The PlayStation Preview program has been running for a little while now, allowing users to test upcoming firmware updates of the PS4 whilst they are in beta. However, the program looks to be expanding and giving users the ability to test a few upcoming Party Chat improvements.
These are the following improvements you will get to test:
- Increased maximum Party participants from 8 to 16
- Improved audio quality for voice chat
- Improved network connectivity
Users in the United States will have early access to a chat transcription feature that will be available on the PlayStation App and the PS4 itself. This app allows party chat to be turned into text on the PlayStation App and allow text on the PlayStation App to be read aloud in party chat.
The PlayStation Blog details some caveats to joining this program.
Do note that if you participate in the Preview Program, you won’t be able to join the same Party or use Share Play with others who aren’t participating in the program. However, the preview code we’ll be providing can be redeemed by 20 different qualifying accounts, so share the code with your friends and try out the new Party updates together! Once you participate in the Preview Program, Parties that you’re able to join will have an asterisk (*) in front of the Party name.
You can signup to become a part of the PlayStation Preview Program here to test the features above.
Sony still supporting the PS4 with the PS5 on the horizon is a good sign for the almost 100 million owners of the console. PS5 is set to have a wealth of features including backwards compatibility and extremely fast loading times. Our PS5 FAQ has all answers to every possible question you could think of when it comes to Sony’s next console.
Will you be joining the program?