Despite writing for a gaming website, I only recently bought a PS4 myself. Until then, I’d always been a PC gamer, but my set up was getting increasingly outdated and I wanted a change. One PS4 Pro later, and I’m enjoying stunning graphics, a great user interface, and the simplicity that comes with consoles. I couldn’t be happier! But that’s not all that’s good about the PS4. It also has a huge number of hidden functions, stuff that isn’t very well advertised, but are real game-changers. Little quality of life features that can really make your post-work/school gaming session that much more enjoyable. Stuff like being able to control the console from your phone, download games while you sleep, or make older games run better.
While I do have my gripes with the console, like the lack of backwards compatibility, the massive number of positives more than make up for it. If you pair these features with the incredible catalog of games on the system, you start to see why the PS4 is winning this generation’s battle. Sure, the Switch is fantastic, and the Xbox One has a great catalog of exclusives too, but the PS4 is just that much more smooth, and that much more user friendly. In this article, we’re going to look at some of the best features in the PS4 that Xbox fanboys refuse to recognize, or just straight-up don’t know about! Read on, and you’ll be able to get even more from your console.
Control Your PS4 From Your Phone
Fancy setting this neat little system up so that you’re always able to control your console no matter where you are? Of course! The official Playstation app is available for both Android and iOS. After you’ve connected to your PS4, you can do things like input text, see cool game-related content (like an RDR2 map), and purchase or download games while you’re away from home. That way, when you get home after a difficult day, your brand new game will be ready to go!
Uncover Hidden Trophies
This one comes with a warning: trophies are often hidden for good reasons, and if you’re very worried about spoilers, this tip isn’t for you. Everyone else, though: read on! If you want to take a closer look at the hidden trophies you’re yet to get, select them from the trophy screen, then hit square to activate the “show hidden information” option. This will then reveal the trophy’s criteria, allowing you to get it with ease (as long as the game isn’t Dark Souls anyway).
Stream Your PS4 To Your Phone
Want to play your PS4 games on your phone? Maybe the TV is occupied, but you still wanna pay more Yakuza? It’s easy! Install the PS4 Remote Play app, connect a PS4 controller to your phone with Bluetooth, and set up remote play on your console! It’s easy as pie, and can also be used to stream the console to a laptop if you want to play on a bigger screen. This way, you need never be unable to play your games!
Auto-Upload Saves To The Cloud
There’s nothing worse than losing a save game, is there? You get so far through a game, only to delete it without thinking and then if you want to play it again, you have to start over. Luckily, the PS4 has a way of making sure that never happens. To set up auto-upload, go into settings and “set functions available in rest mode” and make the console stay connected to the internet. Then, go to “Application saved data management” and enable the auto-upload function. Now, whenever your PS4 goes into rest mode, it will automatically upload your saves.
Download While In Rest Mode
Rest mode isn’t just for uploading data though, no siree! If you want to have games download while you’re out and about, then this feature is invaluable. Enabling it couldn’t be simpler. Go into settings, then “set functions available in rest mode”, then the checkbox for “stay connected to the internet.” You can also set the PS4 to download automatically by going to “automatic downloads” under the “system” menu. Then you’re all set to go! Games and patches will download whenever they’re available.
Create A Japanese PSN Account To Download Cool Demos
Want to play the coolest Japan-only demos around? Then you need a Japanese PSN account! Simply create a new user account, then set the country to Japan. The text will turn to Japanese: don’t panic! The first two settings are for country and gender, which you can leave alone. The third is your date of birth. The first box on the next screen is for a post code. Just google Japanese post-codes and choose one at random. The last one is email and password, and you need to put in the password twice.
Stream Out Of The Box
Want to kickstart your new career as a streamer? Luckily for you, the PS4 has streaming right out of the box, and it is super easy to use. Start up the game you want to stream, then hit share. Hit broadcast, then choose whether you want to stream on Twitch or Ustream. Then you need to link your PSN account with your Twitch or UStream account, title the stream, and start broadcasting. It’s even easier than on PC, as you don’t need to download any programs.
Stream Spotify Playlists While You Game
If you don’t have a record player or a Bluetooth speaker, don’t despair! You can listen to whatever music you want to while you game, thanks to Spotify. Just download the app from the PlayStation Store, log in, and start the playlist that you want to listen to. Then, when you start playing your game, the music will carry on, allowing you to make your own custom soundtrack for any game that you want! Some games allow for even easier integration too.
Enable Supersampling For Better Visuals
Got a PS4 Pro but not a 4K TV? You can still use the better hardware to rinse graphical improvements out of games. If you want higher resolutions, then this is the mode for you. To get it, all you have to do is go to settings, then “video output settings” then “supersampling mode” and enable it via the checkbox. I’ve definitely noticed the difference in how games look when it’s on compared to when it’s off, and I think you will too.
Turn On The TV When The Console Is Turned On
This one is simple, but really cool! On some Sony TVs, this doesn’t work, but for many other manufacturers’ it works just fine. Go into settings, then “system,” and finally, “enable HDMI device link.” Now, whenever you turn the console on, the TV will also automatically start up, without you having to lay even one single finger on the TV remote. Pretty cool, isn’t it? It’s a bit puzzling that this setting isn’t enabled by default, but now you know!
Remap Your Controllers’ Buttons
If you’re having trouble in a game because of an obtuse control scheme, then fear not. You, the player, have the power to remap the controller’s buttons so that the control scheme is functionally different. In settings, go to accessibility, then to “button assignments,” and finally “customize button assignments.” You’ll be confronted with a menu that lets you change any button to map to any other. So if you want to hit X instead of R1, you can do that! If you want to remap triangle to circle, you can!
Control Your PS4 With A Vita
Got a PS Vita laying around, not getting much use? Then put it to good use as a second screen/controller for your PS4! On the PS Vita, you should see the option called “PS4 link” that will search for a console on the same network. Link the two consoles, and you can play the games on your Vita! That, however, is not all. If you’re lacking a second controller and want to play local multiplayer, you can use remote play to link the two together, and control the action with your Vita!
Use Voice Commands
Got a headset or a PS4 camera? Then you can set up your PS4 to respond to your voice. To set it up, you just need to make sure that “operate PS4 with voice” is enabled under system settings. The voice controls are all pretty obvious. To select different menu subsystems, you just say their name, e.g. “library.” To turn it off, say “power,” to log out, say “log off,” etc. While these controls don’t do anything the controller doesn’t, it’s still pretty nifty.
Edit Video Clips On The Console
Think that you have to use expensive editing software to cut your favorite saved videos together? Wrong! When you’ve recorded a clip from a game, you will automatically be presented with the option to edit it when you’re uploading it. The editing controls are pretty powerful, allowing you to select different sections of the clip (the last 15 minutes of gameplay) and cut it down as small as you like, before uploading it to a linked Youtube account. Share your favorite bugs, glitches, and cool stuff!
Log In With Facial Recognition
Facial recognition isn’t just for the iPhone X anymore! If you want the PS4 to recognize and log you in with your face, the process is pretty easy. You will, obviously, need a PS4 camera. Go to “login settings” and then “face data management.” Here, you can have the camera scan your face, provided you’re in a well-lit room. Then, you’ll be able to log in without having to input a password or anything other than standing in front of your system!
Charge Your Controller From Rest Mode
Rest mode is not just for downloading games! If you want to, you can set up the system so that the USB ports still provide power in rest mode, so that you can charge your controller, phone, or anything else while it’s on stand by. To turn this setting on, you need to go to the “set functions available in rest mode” menu we discussed earlier, then turn on the option called “supply power to USB ports.” Never be left unable to game because of a flat controller again.
Type Using The Touchpad
Hate typing with the analog sticks and face buttons? Join the club. Fortunately, you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to. The PlayStation offers a big selection of ways to input text. As well as the phone solution we talked about earlier, you can also use the six-axis, but if waving your controller about isn’t appealing, then use the touchpad! Drag your finger across the pad to select the letters, then hit X to type them. It’s easier, quicker, and above all, more intuitive than using the thumbsticks.
Edit The Light Bar
We all know some games that use the light bar in really cool ways. For example, play GTA V, and if you’re being pursued by the cops, the bar will flash red and blue. If, however, you want it to be more subdued, you can set it to be that way. Go to settings, then “devices,” hit “controllers,” and you can change the brightness. As well as making it more dim, you can also turn it off completely, if you want to maximize the controller’s battery life.
Set Custom Wallpapers
Want to make your dashboard a bit livelier? Then set your own custom wallpaper! Firstly, transfer any images you want to set as your wallpaper to a USB stick, then plug it into your console. Go to “themes” in settings, then hit “select theme” and the “custom” option. Hit “select image,” and you’ll be able to choose your USB device as the storage to grab from, then you can set any image on there as your custom dashboard background.
Set Up Custom Parental Controls
I’m not gonna win any allies with younger readers, but if you’re a parent, then you should know how to do this, because the PS4 offers pretty fantastic granular options for parental controls. Go to settings, then “parental controls/family management.” Here, you can set the playable age level of games, restrict blu-rays being played, restrict PSVR, the browser, communication, and even age filter the PS Store. It’s a pretty cool feature set, and lets you choose exactly what you think is appropriate for your child.
Accelerate Older Games With Boost Mode
Another awesome little feature of the PS4 Pro is Boost Mode. This lets you boost frame rates in games that came out before the release of the Pro. To enable it, go into “settings” and “system,” then enable boost mode. The results vary from game to game, with some games, such as Wolfenstein: The New Order, providing no frame rate boost, but other games have got substantial boosts. Try it out in different games, and see the results for yourself.
Charge The DualShock With A Phone Charger
If the one USB cable that came with the console is currently in use, and you don’t have another to hand, then worry not! You can still charge your controller without hooking it up to the console. See, the controller was designed with function in mind, and as such, was equipped with a standard microUSB port, as you find on phones. This means that you can use most phone chargers (so long as they’re not USB-C) to charge your controller too!
Connect Headphones To Your Controller
Don’t want to disturb other people while gaming? Is your roommate trying to get some sleep before a big interview tomorrow and you need to be quiet? Then connect your headphones to the controller and have the sound output through them. Any headphones work. To enable this feature go to “settings,” “devices,” “audio devices,” and finally “output to headphones.” Here you can set all audio to come through them, rather than just chat, and adjust volume from “audio devices.” Game on in silence!
Share To Twitter Instantly
Captured something hilarious or awesome in-game, and want to show it to the world? Youtube and streaming are far from the only avenues available to you. If you want to share it from your Twitter profile, that’s supported too. When selecting where to share the clip or screenshot to, you’ll be able to pick Twitter. You need to link your accounts, but that takes a minute at most, and then you’re good to go, and able to upload to Twitter as soon as you’ve saved something in future!
Double-Tap The PS Button To Quickly Switch Between Apps
Want to know how to more easily flip back and forth between apps? It really couldn’t be simpler: just double-tap the PS button in the center of the controller. That’s all there is to it. It doesn’t matter if the application is suspended, so long as it hasn’t been closed. This might only saves seconds, but it cuts out that annoying process of having to go back to the dashboard and scroll to the game/application again. The only thing to bear in mind is that suspension cuts an app’s internet connection.
Download Digital Copies Before Launch
If you don’t fancy going to a midnight launch, (and I don’t blame you at this time of the year), then get yourself a pre-order of a digital copy. Why? Well, the reasoning is simple: you can download the game files before it releases, and as soon as the clock strikes midnight, begin playing. Sure, there might be a patch or two to download, but that’s it. No more lengthy installs from discs, no more standing out in the sleet and snow, and no more worrying about getting a copy. You’re good to go!
Add Your Voice To Recorded Clips
Sure, clips of funny/weird gameplay moments are all well and good, but if you’re trying to establish a Youtube career or some such, then you’re going to want to add your voice to the clips. Luckily, the PS4 makes this extremely easy. When you hit share, go to “share settings” and then “video clip settings.” This will let you have any mic audio included with the video clip, keeping your reactions to the game for posterity, with no extra software required.
Use Share Play To Share Games With Friends
Share Play is such a fantastic feature that it was good of Sony to include in their console. Essentially, what it allows you to do is share your game and play it with your friends anywhere in the world, whether they own it or not. To set it up, load up the game, hit share, and then select Share Play. You’ll then be able to invite friends to play the games for 60 minutes. You can share controls with the visitor too if you need some help on a tricky bit or just want to let them try the game out.
Redeem Codes And Start Downloads From Your Phone
Got a short memory and hate having to manually type in a voucher code on your PS4? Well you can do it from the Playstation app! Not just that, but you don’t have to manually type it in anymore: you can simply take a photo of it with your phone camera and the app will do all the legwork. Using the app, you can also start downloads. Go to your “purchase history” from the top right of the app, and you can download any purchased games to your console, wherever you happen to be.
Step Into Virtual Reality
Finally, perhaps the most obvious feature on this list, but still one that not enough people take advantage of. If you want to try out true virtual reality, then PSVR is easily the most affordable way to do it. Compared to the sky-high prices of the Rift and other headsets, PSVR is priced at just $230, allowing a budget-friendly way into VR. This is something that the Xbox One really doesn’t have right now, and if you need to convince any friends of its coolness, then give them Tetris Effect and let them be mesmerized.
