Next PS4 update to boost video editing and game session streaming

Sony to take the chains off sharing

Sony announced it's next PS4 software update will bring some much needed improvements for gamers wanting to share screenshots and video clips.

The company detailed that the update will allow users to off load their screenshots and saved clips to a USB drive. Up till now, the only way users could upload their screenshots was through Twitter and Facebook.

Video gameplay footage sharing, meanwhile, was limited to the built-in sharing options, including Facebook videos, and livestreaming options such as Twitch or Ustream.

The update will bring a more robust video editor allowing users to further cut and edit their gameplay clips.

See all of the best video editors that are available on the web

A streamers dream

Personal video recorder and capture card owners will be glad to know the upcoming update will bring a new option to switch off the HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) restriction on the PS4's HDMI connection.

By turning off the built-in digital rights management protection, users will finally be able to record their gaming sessions using a separate device again. Sony wrote, "[w]e recognize that some gamers want to record and share longer clips of their gameplay sessions, and we're excited to deliver this option with PS4."

Sony didn't say when the update will arrive but it teased that there would be "a lot more coming in this update." It's highly unlikely we'll something related to Project Morpheus, so don't hold your breath.

As part of a separate system software update scheduled for down the road, Sony is working with Twitch and Ustream to add higher resolution 720p livestream broadcasting capabilities.

Twitch's Vice President of Marketing contacted TechRadar and said in a statement, "Twitch is a front and center feature on [PS4 and Xbox One], so you can expect a lengthy roadmap of broadcasting and viewing refinements and new functions. These are still the very early days, and the Twitch footprint on next-gen consoles will get better and better."

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Kevin Lee was a former computing reporter at TechRadar. Kevin is now the SEO Updates Editor at IGN based in New York. He handles all of the best of tech buying guides while also dipping his hand in the entertainment and games evergreen content. Kevin has over eight years of experience in the tech and games publications with previous bylines at Polygon, PC World, and more. Outside of work, Kevin is major movie buff of cult and bad films. He also regularly plays flight & space sim and racing games. IRL he's a fan of archery, axe throwing, and board games.

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