person individually in the game you were playing. This creates a problem not only for your company but also the game itself for not having a good system either. Your not only driving your own franchise into the ground but also the individual games that are unable to have desired changes made to the voice controlled interface. Sony you are creating a problem from something that didn’t need to be changed and I hope you see a drastic spike downwards in revenue because of it. Maybe that will make you change your mind about fixing things that aren’t broken. Until then i am honestly considering getting rid of plus and possibly switching devices until it is resolved.
Since this update the ps4 will not connect to the psn! Internet connection is fine and showing as connected on the ps4 but no connection to the psn. My son can’t play any of his games or connect with any of his friends. Only started after version8 was installed. Anybody know how to contact Sony direct as this is ridiculous.
Due to this update it caused games to crash and freeze so bad that it messed up my entire PS4 system and now it won’t go back on. I feel like I am owed a replacement for what has happened. This is beyond unfair to me and all the work and time I put into my system and games and now it’s all for nothing. I worked for 2 years straight to get my system and now this update comes out and my system is ruined because of it. I feel like I am owed a new PS4 system for what you have done. This is really unfair to all user’s not just me, but my system had been fine since I got it back in 2017 and now this update ruined my entire system and killed it completely.
This makes me really angry and upset. My 13 year old son can’t access his psn or play online or connect with friends: not great during a pandemic and lockdown where he is stuck in his room most of the time and his ps4 is what keeps him occupied. He can’t even access YouTube or Netflix. Absolutely shocking. What am I supposed to do. I can’t afford to upgrade to a ps5 and no way would I want to anyway. He has spent hundreds of his own money on online games he can’t access and has asked for more for Xmas which now seems pointless if he can’t play them. I have no idea how to solve the problem and there seems to be no way of contacting Sony. Fuming
Garbage. Rubies the party system, broke my controllers where they barely connect anymore, and had my PS4 hard crash after downloading.
After the update everything broke. My ps is connected to internet, i can browse on ‘www’ but im not able to connect to psn. I even tried hard reset and its not working and i lost all my games and saves and all. You guys need to fix it fast.
This update completely destroyed my system. Had to do a hard reset use USB to reinstall system software update and it was fine till I tryed to download game and i have high speed internet games of 50gb or more take 30mins this was saying 10hrs then after game was loaded system was freezing so restarted system system loaded into safe mode and forced me to hard reset again and stayed in the loop till I finally got it out. But now system dissent work at all it starts but moment I click on anything frezzes won’t do anything completely trashed my system how u going to fix this???
Xbox