Sony has announced the new system update 7.00 for the PlayStation 4. This includes an update to existing features, which are being expanded with brand new features.
These features include: On the official blog, Sony has announced changes for the groups feature as well as Remote Play. Major changes include:
- Doubling of group size
- official Remote Play for Android devices
Additionally, both the party feature and Remote Play will see several other new enhancements.
When will update 7.00 be released? The announcement was made on October 6th and states that the update will be released “this week.” It is expected to be available by Friday, October 11th.
How large is update 7.00? The size has not yet been revealed.
Larger and better groups on PS4
What changes to the groups feature? The biggest change to the groups feature is the increase of group size from previously eight to now 16 players who can be in a party.
Groups will not only be larger but also better. It is expected that:
- the network connection will be improved
- the audio quality will be improved
- Text-to-Speech and Speech-to-Text features will be added (US only)
Here’s how the changes will impact: Players can organize larger groups for games and compete together. This is a significant advantage in larger multiplayer titles like shooters, where players must coordinate for victory.
The improved network and audio quality should ensure that you can understand and play with your teammates in groups better. The text feature is particularly interesting for hearing-impaired individuals, but it is not yet available for the EU market. It will output speech input in text form or text as speech.
Remote Play for Android
What changes with Remote Play: Remote Play is now officially available for Android, after PS4 streaming on Android was possible through unofficial programs as early as 2015. Until now, only iOS and Xperia devices were officially supported for Remote Play.
Remote Play allows you to stream games from the PlayStation 4 to smartphones and tablets, enabling you to play PS4 titles on the go. You will need Android 5.0 or higher and the PS4 Remote Play app from the Google Play Store.
Here’s how Remote Play will be further modified: iOS users will have the option to lock the screen orientation for Remote Play and toggle the controller display at any time.
Additionally, DualShock 4 controllers can be connected to Remote Play via Bluetooth. However, you will need iOS 13, iPadOS 13, macOS Catalina (releasing in October), or Android 10.
Currently, Android 10 is not widely used and will likely not be available for many users anytime soon, which is why this feature is often ridiculed by many fans.
