The PlayStation 4 is getting a lot of new changes in the upcoming Ver. 4.50 firmware according to leaks. This new 4.50 system software is addressing some of the things players have wanted from the console since the very beginning, like external hard drive storage and custom wallpapers. Although this changelog is leaked from the beta version of PS4 system software update 4.50, most if not all of these features will more than likely be seen in the full release of the new firmware.

How to Use a PlayStation 4 With and External Hard Drive

Upon installing PlayStation System Software Update Ver. 4.50 you'll be able to install or move applications to an external USB storage drive. To get to the new USB storage options you'll need to go to the Devices menu under system settings. You'll see a new option there that says "USB Storage Devices." Under that menu will be all the options pertaining to USB storage for the PlayStation 4.

To use a USB storage device with the PlayStation 4, it'll have to meet some guidelines. First it has to be USB 3.0 compatible, and secondly it must be at least 250 GB. The PlayStation 4 can use an external hard drive with a maximum size of 8 TB. Additionally, only one external storage device may be used at a time.

Changes to the UI in System Software 4.50

The biggest change to the Home Screen UI on the PlayStation 4 in the new firmware is that users will now be able to select a screenshot to use as the background. By going into the Themes meny and choosing "Custom" you'll be able to choose a screenshot to server as your Home Screen background. You can also change the color of the profile screen to match your cover image.

The notifications have been redesigned as well. All notifications will now appear in a single list, instead of the redundant multiple categories they appear in now. Using the options button on the Home Screen lets you now upload and download saved data without having to go into the system settings menu.

In the new PS4 firmware you can post screenshots directly to activities by pressing the share button on the Home Screen. Animated GIF capabilities are also new in PS4 firmware 4.50. Screenshots can also be shared on the PlayStation Network, and individual privacy settings for that feature have been added.

PlayStation VR Improvements in Firmware 4.50

The PlayStation VR gets a couple of improvements in the new system software. The PSVR will support Blu-ray 3D when the latest update goes live. PSVR Cinematic mode image quality has also received an overall improvement.

This sounds like one of the biggest firmware updates for the PlayStation 4 since the 2.0 update. Hopefully, it won't introduce the same sort of issues the 2.0 update did. There's no official ETA for the PlayStation 4.50 System Software update, but we can expect Sony to release it in the next few months.