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Are you satisfied with the system software updates for consoles and their associated apps this gen?

cormack12

Gold Member
We have PlayStation recently dropping a new system update with some features and visual tweaks.

Microsoft released one not so long ago.

Both have companion apps in PS App and the Xbox App, Gamepass App and Xbox Companion for PC with an update to allow in app purchases due to drop allegedly.

Switch is the switch really.

Have they delivered the important features you craved or not?
 

jm89

Member
Most of the updates seem like they are doing the bare minimum, really low effort.

But occasionally the updates are decent, like the recent playstation welcome tab.
 
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On PS5 side things are pretty okay for me. One major missing feature is integrating PS Star in the console system.

For PC it doesn't really matter, as it's an open ecosystem and you should pick up all the tools that do their jobs best from various sources.
 

jm89

Member
Nintendo added folders and did it the wrong way.
Ps messed that up also. Folders are more useful on the home screen for easy access, instead playstation devs hide it away in the my library section 🙃
 
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Shin-Ra

Junior Member
No, there’s no local USB/SDcard save backup on PS5 or Switch.

PS5 prominently advertised 8K support which would’ve given retro and pixel art games better display futureproofing with nearest neighbour 8K scaling and more physically accurate CRT/display filters. Games like Rez HD could’ve got both 8K and HDR updates at the same time.
 
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I am never satisfied. I require more and ever more. My thirst is that of a rabid dog: endless insatiable desire, and what paltry trickles make it to my throat leave me only more enraged.

I am an entitled gamer; the producers of the products I consume hate me, and I them. I cannot--nay, will not--rest until developers, both front- and back-end, collapse from exhaustive crunch, their families having submitted missing persons reports to the police that go (rightfully) unheeded.

jk lol. The console system interfaces could be snappier and more intuitive, but they're mostly fine
 

Fake

Member
Probaly the worst generation of all.

PS5 put a loads of updates for nothing. I lose all my themes from my base PS4 and still after all those years there is no fucking folders for PS5.

PS5 UI is just a waste of fucking TV Screen space. A huge downgrade from PS4 XMD.
 

deriks

4-Time GIF/Meme God
No, most because I don't see any difference but having to see the update happening and loosing more time

Back in the day we bought the console, put the game and play. That's how video game consoles should be

One can say that some updates improves stuff, but how much "better" a console can be? I have the answer: not much. So those updates are mostly bullshit. If was like one per year I could believe, and maybe even see the difference. But since this is not happening, it's mostly bullshit
 
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Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Xbox UI could use more customization freedom. They locked you into certain things that I'm not a huge fan of, but it's still the best of the 3. They should also add on the store the ability to click a link on the displayed publisher or developer and have it result in a search window that shows everything they've released.
 

Magic Carpet

Gold Member
Needs more advertising. :messenger_smiling_horns:
I don't know what else these consoles can offer from a UI standpoint.
Do they play all optical media formats?
More 3rd party support? Controllers? Headsets?
Raise clock speeds?
 

Trogdor1123

Gold Member
I wish they just focused on things that made the games better. No additional “services” or anything like that.

Do less, but do it well.
 

EverydayBeast

ChatGPT 0.1
XMB is an amazing achievement for Sony, pretty amazing UI if you think about it, I think it’s an area where Sony achieved a special menu system.
 

RCU005

Member
I like the iOS app a lot, but I don't like the PS5 UI.

Like for example: You are scrolling through a game's trophy list, you select it to see more details and it opens in a tiny little card, when you have a huge screen.

The cards were a complete waste, and the UI for them is horrible now, much worse than when it launched.

The problem with Sony, is that no matter how many features they release, they won't ever matter if they don't require developers to use them. They need to make them use all PS features. (Obviously except when not apply).
 

Shin-Ra

Junior Member
The PS1 emulator is still half-assed, NTSC versions for PAL users, ‘up-rendering’ with unfiltered texels/UI, and sometimes trophies being the standout PS4/PS5 advancements. Oh and save states.

The ‘up-rendering’ isn’t 2160p/2400p (integer scale) native which should be well within PS5 spec, if not even higher
There should be an option to downsample the high res back down to chunky-smooth PS1 240-480p with effective supersampling, NN upscaled
There should obviously be a fully authentic ‘original’ resolution option with no downsampling, OG aliased chunky, NN upscaled
Optional fixes for affine texture mapping (warped textures) and integer coordinates (geometry pops)
Optional full colour depth without dithering
Optional texture filtering, selective for UI/world if possible
Optional CRT and grain/noise filters, with dithering removed some noise helps break up colour banding or sterile smoothness of Silent Hill

The emulator should DEFAULT to best rendering quality preset for the average player who doesn’t care about retro/accuracy qualities. If a game’s especially broken with ‘best’ settings, default to what works.
The emulator should DEFAULT to ‘4:3 for 16:9’ unless a different display aspect ratio can be detected (Fknows why 16:10 was ever default)
 
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Kenneth Haight

Gold Member
No, want a YouTube music app so I can play music in the background. I don’t subscribe to Apple Music or Spotify but have a YouTube music sub through YouTube premium. That’s my only real gripe.
 

Gambit2483

Member
The only thing Switch did significantly AFAIK is

1. Added Bluetooth support for headphones (FINALLY) and

2. Gave us the ability to organize games by "folders" called groups.

that's pretty weak considering the kind of software/feature updates that added to previous hardware.

edit: They also added some media based apps like Cunchy Roll but still haven't added Netflix or any other major media apps.
 
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Beechos

Member
Xbox before had tons of windows store apps you could install on your Xbox. Now it's pretty barebones similar to playstation.
 

Crayon

Member
I haven't noticed much in 4 years. So that's good.

The one big thing was when they fixed that disc-spinning glitch that it had at launch. 10/10 update.
 

Quasicat

Member
I only use my AirPods for voice chat and those won’t work on Xbox or PlayStation…they work great on Switch and my LG TV. I can use the apps to voice chat while playing with friends online and that is a nice feature…plus they have improved voice quality a lot over the years.
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
Just saw this, seemed relevant


I use remote play from the console a lot, way more than I use cloud gaming. The main drawback when streaming the console through my mobile app is that it won't let me use the store. But when I use XBPlay on my Steam Deck to stream from console I can access the store, which is odd. I also can't play Xbox 360 games via the Xbox app, but I can through XBPlay.

I also use the remote control features quite often. Mainly in movie streaming apps. And to turn the console off when I'm finished with it.
 
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RavageX

Member
I've been impressed with nothing this generation so far. Games have not been what I'd expect(quality and types of games that interest me), MS has done a better job of customization of the Home screen of their system than Sony this time around, with Sony seemingly just now allowing more freedom. They have also done a better job with their paid service.

I don't know what I was expecting really. More risk? Sony could have something with VR but they just keep screwing up with their choices. Imagine if they backed VR with the money wasted on Concord.

Everything is just...alright. Feels more focused on nickle and diming instead of actual improvements. Maybe its just me.
 
The 3DS and PS4 had wonderful themes, folders, icons and such. The Switch and PS5 are as bare bones as possible. It's as though they literally have no one employed to design the UI and just left it to the software engineers.
 
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