External HDD Support
One of the most requested features for Sony to add into the PS4’s arsenal of features was the ability to support external hard drives. If you’ve got one of the original 500 GB PS4s, chances are you’ve already had to delete countless games and then immediately regretted it and had to reinstall them. While, for the most part, reinstalling games on PS4 isn’t exactly time-consuming, it’s not the most convenient thing.
External HDD support coming as part of PS4’s 4.5 system update will allow you to download and store games and apps to an external hard drive. It’s worth noting that it does have to be a USB 3.0 hard drive and you will have to format it before it can be utilized by your PS4 as extended storage. Once it’s all set up, all games and apps you download or install will automatically save to your external hard drive as default. Finally, your storage woes on PS4 have come to an end.
PSVR 3D Blu-Ray Support
It’s not just the PS4 system itself that’s getting some fancy improvements and new features in the 4.5 system update. PSVR is getting a few improvements that are sure to keep every owner very happy.
Most notably is 3D Blu-Ray Support. Users will now be able to watch Blu-Ray 3D discs in stereoscopic 3D via their headset.
While 3D Blu-Ray Support is definitely the most impressive new feature coming to PSVR in PS4’s 4.5 system update, there’s also a slew of other tweaks and improvements that don’t require you to pick up another form of media.
If you tend to play your non-VR games in Cinematic Mode for a bit of added immersion, PSVR’s framerate when displaying in Small or Medium screen size has increased from 90Hz to 120Hz. For those unsure what this means, you’re basically going to get a far smoother image being displayed on your PSVR headset.
There’s also been a quick fix to improve the strange resolution issue when you return to the PS4’s home screen after playing a game in PSVR. Update 4.5 will remedy this so you should have a much better resolution. Nothing too exciting, but appreciated all the same.
Wallpaper Customization
Have you ever taken a screenshot in Horizon Zero Dawn, or Uncharted 4 and just wished that you could have it as the background on your PS4. Every time you turn your system on, you could be reminded of how glorious the game looks and the great times you had playing the game. Well, the 4.5 system update for PS4 will finally allow you to customize your wallpaper on your system.
To do this, make your way to Settings, and then Theme. Simply choose the Custom option and then select your favorite screenshot. You’ll then be able to confirm its positioning on your screen and you’re all set and ready to go. Yes, your PS4 home screen really has never looked so good.
Boost Mode
Rounding off the major new features coming as part of PS4’s 4.5 system update is Boost Mode. This is one that only applies to PS4 Pro owners, however, so if you’re still on a standard or slim system, this doesn’t apply to you.
Update 4.5’s Boost Mode ensures that your PS4 Pro’s power isn’t wasted on games that came out before the system’s release late last year. The Boost Mode description on the PS4 reads as follows.
“Experience improved gameplay, including higher framerates for some games that were released before the introduction of the PS4 Pro. Turn this off if you experience unexpected behavior during gameplay.”
While this is a bit vague, Digital Foundry‘s tests certainly suggest that there are noticeable improvements to be seen in most titles, and also breaks down the extent of those improvements. This is great news if you’re wanting to jump back into some of the older members of PS4’s library, and also makes your Pro feel that little bit more of a worthwhile purchase.
If you want to check out the full list of features coming as part of the 4.5 update, you can check them out here.
Which features are you most excited to make use of when the update arrives tomorrow? Let us know down in the comments below.
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