Sony will launch PlayStation 4 firmware version 4.50 March 9, adding a range of PlayStation VR optimizations and a new “Boost Mode” for PlayStation 4 Pro units that enables faster performance in games with variable framerates.
Thursday’s system software upgrade also enables voice chat for Remote Play sessions, and introduces new iconography indicating when players are idle while logged into PSN.
All PlayStation 4 owners will be given the option to update when they power on their consoles, but many of the upgrade’s most significant features are reserved for early adopters of PlayStation VR and PS4 Pro hardware.
The platform’s virtual reality interface has been upgraded with improved 2D rendering, allowing for higher resolutions when players view on-screen content outside of VR mode. PSVR users will also see improved performance and framerates in Cinematic Mode after installing the firmware update.
PlayStation 4 Pro owners will get an optional Boost Mode that can upgrade older PS4 titles with faster framerates, though Sony notes that not all games will see noticeable performance boosts.
“PS4 Pro gets a new feature in this update called Boost Mode,” Sony explained. “This feature has been designed to provide better performance for select legacy titles that have not been patched to take advantage of the PS4 Pro’s faster CPU and its faster and double-sized GPU.”
Sony continued: “This can provide a noticeable frame rate boost to some games with variable frame rates, and can provide frame rate stability for games that are programmed to run at 30 Hz or 60 Hz. Depending on the game, the increased CPU speed may also result in shorter load times. You can turn on Boost Mode by going to Settings > System.”
Updated on 03-08-2017 by Mike Epstein: Corrected to reflect the fact that PlayStation 4 firmware launches Thursday, March 9.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.