Sony has used its pre-Gamescom press conference in Cologne to reveal the first features set to appear in the upcoming PS4 System Software Update 2.0, promising to add the ability to upload shared video clips direct to YouTube and introducing Share Play - letting a friend join your game from anywhere in the world, even if they don't own it themselves.
Currently gamers can record short video clips of their gameplay and share them on the PS4 itself, upload to Facebook or export to a USB flash drive, but the next update will add the ability to upload directly to YouTube. It's unknown what resolution or frame rate will be uploaded, however.
More impressive was the reveal of Share Play. Any PlayStation Plus member will be able to instantly share their copy of a game with a friend, effectively passing the controller as if they were sat on the same sofa. Using video streaming technology powered by PlayStation Now, previously known as Gaikai, the second player won't need to download or install the game to start playing - they'll simply be able to press a button and jump right into the game. We can't wait to see how it works in reality, as inconsistent network connections and slow rural broadband could hamper its usefulness here in the UK.
Software Update 2.0 will also add an improved Friends interface, which will make it easier to access your friends list, search by real names, search for recently played broadcasts by your PSN friends and show a "friend-of-friend" activity window in the What's New section of the PS4 dashboard.
Curiously absent from the announcement was any word on DLNA playback. Earlier in the day Microsoft had pledged to add DLNA support to the Xbox One in the next major update, leaving the PS4 behind in terms of multimedia playback. However, Sony promised that it had more to reveal in the coming months, so it's possible this feature will still make the cut for system software 2.0.
The update is expected to arrive on consoles later this Autumn, although Sony has yet to commit to an exact release date.
