Every year, around Fall, Sony releases a major firmware update for the PS4- so of course, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that one is probably going to be coming later this year, too. And in fact, according to the simple fact that Sony Japan is looking for beta testers for a firmware update with ‘new features’, I think we can assume that widescale beta testing of the update is about to be commenced before it is pushed out later this year.
It is, of course, important to note that Sony does not specify a version number for this firmware update. That said, it is also important to note that Sony only adds new features in full or half version number updates- that is, x.00 or x.50. Since we have already had the PS4 4.50 update earlier this year, and given the timeframe, a PS4 5.00 update seems to be the likeliest candidate.
It will be interesting to see what new features Sony adds to the PS4 with this update. Personally, I will be rooting for PSN ID changes, and the ability to change the region for your PSN account.