eli5: how does a PS4 know when to update?

Question

when a company releases a new version of software, like a game or a ps4 or a phone, how does it know that it has to update? how does the company tell the PS4 that it has to update now, and how does it tell every PS4 this?

In: Technology

Answer 1

The company has a web page where you can ask “Do I need to update? My version is <something>.”

The web page then replies “no, you don’t need to update” or “yes, you do need to update, here’s a link for the update”

So the PS4 just sends this question to the server every once in a while. If the server responds with “yes” then it downloads and installs the update.