PlayStation’s Sharefactory app now lets you make your own GIFs

By Gabe Gurwin November 10, 2016

tom holland nathan drake uncharted film uncharted4drakefight — Image used with permission by copyright holder

PlayStation 4 has enabled users to share their favorite gaming moments as both still images and videos since the console first launched in 2013, but the latest update to the Sharefactory app adds something even more important: GIFs.

“We’re excited about the new animated GIF feature, which can be easily shared to Twitter right from your console on Sharefactory, SCEA senior producer Stuart Platt said in a post on the PlayStation Blog.

You won’t be able to make minute-long GIFs of your best Infinite Warfare matches or the hardest boss battles in Dark Souls III, as clips are limited to a maximum of 10 seconds in length. All pre-existing videos in your PlayStation 4’s capture gallery can be turned into GIFs.

As seen in the announcement post (and below), the quality of the GIFs doesn’t appear to be particularly high. Blacks and grays seem to bleed together and the frame rate is noticeably low, but if you just want to share some silly memes with your friends — yes, they’re calling the font “internet meme, ” and there are also “troll stickers” — it’s currently your only real option.

Also included in the Sharefactory update is the new “photo mode,” which lets you create monuments to your favorite games in the form of a collage. The update also supports PlayStation 4 Pro, allowing both 1080p images and 4K videos to be shared.

The PlayStation 4 continues to be a great platform for streamers and other video content creators, with integrated Twitch support and the ability to easily record a facecam. While we’re not sure if the GIF feature will become quite as popular, we’re looking forward to seeing what the community creates.

To get the most out of Sharefactory, you’ll need a PlayStation 4 Pro. The console released today, November 10.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

I was a PlayStation Portal hater. Now it’s one of my go-to gaming devices

A PlayStation Portal plays Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

In November, I reviewed the PlayStation Portal. I was mixed on Sony’s streaming handheld at the time, frustrated with a corner-cutting execution of a good idea. It seemed like a poor value compared to simply slapping a cheaper Backbone controller on a phone. As is often the case with tech reviews, though, I only had a short window to test it out where I was more focused on the more objective side of what the Portal does and doesn’t do. Would my feelings change when I was using it naturally?

I’ve gotten the answer to that question over the past few months. While I barely touched my Portal after reviewing it in 2023, it’s quickly become a go-to device in my home as of January. I’m now breaking it out at least once a week, finding some practical use cases for it. Though my overall assessment of it hasn’t changed, I have a more tangible understanding of where it can be a useful -- if superfluous -- PS5 companion. It’s a needless luxury, but one that I’m finding that I'm happy to indulge in.
Second screen
The PlayStation Portal’s launch just so happened to come right before a major life change that would shift my perspective. After living alone for three years, my girlfriend moved into my apartment last December. It’s been a natural change that’s working great so far. That shift does come with some lifestyle changes, though. We’re both crammed into a one-bedroom apartment, which means we’re sharing a tight space. We remotely do our jobs feet apart in the same room, and most evenings are spent lounging on the couch.

Gaming

PlayStation Spring Sale: best deals, how long is the sale, and more

With the rise of all-digital consoles, more and more people are doing a majority of their game shopping on digital storefronts. For PlayStation 5 owners, whether you have a disk drive or not, you more than likely have at least a couple of games purchased from the PlayStation Store. The convenience of simply downloading a game and not having to worry about the disk is great, but you also can catch some amazing deals. The biggest sales events come seasonally, and the current Spring Sale is offering deep discounts of up to 90% on some of the biggest games on the platform. If you've been waiting to pick up one of the great games you missed earlier this year or in years past, now might be the best time to snag it for cheap!
When is the PlayStation Spring Sale 2024?
The PlayStation Spring Sale started on March 27, 2024, but new deals were added on April 10 that will last until April 24.

If any deal is exclusively for a PS5 version of a game that is also on PS4, we will note that beside the title. Since all PS4 games run on PS5, we won't mark PS4 games.
Best deals for the PlayStation Spring Sale
God of War Ragnarök Sony Interactive Entertainment

Gaming

PlayStation VR2 production reportedly paused by Sony

PlayStation VR2 headset on blue background.

Sony is reportedly pausing production of the PlayStation VR2 headsets because it has a backlog of unsold headsets.

This report comes from Bloomberg, which claims that PSVR2 sales have slowed every quarter since its February 2023 release, causing stocks of the device to build up. It says Sony has produced 2 million headsets but reportedly hasn't sold through them yet. As a result, it's apparently pausing the production on new units until it works through some of that backlog, according to Bloomberg's anonymous sources.