Major PlayStation 4 Update Enables Share Play and YouTube Integration

A big patch codenamed Masamune released yesterday for PlayStation 4 users.

released yesterday for PlayStation 4 users. It cleans up many of the system features and brings something teased before: Share Play.

With Share Play, one player essentially rents his or her game to the friend for an hour, or invites the other to a “virtual coach,” as Sony calls it. The capabilities of the feature depend on PlayStation Plus membership. A player can share screen and have the friend watch, without requiring a Plus membership. If the owner is a member, they can hand over the controls to the friend, even if they’re not Plus members and they don’t have the game installed or purchased. Finally, for games that have local multiplayer, if both people are Plus members, they can play a game together even if only one of them owns the game.

The 2.0 patch also brings out some other system improvements. Previously, recorded clips on the console were only directly exportable to Facebook via the console interface. Now, the same can be done from the PS4 to YouTube. It’s possible to trim and edit the clip, preview it, and then upload and post the link on social media. The live broadcast options are also upgraded, and it’s easier to know when friends are streaming and what specific games can be followed.

Another addition is the USB Music Player. Simply inserting a USB stick with audio files on it lets the console play the tracks contained. Other minor features include customizable themes, extra voice commands, pausing and resuming downloads, a redesigned Content Area, and search and filter functions for the Library.