Items tagged with Sony
Sony's PlayStation 5 made its big debut yesterday, and the results were definitely mixed with regards to its design. The console's design is definitely more "out there" than the now seemingly quaint Xbox Series X, and has drawn a lot of criticism in the process. The console has a central strip that is black, which is flanked by white "wings" that curve outward at the top. The design has been likened from everything to the original Nintendo Wii attempting to cosplay as Batman to a modern interpretation of the original Xbox 360 (the RRoD-prone one). Gathered below are some of our favorite social "burns" of the PlayStation 5 that have rolled through since the console was officially unveiled:...
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After months of looking at leaked PlayStation 5 dev boxes and speculative renders based on that design, we’re finally locking eyes on the production console. And thankfully, it looks nothing that spaceship-esque designs that we’ve previously witnessed. The PlayStation 5 has a very organic shape with a black center core that flanked by curved white sides that fan out. It’s definitely “different”, and is a more interesting design choice than Microsoft’s tall, monolith-like Xbox Series X. Like that console, Sony allows you to place the PlayStation 5 either horizontally or vertically depending on your preference (or space constraints)....
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We have many questions about Sony's upcoming PlayStation 5 game console, as we are sure you do as well. How much will it cost? What hardware features have not yet been announced? When exactly will it launch? The list goes on, and hopefully Sony will answer at least some of them today during a pre-recorded event. More than likely, however, we will mostly (if not entirely) get a look at some upcoming games, and hopefully with actual gameplay footage (as opposed to cinematic trailers). "There are few things as exciting as the launch of a new console. While this road to launch has been a bit…different, we are as thrilled as ever to bring you with us on this journey to redefine the future of...
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No great video game would be complete without a memorable soundtrack and the highly anticipated The Last of Us Part II will be no exception. The Last of Us Part II will feature Pearl Jam’s song “Future Days.” The song will be used several times throughout the game to highlight the relationship between Joel and Ellie. Pearl Jam’s “Future Days” was initially released as part of their 2013 album Lightning Bolt. The lyrics focus on a deep, personal relationship. The chorus of the song says, “I believe/ And I believe 'cause I can see/ Our future days/ Days of you and me.” Developers Naughty Dog have argued that this song is important to the narrative...
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Next generation game consoles will bring significant upgrades in power and capabilities over their predecessors, potentially paving the way for a true generational leap in gaming. But is there a bottleneck in the equation? If there is, it will not be the storage, which is getting a long overdue bump to a solid state drive, but perhaps the display. Matt Hargett, one of the engineers who worked on the PlayStation 5 has been revealing little tidbits here and there on Twitter. For example, in April he posted a tweet saying, "Many, many things haven't shown up in leaks. There are plenty of secrets that are being well kept. :)" Then yesterday, Hargett explained why some upcoming games for the PlayStation...
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Sony had originally planned to discuss “The Future of Gaming” on the PlayStation 4 on June 4th, but widespread demonstrations and unrest resulting from the death of George Floyd postponed those plans. Before the June 4th event was scheduled to take place, Sony released the following statement: While we understand gamers worldwide are excited to see PS5 games, we do not feel that right now is the time for a celebration and for now, we want to stand back and allows more important voices to be heard. For those that have been eager to see what Sony has in store, the wait won’t be long at all. In fact, Sony has penciled in June 11th for its rescheduled event, which amounts...
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Gaming has taken on a new importance during the COVID-19 pandemic as people have sought out an “escape” from the dire news that has been broadcast over the airways for the past few months. Well, if you’re a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One gamer, we’ve got a few good deals for you today that will help you save money on some popular subscription services. Starting off with the Sony camp, Amazon is discounting both its PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now subscriptions by 30 percent, taking them from $60 per year to just $42 per year each. PlayStation Now is what enables multiplayer functionality for PlayStation 4 games, and gives you access to free games each month....
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If you were a fan of Sony’s WH-1000XM3 headphones, then you’ll be happy to know that its successor is right around the corner. In fact, we know that it’s coming soon as none other than retail giant Walmart has leaked its existence via its online shopping portal. The headphones are obviously called the WH-1000XM4, and they’re listed with an asking price of $348, which is the same price as the current-generation headphones. From a design and features standpoint, the newer model hones closely to its predecessor. But as you might expect, there are a few new standout features that might be worth the upgrade for audiophiles. For starters, the XM4’s offer the ability...
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Sony is still planning to launch its next-generation PlayStation 5 console later this year (likely in November or December), despite the challenges associated with COVID-19. The question then becomes, how much will it cost? Sony CEO Jim Ryan offered up some interesting remarks on the PS5's pricing, while stopping short of committing to a specific cost. Pricing will be a big factor in the PS5 is received, along with Microsoft's competing Xbox Series X. Both consoles enter the next-gen fray with custom AMD silicon consisting of Zen 2 CPU cores paired with RDNA 2 graphics, with hardware support for real-time ray tracing. They also bring a solid state drive to the mix for much faster storage. It...
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It seems Sony is not messing around with regards to backwards compatibility on its upcoming PlayStation 5 console, which is scheduled to arrive towards the end of the year (holiday 2020, so likely November or December). To ensure as few hiccups as possible, Sony has put the word out to developers that starting July 13, any new PlayStation 4 games must also work on the PS5. Backwards compatibility could be a big selling point, considering how games are available on the PS4. Initially, there was some confusion about how many existing titles would work on the PS5. During a specs reveal, Sony's Mark Cerny the company "recently took a look at the top 100 PS4 titles as ranked by play time, and we're...
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The next-generation console wars have already heated up, and neither the Xbox Series X nor the PlayStation 5 have even launched yet. Microsoft and Sony fans just can’t help but bicker online about console performance, exclusives, and which platform has the best games – and those feuds will extend into the next-generation. To that end, Sony has announced that it will hold an event on June 4th at 4pm EST where it will focus on games for the PlayStation 5. Interestingly enough, Sony doesn’t have a high bar to jump over considering the nearly universally panned Xbox Series X “gameplay” event earlier this month that showed more prerendered gameplay...
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Much of the country remains in [partial] lockdown mode, even as some states start to reopen, and many gamers are still looking for something to do to pass the time. PlayStation gamers who are members of PS Plus have an excellent game being added to the free monthly game lineup for June. Those with a calendar nearby will realize it's not quite June yet, but Sony is dropping Call of Duty: WWII starting today at no cost. Call of Duty: WWII was a popular game in the franchise and will be seen by many as a much better game than Sony offered members in May. The free PS Plus games for May included Cities: Skylines and Farming Simulator 19, leading to some member complaints about the lineup. WWII isn't...
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As smartphone makers are apt to do, Sony is hanging its hat on camera performance with regards to its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 II ("Mark two"). The phone also touts high-end specifications and 5G connectivity. Sony's boldest decision, however, was giving it a $1,199 price tag, a decision it might be back peddling on. That is where pre-order pricing landed, anyway, though any references to a price are now gone from Sony's own product page and the retail listing on B&H Photo. Is this indicative of Sony perhaps having second thoughts and mulling a lower introductory price? Sony is not saying anything, so we will have to wait and see. The phone itself is what you would expect...
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Epic Games is giving us our first real look at its upcoming Unreal Engine 5, and it’s nothing short of spectacular beauty. The company has posted a nearly 10-minute long video of a real-time tech demo that is entitled “Lumen in the Land of Nanite”, along with some great commentary explaining what’s going on in real-time. The title of the game is a reference to two new tools that are featured in Unreal Engine 5: Lumen and Nanite. Lumen refers to a fully dynamic global illumination that allows the scene to react to lighting changes in real-time. Nanite uses what’s called virtualized micropolygon geometry to create incredibly detailed landscapes from “film...
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The coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic has led to production slowdowns for many technology companies, resulting in delayed product launches and poor availability. Gamers and industry analysts have been concerned that Sony and Microsoft might miss their launch windows for their next-generation consoles because of this. However, Sony has confirmed that the PlayStation 5 is on track to launch this holiday season. Sony confirmed the news as part of its fiscal 2019 earnings release this week. Sony noted in its announcement that factors like employees working from home and restrictions on international travel had presented challenges to the testing process and qualification of production lines for the PS5....
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I'm about to show my immaturity here, but one of my favorite recurring segments on Tosh.0 is when the comedian pulls off a stunt that he saw someone else perform in a user video, then declares "I'm better than you, nana nana boo-boo, stick your head in doo-doo." I assuming it's still a recurring segment, anyway (it's been a couple years since I tuned in). Microsoft may as well go ahead and borrow the phrase, because its Xbox Series X has more graphics muscle than Sony's PlayStation 5, and might end up being less expensive as well. To quickly recap the hardware, both next-gen game console are rocking custom AMD silicon based on the company's Zen 2 CPU cores and upcoming RDNA 2 graphics architecture,...
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We already know what Sony's next generation DualSense 5 game controller will look like (see above), but what about the actual PlayStation 5 console that will arrive by the end of the year? Will it sport the same (or similar) futuristic design as the development kits? We'll only know when Sony gives us a proper reveal, and that might be happening very soon. As in, just a few weeks from now. Nothing is confirmed, but there are bits of evidence pointing to a reveal happening in June. Over on the ResetEra forums, GamesBeat reporter Jeffrey Grubb recently said "something is happening June 4," and that it is "next-gen games related." "People are saying Sony could still announced hardware before that...
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There is still another month to go before Sony releases The Last Of Us Part II, the highly anticipated sequel that takes place five years after Ellie and Joel made a dangerous trek across the post-pandemic US and settled in Jackson, Wyoming. Leading up to the launch, Sony finds itself in a fight of its own—to suppress spoilers from a massive leak. It's safe to keep reading because we will refrain from showing any plot reveals or other spoilers contained in the leak. However, we will say that the massive leak contained screenshots and videos, revealing various cutscenes, gameplay, and other elements (like the menus). At the time of this writing, developer Naughty Dog has not commented on...
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Activision has teamed up with Sony Mobile to announce the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship 2020 Tournament. The tournament will kick off on April 30 and Call of Duty: Mobile players ranked veteran or higher in multiplayer will have the chance to compete. Activision and Sony have promised that the tournament will have more than $1 million in total prizes up for grabs. Chris Plummer, vice president of mobile at Activision, said that the tournament is the "next-evolution in our fan-favorite Ranked Play." In the tournament, players will have the opportunity to compete against other players from around the world to win Call of Duty: Mobile esports cosmetics in addition to cash prizes. Coinciding...
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Although Sony still isn't spilling the beans [yet] on the design of its upcoming next-generation PlayStation 5 game console, the company is being rather forthcoming about one of its most important accessories: its wireless controller. In this case, Sony has unveiled DualSense, which is a radical departure in design from past PlayStation game controllers. The controller looks bigger all around, with a more ergonomic fit that would make easer to grasp with your hands; this definitely isn't your father's PlayStation controller. "DualSense has been tested by a wide range of gamers with a variety of hand sizes, in order for us to achieve the comfort level we wanted, with great ergonomics,"...
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Both Sony and Microsoft have next-generation consoles scheduled to come out this year with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X respectively. While both companies have stuck to "Holiday 2020" guidance, some have wondered aloud if the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic would delay the introduction of both consoles. Sony is looking to reassure both skittish gamers and investors that production is on track with the PlayStation 5. While speaking with Bloomberg, Sony confirmed that the coronavirus will have no "notable impact" on the console, and that it is still on track to launch at the end of 2020. If all goes according to plan, the PlayStation 5 will debut roughly seven years after its...
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Sony recently hosted a more in-depth specs reveal for its upcoming PlayStation 5 console, just as Microsoft did with its Xbox Series X, so we now have a better idea of the hardware and features that will make it tick. One question that still remained, however, is how extensive backwards compatibility would be on the PS4. We now have a better idea of that as well, and it's welcome news. When Mark Cerny took to a faux stage in a setting that looked like a Mystery Science Theater 3000 shoot, he stated that Sony "recently took a look at the top 100 PS4 titles as ranked by play time, and we're expecting almost all of them to be playable at launch on PS5." He also noted there are "more than 4,000 games...
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