PS4 Firmware Update 5.50 Now Available, Adds Play Time Management and More

The 5.50 firmware update for PS4 is now available to download. The update adds a number of new features to both the PS4 and PS4 Pro including the new Play Time Management feature, UI updates and more. To download the update, turn on your PS4 and make sure you're connected to the internet. The update is 459MB.

The biggest new feature is Play Time Management. This is a feature aimed at parents looking to keep young kids' play time to a reasonable level. Parents or guardians can log on to either the PS4 or the PlayStation website and track how long their children are playing video games. It will be possible to restrict children to only play for a certain length of time, or even to only be accessible during a specific window of time during the day. Notifications will be given to children to let them know if it's time to save and quit before getting kicked off.

The update adds three new tabs to the Library page as well. The first one is 'This PS4,' which shows all the games and apps currently installed on the PS4 you're using. A tab with the name/avatar of the currently logged in profile will show the games and apps that are owned by that specific person, even if they aren't installed. The third new Library tab is a PS+ tab, showing which games in your collection are from the monthly free giveaway selections. If you don't have a currently active PS+ subscription, the PS+ logo with a padlock next to it will appear, letting you know you don't currently have access to a game.

Another new addition for the Library is the ability to hide apps and games. This will allow people who have downloaded betas or demos of games to hide those from the Library. This new feature can be found in the Options menu while scrolling through your Library collection.

For the PS4 Pro users with 1080p TVs, a new Supersampling option is available. Supersampling will allow for games that are capable of running in 4K to downscale at match whatever TV you are using. In other words, Supersampling will make games look better on HDTVs. To access the new Supersampling features, look in the Settings menu.

The Quick Menu has received a slight modification in the 5.50 update as well. Players can control music volume in the Quick Menu, as well as pausing and playing tracks. It will also be possible to access a custom friends list in the Quick Menu to see what your closest pals are up to.

There are also a number of smaller additions in the 5.50 update. These include the ability to listen to background music while streaming games via PS Now, the option to delete old notifications, the ability to create a custom wallpaper from a file on a USB drive, and an option to customize a Tournaments team page. Custom logos and backgrounds can be added via a USB drive.

To download the 5.50 update, simply turn your PS4 on and make sure you're connected to the internet. If the update doesn't automatically install, go to Settings and find the System Software Update option. Click that and you'll get right to downloading.

So what do you think? Are you interested in any of the new features added in the 5.50 firmware update? What would you like to see added in the next update? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.