Playstation 4’s 8.00 update is causing backlash after Sony reveal they are now allowing players to record and report party chat conversations in certain situations. The update has also broken friends lists for a lot of players, making it unusable.
The update rolled out for the PS4 on October 14, and fans were shocked at the new major changes to the system.
Broken friends lists is the least of fans worries compared to the intrusive new feature that allows players to record and send Party Chat conversations in for “moderation”. Backlash was almost immediate on social media from PlayStation owners.
Sony have always moderated messages sent through their systems, but now the 8.00 update will allow them to moderate any Party Chats for wrongdoings for “safety purposes”. Private events and communities have also been removed. The new update is causing huge backlash online since going live on October 14.
Issues with friends lists have been reported by players too, with some saying the friends list feature lagged out their consoles, or is simply not working at all and showing a WS-44369-6 error.
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As is common these days, fans voiced their anger online. “PS4’s Firmware update 8.00 is a horrible step backwards. Private parties are dead, they killed communities and you’re basically no longer allowed to be on your own or in private with your friends,” one person said. “Hot garbage. Give us back our features.”
Other users report the update has slowed down their console quite considerably, with some reporting longer loading times , and lagging when clicking on the Party menu and the PS Store.
On the bright side, the update did eventually bring the long awaited 2-step verification, as well as new avatars and the option to mute all microphones.
The wording of Sony’s new policy for the party chat moderation has fans angry as it seems their is no way for players to opt out of being recorded even in their own parties.