Today, however, Sony has decided to get out in front of any additional rumors and confirm which features will be making the PS4’s launch date. And, as it turns out, most of the console’s more exciting features will be available in November.

The one caveat to this news is that gamers must first download a 300MB Day 1 Patch before they gain access to these features. It’s not uncommon for a new console to feature a substantial patch on launch day — the Xbox One will also have one — but it definitely means that the PS4 hardware is coming in hot off the assembly line.

The good news, though, is that the PS4’s new Remote Play feature, which allows gamers to stream their PS4 games to their PS Vita console, and the ability to record gameplay will both be available at launch. Although the PS4 boasts a handful of unique features, these two seem to be the biggest draws for gamers, at least from a gameplay perspective, and will likely get a ton of use out of the box.

Additionally, the background downloading feature will make the Day 1 cut, ensuring gamers can purchase a digital copy of their most anticipated launch title and be off and playing in no time. We didn’t expect the feature would miss launch, as the PS4 is built with a dedicated processor for background downloads, but this confirmation is reassuring nonetheless.

For a full list of the PS4 features available at launch see below:

 

Again, these features will only unlock after gamers download PS4 update 1.50 a.k.a. the Day 1 patch. We’re sure most gamers are eager to see how Sony has improved the system update process, and, lucky for them, that will likely be the first thing they experience.

In the interest of transparency, Sony also revealed one feature — the suspend/resume option — that will not be making the cut for Day 1. That means gamers will not be able to halt gameplay in, say, Killzone: Shadow Fall, head to the SEN store to purchase and start a download for Knack, and then hop back into Killzone. The suspend/resume option will be extremely useful, and is one of the more useful features in both the PS4 and the Xbox One, so the hope is that Sony can get it going sooner rather than later.

With less than a month until the PS4 hits store shelves, it appears Sony has locked down most of their more promising features for gamers to test out at launch. At the same time, the Day 1 patch suggests the hardware was in development up until the last minute, which means the likelihood of launch day snafus is much higher than normal.

Which of the PS4’s features are you most glad to see will be available at launch? Are there any features you were looking forward to that won’t be available on day 1?

Sony’s PlayStation 4 releases November 15, 2013.

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Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina