PS4 Beta Update 8.50 Rolling Out for Testers, Removes PSN Communities

ps4 beta update 8.5

It looks like we’ll soon know what Sony has planned for the next major firmware update for the PS4, as the PS4 beta update 8.50 is out now for a select group of people picked to test it.

Update (4/14/21): The PS4 8.50 firmware is now live! Here’s the file size and everything new.

In a email invite we received, the PS4 Beta update 8.50 (dubbed as the Spring 2021 beta) seems to be focused on some quality of life improvements, although Sony will be removing PlayStation communities in this upcoming update according to the changelog.

PS4 Beta Update 8.5

PS4 Beta Update 8.50 Patch Notes

Main Features in This System Software Beta

  • In messages, you can now turn notifications on/off for each of the groups you’re in. On the group screen, open then options menu and select “Turn Notifications Off”.

Other Updates Features

  • On the game session screen, you can now use the “Request to Join” button to ask the session leader to join their game. The session leader can then send you an invite to join the game session.
  • When playing a game you’ve hidden, other players will no longer see you play it.
  • Communities are no longer available.

The last major PS4 firmware update was 8.00 which was released last year. It included enhanced 2FA (two-factor verification), new avatars, and more. On the smaller side of updates, Sony has released the 8.03 firmware patch in December which also introduced something else other than stability fixes.

Top Games and Upcoming Releases