Sony is poised to have a blowout with their upcoming PlayStation 5 release. However, eagle eyed users have spotted a concerning “feature” in the recent PlayStation 4 firmware update. Apparently, the PlayStation systems will be recording your in-game conversations. Users were alerted to this change when PS4 systems prompted users for permission to record them when installing the recent 8.0 firmware update.
The firmware update also brings some changes to the Messages app on PlayStation 4. This includes new avatars and support for two factor authentication. Of note, is the inclusion of parental communication controls which allow parents to better curate their child’s online gaming and messaging.
In a statement on the PlayStation Blog, Vice President of Global Consumer Experience, Catherine Jensen, apologised for the way the news broke. “PlayStation gamers learned about this new function in an unexpected way following the recent PS4 8.00 system update. We didn’t clearly communicate this feature or explain why we were introducing it, and we apologize for that.” She goes on to clarify that the feature will voice chats would not be monitored or listened to on the new system. Instead, the feature will record a 40 second voice clip that will be used for user moderation in an effort to curb harassment and bullying on the platform.
With cyberbullying and harassment on online games coming to the forefront in recent years, it is understandable why Sony wants to implement this feature. However, Sony’s measures are easily bypassed as gamers also use other apps and platforms such as Discord to facilitate online communication.
In her clarification, Jensen states, “if a PS5 player needs to file a harassment report, they will be able to include up to a 40 second-long Voice Chat clip in their report — 20 seconds of the main conversation with the other player, plus an additional 10 seconds before and after the conversation selection. Only the most recent five minutes of a Voice Chat will be available for a player to use for this reporting function.” That said, the function seems to be limited to the PS5 for now and users do not have the ability to disable it.
Sony also rebranded their PS4 remote play app to PS Remote Play on the Google Play Store and Apple AppStore. Users will be able to use the app to remotely play games on your PS5 system when it launches later this year.