PS4 Firmware Update 1.74 is Out, Next Will Bring Media Playback; Possibility of Crash Bandicoot and Jak 4

PlayStation 4 Controller is Displayed at the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Known as E3, in Los Angeles — A PlayStation 4 controller is displayed at the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo, known as E3, in Los Angeles, California, June 11, 2014. Reuters

Following news of the Xbox One August system update, which is bringing the 3-D Blu-Ray support, the PS4 firmware update 1.74 has been spotted and leaked by industry insider Tidux.

However, this has shortly been made official via a tweet from PlayStation:

PS4 system software update 1.74 is coming soon, improves stability of some software.
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) July 22, 2014

Gamepur notes Tidux's leaks for the features coming with the latest firmware update include those that are already available for the PS3 alongside more new features.

Tidux did give two hints related to the PS4 Firmware update. The first is the PS3 feature coming would be the media playback, and the second clue is the timeframe for release may be somewhere around the Gamescom schedule.

However, in a later post, DualShockers has announced Sony has made the PS4 firmware update 1.74 available for all regions. It's at 194 MB and contains quite a number of stability features. It may be that what Tidux has teased is the 1.8 update that would carry all the new features.

'The Last of Us Remastered' on Sale for PS3 Copy Owners

Being the award-winning game that it is, "The Last of Us" has been played by quite a number of PS3 players. But since the announcement of the Remastered version, there are also some gamers who want a shot at the PS4 version.

Even though the price for "The Last of Us Remastered" is just at $50, those who are interested in getting the PS4 copy also have a shot at getting a 50 per cent discount from this original price.

GameSpot reports retail store GameStop is offering "The Last of Us Remastered" at only $25—so long as buyers have a copy of the PS3 version of the title and if they take advantage of the promo, which starts on July 27 and ends on Aug 2. "The Last of Us Remastered" contains the game and the included DLCs released for the original, so this promo is really a steal for big fans of the game.

New 'Crash Bandicoot' and 'Jak 4' Still Not Off the Table

With the many expected Naughty Dog projects for the PS4, revivals of past favourites, including "Crash Bandicoot" and "Jak 4" have remained in the spotlight for quite some time, especially after "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" was confirmed.

Now, more concrete statements from Naughty Dog have come in relation to the possible appearance of the games for the PS4.

Speaking with IGN, Naughty Dog community strategist Arne Meyer has stated that despite any concrete plans for "Crash Bandicoot" or "Jak," the studio has not yet closed its doors on any ideas.

"It's the same issues we explored with the Jak game. Is it something that makes sense to us now. I mean we still have people that worked on the Crash games in the studio," said Meyer to IGN. "We never forget our past and it'd be great for nostalgic Right now, what's exciting everyone at the studio is continuing to work on narrative-driven games with strong characters. I think, at least for the time being, we haven't exhausted the possibilities there, but that could change with something as simple as hardware."