Sony’s long-awaited PlayStation system update has rolled out to console owners, bringing some important new features for PS4 and PS4 Pro owners.

The 4.5 System update allows console owners to connect external hard drives for the first time. This means it’s possible to expand storage without replacing the hard drive within the PS4.

The second major update is exclusively for PS4 Pro owners. Boost Mode will offer improved performance for PS4 games released before the Pro, including higher frame rates.

“This can provide a noticeable frame rate boost to some games with variable frame rates, and can provide frame rate stability for games that are programmed to run at 30 Hz or 60 Hz,” Sony says in a blog post.

“Depending on the game, the increased CPU speed may also result in shorter load times. You can turn on Boost Mode by going to Settings > System.”

Sony says it doesn’t work for all games and advises users turn off Boost Mode if they ‘experience unexpected behaviour during gameplay.’

There’s a new mode for PlayStation VR that improves the quality of 2D images, while also enabling 3D Blu-rays to be watched in Cinematic Mode. Sony is also adding Voice Chat for Remote Play on PC, Mac and Xperia devices.

There’s also a new Off Console availability icon that informs gamers when a friend is logged in, but away from their console.

The update also introduces a couple of improvements to the PS Messages and Communities apps for iOS and Android, which Sony describes as follows:

• When you receive a Party invitation from your friends on PS Messages, now you can respond with a quick reply, “I’ll join later” or “Sorry, I can’t join,” when you want to get back to them ASAP.
• On the Communities app, you can now easily check the PSN service status under Settings > View Status of PSN Services.
• Also on the Communities app, iOS users can tell at a glance if there are any new posts in their community by checking the badge app icon (the number in a red circle at the top-right corner of the app’s icon).