The next PlayStation firmware update is going to get rid of a number of features and replace them with a host of highly requested additions. Everybody wins, probably.
Spotted by MP1st, beta testers for PlayStation 4 software version 8.50 have gotten to grips with the update, and the testing period is expected to extend over the coming months, as ascertained from the title "Spring 2021 beta." So, what's the sitch for this patch? First things first: Communities are on their way out of the system. It's a shame, seeing as players did use them for reaching out to others with similar playstyles and interests, but it seems that Sony has seen that people aren't as attached to Communities as they once were. It's possible that social platforms (such as Discord) are serving this purpose, and that the space and power required to support Communities should be diverted elsewhere. If you are a fan of the feature, there's still a lot of time to shift that presence to other places like subreddits or Twitter accounts.
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Update 8.50 also will permit players to turn group notifications on and off, thereby pausing notifications if you're knee-deep in an extremely toilsome boss battle in Dark Souls 3 or relaxing with a voyage into No Man's Sky. Moreover, you'll be able to stop other players seeing you playing a game that you've selected to "hide" in the PlayStation 4 system menu. Also known as, "dude, no, Fall Guys is dead, I totally don't play that game, it's for children." You do play Fall Guys. Because the game is silly and fun. And there's no shame in it.
To conclude, the Request to Join feature will be tweaked to allow players to join the game of the session leader, and they'll be able to invite members of the group into the specific match or game that the rest of them are playing. This has been requested for some time, and it's good that the team has gotten around to integrating it into the system.
Evidently, Sony is still across the development of the PlayStation 4while the PlayStation 5 finds its footing. "We do feel that we have a responsibility to that very large community," said Jim Ryan, the big cheese for PlayStation. "And an opportunity to carry on making great PS4 games for as long as the need is there. I think you will see a tail with PS4 that you did not see with PS3. But that said, as time passes, you're going to see more and more emphasis on PS5 development."
Featured Image Credit: SonyTopics: News, PlayStation