Sony Previews PS4 4.00 Shingen Firmware With Refreshed UI, Folder Organization
Sony is getting ready to give beta testers for the PlayStation 4 a sneak peak of its upcoming 4.00 system firmware update, otherwise known by its codename Shingen. It will roll out soon to anyone signed up to Sony's public beta program and bring with it a refreshed user interface with new tools for organization, updating the Quick Menu, and a whole lot more.
Some of the UI changes will be noticeable right away, such as new system backgrounds and a revised What's New tab. Other changes are more subtle and include things like updated popup notifications and redesigned system icons. When you mash them all together, as Sony's done with Shingen, what you end up with is a more refined and easier to use UI, or at least that's what Sony is aiming for.
"The overall look and feel of the UI remains the same—it just has a fresh coat of paint," Sony says.
One of the changes is that the Quick Menu no longer dominates the display when you open it up. Instead, it takes up a portion of the screen, which means you don't need to leave gameplay entirely, Sony says. You'll also find some new items in the Quick Menu, such as the online status of your friends and shortcuts to your Party, Favorite Groups, and Communities. And if there are items you don't use, you can remove them, as the Quick Menu is customizable with Shingen.
Sony similarly overhauled the Share Menu, which also only covers a portion of the screen post-update. It will save the last social network you shared video clips or screenshots to, so if that's something you like to do often or even semi-regularly, it will be a bit faster.
PlayStation 4 owners often ask for more options to organize content on their console, and that's what they'll get with Shingen. As part of the update, Sony added functionality to create folders on the PS4's content launcher and Library. There's also a new tab in Library called Purchased. It shows everything you own, including games, applications, demos, and betas. By shoving those items in their own tab, the Games and Applications tabs are more laser focused on what's installed on your system, which in turn leads to a less cluttered library as a whole.
"I have more than 200 games on PS4, plus demos and apps, [this] will help a lot for me. It’s very frustrating having so many beta games on Library," a user commented in response to Sony's focus on organization. Another user chimed in with a similar albeit more excited sentiment saying, "Folders! Finally!!!!!!!!!"
Other changes to look out for are the ability to view trophies offline and an updated User Profile that makes it easier to see relevant info at a glance.
Some of the UI changes will be noticeable right away, such as new system backgrounds and a revised What's New tab. Other changes are more subtle and include things like updated popup notifications and redesigned system icons. When you mash them all together, as Sony's done with Shingen, what you end up with is a more refined and easier to use UI, or at least that's what Sony is aiming for.
"The overall look and feel of the UI remains the same—it just has a fresh coat of paint," Sony says.
One of the changes is that the Quick Menu no longer dominates the display when you open it up. Instead, it takes up a portion of the screen, which means you don't need to leave gameplay entirely, Sony says. You'll also find some new items in the Quick Menu, such as the online status of your friends and shortcuts to your Party, Favorite Groups, and Communities. And if there are items you don't use, you can remove them, as the Quick Menu is customizable with Shingen.
Sony similarly overhauled the Share Menu, which also only covers a portion of the screen post-update. It will save the last social network you shared video clips or screenshots to, so if that's something you like to do often or even semi-regularly, it will be a bit faster.
PlayStation 4 owners often ask for more options to organize content on their console, and that's what they'll get with Shingen. As part of the update, Sony added functionality to create folders on the PS4's content launcher and Library. There's also a new tab in Library called Purchased. It shows everything you own, including games, applications, demos, and betas. By shoving those items in their own tab, the Games and Applications tabs are more laser focused on what's installed on your system, which in turn leads to a less cluttered library as a whole.
"I have more than 200 games on PS4, plus demos and apps, [this] will help a lot for me. It’s very frustrating having so many beta games on Library," a user commented in response to Sony's focus on organization. Another user chimed in with a similar albeit more excited sentiment saying, "Folders! Finally!!!!!!!!!"
Other changes to look out for are the ability to view trophies offline and an updated User Profile that makes it easier to see relevant info at a glance.
