This article is a continuation of PS4 hardware: a practical primer
The PS4 is proven to have upgraded horsepower and numerous visual and hardware changes, but the software has also seen improvements, with many new features. The new PS4 operating system brings with it new ways to interact not only with games, but friends, and both together. Sony has implemented a system that creates a social media platform on top of its gaming console. Through this, gamers can keep up-to-date with friends in real time through shared video, browse the latest entertainment offerings with newly-added apps and seamlessly integrate a multitude of devices into the PlayStation network platform.
The Dashboard
Screenshot of the PS4 user interface demo – by YouTube user IGN
Sony has done away with its traditional XMB (Xross Media Bar), in favor of a more visually-satisfying dashboard – the PlayStation Dynamic menu. There is a horizontal set-up along the top of the menu, however the simplistic icons of the PS3 cross-bar have been replaced with graphic tiles containing info that the user can scroll through. This information includes the current game in the system, to videos, music, the PS marketplace, etc. Below the meta-icons, lies the “What’s New” section, an organic news feed shown in a mosaic of vibrant tiles. Inside each box, users can find real-time information about what their friends are doing, such as unlocking trophies, uploading videos etc., which can be liked (similar to Facebook). New products in the PlayStation store will also appear here, providing a one-stop shop to keep up to date with everything happening in the PlayStation world.
Sony has been quiet in revealing too much about the functionality of its new dashboard, but it has released multiple trailers showcasing some of its features.
As seen below, navigation through menus is quick and seamless (although they may have been sped up for the sake of the trailer). When entering a game, users can almost instantly switch to other apps by pressing the PS button, and then return right where they left off without any strenuous loading times or cumbersome menus.
Basic non-interfering notifications appear on-screen to alert the user when downloads are finished or when friends are interacting with them. Most of these functions are already staples of current-gen software, but now have a fresher feel.
Of course, this trailer shows a lot more than the functionality of the dashboard, such as user profiles, background downloading and game-sharing, all of which will be explored later in this article.
Prioritized Downloading
Screenshot from Sony’s user interface E3 trailer – by YouTube user Videogames
As seen above, as the fictional gamer is purchasing Killzone: Shadowfall, he has the option of prioritizing either the single player or multiplayer to download first. Clearly, not all games will have this default choice of single and multiplayer, and Sony hasn’t addressed this function specifically, but developers will be able to decide the best way to split up their content.
And instead of sitting around while the bulky download creeps its way to completion, PS4 owners will have to ability to play the game as it downloads, according to the PS4’s website.
When a player purchases a game that is enabled with this feature, the PS4 system downloads a portion of the game, so play can start, while the rest is downloaded in the background during actual gameplay.
Of course, this function would require a healthy Wi-Fi signal, and developers would have to outfit their games to be able to download in bite-sized pieces for this to work.
Sharing Videos
Screenshot from Sony’s user interface E3 trailer – by YouTube user Videogames
The share button on the new DualShock 4 controller brings a new social feature to the PS4 – the creation and sharing of gameplay.
One press of the share button opens the PS4’s DVR function, which shows the last 15 minutes of gameplay. From there, users can edit their videos using the basic software (trimming, cutting etc.) The polished video can be shared with friends on PSN or uploaded to Facebook or YouTube, although YouTube uploading isn’t supported at launch.
Along with the ability to edit gameplay, users can also live-stream their gaming sessions through Ustream (the default app, integrated into the PS4’s OS) or through the Twitch TV app.
A drawback to the PS4’s DVR (as seen on the PS blog), is that voice-overs cannot be added to edited video. However, voice can be integrated into livestreams.
The edited video cannot be exported directly to any other devices, but is restricted to the apps on the PS4, although theoretically it could be uploaded to YouTube, then viewed on a PC.
Livestreams cannot (at least at launch) be archived on either Twitch or Ustream, meaning once the live stream is over, the video is not saved. However, the PS blog does say that this feature will be added later.
The concept of automatically locking in 15 minutes of gameplay and tying it into the share button is ingenious. If the function is welcomed by the average gamer, as Sony hopes, it could quickly be adopted into a new default mechanism for capturing important moments. PS4 gamers could become conditioned to hit the share button after an incredible moment or crushing defeat.
Sharing Games
Screenshot from Sony’s user interface E3 trailer – by YouTube user Videogames
Along with sharing gameplay videos, and viewing live feeds from their gaming sessions, gamers can remotely take control of their friends’ games. This allows friends to help fellow gamers with difficult levels, or just try out a new game they were considering buying.
If friends on PSN want to share a game, the PS4 makes it easy to do so with the physical copy, as shown in their sarcastic, lighthearted poke at Microsoft’s original no-used-game policy for the Xbox One.
The main concern with the game control feature is the fact that a strong internet connection would be required to reduce lag in the controls. Otherwise, the overall experience would be degraded and the shared game almost unplayable.
Real Names and Faces
Screenshot of the PS4 user interface demo – by YouTube user IGN
The new PSN profiles (along with the new look) will allow users to use their real names, along with their PSN handles (carried over from the PS3, or newly created on the PS4). Real names showing up in notifications and feeds will help support the PS4 dashboard’s social networking and interactivity with friends, real and virtual.
Along with real names, players can upload pictures of themselves to use as their PS account profile picture through the PlayStation Facebook app. For those buying the PlayStation Camera however, the Facebook app is still the only way to get these photos onto a PSN account, as the camera doesn’t support this feature.
One immediate benefit of using real names is that users can now search for friends using their real names, not by remembering a complicated PSN username.
New Online Policy
As stated at the PlayStation blog, the PS4 online model will be a little different from its predecessor. For those hoping to play online, Sony’s premium online membership – PlayStation Plus – is required.
PlayStation Plus, the premium game membership for PlayStation home and handheld consoles, delivers unlimited access to a regularly refreshed collection of full games, discounts, exclusive beta access, online storage for game saves, and much more.
However, back in August, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida took to Twitter to assure fans that the video sharing feature of the PS4 does not require a PlayStation Plus account.
Apps
PS4 launch apps screenshot from PS4 reveal press conference – YouTube user Centerstrain01
The PS4’s launch is bringing with it a slew of apps (11 specifically), covering all multimedia bases. These apps range from movie and TV apps, such as Netflix, Hulu Plus and Redbox Instant, to sports apps. Most of these, as pointed out in the Variety article, are already available on the PS3, but there are some noteworthy first-party apps Sony is either adding for the first time or bringing back in an ambitious new way.
Video and Music Unlimited
Video unlimited screenshot from the Video and Music Unlimited intro video – by YouTube user Joystiq
Sony’s own TV, movie and music streaming services Video and Music Unlimited are making a return on the PS4, with some cloud-based changes that can deliver content in “between seven and 10 seconds.” Speaking with Polygon, Mike Avitabile, director of operations for video, explained that this new technology is called Dynamic Adaptive Streaming.
We talked to our users and asked them what matters the most, and they said it’s immediacy … If you start to introduce the notion of download, it’s a bigger file and people become frustrated, and it wouldn’t be able to realize this technology.
DASH means that the PS4 streams the content, as opposed to downloading the entire file, making it available much sooner.
Because this service is cloud-based, purchased content can be shared on other Sony devices “including Smart TVs and cellphones.” Rather than the PS4 acting as a starting and ending point for content, it acts as another conduit able to access content purchased on any Sony device.
PlayStation Mobile App
Screenshot from Sony’s user interface E3 trailer – by YouTube user Videogames
Just before the launch of the PS4, Sony released the free smartphone and tablet-supported PlayStation App. This app allows for second-screen capabilities accompanying the console’s dashboard, allowing some features of the PS4 OS to be accessed on the go.
Sony detailed the features of the app in a press release in late October, stating that the free app can be used for things as simple as powering the console on and off or using it as a keyboard.
The app can also be used to access some of the dashboard features, such as user profiles, trophies and messages. The “what’s new” section of the dashboard will notify users on their mobile device of new activities their friends are taking part in, such as uploading or streaming videos. They can also receive game invitations through the app.
If friends are streaming or uploading gameplay, the content can be accessed through the app, where users can watch and comment.
The second-screen technology of the PlayStation App also allows for an added dimension of gameplay. Sony used the example of the “Playroom,” where, with the app, users can “draw pictures on their mobile device screens and flick them towards the TV. The images appear within the game.”
The app also ties in with the PlayStation Store, where users can purchase content for their PS4 (excluding “video contents”) with the app, and it begins downloading immediately.
Remote Play
Screenshot from Sony’s “Greatness is Portable with PS4 and PS Vita” trailer – by YouTube user ElitePixelEnemyHD
A function seen on the PS3 at more of an infant stage was the ability to use the console in tandem with Sony’s newest handheld gaming device, the PlayStation Vita. Sony is looking to bring back this feature in a big way with the PS4, allowing the two consoles to interact like never before, and provide a new way to play PS4 games.
First, Sony has confirmed that all PS4 games will be required to be compatible with the remote play app, “unless the game requires specific hardware like the camera,” said Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studio boss Shuhei Yoshida.
What this means is that gamers who own both the Vita and the PS4 will be able to play games they buy for the PS4 on both systems, transferring the experience from the big screen onto the smaller screen.
Dale North of Destructoid got his hands on the revamped remote play feature at the Tokyo Game Show in September, and needless to say, he was impressed.
Remote play of PS4 games on the Vita went off without a hitch in my demo session. I was able to play Knack on the Vita while seeing it run exactly in time with the PS4 screen. It never missed a beat. Perfectly tight, no hiccups.
“The visual quality of the streamed PS4 game on the Vita screen was pretty nice, though a close look would show that compressed video was coming across.”
Keep in mind that this demo was set up by Sony, assuredly in optimal Wi-Fi conditions, which is required when connecting the two consoles. The true test of the remote play’s latency (how badly the controls lag) will be when it’s brought into millions of homes, with varying Wi-Fi set ups and signal strengths. Another drawback for those hoping to use this feature is that the Vita has a fraction of the hardware capabilities of the PS4. Playing a PS4 game through the Vita will scale down the graphics quite noticeably.
But if Sony manages to keep the latency issues down, and developers follow Sony’s goal of mandatory remote play compatibility, this app could be integral in allowing gamers to never stop playing, even when their TV is already in use.
Below is a trailer Sony released showing off the new remote play PS4 App.
Verdict
Screenshot from Sony’s user interface E3 trailer – by YouTube user Videogames
Sony has put in place an operating system primed to grow over the coming years. Like any social networking site, the more users there are, the more user-created content is being passed around; so the more the community thrives and can give valuable feedback – a beneficial cycle. Sony has made it easy for users to create and access content, in a visually appealing setting.
However, how well this will work for the average gamer depends on a strong Wi-Fi connection, limiting the experience for gamers in rural areas or for those without Internet. For those with a sturdy connection, and a network of friends, they’ll have hours of content at their fingertips, accessible faster than ever before.
