PS4 owners dismayed by the lack of titles released for their wallet-buster so far can start rejoicing for the recently announced fall firmware update that will introduce one particularly interesting new mode of gameplay: Share Play.
Just one of the many features teased about by PlayStation when the PS4 first hit, Share Play will allow gamers to bring their friends into their game even if the friend doesn’t own the game being played. The examples given by PlayStation on their blog include bringing in a helping hand to finish a game in NBA2K14, tackling parts of Towerfall Ascension‘s Quest Mode or lending aide as a healer in Child of Light. The company also mentioned being able to “hand the controller off” to a pal when the going gets a little to rough in single player games, such as The Last of Us: Remastered.
PlayStation calls Share Play a “virtual couch,” and the name is fitting considering it functions exactly like two buds sitting together to experience a game. While it may only sound like a marginal improvement over online co-op to some, it really is a huge jump forward considering the next-gen attitude towards sharing games that this generation began with. The PS4 has always been aimed at providing a social experience between friends, and allowing people to share a game online without needing both people to own a copy only broadens the horizons of online co-op.
Software update v2.00 will also include a much-wanted update to the YouTube app, allowing dedicated app support, as well as other video sharing and broadcast features. There are more features to be announced as well, so keep an eye out for more news. The update will be released sometime this fall, so be sure to stock up on some of the PS4’s excellent indie titles so you have something to play once Share Play hits.
Published: Aug 12, 2014 04:52 pm