PS4 update 8.50: New PlayStation Software update adds features but drops Communities

 

PS4 update 8.50: New PlayStation Software update adds features but drops Communities

New PlayStation Software updates have gone live today, and PS5 version 8.50 includes new features and the removal of old ones.

The good news is that Sony has released detailed patch notes on everything that has changed and haven’t just left fans with a small note citing “improvements”.

The new PS4 8.50 system update weighs at the usual 481MB and comes with some interesting new features.

This includes Sony expanding its ranges of cross-gen options, something that might surprise a few gamers.

While the PS4 is expected to be slowly dumped by the tech giant over the coming month, that hasn’t stopped the tech giant from improving some aspects of its shared ecosystem.

At the top of the list of 8.50 improvements is a note confirming that Share Play can now be used in party with players on PS5 consoles.

But while a range of improvements have been released today for the PlayStation 4, Sony has also taken a few away.

PlayStation Communities has been officially axed on the PS4 today, meaning you can longer access the feature.

Communities was an addon where console owners could find other players who had similar interests and preferences.

Within a Community, you could play games or have parties with other Community members, or talk about your shared interests.

Sadly for those who were still using this feature, Sony warned of its demise earlier this month, telling PS4 owners:

“Thank you for using the PS Communities feature on your PS4 console. Beginning in April 2021, this feature will no longer be supported or available on your PS4 console.

PS4 PATCH NOTES

In Party, you can now enjoy Share Play with players on PS5 consoles.

In Messages, you can now turn notifications on or off for each of the groups you're in. On the group screen, open the options menu and select Turn Notifications Off.

Other updated features

On the game session details screen, you can now use the Request to Join button to ask the session leader to join their game session. The session leader can then send you an invite to join the game session.

When playing a game you've hidden, other players will no longer see that you're currently playing that game.

We've updated the file format for extended storage.

When you connect an extended storage device, its file format will be updated.

After that, you won't be able to use the device on a PS4 that has a previous version of the system software.

The Communities feature is no longer available.