Gaming

8 PS4 multimedia features you must try out

Published

August 21, 2017

Joseph Berida

The PlayStation 4 is a sleek piece of gaming hardware. With its extensive library of blockbuster titles and indie darlings, it’s easy to overlook the console’s many cool features. Here’s what you can do with your PS4 that isn’t just playing a game.

Watch Netflix

Stream your favorite shows and movies through your Netflix subscription. Just hook up your PS4 online via cable or Wi-Fi, download the small Netflix app under the TV & Video tab, and sign in to your account. No need to get a smart TV or a digital media player! Your controller works just fine navigating Netflix’s simplified console menu.

View live broadcasts on YouTube and Twitch

Catch every second of fun that your beloved gaming streamers are broadcasting live on their Twitch or YouTube channel. Both apps are easily accessed on the PS4, and their interfaces are streamlined for navigation with your controller. You can watch the content in Full HD without choppy buffering, provided your internet connection is good!

Play Blu-rays and DVDs

Don’t have a Netflix subscription? Can’t connect to the internet for some reason but still want to watch something at home? Remember that your game discs are Blu-rays too, so the console has no problem playing Blu-ray shows and films. Your DVD collection also doesn’t have to gather dust, as the PS4 still supports this aged format smoothly.

Listen to music on Spotify

Enjoy the tunes you want to hear instead of being stuck with the same soundtracks of the games you’re playing through Spotify. Sony is in direct partnership with the music streaming service, so they made sure to integrate it with their gaming hardware for ease of use. The PS4 also picks up Bluetooth signals, so you can even control the app on the console through your smartphone or tablet if you have Spotify on your mobile device.

Capture in-game moments and share them through social media

Keep that SHARE button on your controller in mind when something beautiful or awesome happens on screen to take an HD picture so you always have something to remember that moment by. Show that screenshot off to your gamer friends on Facebook or Twitter. Go to the Capture Gallery where the images are saved, select the shots, and hold the SHARE button down to pull up the list of social media platforms you want to upload those images to.

Share your games with a friend or family member

Sometimes just sharing a screenshot of that game you love isn’t enough. For games you just downloaded on the PS Store and don’t have a disc to lend, you can get an interested friend or family member with their own PS4 to gain complete access to your game library. Just log on to your PlayStation Network account on their console, go to Settings, and select Activate as Your Primary PS4. This way any account on that unit can play all your games!

Swap out the default hard drive for a bigger one

The 500GB hard drive that the standard PS4 has might seem like enough, but with how huge games have become recently, commonly reaching 40 to 50GB in size with mandatory installation, it doesn’t take long to run out of space. Thankfully, you can easily switch the hard drive with a typical 2.5inch laptop drive of up to 4TB. You don’t need any expertise with hardware, just a Phillips screwdriver and a little time to spare to follow simple tutorials! Click this link for PlayStation’s official guide on upgrading the internal hard drive, or just watch the video above.

Use an external hard drive to store and run games

If replacing the internal hard drive is too much work, you can also just use an external hard drive for installing games. Any USB 3.0 storage device from 250GB to 8TB capacity will do. Just plug it in directly to one of the PS4’s USB ports and format it to work as the console’s extended storage. As long as you have it connected, you’ll be able to play the games installed on it. You can even move the games already installed on the internal hard drive to the external drive and vice versa. Click here for the official step-by-step instructions from Sony, or watch the video above.

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Gaming

HoYo FEST 2026 details announced; tickets on sale from July 16

Join the celebration

Published

July 9, 2026

GadgetMatch

HoYoverse’s annual flagship fan celebration in Southeast Asia, the HoYo FEST, as officially been announced with tickets selling starting July 16.

Fans across Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and Singapore can enjoy four days of interactive experiences, live entertainment, and more activities featuring HoYoverse’s famed titles:

Genshin Impact
Honkai Impact 3
Honkai: Star Rail
Tears of Themis
Zenless Zone Zero

In addition, the gathering will spotlight a first look at the upcoming Honkai: Nexus Anima. The game will be offered at the Experience Zone so visitors can be among the first to try through limited hands-on sessions.

Fans can expect the following experiences at each HoYo FEST:

Check-in Zone: Kick off your journey with activities across all six titles, plus exclusive freebies
Game Booths: Jump into immersive mini games inspired by the aforementioned titles
Hands-on experiences for Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero
Merch: Grab fan-favorite HoYo FEST merchandise from event-exclusive standees and pillows to Character Giftboxes and more
Artist Alley: An even larger creative hub for artists and fans to showcase, sell, and share HoYoverse-inspired art
HoYo FEST Stage: Feel the excitement with Open Stage performances, the Cosplay Runway Walk, and vibrant community showcases

Tickets will be available in the following categories:

1-Day Pass
1-Day Fast Pass with priority access and exclusive collectibles
4-Day Pass (3-Day Pass in Singapore)

Venue details:

Bangkok: Central Ladprao, BCC Hall
Ho Chi Minh City: Sky Expo, Hall A4
Jakarta: Pondok Indah Mall 3, City Hall
Kuala Lumpur: Pavilion Exhibition Centre Bukit Jalil, Hall 1-3
Manila: SPACE at One Ayala, Hall A-D
Singapore: Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hall 403

Gaming

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced available worldwide now

It’s available on all major platforms.

Published

July 9, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Last year was the year of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the franchise’s first Japan-themed entry. This year, however, the series is coming back to the one of its most popular worlds outside of Japan: pirates. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is now available on all major platforms.

Set during the Golden Age of Piracy, Black Flag Resynced brings players back into the boots of Edward Kenway, a vagabond pirate turned assassin. As he navigates the mysterious battle between Assassins and Templars, he travels the entire Caribbean and meets iconic pirates like Blackbeard and Anne Bonny.

This time, the 2013 game has been reengineered from the ground up using the latest Anvil engine. Besides amazing graphics, the remake has updated combat, new characters, and more narrative content.

Starting today, players can get Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Ubisoft Store, Ubisoft+, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

The Deluxe Edition packs the digital-only edition with the Master Assassin Character Pack and the Master Assassin Naval Pack. Meanwhile, the Collector’s Edition includes the Deluxe Edition and a catalog of physical goodies (Edward’s Figurine, an Edward wearable metal brooch, an exclusive SteelBook, a cloth map).

Gaming

Nintendo retires the original Switch in Europe

The original Switch will no longer be sold in Europe after early 2027.

Published

July 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

It’s been almost a decade since the original Nintendo Switch. As with every technology reaching a certain age, it’s natural to expect its impending doom. But despite its age, the Nintendo Switch still feels like it’s too young to go off into the sunset. Europe, however, has other plans. The original console will no longer be sold after early 2027.

As always, Europe is a bastion for consumer-friendly devices. The European Union has no qualms about forcing corporations to adopt better practices for consumers. Part of those efforts is to force Nintendo to sell devices with replaceable batteries.

Starting February 2027, Nintendo will start replacing its current with models carrying replaceable batteries. The new lineup is headlined by a new Switch 2. It’s virtually identical to the old model but with a replaceable battery.

The official list of new devices conspicuously lacks the entirety of the original Switch generation, including the Lite and the OLED. That’s because Nintendo has decided to skip these models for the update. If you live in Europe after February 2027, the original console is effectively dead.

That’s not to say that the original consoles will just shut down. Existing consoles sold before February 2027 will continue to work. Likewise, you can still get the old ones in countries that don’t have an updated policy regarding device batteries.

Alongside the Switch, Nintendo has also skipped the NES Controller, Pokémon GO Plus +, SEGA Mega Drive Control Pad, SNES Controller, and the Switch Pro Controller.