One of the more notable features of the PlayStation 4 is its controller’s addition of a Share button, which at this point enables players to stream gameplay live to Twitch or Ustream, or capture screenshots and gameplay footage, which can then be directly uploaded to Twitter and Facebook.
While indeed an intriguing feature, there have been some notable limits on it, particularly the inability to save captures to an external USB hard drive for editing and publishing via computers, and some noticeable compression and downsizing with screenshots, though the latter does have a cumbersome workaround. Gamers who like to publish footage to YouTube or similar video sites via capture cards have also had this option prohibited, thanks to the system’s always-on HDCP feature.
These problems look to become a thing of the past very soon, though, if details on the upcoming version 1.70 system firmware update are to be believed. Notable features that have been mentioned for it in the past include an improved built-in video editor known as SHAREfactory, an option to transfer captures to external storage, and the added ability to turn HDCP off. If a recent tweet from the official PlayStation Europe account is to be believed, these features are right around the corner.
Heads-up: PS4 firmware update 1.70, inc. SHAREfactory and HDCP Off, goes live on 30th April. More soon!
— PlayStation Europe (@PlayStationEU) April 25, 2014
This looks to open up plenty of new opportunities for gamers looking to share their favorite PS4 moments. I know that I’ll probably be messing around with some video clips on YouTube in the future, and it will be interesting to see just what SHAREfactory is capable of.
We will continue to keep you updated on notable PlayStation 4 updates and their features as they become available. Let us know, though, if you plan to take full advantage of these enhanced sharing features come April 30.