The PlayStation 4 system software is the updateable firmware and operating system of the PlayStation 4. The operating system is Orbis OS, which is based on FreeBSD.
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PlayStation 4 system software
System
The PlayStation 4’s native operating system is Orbis OS, which is a fork of FreeBSD version 9.0, which was released on January 12, 2012.
The PlayStation 4 includes two graphics APIs, a low-level API called Gnm and a high-level API called Gnmx.
Most developers start with Gnmx, which wraps around Gnm and in turn handles more specific GPU details. This may be a familiar way of working if developers are used to platforms like Direct3D12.
Another key area of the game is its programmable pixel shaders Sony’s own PlayStation Shader Language (PSSL) was introduced in the PlayStation 4
It has been suggested that the PlayStation Shader Language is similar to the HLSL standard in DirectX 12, with only subtle differences that can mostly be overcome by preprocessor macros.
In addition to the kernel and related components, other components include and worth mentioning are Cero, jQuery, Lua, Mono, OpenSSL, WebKit, and the Pixman rendering library.
The software development kit (SDK) is based on LLVM and Clang, which Sony chose because of its corresponding C and C++ front-ends, C++11 support, compiler optimizations and diagnostics.
Graphical shell
The PlayStation 4 uses the PlayStation Dynamic Menu as its graphical shell,[11][12][13] the XrossMediaBar (XMB) used by the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3, as well as the LiveArea and PlayStation TV used by the PlayStation Vita.
It’s named the “Dynamic Menu” because the options it offers players are context-sensitive, changing based on what they’re actually doing with their PlayStation 4 at any given time. This makes navigation easier than previous iterations.
This dynamic menu can reposition itself so that there is as little time as possible between users putting the game into the disc drive and the start of actual gameplay.
The PlayStation 4’s user interface strives for simplicity as a priority. The main location for entertainment options, the content area, is clearly displayed with large square icons on the most recently used horizontal line.
Users can scroll through this gamer newsfeed in an alternative, brick-like structure reminiscent of the social media site Pinterest. Many other key objects will display additional information when the cursor is selected
History of updates
The initial version of the system software for the PlayStation 4 is 1.01 as preinstalled on the original console. Support for Remote Play and second screen experiences were added in version 1.50, which was launched on November 15, 2013, the same day as the PlayStation 4 console itself was released in North America.
Both features are accessible from the PlayStation Vita console using its PS4 Link app, and the second screen functionality is also accessible from smartphones and tablets via the PlayStation Mobile app. It is also capable of recording or sharing video clips, as well as broadcasting gameplay to Twitch or Ustream.[40] It supports Blu-ray and DVD-Video playback, and version 1.60, which improves DVD playback, was released on February 4, 2014.
Version 1.60 also adds support for Pulse Elite wireless headsets.[41] Version 1.70 was released on April 30, 2014, and added a number of new features, such as the addition of a rich video editor called ShareFactory that provides users with tools to combine, edit, and personalize captured video clips.
