PS4 6.00 System Update Out Now, And Despite The Number, It Doesn't Do Much

Sony today released a new system update for PlayStation 4, version 6.00. With a version number like that, you'd expect this to be a landmark update full of exciting new features. Yet despite that perfectly reasonable expectation, there's been no real announcement from Sony, no PlayStation Blog post, and generally no fanfare from the company. The reason for that appears to be simple: 6.00 doesn't really do anything.

The update went through a beta period in August much like those in the past, but that preview didn't include any major user-facing features. That didn't mean the official release of 6.00 would necessarily be identical; beta tests for previous PS4 updates have been conducted that didn't have everything the eventual release would offer. But it appears that 6.00's beta was indicative of the final product, as the patch notes on the system and Sony's website list only a single thing: "This system software update improves system performance."

That's a familiar site to PlayStation users, who have become accustomed to system updates over years that only provide behind-the-scenes improvements with no real impact on the user. But with an update numbered 6.00, it's a letdown, to say the least. Update 5.50 added new parental controls and a PS Plus library; 5.00 expanded the Quick Menu and friends lists; 4.00 added HDR support for all PS4s; 3.00 let you share directly to Twitter and added a PS Plus section; and so on.

It remains to be seen if Sony will belatedly activate some hidden functionality in this update. It would be a curious move, but it's a possibility that PS4 users may cling to for now given their disappointment over the new update.

Hey, at least Spider-Man is good.