A new beta is headed to the PlayStation 4, and it’s bringing a batch of new features with it. The beta kicks off tomorrow, Sony writes in the PlayStation Blog, and will allow those in the program to try out the latest version of the PS4 firmware, version 3.50, code-named Musashi.
A major theme of the update seems to be how you can use the PS4 to interact with your friends, and that includes not interacting with them at all. The new firmware offers the ability to see when your friends get online, but it also brings the option to appear offline, should you want to play solo for a while.
Users can now schedule future gameplay sessions with friends, which should be a boon for busy gamers. Simply schedule the event, and those who are registered will automatically be added to a party when the time comes. With the new Play Together features, members of a party can easily see what the other party members are playing and easily join or start a new game together.
One feature coming to the 3.50 firmware that won’t be present in the beta is also one of the more exciting additions. The next update will bring support for PS4 Remote Play streaming to both Windows PCs and Macs, in addition to the currently supported PlayStation Vita, Xperia phones, and PlayStation TV.
This should come as welcome news to anyone looking to stream gameplay from the PS4 to a TV in another room, especially since the PlayStation TV likely won’t be an option for much longer. The micro-console has yet to be officially discontinued in North America, but it has ended production in Japan, so the end is likely nigh in other territories as well.
Sony mentioned in the blog post that it hasn’t yet unveiled everything that will be available in the Musashi firmware, asking users to stay tuned for more features as well as news regarding when the update will hit for users not in the beta.
