Suspend/Resume Coming to PS4 Tomorrow

In a recent post on the PlayStation Blog Sony (NYSE: SNE) has confirmed the PS4’s new 2.50 firmware update will release tomorrow.

The new update, codenamed “Yukimura“, adds in a ton of extra functionality to the console including the long-awaited suspend/resume feature, trophy screenshots, custom button-mapping, and even full system HDD backups.

Suspend/resume takes the frontline as the most anticipated addition introduced with firmware v 2.50; originally announced as a PS4 launch feature, Sony had delayed the function due to technical difficulties.

Come tomorrow users will finally be able to seamlessly jump right back into any session where they left off without needing to load or start up the game itself. The PS4 must be put into Rest Mode before suspend/resume can be used, as it won’t work if the system is turned completely off.

One surprising new feature is the ability to fully back up and restore your PS4’s hard drive to an external USB drive. This includes everything from saved game data, games, screenshots, videos–the works.

Being able to backup and restore your precious data is an amazing feature and lets players avoid the soul-crushing data corruption that can plague our digital files.

While PS Plus already automatically uploads save files to Sony’s cloud, this feature adds even more depth to ensure your beloved data stays safe.

New accessibility options include the oft-requested customized button-mapping (right in time for the Final Fantasy X HD remaster!) as well as the convenience of text-to-speech for party interactions and messages.

Remote Play and Share Play are also getting updated to support 60 frames-per-second gameplay and streaming, but you’ll have to download a new compatibility update for the PS Vita. Also your connection must meet bandwidth requirements to stream 60fps across Share Play, so be forewarned.

Sony affirms that the PS Vita update will be released tonight, along with a new software update for the mobile PlayStation App.

All in all the update looks pretty solid and adds in a bevy of new functionality to the PlayStation 4.

Oddly enough it’s becoming more and more like an Xbox One with its trophy screenshots and suspend/resume implementation, which the Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) all-in-one system supported on launch despite Sony’s own promises.

Then again the PS4 features Share Play and a more dynamic friend system, plus now supports video uploads directly to YouTube and DailyMotion, which is pretty huge. While the Xbox One has only just now received screenshot support, it trumps the PS4 in terms of multimedia playback, so the two systems are still pretty different.

Also let’s hope that the beta test for Yukimura worked out all the kinks and bugs, and no one’s consoles get bricked.

The PS4’s previous major system updates proved to be quite disastrous, forcing Sony to institute a beta testing system for future updates.

Check below for a full list of features that Yukimura will add when it’s released tomorrow:

• Suspend/Resume* — Supported by nearly all of your PS4 games, you can jump in and out of your games with just the press of the PS button. Quickly switch from Rest Mode to powered-up so you can pick up where you left off.
• Back-Up and Restore HDD to USB — Back-up and restore your hard disc drive data associated with users on your PS4, including settings, saved data, screenshots and video clips as well as games, patches and download data, to and from an external USB drive.
• Find and Connect with Friends — “Yukimura” adds to an already robust set of social tools, bringing several updates to continue making PS4 the best place to play with your friends, including:
  • Facebook Friend Finder — Using your linked account, you can expand your network by searching and connecting with your Facebook friends.
  • Improved Friend requests — Friend requests and Real Name requests can be sent together in one step when adding a friend on PS4.
  • Streamlined Party process — The process to create a Party has been streamlined with a reduction in the number of steps required.
  • Find Friends who play your games — Easily view what friends are playing on each game detail page with a real-time “Friends Who Play This” section, which also highlights which friends are currently online and playing it, and if you own the game, allows you to jump directly into the game.
  • Join Friends directly from news feed — A new tile will be added on your What’s New feed where you can see what your friends are currently playing, enabling you to join in the game if you own it.
• Share Earned Trophies and Optimize Your Trophy List — We know that Trophies are important to many gamers, so we’re bringing more control with how you show them off:
  • Automatic Trophy Screenshots — A screenshot will automatically be captured when a Trophy is earned, preserving the moment to share with friends.
  • SHARE Trophies — Players can share Trophy information to Facebook, Twitter or via Message by pressing the SHARE button.
  • Additional Trophy sorting options — Sort your Trophy list by Earned Date, Not Earned and Grade.
  • Delete 0% Trophies — Remove games from your Trophy list that have zero percent completion.
• Improved and Expanded Accessibility Options — New options added to customize the user experience include:
  • Customized button assignments for DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller.
  • Zoom for displayed pictures and inverted colors for all system functions, apps and in-game.
  • Text-to-speech for all graphical user interface, including Message and Party.
  • Enlarged text for all graphical user interface, including Message and Party, as well as the system’s browser.
  • Bolder fonts and higher contrast UI for all system applications (but will not apply to games or third-party applications).
• Remote Play and Share Play — For games that support 60 fps, users will be able to automatically enjoy those games with 60 fps for both Remote Play and Share Play** on supported devices.
• Automatic Installation for System Software Updates — Enable automatic installation for future system software updates.
• Sub-Account Upgrade — Enable users 18 years of age or older with sub-accounts to upgrade to a master account directly on PS4, removing restrictions on chat and enabling users to add funds to their Wallet, purchase content and more.
• Verified Accounts — Select game developers, producers, designers and community managers will be verified with a badge.
• Dailymotion — Upload video clips directly to Dailymotion via the SHARE button.