PlayStation 4 Update: HDD support, PS4 Pro “Boost Mode,” New Virtual Reality Features In New “Sasuke” Release

A major update in Sony’s PlayStation 4 has fans excited for the gaming console. Codenamed “Sasuke,” the release offered some huge features, including support for external hard drives and a new Boost Mode for PS4 Pro owners.

PS4 owners will now have the capacity to expand their consoles’ storage without upgrading the hard drive. This means that gamers can now install games directly to USB 3.0 hard drives up to 8 terabytes in size. The “Boost Mode,” on the other hand, will provide improved performance for “select legacy titles” released prior to the Pro console. Kotaku says this is a big one for gamers who constantly have to swap out the internal hard disk in order to make room.

"This feature has been designed to provide better performance for select legacy titles that have not been patched to take advantage of the PS4 Pro's faster CPU and its faster and double-sized GPU. This can provide a noticeable frame rate boost to some games with variable frame rates, and can provide frame rate stability for games that are programmed to run at 30 Hz or 60 Hz," Sony explains in an accompanying blog post.

As for PlayStation VR users, resolution of the system screen and the Cinematic Mode  will be significantly better.

Other features include a Voice Chat for Remote Play, Off Console Availability, and updates on PS Messages and PS Communities apps for both Android and iOS.

Meanwhile, Sony is enjoying a huge success with their PlayStation 4 sales. According to data from industry-tracking firm The NPD Group, PlayStation 4 was the top-selling console in the United States for the fourth month in a row, outperforming Xbox One and the now-defunct Wii U, Venture Beat notes. The “Sasuke” update might as well solidify PlayStation 4 sales in the months ahead.