It’s been known since GDC that the upcoming 1.70 patch for the PlayStation 4 would be much more than the often released “stability improvement” patches whose effects often go completely unnoticed by users. It was stated that consumer feedback had been taken into consideration when thinking of new features to add. Sony has now officially announced some of the abilities the PS4 will be given when this system update releases.

SHAREfactory

Rumors have been floating around that the team behind the beloved Sony Vegas video editing software were providing support for a feature of a PS4 update, and it appears this is the result. Allowing for much more than the simple trimming of video clips available on the system now, SHAREfactory allows users to insert text, stickers, audio, filters, transitions, themes, and picture-in-picture commentary using the PlayStation Camera. Users can also import their own music to put into their videos, leading many to believe that the much requested MP3 storing and playback will be added not long after this update. In addition to being able to upload videos to your Facebook as usual, videos from the PS4 can now be exported to a USB device.

A few settings for the base “share” function itself will be added as well, including the ability to change the default capture of the last fifteen minutes of gameplay to a shorter amount of time, the removal of auto-saving captured video and screenshots when using share, and picking who exactly will see your shared items.

Pre-Download

Also included in the 1.70 patch is the ability to download games that you’ve digitally pre-ordered so that they’ll be ready to start as soon as they are unlocked upon release. Combined with the PS4’s ability to auto-download, this means that you can digitally pre-order a game, have your system download the game around a week before release without you even prompting it to do so, and pick up your controller and dive in as soon as the clock strikes midnight on launch day. If there’s even been a convincing factor to go digital, it would be the ability to play games before even those who travel to the midnight launch events for them. I still say nothing beats the smell of a freshly unwrapped case, so I’ll be sticking with physical copies.

Updates packed with fan requested features like these are certainly promising, and I can’t wait to see just how well rounded the system will become. The PlayStation 3 certainly came a long way from the days when you couldn’t even go to the XMB without quitting the game you were playing. PS4 update 1.70 is said to be coming soon, and I can’t wait to see what users do with these video tools.