The team at Sony in charge of the PlayStation 4 is ready to reveal some of the core features of the firmware update 3.50, which is set to be launched in beta format for all those interested in testing it on March 2. It will introduce a number of new and exciting features, among which an online notification for friends as well as a way to appear offline.



According to the announcement on the official PS Blog, those who have been selected for the testing period will get instructions about their download soon to start to see what the changes actually are and offer feedback.
The 3.50 firmware update, which is codenamed Musashi, will add a new friend online notification, which can be tweaked and tailored for each friend that appears on a user's list.
Sony adds, "Sometimes you want to play a game or watch a movie without being interrupted. Now it’s easier to go incognito as we’ve added the option to appear offline. You can designate if you would like to appear offline when you log-in or at any time from your Profile or the Quick Menu."
A new set of scheduled events for the PlayStation 4 allows gamers to put together a game session, with those who are set to take part automatically added to a party so that they can jump right into the action in their favorite titles.
Remote Play for the Sony home console is also introduced, allowing those who own one to control their device using a special app for PCs that run either Windows or Mac, although the exact functionality has not yet been revealed.
For gamers who want to share content, Dailymotion has been added as a partner. This means gamers will get the same options associated with other streaming services that are offered on the PlayStation 4.
Firmware update 3.50 does not have a launch date Given that the beta process that Sony conducts tends to run for about two weeks, the company will probably release the changes and new features for all PlayStation 4 owners before the end of March.
Feedback offered by players will play a major role when it comes to how the new firmware update tweaks the experience associated with using the Sony home console.
Gamers have long been asking the company to give them a simple and safe way to change usernames and other data associated with their account, but it seems that such a feature is not currently in development.
The company has long said that it does not plan to introduce a price cut for the PlayStation 4 this year and that it wants to make sure that users get extra value via frequent firmware updates that improve the user experience.
Sony also intends to introduce more bundles associated with its platform, with some interesting offers set to arrive at the same time as the major first release of the year, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, which will be available starting April 26 in North America and one day later in Europe.