PS4 system software update 2.0 brings music playback and better voice ...

Sony's upcoming 2.0 firmware update for the PS4 is bound to be a doozy. Not only will it add support for multiplayer game streaming with Share Play, but Sony has just announced a handful of surprisingly solid features slated for this fall. From music playback to better social features to improved voice commands, PlayStation enthusiasts are in store for some significant new features in this release, codenamed 'Masamune.'

Back at Gamescom, Sony first teased the 2.0 update. Share Play and built-in YouTube export were the headlining features, but this release will offer much more than that. In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony's Scott McCarthy outlines some of the new features that system software 2.0 brings to the PS4, and it looks very promising.

Much ado was made over the PS4′s lack of media playback options, and it seems that this update is the first step towards returning to the 'it only does everything' feature set of the PS3. The PS4 will now be able to play music files off of a USB storage device, but will not allow the files to be saved on the PS4′s internal drive. Why? Sony isn't saying much, but it's safe to assume this was simply the fastest way to implement music playback without breaking anything else or increasing game load times. There's no word about video playback, but there are ways around that limitation anyway.

Themes and customizable colors are making their way to the PS4, but that's not much of a surprise. The UI is getting tweaked to make navigation a bit easier, and voice commands are being improved - largely to keep up with the Kinect's superior vocabulary. Sony will now recommend PSN users to you if you have friends in common, and it seems that the PlayStation team is focused on smoothing out some of the rough edges of the PSN user experience. For example, free PlayStation Plus games will now offer an 'Add to Library' option instead of automatically assuming you want to download everything immediately. It's a small change, but it's appreciated nonetheless.

Unfortunately, there's still no official confirmation or denial regarding game suspension in the 2.0 firmware. This feature was promised before the PS4 was released, and we've not seen hide nor hair of it since. As someone who frequently uses a PS4, I'm eagerly awaiting the ability to put my PS4 into sleep mode, and then quickly resume playing right where I left off. Xbox One users have enjoyed this feature since late last year, and the Vita has very similar functionality. Frankly, the lack of game suspension is my biggest complaint with the platform, and it's disappointing that Sony continues to stay mum on the subject.

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