Ask anyone that's
purchased a digital copy of a full PlayStation 4 or Xbox One game and
they'll tell you it's an arduous experience — even with the "play while
you wait" features that both consoles offer. Thankfully Sony is just
days away from making things more convenient. The PS4's next big
firmware update arrives on April 30th, the company announced today. Once
it's installed, you'll be able to download games pre-ordered from
Sony's store early so they'll immediately be ready to play on release
day. PC gamers have had access to early downloads for some time now,
but console makers have struggled some in bringing the same concept to the living room.
It's a shame preloading wasn't ready in time for Infamous: Second Son, but the feature is still coming ahead of significant releases including MLB 14 The Show and Watch Dogs. Both
will likely be massive downloads. Sony says you'll be able to download
pre-ordered games "up to several days in advance." The final call on
that window is likely made by publishers, but even a 24-hour head start
is better than getting slammed with a major wait on launch day. The Xbox
One does not yet offer similar functionality, but Microsoft has said
it's a possibility.
As announced previously,
the PS4 1.70 update will also introduce SHAREfactory, Sony's "rich
video editor app" that will give users greater flexibility in
personalizing their recorded game clips. "With SHAREfactory, you can now
easily combine your captured video clips for editing, personalize them
with special effects using filters, transitions, and themes, as well as
share them with your friends and social networks," the company says.
Exporting those videos to external USB storage will also be supported
with the new firmware. And for those who like to record gameplay using
their own gear, the PS4 will now allow HDCP to be switched off, removing
a hurdle that prevented video capture before.
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