PS4 Update Will Change Party Chat In A Big Way

Sony isn't attending this year's E3, but it still has lots going on besides the big gaming show. After recently offering a fresh look at Death Stranding, the company has now detailed some upcoming changes to the PS4's party system, and it sounds intriguing. Sign-ups to test the new update are now live; whether you get into that or simply wait for the full public release, here's what to expect from the forthcoming system update.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, social media director Sid Shuman revealed Sony is currently testing enhanced chat audio quality, improved network connectivity, and the ability to create and participate in parties of up to 16 people, up from the current limit of eight.

The new features are part of the next PS4 update preview program, which gives beta access to select users for new updates. North American players will be able to test a couple of extra features, too: the PS4 Second Screen mobile app will allow you to enter text which will then be spoken aloud to other party members. Additionally, the app can transcribe the incoming chat audio from your friends. Sony says these app-focused updates are available to US- and Canada-based users only for the time being, and only in English.

Sign-ups for the upcoming beta update are now live in North America and are coming "soon" in Europe. Note, however, that if you participate in the preview program, you'll only be able to join parties that contain other members of the program. If you are successfully selected for the beta, however, Sony will allow you to share your access code with 20 friends, meaning you can all test the update together.

In other PlayStation news, the PS4 exclusive Blood & Truth became the first ever VR-only game to top the UK sales chart last week. The shooter launched just a few days ago, and we awarded it a 7/10 in our Blood & Truth review.