Off-screen Battlemap only on next-gen and PC for Battlefield 4

Battlefield 4's second-screen map tracker (creatively called Battlemap) is just too fancy for current-gen systems. Electronic Arts detailed the new features in store for the next version of Battlelog to Engadget, revealing that Battlefield 4 will only support using mobile devices to keep an eye on the map on next-gen consoles and PC.

Why the difference? The new and improved Battlelog is built on the web, instead of a bespoke platform for both consoles, so it's nearly the same experience across PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It isn't so easy to run web services through PS3 and Xbox 360, but they'll still get the standard stat tracking and customization.

Don't throw your smartphone out the window just because it can't do Battlemap on current-gen; for one thing, it's still a perfectly good smartphone, and for another, you can use the Battlelog app to log into your Origin account and start playing faster. How? By scanning a QR code direct from the game, duh.

Do you think you'll make much use of Battlefield 4's mobile features?