PlayStation 4 auto-update won’t require PlayStation Plus membership

PlayStation 4's social features will not require a PlayStation Plus subscription and all PS4 users will now be able to use the auto-update functionality for free, VideoGamer.com reports.

On the PlayStation 3, only Plus members had the ability to auto-update. Speaking with SCEE UK and Ireland MD Fergal Gara, the site reports that television and movie streaming services will also still be free.

"A PlayStation Plus subscriber for PlayStation 4 comes away with a hell of a lot," Gara said. "First of all, the subscription applies across all three platforms [PS4, PS3 & PS Vita], so if you have the three platforms then you have an instant game collection on all three. So that's hugely powerful in its own right. But it is true to say that the online multiplayer element for PS4, you do require the subscription in order to [make use] of that."

Gara added that it is still undecided on whether Plus users will need to pay an extra fee to stream PlayStation 3 titles through Gaikai. Sony acquired Gaikai, a service meant for instant game streaming, demos and allowing friends to take over gameplay, last year. Cloud-based streaming through Gaikai is expected to launch in 2014 for the PlayStation 4.