Following firmware update 2.55, Sony announced another update for the PS4 called 2.57 which would improve the stability of some programs. The update was announced a few days ago and is now available all PS4 players to download.

Oddly enough, along with the improvement of stability while using “some features”, the update is actually optional. That means you don’t have to download it, though since it’s only 245 MB, you have to wonder why you wouldn’t.

It’s not yet confirmed if this update fixes an issue many users discovered with update 2.55 that caused disc reading errors until the console was reset. Update 2.57 also doesn’t include the rumoured calendar app, though that sounds like a feature Sony would announce is coming in advance.

Have you gotten your hands on the new update and had a chance to try it out? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below and stay tuned for more information on future updates.

The PS4 has got a well known problem that afflicts many gamers around the world and that problem is, you guessed it, horribly slow messaging capabilities. Many users who use the entirely text based tools for communication with their gaming friends and co-workers have found the service nigh-unusable, despite a recent firmware update that was expected to bring a fix.

Though you can rest assured that the issue is a known one and that the problem is indeed being targeted for fixing. This was confirmed, albeit rather quietly,when good old Shuhei Yoshida responded to user questions about the service. One fan in particular told him it was still slow to send and receive messages post update, to which he replied “we are aware of the issues and our team is working on them”.

And in a separate act of professionalism and common decency he apologized for any inconveniences that the user experienced whilst using the service. Props to Shuhei.

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Sony has a new update arriving for the PlayStation 4 later today in the form of update 2.03. This was announced on the official PlayStation Twitter.

“Heads-up: PS4 system software update v2.03 arrives later tonight, and will help improve usage of some applications.”

The question now is which applications will be improved. This isn’t the first time Sony has dropped an update aimed at improving “stability” or functionality but given some of the minor issues that have arisen lately (especially with Party Chat) on the PS4, this one will hopefully work out better.

Earlier today, the PS4 received a rather welcome addition with the start-up sound that harkened back to the old PS One days. We’ll provide more information on update 2.03 when it arrives later today so stay tuned for more information on the same in the coming hours as it goes live worldwide. Meanwhile, let us know your thoughts on the newest theme in the comments.

One of the most requested features from all current gen consoles and handhelds- amazingly enough- is folders. It makes sense, though: as consoles and handhelds continue to put more and more emphasis on digital content, players continue to accumulate more and more stuff on their machines that is in desperate need of organization. In the Wii U’s case, the system is now nearly two years old, enough time for owners to have acquired a fairly substantial number of digital games.

Well, now Wii U owners are being offered folders to allow for data organization and management on the UI. The UI itself is getting multiple tweaks to fix multiple longstanding issues with it (as well as some relatively newer ones that came about as the result of the last major Wii U firmware update).

The full list of improvements and features added by this update are as follows:

Changes to the Wii U Menu:

• Folders can now be created in the Wii U Menu to hold and organize software icons
• A Download Management icon has been added to the Wii U Menu

Changes to Quick Start Menu:

• The Quick Start Menu will now display when the Wii U is powered on from the Wii U GamePad TV Remote
• Options have been added to Power Settings that allow users to hide certain software from the Quick Start Menu

Changes to the HOME Menu:

• The design and layout of the HOME Menu has been updated

Changes to the Nintendo eShop:

• Disabled usage of characters not used when redeeming Nintendo eShop cards (O, I, Z, etc.)

Improvements to system stability and usability:

• Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience

The update should have downloaded automatically for you if you have SpotPass on. Let us know what you think in the comments!

The latest preview for the June firmware on Microsoft’s Xbox One has begun rolling out and some new details have been revealed. Along with being able to manage external storage for games and apps, real name sharing and more, the firmware update shows a revamp of the Xbox One Marketplace. Check it out above and decide it if looks decidedly sleeker or roughly the same as the original.

That’s not all though. Pin limits – which decides the number of programs you can pin to the Home screen – have also been changed. You can now have 24 pins up, though you’ll receive a warning on the last one telling you about the limit on pins.

You can expect the June firmware update to officially release for all consoles next week. Other changes and improvements will be revealed in the patch notes. What are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.

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Sony is currently seeking new ways to showcase contemporary gaming technologies and gameplay scenarios along with new ideas for firmware and incorporating the same with the hardware. This was observed in two new listings – Senior Software Engineer for Demos and Senior Software Engineer for Firmware/Hardware.

In the former, Sony is seeking some one to, “Create software to demonstrate new technologies for video gaming. Software must show realistic game play scenarios and use modern gaming technologies. Part of the work will involve integrating libraries supporting new technologies and devising imaginative ways to use the technologies to create improved game play experiences.” We are not sure what kind of new technology they are looking to implement in game demos but we can speculate they are working on delivering demos more quickly, may be something similar to the download as you play feature that the PS4 already has.

For the second listing, the primary responsibilities entail “Prototyping and development of new concepts and integration with hardware team at all levels of software” and even the “Development of tools and drivers for new peripherals on current and future platforms”. This position indicates that they might be working on more features which will be a part of future firmware updates for the PlayStation 4. Secondly the position also talks about driver updates for peripherals, so may be a new update is incoming for the PS eye or the official headset. Of course this is speculation at this point and we will let you know if anything of this materializes.

What are your thoughts on the above? Let us know in the comments.

Of the two major system updates to arrive for Microsoft’s Xbox One, it’s the March update that seems to be bringing the significant changes to both the UI and firmware. As indicated by Tom Warren of The Verge on Twitter, you’ll be able to switch the display rate of your TV to 50 Hz if you so desire.

This will be especially useful to UK users whose TVs experience a “juddering” with the refresh rate. When running a set top box through the Xbox One, it tends to cause this effect and is more of a problem of US TV displaying in 60 Hz rather than the standard in the UK. Another interesting change the update will bring is for the console’s controller.

The benefits of the controller update will be seen once the system update lands in March. Stay tuned for more news and details, along with other updates the firmware will receive in March.

February has already seen the release of a major system update for Microsoft’s Xbox One, which took to making small improvements in the user interface and social functionality. A new video has been released for the upcoming March update which will improve the Party system and bring other little touches to the UI, courtesy of Xbox One engineering’s Richard Irving. Check it out above.

The Xbox One has been seeing fairly good sales since launching on November 22nd worldwide, with more than 3 million units sold worldwide. It’s still trailing behind the PS4 which, as of this writing, has sold more than 5.6 million units worldwide after the launch of the console in Japan. As of now, the console war could go anyway as it’s simply too early to name a victory.

As for the March system update, we’ll need to wait till the month arrives before a firm release date is provided for the same. Stay tuned.

PlayStation Vita firmware  2.10 was released last week and now 2.11 is up and running.

2.10 added a couple of new things and a ton of fixes. The biggest feature in 2.10 was the ability to add folders on the Vita’s home screen. This allowed the users to be able to reorganize their App/Games structure within the Home Screen and get everything organized to their liking.

However, 2.11 is now out and here is what Sony has to say regarding this new firmware update; “The software improves system stability and the playback of some titles”.

Vita will be getting quite a bit of attention when the PlayStation 4 releases due to the cross-feature functionality and also remote play. If you have any comments please leave them down below.

Stay tuned on GamingBolt for more PlayStation Vita updates and leave any comments you have down below. For our continuous coverage on the PS Vita, check out it’s hub over here.

Sony has released version 2.10 firmware for the PlayStation Vita- 2.10 adds new functions to the PlayStation Vita such as creating folders on the Vita’s Home Screen and enhancing the hardware’s video playback capabilities.

Also, the 2.10 firmware features other additions. For the full list of additions and tweaks check out the showcase video and update notes below.

Showcase Video:

Most biggest tweaks in 2.10 Firmware:

• Create folders to more easily manage your favorite application icons on the home screen, with up to 10 icons in each folder and a maximum of 100 on the home screen (including icons inside the folders).
• Verify which PS Vita card you are using by looking at the home screen’s info bar. You can also save the layout of your home screen icons in the memory card.
• Added video support allows you to play videos within the browser (memory card required; some videos are not supported).
• New email enhancements allows you to view HTML messages, add multiple email addresses to your contacts, and easily search your messages using the new search feature.
• PlayStation Plus members will be able to automatically update PlayStation Mobile format software and upload game save data onto online storage using 3G connection.
• New “Mute Automatically” option will mute your PS Vita speakers when your headset is unplugged and pause your music when using the music app.

For more news regarding PlayStation Vita stay tuned on GamingBolt.