Next PS4 update will enable video editing, game pre-loading

PS4

While there’s no denying that the PlayStation 4 is a technological marvel, there are still some areas where Sony needs to make improvements.  Two of those areas; the lack of video editing software, and the seemingly endless wait for games to download, will be addressed in an upcoming firmware update.  Read on for the details.

While Sony has been teasing new features for awhile now, this is the first time they’ve offered specifics.  In a post earlier today on the official PlayStation Blog, the elaborately titled Director of Product Planning & Software Innovation at SCEA, Scott McCarthy, laid out what would be included in the next PS4 system software update.

Officially known as firmware version 1.70, the update’s standout feature will be the SHAREfactory.  SHARE is obviously an acronym for “Soggy Hummus And Rancid Eggs.”  Or maybe not.  In any case, SHAREfactory is Sony’s answer to Xbox’s Upload Studio; a fully featured video editing suite which will enable users to combine captured video clips, and enhance them with all sorts of nifty effects, filters and transitions.  You’ll be able to add text to your videos, and add custom audio tracks, either from the included audio samples, or by importing your own.  You’ll even be able to add picture-in-picture video through the use of the PlayStation camera.

Version 1.7 will also give you more options for sharing your videos, once you’ve edited them to perfection.  With SHAREfactory, you’ll be able to upload your videos to Facebook (ughhh) or to a USB drive (yay!).  You will also finally be able to capture gameplay directly from the HDMI output, thus allowing users to capture much longer gameplay sessions.

As is often the case, Sony put together a little video to show off their fancy new toy…

In addition to the SHAREfactory, version 1.7 will also bring a feature to PS4 that PC players have been enjoying for years: pre-loading.  Few things are more annoying in the gaming world than rushing home to play a game on release day, only to watch it download for hours and hours and hours and… oh look, you fell asleep on the couch and now it’s time to go to work!  Too bad.  Well, those days may finally be over.  Building on the “play as you download” feature already in place, the PS4 will now allow you to download games that you have pre-ordered days before they are released.  This feature will work in tandem with the auto-download option, which if enabled, will download all your pre-ordered games as soon as they’re made available.

While there’s no release date for version 1.7, the blog post did describe the update as “major” and promised that there will be more information about other new features soon.  So stayed tuned.  Or don’t, it’s totally up to you.


About the Author: (@Joe_of_the_Dead) Lead Editor, Writer

Joe was born in a time of war. A console war. Two electronic titans were locked in a heated battle for the living rooms of America. Which titans, you ask? Well, the Fairchild Channel F and the Atari 2600 of course. You see, Joe is old. So many of his favorite games tend to be on the older side as well. But that hasn’t stopped him from developing unhealthy obsessions with such modern franchises as Halo and Mass Effect. Just don’t tell him how long it’s been since the original Metroid was released. His aging heart can’t take the shock.

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