Tag: Sony
News Helldivers 2 Dev Swears It Doesn't Playtest New Features in Live Games
The plot thickens
Looking back, we might have, along with millions of others, gotten caught up in that delightful wave of Super Earth propaganda when Helldivers 2 was released at the start of the year. We certainly did our part to defend Democracy from both bug and bot, and part of the magic of Sony's surprise multiplayer hit was how loose it all...
Hands On PS Plus Cloud Streaming Is a Game Changer for PS Portal
Sony's surprisingly successful PS5 handheld gets even better
Sony made a surprise update to the PS Portal today, enabling PS Plus Premium cloud streaming on the device. <related ids="158279,174730"> This effectively transforms the Remote Play peripheral into a full-blown handheld, although it comes with some caveats. First, you’ll ob
News PlayStation Has Had More Heads of Mobile Than Mobile Games Since 2021
What exactly is Sony's mobile strategy?
Sony has promoted Olivier Courtemarche to head of mobile at PlayStation. He was previously made co-head of mobile alongside Kris Davis in June 2023, but has now taken on the role solo. The announcement came via an update from Courtemarche on LinkedIn (thanks, Mobilegamer.biz). In addition,
News Stellar Blade's Eve Will Attack You if You Act Inappropriately in New PS5 DLC
Eyes up
You’re in for a surprise if you try to peek Eve’s panties in Stellar Blade’s new NieR Automata add-on. As spotted on X (or Twitter), if you act inappropriately while the heroine’s dressed in her fresh threads, she’ll grab the camera and kick you into touch. This is a lady that’s taken down thousands of demonic monsters, after...
News Huge PlayStation Black Friday Sales Begin 22nd November
Deals on PS5 consoles, PSVR2, games, and more
Sony has now officially confirmed its range of Black Friday discounts across PS5 consoles, PSVR2, games, accessories, and more. They all begin this Friday, 22nd November and run until 2nd December 2024. While the new PlayStation Blog post doesn't actually confirm it, PS5 systems are expected to be $70...
Rumour Next-Gen AMD Tech to Power Supposed Sony Handheld as Well as PS6
UDNA architecture for PlayStation GPUs
An otherwise fairly dry rumour has brought up the possible existence of another Sony handheld gaming device. A Chinese hardware leaker who goes by zhangzhonghao has posted some supposed information about Sony's next-gen PlayStation consoles, which are already rumoured to be a handheld machine as well as the...
News Kadokawa Confirms Sony Acquisition Interest
Sony sends "letter of intent" to Kadokawa
Kadokawa Corp has responded to yesterday's reports of interest from Sony regarding a potential takeover by confirming it has received an "initial letter of intent" from the company. In a newly issued statement, Kadokawa added "no decision" has been made as to whether it'll go through with the acquisition or...
News PS Portal Will Allow Cloud Streaming in New Beta Update
PS Plus Premium users beta test the feature
Sony has announced the most significant PS Portal update since the handheld streaming device launched: a fresh beta test will allow for cloud streaming of PS Plus games. Current PS Plus Premium members can beta test the feature, with it set to launch worldwide within the next 24 hours. You'll be able to...
Feature Why Would Sony Want to Buy Kadokawa?
We explore why alleged talks may be taking place
Sony is in talks to acquire media conglomerate Kadokawa, an enormous corporation made up of many subsidiaries across gaming, manga, and anime. The buyout – which, according to Reuters, could be completed in a matter of weeks – would significantly bolster the Japanese giant’s entertainment...
News Sony Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Elden Ring Dev's Parent Company Kadokawa Corp
Includes FromSoftware and more manga control
Sony has reportedly entered talks with Elden Ring maker Kadokawa Corporation with a view to acquiring the company, Reuters claims via two sources. Discussions are said to be ongoing, and if they're successful, a finalised deal could be signed within the coming weeks. The firm's stocks are estimated to be...
News Sony Leads Pack of Publishers Nominated at The Game Awards
Slow year for games, huh?
The Game Awards is undoubtedly the talk of the town today, not least because of Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion's controversial inclusion as Game of the Year nominee. Sony, and by extension, PlayStation, are set to continue dominating Geoff Keighley's award show, with first-party titles nominated
News Sony's Had a First-Party PS5, PS4 Game Nominated for Game of the Year Ten Times in a Row
Do not underestimate the power of PlayStation
Sony has had a first-party Game of the Year nomination at The Game Awards ten years in a row. In fact, the streak would be even longer if 2014 hadn’t been such a lean year for the industry as a whole. Here are the titles that have been nominated: 2015: Bloodborne 2016: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s...
News Disgruntled PS5 Pro Owners Campaign to Disable Support After Slew of Shoddy Patches
Not a good look
PS5 Pro is generally posting really positive results in games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Hogwarts Legacy, but as with all things in life, there are inconsistencies. It’s worth underlining that it’s down to individual developers to get the most out of Sony’s hardware, and not all of them are doing a good job. We’ve...
News New LEGO Horizon Set Now Official, Includes, Aloy, Varl, and Machines
Put together a Sawtooth and Shell-Walker
Sony and LEGO have now officially confirmed the new LEGO set based on the Horizon series that leaked last week. It is exactly as it was claimed: the set features Aloy, Varl, and the Shell-Walker and Sawtooth machines. Pre-orders are now live on the LEGO website ahead of a release on 1st March 2025, and it'll...
News Dressing Eve as 2B Won't Be Free in Stellar Blade's PS5 DLC
How much would you pay?
Shift Up’s post-release support for Stellar Blade has been so strong many wondered whether the game’s forthcoming NieR Automata add-on would be free. It’s since confirmed on social media that this is a paid add-on, although it hasn’t confirmed how much it’ll cost just yet. Due out on 20th November, the Yoko Taro...
News PS5 Consoles, Controllers, and PSVR2 Discounts for Black Friday Seemingly Revealed
Not official prices, but as good as
Update: A second Billbil-Kun report has this weekend detailed the sort of discounts Sony is expected to make available across its range of PS5 DualSense controllers for Black Friday, including the DualSense Edge. According to the leaker, a "minimum" of €20 will be knocked off the price of PS5 pads. PS5...
News In USA, the PS5 Pro Launched with Similar Sales to the PS4 Pro
Despite being much more expensive
Early indications are that the PS5 Pro is finding its audience as Sony intended. This week we learned that, despite costing twice as much, the PS5 Pro sold around 13k more units than the PS4 Pro at launch in Japan. And in the USA, the first data from Circana analyst Mat Piscatella is that it’s keeping pace with...
News Next Gran Turismo 7 PS5, PS4 Update Poised to Drop Next Week
PS5 Pro support potentially included
Gran Turismo creator Kaz Yamauchi has teased the next big Gran Turismo 7 update will be made available across PS5, PS4 consoles next week. He has done the usual thing of posting an image to Twitter of the new cars in black and white silhouettes, allowing superfans like GTPlanet to guess what they are. According...
Review PS5 Pro - An Impressive Yet Inconsistent Upgrade
Pro price, pro performance
From day one, the PS5 Pro has lacked the clear cut sales pitch that its mid-gen predecessor had. It’s offering 4K, ray tracing, and higher frame rates, all of which are technically available on the base model. But the Pro part of PS5 Pro wants to bring all those features together so you don’t need to choose between...
News Helldivers 2's Democratic Super Weapon Now Fully Operational
You may fire when ready
Helldivers 2's Death Star-esque Democracy Space Station is now fully operational, ready to deliver cosmic amounts of destruction to both bug and bot. This vaunted "Weapon of Mass Liberation" has already successfully been used to destroy "a small moon" and awaits new firing solutions. Super-patriots will be able to cast their...
News PS5 Pro Enhanced, PS Store Situation Devolves into Confusing Mess
It was always going to be this way
We love order, systems, and routines, everything in its proper place. Using the PS Store for anything meaningful, then, has always been an exercise in frustration. We allowed ourselves to think that perhaps in the age of the PS5 Pro, the PS Store page specifically set aside for games enhanced on Sony's new machine...
News Hot on the Heels of LEGO Horizon Adventures PS5, Official LEGO Horizon Set Leaks
We heard you like Horizon?
If LEGO Horizon Adventures wasn't enough Aloy in Danish block form for you, you're in luck: images of what sure looks like official LEGO Horizon sets have begun to crop up, just in case you did need more Horizon in your life. That's according to the Instagram account Brickreporter, anyway (thanks,
News Resistance's Release on PS Plus Premium Proves There's Still a Fanbase for the FPS
Hale to the king
This week’s PS Plus Premium update announcement temporarily stopped the heart of this author – and the hearts of thousands of PlayStation fans around the world. When we saw PS3 launch title Resistance: Fall of Man and its sequel Resistance 2 listed alongside other PS1 classics like Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, we thought Sony had...
News Astro Bot PS5 Update Available Now, Adds Final Speedrun DLC Level
Rising Heat
The fifth and final DLC level for Astro Bot is now available to play. Coming as part of the latest game update, the free new stage, Rising Heat, rounds out Team Asobi's collection of time trial stages. The level has you racing through a lava-filled environment as you clamber up a cliff using Astro's monkey power-up to climb handholds...
News Guerrilla's Next Horizon Game May Launch Sometime in 2025 on PS5
Horizon online game seemingly coming soon
The Horizon franchise has had a very busy year in 2024, with the arrival of Forbidden West on PC in March, Zero Dawn Remastered in October, and LEGO Horizon Adventures having just launched today, 14th November. This momentum looks set to continue into 2025, if a recent job listing is to be believed. On...
News Veteran Trophy Hunter Hakoom Quits PlayStation Over Alleged Account Suspension Storm
Drama
Well-known Trophy hunter Hakoom, at one point a Guinness World Record holder for his obscene number of PlayStation gongs, has quit Sony amid an alleged account suspension storm. While the specific details are unclear and we’ll try to get clarification, it appears Hakoom is claiming his account was hacked, leading to a suspension. After...
News Conspiratorial Fans Think PS5 Ad Teasing December State of Play, PlayStation Showcase
Grubb says hold your horses
Just yesterday, we brought you word of Sony's jazzy new PS5 ad, reminding us that Play Has No Limits. Apparently, we weren't operating on a high enough level to catch Sony clearly telegraphing a PlayStation Showcase or State of Play for 3rd December 2024, which is what some conspiratorial fans now believe. In a...
News LEGO Horizon Adventures Sets Odd Precedent, Lacking PS5 Pro Support
A brave new world
Sony's latest first-party release, LEGO Horizon Adventures, is now available, but curiously, it lacks support for the firm's shiny new box, the PS5 Pro. While the spirited Horizon adaptation isn't necessarily a graphical powerhouse (like the recently upgraded Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered), it's still not a very promising start...
News Star Trek Actor Voices Sylens in LEGO Horizon Adventures
Tim Russ voices the character in LEGO form
Tim Russ, the actor best known for playing Tuvok in Star Trek, has been confirmed as the voice actor for Sylens in LEGO Horizon Adventures following the sad passing of Lance Reddick, the original voice for the character. It is not known yet whether Russ will be playing the role permanently for the eventual...
Review LEGO Horizon Adventures (PS5) - Dull Design Lets Down This Gorgeous Spin-Off
Abridged too far
Nobody could've expected LEGO Horizon Adventures, a playful, plastic take on one of PlayStation's most popular franchises. Aloy's main games are laden with thick sci-fi lore, serious themes, and complex mechanics; squeezing all of that into an all-ages spin-off has always felt like a tall order. The result is a game that delights us...
News Play Has No Limits in Sony's Latest Live-Action PS5 Ad
Push play to the max
Hearkening back to the PS5's original slogan, "Play Has No Limits," Sony has released a light-hearted, live-action ad to remind you of this. We don't know if it quite lives up to the drama and tension of Playtopia, and it certainly can't hold a candle to the PS3's legendary Long Live Play, but overall, it's pretty good. The...
News Stellar Blade's Eve Bags a New Body Double for PS5 Favourite's Upcoming Update
Yoon love to see it
Fans of Stellar Blade protagonist Eve will know developer Shift Up based the character’s body on real-life South Korean model Shin Jae-eun, but for the game’s upcoming update, it’s scanned a new star: cosplayer Yoon Seol-hwa. The model confirmed the news on
News PS5 Slim Price Drop Confirmed, $380 Until 24th December
Knocks $70 off until Christmas Eve
Sony has announced by way of a new PS5 advert that the base PS5 Slim console will be available on sale at $380 until 24th December 2024. It hasn't confirmed on what date the temporary price cut will take place, though previous rumours have suggested 22nd November, or around Black Friday, is when the sale will be...
Hands On Spider-Man 2 All in on Ray Tracing for PS5 Pro
Fidelity Pro vs Performance Pro
Given that Insomniac Games only just released Marvel's Spider-Man 2 one year ago with fantastic graphics and options for frame rate enthusiasts, the chances the studio would be able to tap into an entirely new level of visual quality on PS5 Pro were slim. Therefore, it has taken a different route as it looks to...
News Someone's Definitely Gonna Rebuild PS5's LEGO Horizon Adventures in Real Life
If they have the right bricks
With LEGO Horizon Adventures, Studio Gobo and Guerrilla have made it pretty clear that the whole game has been constructed using true-to-life LEGO pieces. The result is a seriously impressive and consistent visual style, but a new video frames it another way. If you have the right bricks, you can rebuild anything you...
News NieR: Automata's Weird and Wonderful World Invades PS5 Hit Stellar Blade this Month
Tons of new outfits! Photo mode! Much more
Zany merchant Emil from NieR: Automata will set up shop in the world of Stellar Blade from 20th November, bringing 11 all-new cosmetic items to the title. This anticipated collaboration, announced earlier in the year, is being pitched as a crossover marked by the “mutual respect” between Shift Up’s...
Hands On The Last of Us 2 Marries Visuals and Frame Rate in PS5 Pro Game Changer
Best of both worlds on offer
The very first game Sony chose to market its upgraded PS5 Pro console alongside during its short reveal video was The Last of Us Part II Remastered, which at the time, felt like a double-edged sword. Its outstanding quality means hardcore PS5 owners are always open to a replay of the Naughty Dog game, but from a visual...
News Australia's Planned Social Media Ban to Include PSN
Albo, you've got to be joking, mate
Australia's current Labor government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, plans to impose strict rules on teenagers' use of social media. With broad support from the states and both major parties in agreement, the Online Safety Act could pass before the end of the year, likely being introduced in 2025. It...
News LEGO Horizon Adventures Is Getting a Surprisingly Huge Marketing Push
Thunderjawesome
Sony clearly believes LEGO Horizon Adventures has the potential to significantly grow the popularity of Guerrilla’s franchise, because it’s giving the game a surprisingly big marketing push. A new trailer, featuring the song Tubthumping by British band Chumbawamba, is running in movie theatres and on television. It’s only a...
News This Is Your Last Chance to Order PSVR's Free PS Camera Adaptor for PS5
An essential accessory
For those of you who still have an original PSVR headset kicking around, you may want to act fast if you haven’t ordered a PS Camera adaptor yet. If you didn’t know, the PS Camera used a proprietary port on the PS4 which isn’t available on the PS5. Therefore, in order to connect the accessory to Sony’s current...
News PS5 Pro Makes Unpatched PS4 Software 'More Palatable' on High-Res Displays
Nice to have
We finally have some expert analysis of how PS5 Pro’s new PS4 Image Enhancement toggle works, and what it actually achieves. Digital Foundry has released a rigorous test, and the results are noticeable if unremarkable. It’s worth reiterating, once again, that this feature is not the priority of the PS5 Pro. Effectively, it adds a...
News PlayStation Has Swiftly Solved Its Profitability Problem
The graphs are going up
You may remember over the past year there’s been a lot of handwringing over PlayStation’s profitability. As is so often the case, this all got bundled up with Xbox’s issues, and numerous thinkpieces were written about the console market as a whole. Well, Sony’s largely already solved the issue. In its latest earnings...
News PS5 Pro Pre-Orders Are Stronger Than PS4 Pro, But Scalpers Are Losing Money
All according to keikaku
While we all ranted and raved about the PS5’s unavailability at launch, tech enthusiasts tend to act like unless a product is completely sold out and being sold at a significant mark-up on reseller websites, it’s a failure. That of course is not the case, and if a manufacturer has produced the right amount of stock to...
News Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Dev 'Heartbroken' by Passing of Venom Voice Actor
Candyman star Tony Todd passes away aged 69
Insomniac Games says it’s “heartbroken” by the passing of Tony Todd, the veteran actor who voiced Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and the star of hundreds of movies, including most famously Candyman. Deadline reports that Todd passed away aged 69 on 6th November at his home in Los Angeles. The...
News Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
But it isn't backing down
Sony’s decision to mandate PSN account linking with its PC ports has caused friction with the fanbase outside of its PlayStation ecosystem, but it’s not backing down. Speaking as part of a financial call with investors, boss Hiroki Totoki said the organisation had “learned a lot” from the situation but needs to...
News Rep PS5's Astro Bot in Style with Official, Adorable Clothing from Insert Coin
Don an icon
Sony and Team Asobi have been doing a pretty great job of keeping Astro Bot in the news cycle since its launch in September. That's largely thanks to a series of free speedrun levels, which are being added to the 3D platformer each week. However, Insert Coin Clothing — which makes officially licenced clothes and accessories related to...
News Sony Promises It'll Launch Major PS5 Single Player Games Every Year Moving Forwards
Back on track
Sony shocked PS5 fans earlier this year when it said there’ll be no major first-party games in 2024. The quote was a little misinterpreted, as it still released Game of the Year candidate Astro Bot, among others. Either way, that won’t be the case moving forwards. Speaking with investors as part of
News Sony Comments on Concord Disaster, Says Game Should Have Been Tested Earlier
User testing and internal evaluation needed to be sooner
Sony has claimed it should have been performing internal tests of Concord earlier than it was to spot the mistakes that led to its disastrous launch. Speaking during a Q&A session part of its latest Q2 financial earnings call, Sony president Hiroki Totoki said the firm is still going...
News Astro Bot Sells 1.5 Million PS5 Copies Inside Nine Weeks
37% considered "new users"
The latest quarterly earnings report for Sony reveals Astro Bot has sold 1.5 million copies during its first nine weeks on the market, as of 3rd November 2024. This means it's already selling better than the likes of Demon's Souls, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Returnal across roughly the same timespan after launch...
News Sony Ships 65.5 Million PS5 Consoles, in Line with PS4
77.7 million PS5 games sold
Sony has confirmed via its Q2 results for fiscal year 2024 that it's now shipped 65.5 million PS5 consoles, with a total of 3.8 million systems sold within the quarter itself. The company sold 1.1 million fewer PS5 boxes this quarter compared to the same one for the previous fiscal year, but sales of games are on the...
