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PlayStation 4 Will Support Party Chat And 2,000 Friends
The PlayStation 4 is getting two enhancements to its social profile when the system arrives later this year. If you’ve ever lamented the absence of party chat or have hit your friends list cap, there’s some good news.
In a new PlayStation Access video produced by Sony’s European team, the company answers ten new questions from fans. Not only will the PlayStation 4 offer party chat, but Sony has confirmed that it, free-to-play games, and media services like Netflix will not be behind the PlayStation Plus paywall.
As was quietly revealed at E3, multiplayer gaming will now be subscription based, just like on Xbox Live. Additionally, both Microsoft and Sony are upping the friend list size in the next generation. Sony’s video confirms 2,000 friends, while Microsoft offers up 1,000 comrades on the Xbox One.
Our Take
It’s great that both Microsoft and Sony are increasing the size of the friends lists. For me, there is no difference between the two. I won’t ever fill up my list on Xbox One with 1,000 people (and never even hit the 100-friend cap on Xbox 360). The PlayStation 4’s 2,000 friend list, while double, is going to be a negligible difference for many gamers.
The introduction of party chat for the PS4, on the other hand, is very big news. Party chat on Xbox Live is invaluable for coordinating with friends before playing and quick conversations while online. It’s a feature that PlayStation 3 owners have been asking for, and it’s great that it will be available on the new console.
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