PS4’s 7.0 firmware brings HDR tuning, larger parties, system updates won’t require restarts
PlayStation 4’s next major system software is beginning to roll out to beta testers. PS4 System Software Update 7.00 is a major patch, adding in the fairly nifty new feature of being able to perform system updates without having to restart the console.
It’s fairly dry as far as patch notes go but, as someone who’s sat around far too long waiting for my PS4 to update and reboot like a turgid snail, it comes as a welcome change. In order to enable the feature, once this update is live, you’ll need to turn automatic system software updates in Settings > System > Auto Downloads.
Social butterflies will also be pleased with a new PS4 Party update which ups the number of players in any given party from eight to 16 players. I can only imagine the cacophony of noise from 16 people squawking away but the option’s there now if you want it.
There’s one other change as well which isn’t included in the patch notes. Players with an HDR (High Dynamic Range) display will now find themselves with a new system tool which allows for the tuning of HDR brightness and darkness on a system level. Many PS4 Pro compatible titles offer the feature on a per-game basis, but this is the first we’ve been able to input a global setting.
The benefits of this trickle to other aspects such as video apps though. The Netflix app doesn’t offer any way for users to finetune HDR settings, so this can now be set on a system level and it will apply to Netflix. Everyone’s HDR TVs will require dramatically different settings depending on bright,m black levels, colour ranges, etc, so this should be a big help.
One quick word of warning if you happen to be sent an invite: “If you participate in this Beta trial, you won’t be able to join the same Party or use Share Play with others who aren’t also participating in the trial. Once you’ve opted in to the trial, Parties that you’re able to join will have an asterisk (*) in front of the Party name.” Anyone who does get an invite, the code can be redeemed up to 20 times though so you can share it with buddies.
