Sony’s looking for PS4 software beta testers

Sony is seeking help from its 35 million-strong player base to beta test the PS4’s next major software update, scheduled for March 2016.

“Starting today you can sign up to be a beta tester and get a sneak peek at some of the features making their way to your PS4,” the company said in a blog post on 17 February 2016.

Interested gamers can sign up here to be part of the test.

The gaming firm is also asking users to join its online forums to discuss the new features.

“We’ll be monitoring the forums throughout the beta. While we can’t always implement changes suggested by the community, it’s really valuable for us to hear your feedback to help guide the direction we take. We’re always listening!” the company said.

Xbox One sees major software update

In other gaming news, Wired reports that Microsoft’s first major Xbox One software update of 2016 has just rolled out to players.

With a renewed focus on community and social management, the system update introduces several big changes for the console such as a customisable dashboard, improved friend suggestions, and a gamerscore leaderboard.

Console games being challenged by the mobile gaming sector

Maintaining customer loyalty for console games is increasingly challenging, as competition from the mobile sector increases.

According to the Kids and Gaming 2015 report from global information company, the NPD Group, mobile devices are now the devices most used for gaming among kids ages 2-17 (63%).

In terms of finance, the same survey showed that physical games continue to command the highest average spend, with average spending holding steady at US$27, compared to US$13 spent on digital games. Regardless of age and gender, spending on physical games is twice that of digital game spending, emphasising that this market is still highly valued.

A focus on quality and engaging the users in beta testing could help keep up customer interest between releases.

 

Edited from sources by Cecilia Rehn.

Sources:
Playstation
Wired
NPD Group
Fortune

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