Tag: Sony - Page 101
News PS5 Pre-Orders Took 20 Minutes to Sell Out in China
Here we go again
It took just 20 minutes for PlayStation 5 pre-orders to sell out in China, with the system slated for a 15th May release. Sony confirmed the date during a livestream earlier this week, which also saw confirmation of domestically developed character action title Lost Soul Aside for the next-gen console. Launch window titles will...
News Housemarque Provides an Overview of Returnal in 30-Minute Gameplay Video
Developer deep dive
Returnal releases today exclusively on PlayStation 5, and we think it's a belter. The addictive arcade shooter seems to have made a big impression across the board, but if you need more convincing, perhaps this video will give you a better idea. In this new gameplay presentation, developer Housemarque discusses the game's basics...
Gallery Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Drops Jaws in New PS5 Screenshots
Magic
Is it the best-looking game ever made? It’s sure as hell up there! A trio of new Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart screenshots have been released to coincide with the latest gameplay footage, and they’re going to leave you slack-jawed, we’re sure. To be honest, we’re running out of superlatives to describe this game, but if
News Returnal's Day One Patch Is 10GB, Improves Performance, Fixes Bugs, and More
Ship shape
Returnal is on the brink of release on PlayStation 5, and the good news is it's an excellent arcade shooter. Housemarque's latest is its biggest game by far, and it combines the studio's arcade expertise with a third person perspective and rogue-like elements to great effect. For our review, we played the game without the day one patch,...
News Explore Open Expanses, Ride Dragons in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PS5
Interdimensional Clank puzzles, too
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will seemingly revisit an old idea from PlayStation 3 spin-off Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus, as it will feature small sandbox levels for you to explore. Those of you who played the last-last-gen swansong will recall one level that you were free to traverse with a jetpack; a...
News Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Is Just Unbelievably Good Looking in Extended PS5 Gameplay
A rift apart
As promised, PlayStation dropped over 15 minutes of new Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart gameplay in its latest State of Play broadcast. To be frank, the upcoming PS5 exclusive looks utterly ridiculous. The visual fidelity on display here is truly absurd at times, to the point where we almost can't believe what we're looking at. The...
Live Watch Sony PlayStation's State of Play Livestream Right Here (29th April, 2021)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart stars in gameplay blowout
The second State of Play of 2021 has a very specific focus: Insomniac Games’ upcoming PlayStation 5 adventure Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. We’ll be treated to around 15 minutes of gameplay during the broadcast, but newcomer Rivet and crew will be bookmarked by updates on a couple of indie...
Random Ghost of Tsushima Helps Gameshow Contestant Answer Question on Japanese History
Get Jin
Here's a fun story for you: UK gameshow The Chase recently featured a trivia question on Japanese history. A contestant was asked: "The term 'kamikaze' or 'divine wind' comes from the typhoon that saved Japan from invasion in 1281 by which ruler?" Three answers were presented: Tamburlaine, Ivan the Terrible, or Kublai Khan. A potentially...
News Sony on PS5 Stock: Don't Expect a 'Drastic' Supply Increase This Year
Stock will be limited for some time yet
PlayStation 5 stock shortages have been an issue for Sony ever since the console launched last November. The coronavirus pandemic impacted the company's production line significantly, with limited components and shipping limitations both playing a part. We're now over five months removed from the PS5's...
News Housemarque Thanks Sony for Supporting the 'Very Risky' Returnal
"We are forever grateful"
There was a time when Housemarque’s future looked uncertain. Having designed some of PlayStation’s most memorable games, disappointing Nex Machina sales prompted the studio to declare #ArcadeIsDead. You may recall, the Finnish team turned its attention to Battle Royale title Stormdivers, but it was quietly pitching...
Review Returnal (PS5) - Housemarque's Deep, Dark Shooter Is a PS5 Must Have
Selene Die On
Returnal is a much, much bigger game than you think it is. For all the noise surrounding the game's price point, Housemarque has produced its largest, most ambitious project by a country mile. This isn't a small scale title with a premium cost; the studio has made something on a whole new level. There's an awful lot of game here, and...
News Nioh Series Sales Cut Through Five Million Units
Samurai smash
Nioh’s series sales have now surpassed five million units across PlayStation 5, PS4, and PC, with digital sales of Nioh 2 now topping two million units alone. The original Nioh launched in 2017 on PS4, before being ported to PC, and was subsequently followed by a sequel in 2020. Both games were then remastered for PS5 this year...
News Digital Dominates Physical As Pandemic Pushes Consumers to PS Store
Boxed out
The transition from physical software sales to digital downloads has happened quickly to say the least, but last year’s pandemic pushed more consumers than ever towards the PS Store. Of the 338.9 million PlayStation 5 and PS4 games sold during the fiscal year ending 31st March, 2021, an incredible 220 million were downloaded. That means...
News Destruction AllStars Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Season 1 on PS5
Hotshots
Destruction AllStars’ enormous Season 1 update will get underway starting next month, with developer Lucid Games rolling out the red carpet for a ton of new content. As previously announced, Hotshots will see the addition of a new AllStar, mode, and a ton of cosmetics as part of a Battle Pass-style unlock ladder. The new AllStar is named...
News PS Plus Subscriber Count Increases to 47.6 Million
Up 200,000 since February
As Sony's PlayStation Plus service goes from strength to strength, so too does the number of users subscribed. 47.6 million is the latest statistic come the end of fiscal year 2020, which is an increase of 6.1 million compared to Q4 of fiscal year 2019. The service has gained 200,000 further memberships in the space of two...
News Sony Sold 58.4 Million PS5, PS4 Exclusives Last Year
17 per cent of all software sales were first-party
Exclusives matter. During its latest financial report for the business year ending 31st March, 2021, Sony sold an eye-watering 58.4 million first-party games on PlayStation 5 and PS4. That’s a significant 17 per cent of the total 338.9 million games sold for its systems during the aforementioned...
News Returnal's Ready for Release with Intriguing PS5 Launch Trailer
Over and over
Here it is, then: the last Returnal trailer before launch. This one mixes mysterious cinematics with some breakneck gameplay clips – crikey do some of these enemies look awesome! Housemarque’s blockbuster PlayStation 5 exclusive will launch this week, and we’ve got a review incoming imminently. In the meantime, you can check out...
News Sony Set to Invest Even More Money in PlayStation Exclusive Games This Year
PlayStation Studios presents
Sony already pumps a huge amount of money into its first-party efforts, with its PlayStation Studios now producing more expensive games than ever before. But the Japanese giant isn't backing down on its commitment to exclusive software. During its latest investor call, Sony revealed that it's set to invest an additional...
News PS4 Has Sold More Games Than Any Other Console in History
At least 1.577 billion copies out there
Here's a pretty incredible statistic for you: Sony has sold more PlayStation 4 games than any other console in history. At least 1.577 billion copies of PS4 titles have been sold to customers since it launched all the way back in late 2013 — a stat that beats the previous record (also held by Sony) of 1.537...
News The Last of Us 3 Story Outline Has Been Written, Says Neil Druckmann
But it's not in development yet
Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann has confirmed during an episode of the Script Apart podcast that he and co-writer Halley Gross have completed work on a story outline to a sequel to The Last of Us: Part II. When asked about the possibility of a follow-up to Ellie and Abby's journey through Seattle and beyond,...
News PS Store Golden Week Sale Features Over 700 PS5, PS4 Deals
NieR! Persona 5 Royal! Balan Wonderworld?
With the PlayStation Store Spring sale about to shut its door, the time has come for a new line-up of discounts to take its place. The digital marketplace has now welcomed in the Golden Week sale, which actually lasts longer than seven days. It'll stick around until 12th May 2021, and all of the deals listed...
News PS5 Console Sales Reach 7.8 Million, Beating PS4's Record
New records for revenue, PS Store too
Sony's PlayStation 5 console has now sold 7.8 million units as of 31st March 2021, meaning it has beaten the PS4's previous record for hardware sales during a console's first fiscal year on the market. It managed to sell 7.6 million systems to consumers during that same time frame. Demand for the console has...
News PSN Slowly Coming Back Online Following Widespread Outage
Phew
Update: The PlayStation Network is slowly coming back to life following an outage that lasted around two hours or so. Just about everything went offline, with users unable to sign in, access online features, or play online games. Hopefully that's the end of that. Original Story: The PlayStation Network is having difficulties, it seems...
News Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Trailer Trends on YouTube with 1.1 Million Views
Riveting
Two weeks ago there was a ton of chatter about Sony’s overemphasis on blockbusters, but to be honest the platform holder has put the media in its place. A round of superlative previews for offbeat sci-fi roguelite Returnal has elevated the status of that release to astronomical levels, and now a
News Next PS5 Firmware Update Available to Download Now
But don't get too excited
Sony has today deployed a surprise PlayStation 5 firmware update, bringing the OS up to version 21.01-30.10.00. It's a bit of a mouthful and weighs in at 902.3MB, so the patch won't keep you away from your games for too long. However, what does this latest update do? It's nowhere near as important as the previous firmware...
News Official PlayStation App Racks Up 100 Million Installs on Mobile Devices
Through the Play Store alone
Sony's official PlayStation App has cracked 100 million installs on mobile devices — and that's through Google's Play Store alone. It's an impressive number which has no doubt been bolstered by the popularity of the PS5, which launched back in November. For the sake of context, the PS4 has sold around 115 million...
News This Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Loading Transition Is a Reminder of What PS5 Can Do
SSD! SSD! SSD!
The latest Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart trailer was a little lighter on loading gimmicks than its previous gameplay reveals, but Insomniac Games snuck in some SSD magic which you may have missed. One GIF shared on the ResetEra forums shows Rivet rushing towards a crystal, which she hits in order to transition to another dimension...
News Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's Rivet Is Voiced by Jennifer Hale
Female Shepard takes the role
After getting us acquainted with the new female Lombax in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, developer Insomniac Games has revealed that the new character is being voiced by Jennifer Hale. Perhaps best known for her work as the female Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect trilogy, the prolific voice actor lends her vocals...
News PS Plus Video Pass Trailer Showcases Perk for Polish Members
On demand
Sony has announced and launched PS Plus Video Pass – but it’s only available in Poland for the time being. The company has said that it’s “testing” the on-demand video service while it decides whether to roll it out worldwide. Thus far, the perk allows members to stream movies like Jumanji and Venom on demand at no added cost. A...
News Free Days Gone PS4 Dynamic Theme Available for One Day Only
The Old Sawmill
Itching to show your support for Days Gone after its sequel was scrapped during the pitching phase? You're in luck then because Sony Bend is giving away a PlayStation 4 dynamic theme for free, but you've only got one day to claim it. The Old Sawmill theme is yours to keep using the codes listed below, and you can check out what it...
News Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Stars in New State of Play This Week
More than 15 minutes of gameplay plus two indie titles
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the star of a new State of Play, which will stream live on Thursday at 2PM PT / 10PM BST. Sony has announced that the livestream will feature more than 15 minutes of gameplay from the upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive platformer, in addition to “updates on a...
News Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Gameplay Trailer Looks Simply Sublime
The name's Rivet
Phwoar, get a load of this new trailer for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. The PlayStation 5 exclusive is hurtling towards its release date of 11th June 2021, which means it's time for much more gameplay footage. Insomniac Games also uses the trailer as an opportunity to reveal the name of the mysterious female Lombax. It's Rivet!...
News Industrious PlayStation Fans Restore Old Web PS Store
Still alive
Once upon a time, Sony announced plans to close the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita storefronts, and while it had already replaced the old web-based PS Store, it blocked it off for good. Now the company has reversed its decision
News MLB The Show 21's Double XP Extended As Servers Drop the Ball
Unhandled server exception occurred
Sony San Diego’s baseball simulation series is notorious for its launch week server woes, but a bigger-than-ever player pool means that MLB The Show 21 is really dropping the ball right now. Server timeouts are frequent, leading to lost progress in both online and offline modes. The most common error that occurs...
News Even Returnal's Fast Travel Animation Is Impressive
Hardly any load times either
It really feels like the conversation surrounding Returnal has changed drastically ever since media outlets, including our lovely selves, shared hands on impressions based on the game's first two biomes. What once was a lot of chatter about its price has now become a discussion about how good it looks as we near launch...
News Dreams Central Is Surely the Most Ambitious Dreams Project Yet
An online social space
Whether or not the latest round of PlayStation Home speculation results in the return of Sony’s virtual world, a group of Dreams developers are hoping to revive the idea within Media Molecule’s creation engine. Dreams Central, an upcoming fan project, is wildly ambitious – pledging a social space for release in 2022. As...
News PlayStation Home Trademark Renewal Has Fans Dreaming
But don't get your hopes up
It's now been more than six years since PlayStation Home shut its doors, an online PS3 experience where you could meet other real-life players, take part in activities together, and just sort of hang out. Think of it as a knock-off Second Life and you're along the right tracks, but the whole thing certainly had a unique...
Poll Will You Be Buying Returnal?
Let's do the time warp again
With exactly one week to go until the arrival of the PlayStation 5's first big exclusive title since launch, it's time to answer the all-important question: will you be buying Returnal? To give you a better idea of what to expect from Housemarque's latest rogue-like experience, we recommend you first check out our Hands...
News Destruction AllStars' Photo Mode in Polishing Phase, AllStar Pass Coming Soon
Wreck it
Destruction AllStars continues to chug along since leaving PS Plus earlier in the month, and developer Lucid Games is lining up some pretty major updates in the near future. This all starts with single player Photo Mode, which will enable you to capture the most chaotic moments from the game. According to a Reddit blog post, this is in the...
News PlayStation Absolutely Dominates the DICE Awards
Ghost of Tsushima with four gongs
There are concerns about PlayStation’s first-party output in enthusiast circles, but in the real-world Sony continues to dominate awards ceremonies. The DICE Awards – which are considered the Oscars of the games industry – granted an incredible eight gongs to internally developed titles, with timed exclusive...
News Returnal PS5 Pre-Load Available Now, Weighs in at 56GB
Atropos awaits
If pre-release trailers and coverage have done enough to convince you to pre-order Returnal, you can get ahead of the game by pre-loading the PlayStation 5 exclusive right now. Of course, you must have pre-ordered on the PS Store to enable this functionality, but those who haven't yet still have the option to do so between now and the...
News PlayStation China to Host Press Conference Next Week
China Hero Project titles to feature
Sony will host a press conference in China next week, with China Hero Project titles likely to appear. The platform holder confirmed that the online showcase will debut on 29th April at 11AM CST, which is 8PM PT (28th April) and 4AM BST. You’ll be able to watch the broadcast live on various platforms, including...
News Returnal Runs at 60 FPS in Dynamic 4K with Raytraced Lighting on PS5
A showpiece
Returnal is a stunner in motion, and a new PlayStation.com promotional piece attaches some specifications to the visual splendour. As we confirmed in our hands on, the release is running at 60 frames-per-second in dynamic 4K – but it’s also using the PlayStation 5’s raytracing technology to bump up the li
News PS5's Cloud Strategy Will Be Announced in Time, But Will Be Uniquely PlayStation
An update on Sony and Microsoft's ongoing discussions
Sony and Microsoft may be considered arch-enemies in the console space, but as many of you may remember, the companies are actually collaborating on cloud gaming. It’s been a while since we got an update on what the two juggernauts are discussing and how PlayStation intends to leverage the...
News Sony's Goal for Next-Gen PSVR Is to Provide a 'High Gaming Experience'
Jim Ryan says potential market is huge
We know it was 4/20 earlier in the week, but we don’t think Sony boss Jim Ryan is referring to substances that you may or may not smoke when describing his company’s next-gen PSVR device. Speaking with Japanese publication Nikkei overnight, he hinted that the potential market for virtual reality is huge –...
News PS Now to Sharpen Up with 1080p Streaming Support
Gradually rolling out worldwide
You’ll be able to stream compatible titles at 1080p with PlayStation Now starting this week, depending on your territory. Sony’s said that moving forward it will support higher resolution streaming on its subscription service, improving the overall image quality in titles that output at full high-definition or...
The state of play
Sony and PlayStation Studios are often criticised for their "samey" video games. The argument goes that titles like God of War, The Last of Us: Part II, and Ghost of Tsushima — three defining exclusives of the PS4 generation — are all too similar to one another. However, we've never really understood this mindset. Yes, they're...
News Sony Partners with Veteran AAA Developers at Firewalk Studios to Create New Multiplayer Game
Ex-Destiny, Bioshock, and Mass Effect devs
Some potentially big news: Sony has signed a publishing partnership deal with Firewalk Studios (alongside parent company ProbablyMonsters), and together, they're are developing a brand new multiplayer property. It's fairly safe to assume that it'll be a PlayStation 5 game. Founded in 2018, Firewalk Studios...
Sony in "testing" phase
After something called PlayStation Plus Video Pass was leaked yesterday, Sony has confirmed to Polish website Spider's Web (as reported by VGC) that the service expansion is real. However, for the time being, it's only being tested in Poland. So what's the deal? Well, starting today, PlayStation Plus Video Pass allows PS...
News Sony Sponsors Asobu, a Community Hub for Japanese Indies
Well, that changes the narrative
Depending on which Twitter accounts you follow, Sony is stepping away from indie developers and has turned its back on the Japanese development scene. The company’s official sponsorship of Asobu is presumably just a ruse, then – this doesn’t fit the narrative at all, does it? For those who don’t know –...
