Comments 270

Re: PS5 Handheld Device in the Works at Sony, New Report Claims

michaelf

I can see Sony going down the "PS Deck" route, whereby you are playing native PS5 (or whatever) games on the system locally, with the game scaling to meet the resolution etc of the handheld.

I still like the idea of having an SSD in a case that can attach to the existing Portal so you can have a few games stored locally, but that will probably never happen (I also mentioned this in the Talking Point article, so will shut up about this now).

Re: Talking Point: Would You Want a Steam Deck-Like Portable PlayStation?

michaelf

Been thinking about this as since the 4.0 update, my Portal has a great lease of new life. As it’s so reliant on streaming, why can’t Sony just take their SSD tech, wrap it in a case that plugs into the USB C port and cradles itself to the back of the Portal?

Having a through-port to allow charging and then you can not only stream, but store some of your collection on the device.

Would expect this to be not cheap, but even if there were storage options ( 1/2tb, 1tb etc) that could bridge the functionality gap. At least until a Portal 2pro+ device comes out

Re: PS5's New Welcome Page Rolling Out to UK Accounts

michaelf

I agree it’s a bit use—free, but it’s not exactly going to prevent me from using my PS5. I’ve modified the “solo” present and added a screenshot from AC: Mirage.

By the looks of it, the “keep on homepage” setting implies that if you click in enough games it may actually fall off the games icon list. But I haven’t tried that yet.

Re: Poll: Did You Pre-Order a PS5 Pro?

michaelf

I said no to the pro as I’m still playing a lot of PS4 games on my phat 5. I am interested in the pro, but don’t see for me as a must have, like i did with the 4pro.

If I can hold my FOMO in place, I’ll bide my time for the 6pro, assuming it’s backwards compatible with PS4/5 games and has a disc drive option available for it

Re: Star Wars Outlaws' Rescue Roadmap Provides a Snapshot of Modern PS5 Gaming

michaelf

I was quite interested in getting Outlaws, but as I was on holiday when it was released, plus having a massive backlog, I was content in leaving it for a little while.

This roadmap has essentially told me not to buy it until after November and probably again not until January sales or another 2025 promotion.

And this is from someone one who likes Star Wars and seemingly perversely, the Ubisoft ‘map cluttered with items’ gaming style (it’s like comfort food for me)

Re: PS5 Pro Announced, Costs $700 and Out in November

michaelf

@Fyz306903 I agree! I'd go bananas if I'd just spanked almost a grand on a PS5pro + disc drive and 18 months / 2 years later there's an announcement for the next playstation.

Hence why I'm pausing my journey on this mad rat race. I'll enjoy what I've got, will buy a few games and when the invariable PS6 pro is released, I'll get that.

I stopped buying new iPhones every time a new one was announced and can quite easily "cope" with a new device every four or so years and I can easily do the same here.

And that with me being able to afford a PS5 pro + disc drive + stand!

Re: PS5 Pro Announced, Costs $700 and Out in November

michaelf

I am always interested in new tech, what the "best" version of my console is. But I think Sony has jumped the shark somewhat here. £700. No disc drive. No stand. ~45% improvement, assuming devs use the additional power?

If this machines moves the needle for devs on creating games with 60 - 120 fps (and 60 being the baseline) at 4K, then great. I'll join that party in due course.

But for now, like some have said here, I'll keep my OG PS5 (with its' 2TB extra SSD + 3TB external HD), play the games I have, and see what the PS6 Pro is like.

Re: PS Plus Essential Games for August 2024 Announced

michaelf

Ended Lillies will be added. Waivering over Freddie’s - never played any of them and for some random reason thought they were online multiplayer survival games (?🤦🏼‍♂️). Won’t be adding Lego SW as I have that already.

So seems like a reasonably positive trio to me

Re: Beloved PS2 Action Shooter Star Wars: Bounty Hunter Is Being Remastered on PS5, PS4

michaelf

As I wrote on NintendoLife, I've enjoyed this on the GameCube and also bought when the PS2 version was re-skinned / released for PS4. IF this version has more GameCube-style graphics (I didn't like the PSs) and a modern control system it could be a purchase.

I'm cautious that Aspyr made a dog's dinner of the Battlefield Classic release, although as a single player game, some of that games' issues should be mitigated. Should be ...

and yeah; a decent price with trophies is a must. If it's £30 or more for this and not borked, I'll wait for a sale

Re: Over 2,000 Big PS5, PS4 Games Going Cheap in New PS Store Sale

michaelf

@LiamCroft the "for a complete ..." link takes me to the US store, as the prices are in dollars. Whilst I can navigate to the UK store myself, you may want to change the accompanying text or having separate store links like you normally do.

(I'm sure it's just a deliberate mistake to see if people are reading these sales posts )

Re: Rumour: Ubisoft Is Going All-In on Assassin's Creed with Black Flag Remake, Another Remake, Co-op Multiplayer Games, and More

michaelf

@YeoSprings that's a good idea. It's been a good while since there's been a fresh Ezio story and he is arguably their most favourite character.

As for AC: Black Flag being remake, well my initial feeling is that it would be great for those new(ish) to PS5 or the franchise to have a native current-get version. It's a fantastic game.

Personally, as I already have this on PS4, PS3 and Switch I'm unlikely to re-buy for a fourth time. But I bet plenty would be!

Re: Sony Sings PS Portal's Praises with Accolades Trailer

michaelf

My Portal arrived yesterday, and first impression was "wow - this is BIIIIG" (my comparison is my switch lite and my iPhone 14 pro max). Set up and using was flawless, all around the house.

I have my PS5 cabled up to my router, so I'm expecting that to contribute to the performance.

I've bought a Backbone One (PS edition) last year and I have enjoyed using that, so didn't really see the point in a Portal.

However, what won me over was the screen real estate; I wanted to play my PS4/5 games on a bigger screen than my phone, so I could justify a dedicated device for that.

As my gaming-on-the-tv time has reduced, due to having to adult too much, the Portal gives me that PS4/5 handheld gaming experience I can't get from the Backbone (or my poor, sweet PS Vita any more).

Re: Fallout 4 Next Gen Version Is Out Now on PS5, Xbox, and PC

michaelf

@Anke This also showed the same for me, even though owned all content on PS4 (bought, not via PS+). However, when I added the PS5 base game to my library, which was showing as free, it unlocked the additional content and then the GOTY version become the one I now own.

Hope this helps and you're able to get the PS5 versions.

Re: Atari Revives Classic Video Game Brand Infogrames

michaelf

North & South, plus Hostages are the two Infogrames games I remember playing on my Speccy back in the day. I think there's been a re-release of the former, but dunno about the latter. Would like to see both reissued.

Plus Hogs of War!

Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About the PS5 Pro?

michaelf

I got a PS4pro on release, as I could definitely understand and appreciate the difference between the base PS4 and the mid-gen model, along with the numerous existing games that benefitted from it.

I don’t see that today; I am also older, have never jumped on the ‘must have XXX fps’ movement so this isn’t an issue.

My OG PS5 has a 2TB SSD + a 3TD external HD for my PS4 games, so I will happily use what I’ve got and see whether it’s worth waiting for a PS6 or PS6pro. If any

Re: PS4 Is Still Getting Firmware Update Improvements, By the Way

michaelf

My PS4pro is my dedicated PSVR machine, so still gets use, if not as much as my PS3. That wonder sits next to my PS5 in the living room and is currently being used to entertain me with Just Cause 2.

Sony’s latest PlayStation is a good machine and I have no regrets with mine, but I do get the feeling it won’t get full chance to shine, unlike its’ older siblings.

My backlog is waaay too big so I’ll no doubt still be playing FF7 and Baldur’s Gate 3 when the PS5pro or PS6 comes out !

It’s a nice first world issue to have, knowing I don’t need to buy another game again for years to come!

Re: PS5 Is Entering the 'Latter Half of Its Life Cycle', Says Sony

michaelf

Still feels like the PS5 has barely warmed up to me, regardless of when it was actually released. If we are looking at PS6 in around two years’ time that’s me done.

I have no desire to chase the next new and shiny console when there’ll barely be any time to enjoy it before the next one is out.

Re: Poll: Are You Playing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League?

michaelf

Not for me. I’ll give it a go if it ever ends up on Plus Essential. I’d rather have played Justice League: kill the Suicide Squad. Single player, not GaaS, natch.

I’ve loved the former team since the reading their comics from 1980’s and couldn’t give two hoots about the latter.

Re: Rumour: PS5 Pro Specs Could Leak Very Soon as Dev Kits Go Out to Studios

michaelf

I bought a PS4pro on release (it’s now my dedicated PSVR machine) but I won’t be replacing my PS5 with an interim pro model.

The current one does me well; it services my PS4 backlog and it entertains me with a select choice of PS5 games. I don’t need to get the machine with the best specs and tbh I don’t have the “wow” factor of this gen like I did with the PS4.

I do think it’s a good idea to have such a machine exist, as it can push developers or enable existing ideas to be realised - and great for those new to this generation.

It’s just not for me.

Re: PS Plus Essential Games for December 2023 Announced

michaelf

These three aren’t anywhere near any ‘must buy’ lists, and they’re totally not AAA (or arguably AA), but they are collectively worth the £5 this month’s PS+ has cost me (I stacked on the old price until Nov 2024), so I’ll add them. I added nothing last month.

So 2023’s PS+ Essential list has added around 20 games out of the selection to my library this year. These are the ones I will play, not adding for the sake of it.

So PS+ E has been worth the annual expenditure for the year for me. Hopefully 2024 will be ‘better’ !

Re: Oh No! Ubisoft Appears to Be Testing In-Game Ads in Old Assassin's Creed Titles

michaelf

AC: Mirage has adverts on the righthand screen of the opening menu. Whilst I tut at that, it's kinda acceptable there. Within the game, having adverts for real-world items is just not acceptable and for me, this will be an insta-avoid for any PS game that does this.

It tells me that the publishers believe that paying customers are nothing more than exploitable bags of cash and they should be unequivocally targeted at every opportunity. Which in all reasonableness, has been the attitude for a couple of decades at least in the gaming world.

There used to be the balance between consumer and provider, with the consumer getting an item for a fair price. This balance has long since gone, with consumers totally exploitable and nothing more than percentages on a spreadsheet for shareholders to solely reap the benefits.

But that's capitalism for ya!

Re: Guide: PS Portal FAQ - All Your Questions Answered

michaelf

Here’s a question I’ve not seen an answer to. Can you connect the Portal to your phone’s mobile hotspot?

I’ve successfully, and with a decent experience, played via Remote Play on my phone using just a strong 5G signal, so interested in the answer.

If it’s a no, then my iPhone+Backbone One may be the better option

Re: Sony Delays Six Live Service PS5 Games, But Company Remains Committed to Model

michaelf

Whilst I'm uninterested in playing this type of game; I'm pretty much a single player game type of guy, this sentence in the quote from the main article is interesting, and appears to be nuanced differently from the general '12 live service game' message. Or at least that's how I'm reading it!

The sentence is "That’s the total number of live service and multiplayers titles" - note if this was purely live service, there wouldn't need the "and multiplayer" wording there, so perhaps there is a mix of live service games and multiplayer-focussed (like CoD is).

Or just a consequence of translations ...

Time will tell, I guess.

Re: PS Plus Essential Games for November 2023 Announced

michaelf

Aliens will get tried; was looking at buying but playing solo, so having it on plus means I’m forking out any additional money.

Mafia 2 remastered is an interesting choice as this version totally panned in the Push Square review and I’ve still got the PS3 version from Plus many years ago!

The other game doesn’t pique my interest.

Whilst the ‘there’s something for everyone’ mantra, I remember getting AA & AAA games on PS+ for PS3 and PS4 more often than not whereas now Sony doesn’t appear to be upping their gaming quality to justify the PS+ price increase.

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 497

michaelf

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage for the most part. Had an hour or so last night and seems decent so far. Also had a handful of Evercade games pop thru the post too, so will be playing the Sunsoft and Delphine collections too.

Will find some time for No Man’s Sky too, which has been sat on my ‘to download’ list for a good while but took the plunge on PS5 a couple of weeks ago and I’m very happy wandering around, doing random stuff and occasionally progressing the story, such as it is!

Re: Delete PlayStation Account Search Traffic Rockets Following Alleged Security Breach

michaelf

@themightyant absolutely. I agree with everything that you're saying. I have to deal with this type of event as my day job, and if there is no investigations, due diligence carried out to confirm what is being said, then I'd not be doing my job.

In this particular instance, I'd be not taking the Hacker's "proof" as gospel whatsoever, however I would be having my Cyber Team carrying out forensic work and reviewing logs et al to determine if there's any shred of evidence in their claim.

Re: Delete PlayStation Account Search Traffic Rockets Following Alleged Security Breach

michaelf

@themightyant exactly and if there has been anyone affected, they need to be informed, again, as promptly as possible. As a DPO, this is one of the 'worst' parts of my job.

But it needs to to happen, so the data subjects can reasonably respond to the information as quickly as possible.

We are still none the wiser if there has been any confirmed breach and if Sony are keeping silent when they know otherwise, without informing any affected data subjects, then that's not good. Especially if this has the potential to affect people across multiple countries.