Firmware is basically the main software that drives your console. It lives on a special type of memory chip, called ROM (which stands for read-only memory). This makes it possible to make changes directly to the code stored on it without having to install new hardware. Its like any other software (eg: Windows XP) you download and install on your PC. Except the software that drives your console is different then what you would download and install on your PC.
The PlayStation 4 system software keeps the system running properly by regulating content stored or played in the system, handles network connections, application management, and more. The PlayStation 4 system software manages how game content is copied to and from the hard disk drive (HDD) of the system.
How to update ps4 firmware to 4.72
To update your Playstation 4 to firmware version 4.72, you will need a computer with an internet connection and a USB storage device to save the update file(s) on. Most computers that can connect to the internet can do this though it is suggested that you have at least 1gb of available space on your USB storage device.
You also need to be aware that if you update your system’s firmware, this will cause your games and saved data to become incompatible with older versions of the system software due to changes in the encryption method used for game discs. You will not be able to access nor play any of your existing disc-based games on a system running a higher system software version, and will need to update those games to the latest firmware as well before you can play them again. Saved data that was created with older versions of the system’s firmware will not be read by versions released after it.
Step 1: Format your USB storage device as FAT32. If your computer does not have a built-in tool for this, you can find a free third-party formatting utility here.
Wipe all of the data from your USB storage device and insert it into the computer.
Step 2: Download the update file for your system version from Sony’s website here.
The file name will be PS4>Update>PS4UPDATE.PUP where “>PS4” may be another language from English depending on your console’s area settings.
Step 3: You will need to rename the downloaded file to PS4UPDATE.PUP in order for it to work with your USB storage device. If you already have a file named this, use a different name such as PS4UPDATE2.PUP.
Step 4: Once you have renamed the file to match your USB storage device’s name, copy the file from your computer to the root directory of your USB storage device.
You can do this by opening a new window in Windows Explorer and dragging and dropping the file from one window into a directory in another window.
Step 5: Eject your USB storage device from the computer and insert it into a USB port on the rightmost side of the front of the console next to where the power cord is plugged in. If this does not work, try inserting it into any other available USB port.
Step 6: Restart your Console. You can do this by holding down the PlayStation button on the controller in conjunction with selecting “Turn Off PS4” in the quick menu and powering it back on.
Step 7: After doing so, your system should begin updating automatically.
If you are using a PS4 controller to navigate through the front menu, be careful not to accidentally hit the PS button.
Step 8: Once the update process is complete, your system will restart and you should be running version 4.72 of firmware on your console.
Step 9: You can now use any USB storage device that you wish to download content from for your PlayStation 4 as long as it was not formatted FAT32 using a computer.
Benefits of updating the PS4 firmware to 4.72
Games that require you to have 1.76 or higher can be played without an internet connection – The 10% 1GB allocation for games saved on the hard drive has been removed – First screen displayed when starting up is now the home screen – System performance and stability has been improved – Netflix app will now display 4k content once a Netflix subscription is activated
Conclusion
Updating the PS4 system software to version 4.72 is required in order to play games that were released before this update was made available to the public.