Now that the dust from Sony's gamescom 2014 conference has settled, it's time to look at the finer details of some of their announcements, particularly the upcoming PS4 system update v2.00.
As we mentioned earlier, the big feature is Share Play, which Sony describes as a "virtual couch." Share Play essentially allows you to create an online local co-op experience using your PS4 by allowing you to invite a friend to join your game, even if they don't own a copy of it.
"With this first-of-its-kind feature, you’ll be able to play games with a friend just as if you were together in the same room. Let’s say that with games… you’ll be able to invite your friend online to play against the Miami Heat for the championship as the San Antonio Spurs in NBA2K, tackle the challenging Towerfall Ascension Quest Mode together, or aide, heal, and protect you as Igniculus in Child of Light’s local co-op mode," Sony explained.
"With Share Play, you can even jump into a game to assist a friend. For example, if there is part of a game that you can’t quite finish, you can invite a friend to take over your controls. Like handing over the controller to a friend on your couch, your screen will be shared as your friend gets through the part of the game that has been giving you trouble—can’t get past that part in The Last of Us: Remastered when you’re hanging upside down? Get a little help."
The update will also add highly requested broadcast and video share features, including both uploading your game play footage and dedicated app support for YouTube, as well as an intuitive friend finder that lets you search for people using their real names. Lastly, the What's New section will get "enhanced real-time activity" through friend-of-friend suggestions, allowing instant access to friends' and recently played games' broadcasts.
This PlayStation 4 update is slated to arrive this fall.
[PS Blog]
