The native operating system of the PlayStation 4 is Orbis OS, which is a fork of FreeBSD version 9.0 which was released on January 12, 2012.

[6][7] The software development kit (SDK) is based on LLVM and Clang,[8] which Sony has chosen due to its conformant C and C++ front-ends, C++11 support, compiler optimization and diagnostics.

[15] PSSL is very similar to the HLSL standard in DirectX 12,[8][16] with only subtle differences that could be eliminated mostly through preprocessor macros.

This dynamic menu can alter itself so that there's as little time as possible between the users placing a game in the disc drive and the actual gameplay beginning.

The main place for entertainment options, the Content area, is prominently displayed with large square icons on a horizontal line arranged by the most recently used.

Users can scroll through this gamer newsfeed in an alternating, brick-like formation reminiscent of the social media site Pinterest.

Recently played games receive tiles along with a number of mandatory items like the Live from PlayStation and the Internet Browser applications.

Content icon customization and options on how to sort them would give players a way to mold the display to better suit their needs.

According to Sony, it is a "fantastically fresh augmented reality entertainment experience", which has been created by combining the light bar located on the front of DualShock 4 controller with the PlayStation Camera.

Once the PlayStation Camera identifies the player with the help of the light bar on the front, a flick on the touchpad of the DualShock 4 controller brings up the augmented reality Bots function of the PlayRoom, which creates the illusion that there are hundreds of little bots inside the controller, which can be released simply with a tap on the track pad that functions like the PlayStation Vita.

PS4 owners can view their smartphone or PlayStation Vita for drawing the object and flick it anywhere for the augmented reality Bots to play with.

[23] The second screen can be used to display unique content when playing games that support this option, but it should not be confused with a split-screen.

The second screen may be used to show extra content like maps, alternate camera angles, radar or even playbooks in sports games.

They can record up to 60 minutes of their latest gaming exploits with a quick press of the Share button on the controller.

Favorite Groups is a new section within the Friends app, and acts as a way to quickly access other people a user plays with the most.

On the other hand, communities are new hubs that can be formed around shared interests like games, activities, or play styles.

There also exist other smaller social features on PS4, such as the ability to message a friend with a request to watch their gameplay live.

[29] Using the same modern Webkit core as Safari from Apple, the PS4 web browser receives a very high score in HTML5 compliance testing.

However, one clear advantage for gamers is being able to cut between gaming and browsing and back again with no loss of gameplay due to the multitasking feature of the web browser.

Supported PS2 games run via software emulation (upscaled to high definition) on PS4 systems instead of having been remastered.

Support for the Remote Play and second screen experiences were added in version 1.50, which was launched on the same day the PlayStation 4 console itself was released in North America on November 15, 2013.

Among the new features was the ability to share videos directly to Twitter, a dedicated PlayStation Plus section, tweaks to the interface for streaming on YouTube, improvements to social features such as messages and group creation, and the ability to save screenshots as PNGs.

Sony states that this update will create "new ways to connect with friends and players around the world, expanding the social capabilities of the system even further".

[56] On April 6, 2016, Sony released update 3.50, that would enable the PS4 to use Remote Play functionality on Windows and macOS (formerly named OS X).

A new tournament bracket viewer has been made, along with tweaks to broadcasting (with 1080p streaming at 60 frames per second on Twitch now possible), and other changes to PS Message, notifications, and the quick menu.

Lastly, it introduces localization for Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Romanian, Thai, and Vietnamese languages.

[73] On March 9, 2023, Sony released update 10.50 allowing access to authorized third-party apps in Settings.