Items tagged with ps5
Late last week, Sony released long-awaited beta software that allows PlayStation 5 gamers to take advantage of the empty M.2 slot in their consoles to expand storage with an off-the-shelf PCI 4.0 SSD. The PlayStation 5 comes standard with a non-replaceable 825GB SSD, but it can quickly fill up with games, making further expansion a necessity as more high-profile games come to market. Now that more PlayStation 5 users are installing the beta software, they're sharing their experience on how performance is shaping up compared to the default SSD. One such user is Redditor DanCTapirson, who decided to test Samsung's impressive 980 Pro PCIe 4.0 SSD. The 980 Pro is rated for up to 7,000 MB/sec sequential...
Read more...
One of the best features of Sony's PlayStation 5 is the ability to upgrade the console's internal storage via an empty M.2 PCIe 4.0 slot. Unlike the Xbox Series X, which uses a proprietary port for expanding storage, the PlayStation 5 can use off-the-shelf SSDs if they meet Sony's minimum performance requirements. The only problem up until today is that Sony hadn't yet enabled the feature. But now, there's a new beta BIOS available to customers, which allows them to plug in their own SSDs to expand beyond the standard 825GB SSD that comes with the console. To gain access to PlayStation 5 System Software Beta, we suggest that you check out this previous article. Once you are enrolled, you'll want...
Read more...
The current generation console race kicked off back in November 2020 with the launch of the PlayStation 5/PlayStation 5 Digital Edition and Xbox Series X/Xbox Series S. The PlayStation 5 jumped out to an early lead, and Sony today confirmed that the console has racked up 10 million sales since launch. That's an impressive feat for Sony, and makes the PlayStation 5 its the fastest-selling console in history, outpacing even its overachieving PlayStation 4 predecessor. What's more shocking is that Sony was able to achieve this even though the consoles are supply-constrained. As a result, demand for the console remains incredibly strong, with quick sellouts whenever they are available online or in-store....
Read more...
Sony today announced a new promotion that gives PlayStation 5 owners six months free of the Apple TV+ streaming service. Apple is really pushing its service and expanding its availability to more platforms as it seeks to compete with popular entrenched players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. If you currently own a PlayStation 5, you have from now until July 22nd, 2022 to redeem the Sony offer. The trial lasts for six months, after which the plan renews at the cost of $4.99 per month (until you decide to cancel it). Unlike typical offers, this "extended trial" is also available for those currently taking part in a free trial for Apple TV+. In that case, this new offer will tack...
Read more...
The console war between Microsoft and Sony is currently in a new generation, with the Xbox Series X/Xbox Series S battling it out against the PlayStation 5/PlayStation 5 Digital Edition. However, the consoles are broadly similar concerning internal hardware, with each sporting an AMD Zen 2-based Ryzen processor coupled with an RDNA 2 GPU. But there's one PlayStation 5 hardware accessory that Xbox chief Phil Spencer seemingly wants for the Xbox family: DualSense. The DualSense controller uses haptic feedback instead of rumble for a more realistic "tactile" sensation while gaming. In addition, the adaptive triggers can have varying resistance based on actions taking place on-screen. Unfortunately,...
Read more...
It has been a tough slog to lay hands on the latest consoles from Microsoft and Sony. While the Xbox Series S can often be found online during "console drops" without much trouble, there's always a mad rush to obtain the more powerful Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. GameStop, however, is looking to take advantage of this incredible demand for the consoles and leverage the desperateness of some gamers to obtain one. This week, the company announced that its PowerUp Rewards Pro members would receive priority access to Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5. While the standard PowerUp Rewards program is free for anyone to join, the "Pro" tier costs $14.99/year. PowerUp Rewards members began receiving...
Read more...
If you're one of the lucky gamers out there with a PlayStation 5 hooked up to your big-screen TV, we've got even more good news for you. Sony just announced that it would launch its first-ever beta program for PlayStation 5 software updates. Microsoft has long offered its Xbox Insider Program for console gamers, so we're surprised that it took Sony this long to jump on the bandwagon. Such programs give gamers early access to upcoming software features and companies like Microsoft and Sony a larger pool of "test subjects" to pinpoint potential bugs and incompatibilities. According to Sony, PlayStation 5 gamers selected for the beta can "test new console features before the next major system update...
Read more...
The PlayStation 5 has barely been on the market for six months, but Sony is already projecting a considerable milestone for its hot-selling game console. The company shared a presentation with investors this week in which it talked about the sales performance of the PlayStation 5 compared to its predecessor, among other things. However, the most exciting revelation is that Sony forecasts that the standard edition of the PlayStation (the $499 version with a Blu-ray drive) will reach the break-even point next month. That's an incredibly short time on the market for Sony to break even with such a high-performance console. The PlayStation 5 packs in an AMD Zen 2/RDNA 2 APU, 16GB of GDDR6 memory,...
Read more...
We now have an official launch date for the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 remasters of Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5). Rockstar announced this morning in a blog that the remaster will arrive on November 11th, which is nearly six months away. While GTA 5 runs and still looks good on the newest consoles (if you can get one), there’s still plenty of room for improvement to take advantage of the hardware capabilities of these Ryzen 3000/RDNA 2-fueled gaming beasts. To that end, Take-Two boss Stauss Zelnick explained in early March that making a simple port just isn’t in Rockstar’s DNA when it comes to games. “We’ve done [remastering] differently than the competition...
Read more...
On this episode of HotHardware's Two And A Half Geeks, Dave, Marco and Chris run down some of this past week's interesting tech news and discuss our in-house research results regarding how many CPU cores you need for a great gaming experience. We'll also give details on our latest AMAZING gaming PC GIVEAWAY in collaboration with Falcon Northwest, AMD and Bungie... Show Notes: 01:30 - Happy Birthday to Dave! 06:02 - Intel 11th Gen Core H45 Tiger Lake-H CPUs Launch To Push Laptop Performance Envelope 13:51 - Sony's PlayStation 5 Refresh Reportedly On Track With 6nm AMD Ryzen SoC 17:41 - Data Breach Exposes Fake Amazon Reviews Scam Implicating Thousands Of Unethical Behavior 23:42 - AMD EPYC Server...
Read more...
The PlayStation 5, like previous generations before it, has been a runaway sales success for Sony. The console launched to good overall reviews, and gamers have been very eager to get their hands on the console to unwind during COVID-19 lockdowns. A perfect storm of chip shortages and incredible demand means that even six months after the console's launch, the consoles are still hard to find through retail channels and regularly sell for hundreds over MSRP on third-party marketplaces. However, Sony is reportedly well along in the development of future iterations of the PlayStation 5. The current console uses a custom AMD SoC that combines a Ryzen 3000-class, 8-core/16-thread CPU with a Radeon...
Read more...
Given the difficulty in finding a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S in stock, you have time to decide which one is the right game console for you. One of the factors that could play a role in that decision is what the exclusive game landscape looks like. Not every game gets released on every platform, and Sony's goal is to release more exclusive games on PS5 than any previous PlayStation console. As part of that effort, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) CEO Jim Ryan said the company has been "steadily investing" in first-party software for the PS5, but has not been making a lot of noise about it. "We have been quietly but steadily investing in high-quality games for PlayStation, and we will...
Read more...
It has been around five months since the PlayStation 5 came out, and for those who have been lucky enough to acquire one—the PS5 is in short supply, like the Xbox Series X/S and various PC hardware—Sony is now readying its first major system software update. With it comes expanded storage compatibility. More specifically, the update enables storing PS5 games on external USB drives, essentially giving players a way to expand their console's built-in storage allotment. After applying the update, PS5 owners will be able to transfer games from the console's internal solid state drive (SSD) over to an external storage device, or the other way around. Sony also notes that is faster to reinstall...
Read more...
Many people didn't know what to think of Xbox Game Pass when it initially launched for the Xbox One back in 2017, but it has grown to become a formidable and "sticky" feature for Microsoft's game consoles. For $9.99 per month (or $14.99 per month with Xbox Live Gold included), you get access to an ever-expanding library of 100+ games that can be played on your console or even streamed to your Android device. On the other hand, Sony has PlayStation Now and gives gamers access to over 700 video games streamable to your PlayStation console or PC. However, new PlayStation games don't launch on the service; you're reliant on your internet connection for the best streaming experience (since not all...
Read more...
Tomorrow starts a new month, which means that there will be a new crop of freebie games to download for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Although it will be April 1st, there is no fooling around when it comes to what Sony has in store for gamers. Kicking things off this month on the free list is Oddworld: Soulstorm. Interestingly, while the game will be playable on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles, only the PlayStation 5 version is free during April. So, if you're one of the lucky few that has been able to secure the next-gen console, enjoy it while it lasts. Oddworld: Soulstorm is a direct successor to Oddworld: New 'N' Tasty, released in 2014. The actual series dates back to 1997 with...
Read more...
A week ago, we brought you news from an incredibly reliable tipster that the PlayStation 5 would be in stock on Thursday morning. And sure enough, Target had a significant amount of PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition consoles that were available for in-store pickup if you were lucky. That same tipster, Jake Randall, has now confirmed when the next significant PlayStation 5 drop will occur. Randall teased the Amazon drop last week, and today he affirms that it will happen this Thursday (March 18th). The online retail giant will have a total of 46,000 consoles available to purchase, split between 18,000 PlayStation 5 Digital Edition and 28,000 PlayStation 5 consoles. Randall...
Read more...
If you've been trying to score a PlayStation 5 since launch but have struck out at every possible opportunity, we've got some good news for you. It appears that Target is getting ready for a big console drop this later this week, so you're going to want to be on your toes in the early morning hours. According to console tracker Jake Randall, Target stores nationwide are starting to receive inventory for both the standard PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition. For those that don't know, Randall has been on the money in recent weeks (and months) with PlayStation 5 availability, specifically from Target. So, when he says he has inside info, we listen. Randall notes that based on the...
Read more...
Sony's PlayStation 5 launched back in mid-November with two configurations: the standard PlayStation 5 with a Blu-ray drive and the disc-less PlayStation 5 Digital Edition. No matter which you select, you'll get an 825GB SSD with just 667GB leftover for your games and other data you wish to store. Some people saw this as a liability compared to the Xbox Series X, which comes with a slightly larger 1TB SSD (802GB useable), but Sony has one critical advantage. The PlayStation 5 can expand its storage via an open M.2 slot inside the console, and better yet, it can use a garden variety PCIe 4.0 SSD. However, Sony didn't enable this functionality at launch and has been mum about the timeline for allowing...
Read more...
While it was never going to a launch title for the PlayStation 5, development studio Polyphony Digital had every intention of wrapping up work on Gran Turismo 7 this year for a 2021 release by publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment. That is no longer going to happen. Covid-19 has thrown a wrench into those plans, causing the highly anticipated game to be delayed until sometime next year. The latest installment in the popular racing simulation series was formally introduced last year during the PS5 reveal event. A launch video showcased the game'ss high resolution graphics with real-time ray tracing effects, and even teased onlookers with some footage of actual gameplay on the PS5. If you missed...
Read more...
In 2016, PlayStation launched PlayStation VR, bringing virtual reality into many gamers' homes. Since then, Oculus and Valve have come out with new headsets, overall technology has improved, and the PlayStation 5 is now the "must have" console for gamers. Over four years later, Sony is announcing the next generation of PlayStation VR for the PS5, likely arriving next year. Hideaki Nishino, Senior Vice President, Platform Planning & Management for PlayStation, made a blog post today expressing his excitement for the future of VR with the PS5. He explained that once the headset is released, it will enable "the ultimate entertainment experience with dramatic leaps in performance and interactivity."...
Read more...
Earlier this month, we talked about a class-action lawsuit that was being formulated against Sony's PlayStation 5 DualSense controller. Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP, the law firm that sparked the lawsuit, alleged that the Dual Sense controllers were prone to joystick drift, which means that the controllers "will automatically register movement when the joystick is not being controlled and interfere with gameplay." Now, the teardown experts at iFixit have revisited the DualSense controller following this new legal action to see what's going on under the surface. Most importantly, iFixit describes that the basic joystick mechanism has not been updated with this next-generation...
Read more...
The latest generation game consoles from Microsoft and Sony lean heavily on PC hardware, and that includes the core components—both sport a custom system-on-chip by AMD comprised of Zen 2 CPU cores paired with RDNA 2 GPU cores, to enable ray-traced visuals and gameplay at up to 4K. There are some key differences, though, between the custom chips and their PC brethren. Some of those differences are visible in a set of detailed die shots of the PlayStation 5's SoC. Let's talk about the core specifications before getting to the die shots. The PS5 is an impressive console kit featuring an 8-core Zen 2 CPU sporting a variable clock speed up to 3.5GHz. On the graphics side, 36 compute units based...
Read more...
