PS4 firmware update 7.00 is scheduled for release this week, and it’ll be adding a batch of new features.The update is focused on two main things: improving the Party feature for the PlayStation 4 and allowing Remote Play on a larger group of devices, namely those running Android.
Currently the Party Chat system allows up to eight friends to hang out in a voice chat group with each other, but after 7.00 that number will be bumped to a maximum of 16. There’s also a new voice-to-text accessibility feature that makes use of the second screen function on the PlayStation 4 app. You can now have the party chat send you live transcripts to any feature connected to the PlayStation 4 as a second screen, such as a phone or a tablet. You will also be able to type text into the PlayStation app and have it read out loud to the party in response. At the current time this feature only works in US English, but it’s a great start to adding more accessibility-focused features to the PlayStation 4. In addition to this, some work has been done to improve both the audio quality and the network connectivity of the party chat feature, which means you should be seeing those NAT type errors and random disconnects a lot less.
The other feature getting the most love is Remote Play, a feature that allows you to stream your PlayStation 4 to other devices. Up until now this has been limited to PC, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation TV, Apple devices, and Sony Xperia phones. Now, all Android phones and tablets, provided they’re running version 5.0 or higher, will be able to use the Remote Play feature. In addition, more features are being added to the Apple version of Remote Play. Users will be able to lock their screen orientation and display the controller at all times. Both Apple and Android devices will now also be able to connect and use a DualShock 4 controller via Bluetooth so that Remote Play feels just like playing your PS4 on a smaller portable screen.
Sony has already made mention that Remote Play will also be available on the PS5, so getting the option out to Android users ahead of the impending next-gen console reveal and launch goes a long way towards propping up that feature.
[Source: PlayStation Blog]
