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Pokemon Go developers team up with Nintendo again for new Pikmin mobile game NintendoNintendo and Niantic have jointly revealed a new partnership that aims to develop new Pokemon Go-style mobile titles, with the first being set in the Pikmin franchise. Following the unprecedented success of Pokemon Go, Nintendo is once again teaming up with Niantic in a big way. The augmented reality (AR) developers are set to create a number of new apps that feature Nintendo’s most iconic characters. The first of these new projects is a mobile game set in the Pikmin franchise. This new entry appears to be familiar to Pokemon Go in that gameplay activities are “designed to encourage walking.” Utilizing Niantic’s AR technology, the upcoming release aims to make walking “more enjoyable” in the same way that the 2016 Pokemon release did for Nintendo fans around the world. What would it be like to have a more fun walking experience surrounded by #Pikmin? In a new mobile app developed by @NianticLabs and Nintendo coming later in 2021, explore the real world and create memories with your Pikmin friends. Pre-register here! https://t.co/2wFI9TjHvz pic.twitter.com/LiPEl15YRZ — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 23, 2021 “We’re looking forward to shaping the future of AR together,” Niantic CEO John Hanke said in the announcement. Together, the gaming juggernauts will bring “beloved game characters to life for mobile players.” While specific details on the first title are scarce, the announcement paints it in a similar light to Pokemon Go. Through the use of AR technology, players will be able to “experience the world as if Pikmin are secretly living around us,” Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto said. “Our mission is to provide people a new experience that’s different from traditional games. We hope that the Pikmin and this app will become a partner in your life.” A single accompanying image in the announcement shows Pikmin out in the real world as a player walks along a footpath. No different from Pokemon Go, venturing outside is a key emphasis for future Nintendo and Niantic projects. Upon Pokemon Go’s release in 2016, it rapidly became a global phenomenon. With more than 500 million downloads in its first year on the market, it quickly shot to the top of the mobile gaming charts. By the end of 2020, the AR title has reportedly grossed more than $6 billion in revenue. Read More: 10 best Pokemon Legendaries of all time – Pikmin is the first focus as part of the collaboration and is set to launch globally in 2021. However, this is just the beginning of a “series of apps” that the two companies will develop. From Mario to Animal Crossing, the possibilities are wide open for future mobile projects. Eager Nintendo fans can register now for early access to the untitled app.

Pokemon Go devs are bringing the next landmark in-person event to Brazil NianticPokemon Go announces plans to bring the biggest in-person event the Latam region has ever had to São Paulo, Brazi, in December 2024. Pokemon Go is committed to growing its community in Brazil, with a brand new in-person event set to take place in São Paulo during December 2024, this upcoming celebration set to be the biggest the country has ever seen. Pokemon Go developer Niantic revealed during its June 28, 2024 conference at Gamescom LATAM that the company is gearing up to host the biggest in-person event it’s ever had in Brazil. The conference was led by Alan Madujano, Head of Operations in LATAM, Eric Araki, Country Manager – Brazil, and Leonardo Willie, Community Manager for Emerging Markets. Throughout the panel, they announced that Brazil will be hosting the biggest in-person event the region has ever seen in São Paulo, the heart of the country. Over the past six months, Brazil and LATAM as a whole have become a major emerging market for Pokemon Go, with the team excited to reward the fans for all their dedication and commitment to the game. “The passion with which the local public embraced our activities throughout the year is a sign that our fans want even more”, began Eric Araki. While Araki couldn’t give away all the details about the upcoming event, he was able to tease that it would “occupy the entire city of São Paulo.” Further adding, “We are working very closely with the Civil House of the City of São Paulo and the SYN Proptech network of shopping centers.” The panelists also revealed new features that will arrive for Brazilian fans in the coming months, Araki further expressed just how big of an event they are planning to bring to Brazilian players in December 2024. “We are sure it will be an unmissable experience, and we invite everyone in the country to celebrate with us!”

Pokemon Go devs announce Monster Hunter NOW augmented reality mobile game NianticThe developers behind Pokemon Go, Niantic, have announced Monster Hunter NOW, an augmented reality game based on the popular Capcom RPG. Monster Hunter is, undoubtedly, one of Capcom’s biggest titles, having largely been in a genre of its own for the past few generations. And now, the IP is getting the augmented reality mobile game treatment, similar to Pokemon. Niantic, the pioneer developer of Pokemon Go, has announced it is developing Monster Hunter NOW. With a number of massive hits already under their belt, Niantic is now undertaking another project, turning Capcom’s iconic franchise into an AR game. The announcement revealed the AR collaboration of Niantic and Capcom will be launching in September 2023, with the closed beta starting on April 25 and free for players to sign up to. So far, the only look into Monster Hunter NOW is a short trailer released by the devs, one that shows an augmented reality dragon in a city, transitioning into mobile gameplay of a squad taking down a Monster. There is no confirmation of what the gameplay will entail, but the game’s website described the title as a “real-world hunting action RPG”. The game will obviously contain augmented reality at its core, perhaps similar to the raiding system of Pokemon Go. But this is not the first mobile Monster Hunter game to be announced. In November 2022, Capcom announced they are working with TiMi studios, the devs behind Pokemon Unite and Call of Duty: Mobile, on developing a game based on the RPG. The game, when announced, also did not have any official footage, but was aiming to “reproduce the hunting actions that define Monster Hunter”. For that untitled game, no release date has yet been announced.

Pokemon Go bug ruins Giratina Raid after player digs too deep NianticOne Pokemon Go player decided to experiment with a known bug during a Giratina raid battle which ended up costing them the battle. Pokemon Go has plenty of known bugs, ranging from strange graphical glitches to UI elements popping up where they’re not supposed to. Unfortunately, some of these glitches can cause some unintended effects, resulting in wasted time and loss of opportunity to catch some rare Pokemon. Now, one player missed out on the chance to catch a Giratina after experimenting with a known glitch during a Raid Battle. Pokemon Go player loses Giratina due to bug Reddit user LoganDoove made a post on TheSilphRoad subreddit with the caption “Pokémon Go pro tip: if you notice a bug in the game, DO NOT keep digging to see how far it goes.” Logan attached a video with the post that showed them engaged in Raid Battle with a Giratina. However, trainers should quickly notice some UI elements that aren’t supposed to be there. Despite being in a Raid Battle, Logan was able to access the main menu and map screen during battle. This is a known bug within the game that usually doesn’t cause any issues provided players ignore it. However, Logan admittedly tried to experiment to see what exactly they could do with the glitch, at first only opening up the Pokemon and Egg menus. Next, they checked to see if they were able to find other Pokemon and Raids nearby. Finally, they decided to open up the map menu. After checking their Research task progress and even accepting a pending Friend Request, the app booted them back to the map screen and completely took them out of the Giratina Raid. Other players in the Reddit thread claimed to have experienced the same glitch, some noted they weren’t bold enough to experiment to the same degree as Logan. Though disappointed they lost out on the opportunity to try and catch Giratina, they did claim they would try to experiment a bit more should the glitch happen again.

Pokemon Go “April Fowl’s day”: How to play Pidgey Pandemonium NianticNiantic has made some (hopefully temporary) changes to Pokemon Go for April Fools, and this year, players will have to deal with an epidemic of Pidgeys. With many games introducing small changes to make playing on April 1st a bit more entertaining, it’s only natural that Pokemon Go followed suit. This isn’t the first time Niantic has added something extra to Pokemon go for April Fools. Last year, they increased the spawn rate of several different types of pokemon, and hid Dittos among them. They then tasked trainers with trying to figure out which pokemon the Dittos had disguised as. This time around, they’re doing something similar with Pidgey, but with a different task in mind for players. Below is your guide to this year’s April Fools in Pokemon Go. What is Pidgey Pandemonium? This year, Niantic has drastically increased the chances of encountering Pidgey. Trainers will also be more likely to find XXS or XXL Pidgeys during this event. There are also new event-themed Research tasks available to complete. Finishing all the tasks while the event is still running will make Pidgey available to encounter. The event runs from 1pm to 7pm (local time) on April 1. In a message to trainers, Niantic said: “Emergency! We have a feathery fiasco on our hands. Over the years, Trainers have transferred Pokémon to Professor Willow’s lab— perhaps too many, as it seems the integrity of the Pidgey pen has been compromised! And now all those transferred Pidgey have flown the coop! “You read that right: there are Pidgey everywhere. EVERYWHERE! “Please help us catch the rogue Pidgey before the pecking order is upended for good!” How to get April Fools Special Research Trainers will also be able to claim Special Research from Professor Willow, who needs help recapturing all the Pidgey. The research can be claimed at any time between 3pm to 11.59pm (local time) on April 1, so you don’t need to worry about different time zones messing the event up for you. For more Pokemon Go guides, check out our strategy on how to beat Giovanni.

Pokemon Go ‘A Mystic Hero’ Special Research reset leaves players furious Shortly after the ‘A Mystic Hero’ event ended, Pokemon Go players reported their progress on certain Special Research tasks had been reset without warning from Niantic. Pokemon Go players were ecstatic to see another limited-edition Lapras form added to the game via the ‘A Mystic Hero’ event. But instead of randomly encountering one in the wild or having to take one down in raids, every player was given the opportunity to catch one via Special Research. Players would only have to complete nine challenges to unlock the costumed Lapras encounter, the first six of which were a breeze. However, the final three took a bit longer for some players to complete. They included landing a number of Excellent throws, evolving numerous Pokemon, and earning candy while walking with your Buddy. While avid players were quick to complete these, some were taking their time with each one. And due to what many players assume is an error, their progress for the third page of the ‘A Mystic Hero’ tasks was wiped, forcing them to start over. ‘A Mystic Hero’ streak broken message in Pokemon Go Late on April 17, after the ‘A Mystic Hero’ ended, players logged on to Pokemon Go and were greeted with a “Streak Broken” popup. This usually appears when players fail a challenge that requires them to complete a number of tasks in a row, whether that be Curveball throws without missing or spinning Pokestops multiple days in a row. But this popup left players confused, as they hadn’t done anything to warrant the message to appear. This prompted them to check their Special Research tasks, where they discovered the progress for the ‘A Mystic Hero’ tasks had been reset. Multiple Dexerto employees confirmed this was the case. Reddit user Present-Ring9425 brought this to the attention of fellow Pokemon Go players, who were furious to their progress had been reset as well. “I’m furious. What a waste of candy for the evolves. I was at 9/10,” one user commented. Another stated, “I was 0.5 km from the final candy for the final task, fml I would’ve been done in 5 minutes.” While Niantic has yet to respond to the reports, they did recently address another issue. According to Niantic, there was an error in the information on the Sustainability Week blog regarding eggs. Instead of event Pokemon hatching from 2km eggs, the blog was meant to state they will hatch from 7km eggs.

New Pokemon TCG set likely called ‘Stellar Miracle’ as trademark found PokemonIt’s been revealed that Pokemon has filed a trademark for Stellar Miracle, referring to the Indigo Disc, which could suggest a brand-new set on the horizon. Datamines have revealed that Pokemon has filed a brand new trademark for Stellar Miracle. Previous new trademarks include Cyber Judge & Wild Force, and, Battle Academy. If Pokemon follows their usual schedule, players will be thrilled to see these sets released as early as March and June 2024. The name refers to the terastalized ‘Stellar’ type form of Pokemon Terapagos, which was released in the Indigo Disc DLC. This means the new trademark could hint at a new set for the popular TCG, and hint at the inclusion of the Stellar-type mechanic. Pokemon TCG to release new set after ‘Stellar Miracle’ trademark filed The trademark name, ‘Stellar Miracle’, refers to the new Stellar type introduced for Terapagos in the Indigo Disc DLC. Terapagos gets a unique form when it Terastalizes into the Stellar type. It also has two unique moves, Tera Blast, and, Tera Starstorm, which become super effective against all other Tera Pokemon and could potentially be added to Pokemon TCG. If the Stellar type is released to the TCG, it may follow a similar mechanic to the Crystal Pokemon from the e-series. These Pokemon changed type to match the type of energy attached to them, for one turn, and could be an interesting addition to the game. The trademarks have been filed under the same terms as trademarks filed for Pokemon sets in the past, suggesting a set is likely on the way. Usually 3-6 months after the trademark is filed, the name goes into use. This could mean the sets will be available by summer 2024. There’s no promise however that the sets will be released, but we’ll keep you updated. In the meantime, For even more tips to become the very best at the Pokemon TCG, be sure to check out our guides below: Best Waifu Cards and Where to Buy Them | Most expensive and rarest Pokemon cards | Best Pokemon cards of all time | Best Rainbow Pokemon cards | Most expensive Charizard cards | How many Pokemon cards are there? | Are Golden Pokemon cards real? Golden cards explained | Most valuable Pokemon Energy cards you can add to your collection | Are Korean Pokemon TCG cards worth investing in? |

Pokemon fans fear price hike after Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leak NintendoPokemon fans fear their favorite series is next in line for a price hike after new leaks from the Nintendo eShop revealed a $69.99 price tag for the upcoming Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The sequel to the critically acclaimed Zelda: Breath of the Wild is set to release on May 13 this year. While the game was hit with a slight delay, we now have official footage to go off so we know a good idea of what to expect from the next Zelda entry, now officially titled Tears of the Kingdom. From the game’s announcement, it’s been available for pre-order for customers with the likes of Amazon, Best Buy, and Gamestop all offering a chance for fans to lock in their physical copy. Previously, those were the only three places players could place pre-orders for the highly anticipated game, with no way to place orders on the Nintendo eStore. It was priced at $59.99, the usual price set for most triple-A games in 2023. But a new leak spilled out on February 7, just hours ahead of the latest Nintendo Direct. This leaked posting in the eShop briefly revealed Nintendo’s plans to sell Tears for the Kingdom for $69.99, $10 dollars more than usual. It was confirmed that the Canadian eStore also had a price increase of $10, mirroring the spike in the US. Of course, Canadian fans pointed out that if the price increase is real, it would mean the Tears of the Kingdom would be over $100 CAD after taxes. Notably, the $69.99 price hike was not for a physical copy, just the digital version. But it has not been confirmed by Nintendo if $69.99 is the actual price or just a formatting error. Naturally, the seemingly imminent price hikes have Pokemon fans worried, as if Tears for the Kingdom does sell well despite the price increase, it could incentivize Nintendo to permanently increase all their newly released games by $10. In fact, this just could be the standard cost for premium Nintendo releases moving forward, pushing their highest-quality games in line with current-gen releases from Microsoft and Sony. Some Pokemon players were quite mad as the Switch still produces arguably inferior graphics to other consoles, with one Twitter user saying: “The Switch isn’t anywhere close to the other consoles, they shouldn’t have the audacity to be doing this.” Another upset Twitter user pointed out that if the leaked price of Tears of the Kingdom is planned, it would be absurd to charge that much for a game “which could technically run on an Xbox 360 and still struggle to hit 30 frames.” We’ll just have to wait and see if this new price point is locked in soon, perhaps even during the upcoming Nintendo Direct on February 8.

Pokemon fans baffled by Sun & Moon character’s new meme status X@TheYisusOneNo, you’re not going crazy. The Pokemon community has become caught up in Hala fever, with the Kahuna from Pokemon Sun & Moon currently the star of dozens (if not more) of Pokemon memes on various social media platforms The big man is popping up in place of Butterfree, is being used in the place of Fire-type Pokemon, and is generally causing mayhem across the board. Plus, it’s making fans laugh in the process, even if it doesn’t make sense at first glance. One person called this out in a post on X, sharing one of the original viral images and asking, “What is happening? Why are Hala memes everywhere?” Why is Hala from Pokemon Sun and Moon going viral? The popularity of these memes comes from accounts that share posts and images repeatedly, knowing they often go viral in the community. As one comment explains, “TLDR people are using Hala to make fun of engagement farming/bait accounts that keep making the same 5 tweets. This was the original thread, it’s absolutely hilarious 10/10 I recommend the read.” The post they shared, which seems like the origin of the meme, said, “Why not use Sinnoh Fire types? We have:” and then two pictures of Hala, which is poking fun at the many memes riffing on this format. This is poking fun at Sinnoh’s lack of Fire-type Pokemon aside from Chimchar. From there, the community took the joke and ran with it, filling the original thread with memes poking fun at these recurring posts, but with an added injection of Hala. As is often the case with the Pokemon community, some talented people have started taking the joke even further, creating custom graphics that include Hala and putting him into some familiar scenarios. One post from creator @TheYisusOne even managed to fit Hala into a scene from Pokemon Battle Revolution, riffed on a popular post about how much better battle animations were back in the Wii game. At the time of writing, the meme doesn’t show signs of slowing down. Considering the Pokemon community’s previous commitment to jokes, this could go on for years. If this throwback has put you in the mood for some classic Pokemon games, check out our guide covering how to get every HM in Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow. Or try catching some classic Pocket Monsters with Pokemon Legends Arceus.

Pokemon fans are just learning about this wild “corny” name pun Game Freak/The Pokemon CompanyThe Pokemon franchise is no stranger to puns, but one particular combination of names creates a food-focused joke and some fans are only just spotting it. The Pokemon franchise already has over 1000 creatures, alongside hundreds of human characters, dozens of place names, and plenty of other things that all have to be called something. With the amount of languages the games are translated into, can you imagine the sheer amount of names out there? It’s occasionally entertaining to learn about the Japanese names ‘mon, especially if they’re a pun of reference that’s lost in the West. The classic Pokemon Hitmonchan is seemingly named after Jackie Chan for Western audiences, but in Japanese is known as Ebiwalar, a reference to Japanese flyweight boxer Hiroyuki Ebihara (as explained by Dr Lava on Twitter). However, one recent pun snuck its way into the Japanese-language versions of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, and some fans are only just now discovering the food-based joke. Pokemon Scarlet & Violet is hiding a “corny” name pun In a Reddit post from user JustinTime1229, the fan shares the Japanese names for the Gen 9 characters Rika, Cress, and Diantha. As explained in the post from JustinTime1229, the Japanese names for the aforementioned characters can be translated – approximately – to three English words respectively: Chili, Corn, and Carne. Yup, that’s right, these characters’ names are food puns, and I already know I’m making Chilli Con Carne for dinner. Other fans had some fun underneath the post, with Reddit user AceyBoy558 adding, “That’s corny as hell.” Meanwhile, user Pikagiuppy jokes, “Imagine being called meat lmao.” It’s not the first Pokemon pun, and it certainly won’t be the last, but it’s a fun combination of cleverly hidden jokes. Plus if nothing else, it’s always nice to see the community having fun with these sorts of discoveries.

Pokemon fan has Emerald running inside an N64 controller The Pokemon CompanyA Pokemon fan has made a cross-generational device, as they have Pokemon Emerald running inside an N64 controller that houses a Game Boy Micro. The N64 controller has received a lot of retrospective disdain following the wireless Switch models that connect with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack games. It turns out that decades of playing with ergonomically designed controllers make it hard to go back to the N64. Those who remember being GoldenEye 007 masters back in the day were treated to the agony of the reality of an N64 controller in the modern day when it finally arrived on the Nintendo Switch in 2023. At least one player can enjoy the rigors of Mario 64 on the go, as a user on the Pokemon subreddit named MaSaKee has shared their custom Game Boy Micro, which is built inside a functional N64 controller shell. It’s actually one of the wireless N64 controllers made for the Switch, which likely made it easier to mod, as it’s much lighter and has fewer innards. The modder placed the screen above the Start button. All other buttons remain functional, with any unused ones kept for options like changing volume or brightness. Even more impressive is the fact that it has a working cartridge slot built into the top of the system. This means real games are needed, which is why it was shown off with a working version of Pokemon Emerald. Users in the thread loved the concept and showered praise on the OP with requests to buy. It’s possible the idea is better than reality, as the great thing about a Game Boy Micro or similar retro devices is the portability factor, and a massive clunky N64 controller doesn’t exactly fit in the pocket. Regardless, it’s a cool device and would be an awesome way to play old Game Boy Advance games when sitting at home, especially as the mainline Gen 3 Pokemon games are still missing from Nintendo Switch Online.

Pokemon fan finally finishes fusing all of Gen 1 into one “chaotic masterpiece” Reddit/TB_MumpitzOne dedicated Pokemon fan has fused all of the Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Red & Blue’s Gen 1 (including a certain glitch) into one monstrous chimera. Fans have wanted official Pokemon fusions for a long time, and while a handful of examples exist in the series (like the ones involving the Gen 5 Legendary Pokemon), it’s not the same as being able to fuse any two Pokemon into one form. This desire has resulted in a ton of fan-made Pokemon fusion content, with fans imagining what it would look like if the series followed the example of Digimon or Dragon Ball Z, allowing two Pokemon to merge into a creature that combined the best elements of both of them. While most Pokemon fans imagine a fusion of two or three creatures into a single being, one fan decided to take things to the next level by merging all of the Pokemon from Gen 1 into a massive beast, using elements from 152 creatures. The Pokemon Gen 1 fusion is complete A Redditor named TB_Mumpitz has shared the final stage of their creation on the Pokemon Reddit. Over the past year, they had been merging every Gen 1 Pokemon into one creature, using different elements from their bodies. “Perfection! We finally finished the Kantodon/Kantomon/Genone or whatever this massive beast is called,” one fan wrote, “Thank you so much for these past few months, it was a really fun project. Hopefully you’ll return one day for a new gen 2 fusion. It was a blast.” If you’re wondering why 152 creatures are part of the fusion, it’s because the creator decided to include MissingNo, the infamous glitch from Pokemon Red & Blue. Many Gen 1 fans fondly remember using MissingNo to acquire or multiply rare items, so it deserves a spot on the fusion. Those hoping to see Pokemon from Johto and beyond added to the creature are in for disappointment, as the creator has confirmed that the work is done. Nothing more will be added, though they have separate ideas for Pokemon projects involving the other generations. It’s always heartwarming to see Pokemon fan projects that capture the heart of the community, and while 152 Pokemon stitched together like some kind of Human Centipede might not be the most adorable sight in the world, it’s still memorable.

Pokemon fan convention draws Fyre Festival comparisons as things go horribly wrong X: BintuRita/The Pokemon CompanyA Pokemon fan convention in the Philippines went horribly wrong over the weekend, so much so that it is drawing comparisons to Fyre Festival and Willy Wonka Experience. According to the Pokeverse website, the event is the “premier Pokémon-themed expo in the Philippines made by fans for fans.” Included in the official breakdown of the event were officially licensed collectibles on offer, Pokemon tournaments, and cosplay contests, just to name a few of the activities. What’s more, the event even promised meet and greet opportunities with Veronica Taylor, the original voice of Ash Ketchum, and Jason Paige, singer of the iconic Pokemon anime theme, However, the event took a turn for the worse when those in attendance began sharing videos and photos of the event online, spurring major backlash due to the complete chaos across the show floor. Before even entering the Expo, fans were allegedly greeted with delayed start times, massive open areas that included very few Pokemon-themed activities, and an individual causing chaos who has been dubbed “the Ravioli man” by those in attendance. Pokemon fan and cartoonist Rita, who goes by “BintuRita” on X, was in attendance across the whole weekend and shared photos of the person in question, detailing how Ravioli man was “eating sauce off a ravioli jar in his pocket. It seemed to be a filthy frank-style prank where there were children under five running around the space and he smelled ROT.” The same attendee further claimed how “security refused to do anything despite several con-goers’ reports” but that the Ravioli man was eventually removed but not after “he took a sponge and started rubbing [sauce] on one of the sponsor’s booths.” Day two of the Expo included even more chaos and confusion for Pokemon fans, with open spaces filled with inflatable activities that had no clear connection to the franchise. Furthermore, the nearby resting area that was touted as being a calm area for those in attendance was reportedly swarmed by “relentless” camera crews that filmed any and every moment of the event they could. To make matters worse, the previously promised Cosplay Lounge was nowhere to be seen, with Rita further claiming that cosplayers then began hanging out in the open in the “rest” area. “Despite Pokeverse recently being advertised as a cosplay event, there was no lounge. So cosplayers started changing HERE.” As well as the poor security and lack of Pokemon-focused events, ticket pricing for the Expo has also come under fire, particularly after those in attendance found out that Veronica Taylor was not compensated for her time at all. The community was left wondering what the logic behind the high ticket pricing was given barely any of the promised attractions were included. Following the online backlash, the hosts of the event took to X to respond to the criticism. “It’s our first event with very little time to prepare but we do agree that a lot of things need to be improved for another season,” they said, “but we appreciate your participation and will continue to take your feedback to do better next time.”

Pokemon developer Game Freak’s weirdest game gets a Switch remaster today Game FreakAn often overlooked 3DS classic made by the people behind Pokemon is making a comeback, as Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! brings horse racing and solitaire together in one wild package. If you’re a big fan of the Pokemon games, you may be forgiven for thinking that developer Game Freak makes nothing else. With so many Pokemon games out on Nintendo Switch and beyond, surely they don’t have time for much else? Well, if you ever owned a Nintendo 3DS, you may be aware of one of Game Freak’s other franchises, and while this one also features animals, it’s a very different type of game from the veteran developer. Thankfully, for any fans out there, this long-forgotten series is now getting a remaster, and in even better news, it’s releasing on NIntendo Switch today, alongside a demo. Game Freak announces Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! for Switch A remaster of the 3DS original, Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! was announced during the recent Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase and Game Freak confirms this is an expansion of the original release, not a full sequel. The new version of Pocket Card Jockey features remastered graphics, some quality-of-life improvements, and even online races. Anyone eager to return to the franchise, or to try out one of Game Freak’s smaller franchises, is in luck, as Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! has been confirmed to release for Nintendo Switch immediately, as well as a lengthy demo that carries save data over to the full game. A mixture of horse racing and solitaire, Pocket Card Jockey is an adorable and addicting little title that blends two different elements perfectly. Players can take care of their horses, breed them, and then use solitaire skills during races to get ahead of the pack. The franchise hasn’t been quite as successful as Pokemon, but it’s a welcome addition to Game Freak’s catalog of work and a fantastic way to spend an afternoon for anyone interested in card games. Still, hopefully it’ll get some Ponyta DLC at least.

PointCrow’s Zelda: Breath of the Wild multiplayer mod likely releasing this year In an interview with Dexerto, PointCrow details how his highly anticipated multiplayer mod for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will likely release later this year. In November 2021, popular Nintendo-centric content creator PointCrow posted a $10,000 bounty for whoever could create a multiplayer mod for Breath of the Wild. He also set a number of parameters the mod would need in order to qualify for the bounty. The main requirements were that the mod would eventually be free for everyone to play, but PointCrow would have exclusive access for 1-2 weeks beforehand. He has done this with similar projects in the past, i.e. the Pokemon Universal Map Randomizer. Point Crow announced the bounty two months ago, and he feels confident that the mod will be done this year. In fact, he has a team of paid developers working on smoothing over the mod’s rough edges. BOTW multiplayer mod is playable Eric ‘PointCrow’ Morino is not confident that BOTW 2 will release in 2022, but he does seem to think his BOTW multiplayer mod will. According to Morino, on top of the $10,000 bounty, he is paying a team of developers an hourly wage to incentivize working on the mod. “I posted the bounty… and then a couple months later, a video gets sent to me on YouTube. It has 20 views, and it’s a prototype of a working BOTW multiplayer mod.” Morino states that he got in contact with the developers to discuss the bounty. Provided that they finish the mod, PointCrow ensured them they would receive the promised bounty. He also stated that not all of the parameters had to be met, but it would need to be a functional and smooth experience. “Because they’re working so hard on this, and because I want it to be ‘PointCrow’s Breath of the Wild Multiplayer’, I told them I’d pay them per hour to continue to develop this mod more than they already have.” The mod will allow up to four players, and the developers have just fixed an issue with movement stuttering. PointCrow states that, while the devs are working on fixing kinks, the mod is functional and you can play with someone else. “It’s more complete than you’d think.” When will the BOTW multiplayer mod release? https://twitter.com/PointCrow/status/1488320001471762432 While Nintendo hasn’t announced the official release date for BOTW 2, PointCrow states that he expects the mod to be finished before the sequel’s release. Many Nintendo fans, PointCrow included, aren’t convinced BOTW 2 will release this year. But Morino thinks the multiplayer mod will be finished in 2022. “I say ‘this year’ as this is what I think will happen provided there aren’t any huge major roadblocks. But the major roadblock we already passed was getting somebody else to be seen in the game. I’m not a developer myself, but I don’t see any other major roadblocks.” PointCrow didn’t give a timeline for its release, just that it will probably be done “soon.” But giving the public access to the mod is an entirely different issue. Morino still plans to make the mod free to the public, but the ramifications of the mod may impose on Nintendo’s intellectual properties. “It’s a little more than just a mod. I want to make it free for everybody, but it depends on what Nintendo thinks.” He went on to explain how he will probably release the mod, but there’s still fear that Nintendo will take it down. We will continue to keep this piece updated as more information regarding PointCrow’s BOTW multiplayer mod is made available. Until then, check out everything we know about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.

PointCrow hits out at Nintendo for striking down his multiplayer Zelda mod videos Prominent YouTuber and speedrunner PointCrow has had several Zelda videos demonetized seemingly because they show modded versions of Breath of the Wild that made multiplayer possible, prompting him to call out Nintendo. In 2022, PointCrow released a video of a working version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with four-player co-op. This was after he had previously put a $10,000 bounty on anyone who could make the feature possible. However, Nintendo has seemingly hit back at the modded version by striking several videos on PointCrow’s YouTube that showcased the mod. “Incredibly disappointed that Nintendo has decided to block my videos on Breath of the Wild,” he said. “It’s the love for the community and the innovation that we bring to it that has kept it alive & brought new people to love the Zelda series. I hope you reverse your decision soon.” PointCrow has appealed the decision, and as of right now, the videos are still available for people to watch. However, as the claim is unresolved, they are no longer monetized. That’s certainly a hit too as all of the videos have over 1 million views, with several at over 2 million. Unfortunate timing Interestingly, this takedown has come just a day after PointCrow had advertised the mod becoming public through his Discord server. It’s not clear if these strikes on his videos are related or just coincidental timing. Nintendo has had a frayed relationship with content creators in the past. Last year a YouTuber got over 500 strikes for the use of Nitnendo soundtracks on his channel. The company also ran the controversial Creators Program from 2015 to 2018, which allowed YouTubers to use copyrighted materials, but they had to share the advertising revenue with Nintendo. Of course, Nintendo has a right to protect its IP and products, and modded versions of games can become legally complex. It’s likely within Nintendo’s right to pull the videos if they believe they can harm their products, though PointCrow has argued that: “I significantly transform their work and my videos are under fair use.” Dexerto has reached out for comment from Nintendo. We will update this story with any response.

PointCrow reveals new details on Breath of the Wild multiplayer mod and release window YouTuber and speedrunner PointCrow has officially announced a release window for the highly anticipated multiplayer mod for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The Legends of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released in 2017 to critical acclaim. Its massive open world and player-lead story went on to win the Nintendo exclusive title of Game of the Year. Despite its size and seemingly limitless replayability, players have always dreamed of a BOTW multiplayer expansion. With a legitimate multiplayer mode being nowhere in sight, one creator sought to make their own. In November 2021, PointCrow posted a $10,000 bounty for whoever could create a multiplayer mod for Breath of the Wild. Less than a year later, the mod has an official release window. Breath of the Wild multiplayer mod coming this summer On March 30, PointCrow posted a teaser video on Twitter showing a short clip of the mod in action. He also stated that the mod would be coming to his YouTube channel during Summer 2022. PointCrow also provided Dexerto with some additional info regarding the BOTW multiplayer mod. He stated, “It’s functional, runs at 28fps at least, and you can be anywhere in the game. The mod needs polishing on more niche things like Cryonis, rune support, quest syncing, etc.” As for the release date, PointCrow went on to explain the timeline for the mod. “It’s coming to my YouTube channel in 2022. Then it will be made available for free for anyone to play once I’ve sufficiently made enough content surrounding it.” In a previous interview with Dexerto, PointCrow stated that he would be rewarding those working on the mod with the $10k bounty. He also stated he had hired the developers and had been paying them since he discovered their work. “They’re getting fair wages for the time spent” https://twitter.com/PointCrow/status/1509637021391732764 PointCrow hasn’t announced an exact date for when he will start uploading content from the mod. However, he has stated that he will let us know more information as it gets closer to time. For more Breath of the Wild content, check out why this hacker was arrested for illegal BOTW save files.

Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties: Definitive Edition review – Preservation no matter what One of the worst games ever made, Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties: Definitive Edition is an odd remaster to talk about. Game preservation is vitally important. Every week we hear that a game is shutting down its servers. A whole swath of mobile games has been lost to the ether. Even single-player or story-driven experiences are constantly at risk due to ties to online servers. Studios like Nightdive, who are either remaking games – System Shock – or remastering them for modern systems – Turok trilogy – have set the bar for a while now. Then Digital Eclipse in the last couple of years, set it further. Atari 50 and The Making of Karateka are two of the best showcases for how to preserve old games. They’re like interactive video game documentaries. They’re incredible treasure troves of history and a map of how to save the medium’s oldest from disappearing. Before that, there was one for Night Trap, a bad game in its own right. It’s why Limited Run’s Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties remaster starts to confound just a little. Most of, if not all, the games included in the Digital Eclipse collections are worth playing. 95% are great to poke around at, while another 5% are just there for preservation reasons. Not everything made was gold. Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties is just such a rotten piece of interactive media (it’s barely a game), how does Limited Run make do with this mess? Key details Price: $19.99 – Developer: Cygames – Release Date: March 5, 2024 – Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S – Also available for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. The worst game ever made Most of you coming to this might never even have heard of the 3DO. In the 90s, console cycles weren’t just a battle between three corporations. Outside of SEGA, Nintendo, and Sony, there was Atari. There was Phillips at some point. Then there was also the 3DO. A detestable piece of hardware, it housed very few good games. With the advance of the CD-ROM allowing for real-time video to be played smoothly, it was one of the console’s main selling points. It is what it is Plumber’s Don’t Wear Ties is a product of the fast cash grab that followed. Between something like Night Trap and the PC’s deluge of FMV adventure games, Plumber’s Don’t Wear Ties is definitively one of the worst of the bunch. You’ll make barely any actual decisions, with the first one coming nearly 30 minutes into the game. When you do, they’re not only ice-thin but also incredibly poorly acted. The collection does warn you that it’s a product of its time, but even by the standards of the 90s, this was bad. It’s also increasingly absurdist, where you can tell when they sort of either gave up or ran out of actual story to make a game on. It’s fascinating. For a full-motion video game, everything outside of the introduction is still images. Not even still images shot for 4:3 TVs, but some are portrait leaving large spaces of black. The photos have been upscaled, with a toggle between the two versions mapped to Y. Irritatingly, the restart button is tied to the left trigger, something that’s very easy to accidentally push if setting the controller down while you watch. One of the things that I noticed was that the full motion video that existed hasn’t really been restored. It’s still in its hazy, low-rent VHS camera quality. This is cute, but, for a Definitive Edition, I think this should have been looked at closer. While there isn’t much you can do manually, I do think this might have been a case to follow suit with EA or other video remastering projects and utilize AI to spruce it up. Or, maybe they did and didn’t think the quality was good enough. Or, this is the end result. Either way, it sticks out as an odd omission. It’s undoubtedly awful, but it’s odd. This isn’t exactly why we’re here. No one needs yet another retro review of Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties. Where does this collection actually stand amongst the rest? Limited Run tries to go beyond its limits Limited Run has made a real attempt to compete with the others. While it rides the back of its tagline of “the worst game ever made” pretty hard, it’s a solid effort. The interviews and commentaries offer some great insights into the making of both games. It even has some of the only honest, non-scripted James Rolfe (Angry Video Game Nerd) content in about five years. Minor details – where’s the 3DO references? One thing that feels amiss is the aesthetics of the remake’s menus. It’s a weird thing to point out, but it’s a slight mark on something that’s gone above and beyond for accuracy. The game is littered with Windows 95 or 90s PC aesthetics. It made little sense when Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties came out on the 3DO. Either Panasonic holds some rights over this, but nothing is harkening back to the hardware that caused this curse to be cast upon us all those years ago. It can feel a little empty though. The singular game aspect of the remake of Karateka was conjoined by all its iterations, on top of the documentaries. They were also integrated into the journey through the game itself in some cases. In Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties, the documentaries feel as if they’ve siloed off and are – despite being the best content – needed to be unlocked. Plumb the Depths You’ll have to head into the Plumb the Depths mode. Here you’ll need to navigate a primitive 3D maze and shoot plungers at the sleazy boss from Plumbers. Hidden within are the coveted interviews, as well as images and commentary tracks. This mode is silly, and despite saying it’ll take repeated attempts, I managed to find all its unlockables in a few quick sessions. It feels like the similar cheap cash grab that would have graced the 3DO, which I guess is the joke. However, burying the video interviews where the value lies, isn’t great. Especially behind the arbitrary points given during your “adventures”. It just added to the eye-rolling nature of the actual remade game. Verdict – 3/5 Thankfully, this has been preserved. Is it worth it though? For the documentaries and history, yes, absolutely. For the sake of replaying Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties? No, you don’t need it for that. This is a history piece, to be treated more as a documentary than anything else. It’s fascinating to see who they could grab from the games’ production and the modern commentary on the game. But Plumber’s Don’t Wear Ties is, in fact, one of the worst games ever made. It still stinks, it’s irredeemable garbage. However, Limited Run’s treatment and respect for preserving the medium is to be commended. It’s just not hitting the same bar of quality as its current competition. 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PlayStation’s Wolverine game could launch in 2023, according to Microsoft SonyWhile responding to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Microsoft claimed that Marvel’s Wolverine game counts among the PlayStation titles set to launch next year. The UK regulator recently declared its interest in imposing a Phase 2 inquiry into Microsoft’s proposed Activision Blizzard acquisition. Microsoft is less than pleased with the decision. As such, the publisher issued a response to assure the CMA that the buyout won’t negatively impact its competitor, Sony. Notably, the document featuring Microsoft’s complete response is replete with interesting details. One such tidbit will especially intrigue fans of Insomanic Games’ Marvel-branded endeavors. Microsoft thinks the PlayStation Wolverine game is coming soon Partway through its response to the CMA, Microsoft outlines the strengths of Sony Interactive Entertainment as a market leader. Of course, one of the Japanese publisher’s greatest strengths comes courtesy of its “large portfolio of high-quality exclusive content.” Microsoft listed a few of Sony’s upcoming releases for 2023 when making this point in the document. According to the Xbox maker, then, first- and third-party exclusives coming to PlayStation next year include the following: Spider-Man 2, Wolverine, Horizon, Final Fantasy XVI, and Forspoken. Spider-Man 2, FFXVI, and Forspoken are all on track for a 2023 rollout. Presumably, the Horizon project referenced is the VR adventure, Call of the Mountain, which presently lacks a firm due date. But the assumption that Insomniac’s Wolverine game will hit PS5 in 2023 seems a little farfetched. As of late 2021, Insomniac was still hiring for major roles such as Gameplay Engineer. That doesn’t mean Wolverine won’t slash his way onto PlayStation hardware in the next couple of years, though. After all, Insomniac is a multi-team studio that managed to ship Miles Morales and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart seven months apart. Logan fans still shouldn’t expect his next interactive adventure to arrive in the next 12 months and change, however.

PlayStation unveils new PlayStation Stars player loyalty program SonyPlayStation has announced a new loyalty program called PlayStation Stars which will earn dedicated players free rewards simply for playing games. On July 14, PlayStation released a blog post announcing that they are launching a new loyalty program for their player base. The program is called PlayStation Stars, and is completely free to sign up for. Once players do opt-in, they will begin earning rewards for playing games and completing campaigns. VP of Network Advertising Grace Chen offered more clarity on the different ways users will earn rewards: “Our ‘Monthly Check-In’ campaign simply requires you to play any game to receive a reward, while other campaigns require you to win tournaments, earn specific trophies, or even be the first player to platinum a blockbuster title in your local time zone.” When is PlayStation Stars going live? The new loyalty program has no official release date yet, but it will be coming sometime at the end of 2022. The service will net users loyalty points which can then be redeemed for PlayStation Store items and PSN wallet funds. PlayStation is also introducing a new kind of reward called a “digital collectible.” Chen described what digital collectibles are, “They are digital representations of things that PlayStation fans enjoy, including figurines of beloved and iconic characters from games and other forms of entertainment, as well as cherished devices that tap into Sony’s history of innovation.” The company confirmed after the announcement that the digital collectibles will not have NFTs or incorporate blockchain technology at all. Additionally, PlayStation Plus members will earn extra points to spend in the PS Store. Redeemable items from loyalty points include entire games, DLC content, and collectibles, although no specifics have been revealed just yet.

PlayStation Trophies are coming to PC: Here’s how to earn them SonySony is finally bringing PlayStation Trophies to the PC version of its exclusive games. Here’s how you can earn and see them. Sony developed PlayStation Trophies in response to the increasing desire among players for a comparable system of rewards, modeled after Xbox’s Achievement system. This addition fostered a greater sense of prestige and advancement, motivating players to pursue higher levels in their gameplay. PlayStation Trophies frequently function as an indication of an individual’s commitment and prowess. Since PlayStation exclusives have been ported to PC in the past few years, the Trophy system got lost in the process. Now ahead of the release of Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on PC on May 16, 2024, Sony has announced the arrival of PlayStation Trophies for PC players. Here’s how it works and how you can earn them. How to earn and check your PlayStation Trophies on PC According to the new PlayStation Blog, a new PlayStation overlay will be introduced on PC with the release of Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut. The new system includes your Friends list, Trophies, settings, and your profile. This feature will soon be available on Windows PCs and will be accessible from the in-game menu or, for keyboard players, by pressing the “SHIFT +F1” shortcut on your keyboard. As soon as you press the keys above, the overlay will open and you’ll be able to access your PlayStation Network profile as you do on a PS console. However, you’ll need to be signed in to your PSN account to check your progress. While playing the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima PC port, you can earn PlayStation Trophies just like on PlayStation consoles. The PC version shares the same Trophy set as the game on PlayStation 5 consoles. In addition, it also has full support for Achievements on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

PlayStation Tournaments feature announced for PS5 coming in 2022 SonyPlayStation CEO Jim Ryan announced that the competitive esports-focused feature PlayStation Tournaments will be released for the PS5 later in 2022. During CES 2022 PlayStation CEO and Sony Interactive Entertainment President Jim Ryan hosted a presentation that announced some big news for fans of the PlayStation ecosystem. Ryan unveiled the new PSVR 2 for PS5, the hardware sequel to the original PSVR that dropped for PS4 back in 2016, which has a potential holiday 2022 release window. The CEO also made an important announcement for PS5 owners who are more interested in the competitive side of gaming. (Time stamp at 0:49 for mobile users) PlayStation Tournaments on PS5 Jim Ryan took time out of the presentation to talk directly to PlayStation 5 owners who want to get more involved in esports. Read More: Top 5 PlayStation VR games ranked – “This year, we’re planning to release a new Tournaments feature on PS5”, Ryan said. PlayStation Tournaments originated on the PS4 in 2016 in a collaborative effort with the ESL, the popular esports and production company. The feature allowed players to enter into competitions for specific games, with various prizes available. Sony filed for a patent on ‘Online Tournament Integration’ for the PlayStation 5 in Summer 2021, which would allow the PlayStation Network to generate tournament brackets without needing each game to have competitive functionality built-in. Jim Ryan didn’t give any more details regarding when PlayStation Tournaments would make its way to consoles, other than sometime in 2022. With exciting new apps and features like Discord on the way to PS5, the console is giving players tons of reasons to be excited about the future.

PlayStation stealthily raises Steam game prices but there’s a catch SonySony stealthily raised the prices of PlayStation games on Steam; but, for now, the change only impacts select territories. PlayStation finally started porting its first-party experiences to PC with Horizon Zero Dawn’s 2020 launch on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Since then, several other PS4-exclusives have similarly made the leap, including God of War (2018), Marvel’s Spider-Man, and the two most recent Uncharted entries. For the most part, these ports have been a boon for the hardware manufacturer. Horizon’s PC version alone had brought in $60 million in revenue by May 2022. Now it appears Sony is looking to squeeze a bit more juice out of previous PC releases. PlayStation is increasing its game prices on Steam ResetEra users noticed that Sony quietly bumped the prices of its first-party games on Steam. There’s a catch, though – the changes only apply to select regions such as Chile, Japan, and South Korea. Interestingly, some SteamDB digging from PlayStation LifeStyle revealed that many of these adjustments occurred between April 14 and April 19. The titles impacted include Horizon Zero Dawn, Days Gone, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, Miles Morales, Returnal, and supposedly Sackboy: A Big Adventure. Reportedly, the revised price ranges in affected regions are as follows: Argentina: 4199-5999 Pesos to 8499-9999 Pesos – Canada: $59.99-69.99 CAD to $64.99-79.99 CAD – Chile: 32000-39500 CLP to 35000-42000 CLP – China: 279-379 RMB to 345-414 RMB – Colombia: 159000-194000 Pesos to 184000-219000 Pesos – Japan: 4900-6490 Yen to 6490-7590 Yen – South Korea: 45880-58800 Won to 52800-62800 Won – Since the adjusted costs have only appeared on Steam, thus far, it is unknown if similar changes will go live for other PC storefronts. It’s also worth noting that Sony has yet to formally announce the increased PlayStation game prices on Steam. If and when such confirmation will hit the web is anyone’s guess at this time.

Everything shown at PlayStation State of Play September 2022: Games and trailers SonySony has finally announced a date for its next PlayStation State of Play, which will stream live on September 13, 2022. Because Sony has hosted a digital PlayStation event in September for the last couple of years, the expectation was that the trend would continue in 2022. The publisher certainly has plenty to showcase, with God of War Ragnarok launching in November and the PlayStation VR2 set to launch next year. Fortunately for fans of the brand, the wait for details about a new digital event is finally at an end. Sony confirms a date and time for its September 2022 State of Play According to PlayStation‘s official Twitter account, the next games showcase will go live on Tuesday, September 13 at 3:00 PM PT/11:00 PM BST. (Yes, the same day as the upcoming Nintendo Direct.) The stream will last approximately 20 minutes in length, just enough time for Sony to show off no less than “10 upcoming games.” In a PlayStation Blog post, the company noted the show will feature updates from its Japanese partners, alongside “a few other surprises” from development teams around the world. What was shown at PlayStation State of Play? The latest State of Play included new footage for smaller games such as Like a Dragon: Ishin, Rise of the Ronin, Synduality, Demeo, Stellar Blade, and Pacific Drive. There were also announcements of bigger games, with Star Wars Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge Enhanced Edition coming to PlayStation VR. Hogwarts Legacy also got a brand new trailer, which showed off new information about Hogsmeade and teased some of the enemies players might face. The State of Play also confirmed certain PlayStation exclusives will be coming with Hogwarts Legacy. Players finally got a more in-depth look at the story of God of War: Ragnarok with a brand-new trailer that showcased some incredible dialogue and teased a fight between Kratos and Thor. But the biggest reveal of the show was the confirmation that Tekken 8 will be releasing on the PlayStation consoles. Though no release date has been confirmed, the State of Play did show off a new trailer highlighting what fighting game players can expect.

Everything shown at PlayStation State of Play February 2023 WB GamesSony hosted its first PlayStation State of Play of 2023 on February 23, showcasing new VR games, Suicide Squad gameplay, and more. At long last, Sony has confirmed its plans for a brand-new PlayStation State of Play broadcast. Such an announcement comes after months of relative silence from the hardware manufacturer. Meanwhile, both Microsoft and Nintendo have streamed events in recent weeks, showing off the likes of Minecraft Legends, Redfall, Pikmin 4, and Splatoon 3 DLC. The State of Play finally bring new announcements from the PlayStation brand, as well. Here’s everything fans saw at the latest PlayStation showcase event. Everything shown at PlayStation State of Play February 2023 PlayStation VR2 games Five games for the upcoming PS VR2 – Foglands, Green Hell, Synapse, Journey to Foundation, Before Your Eyes – got trailers during the State of Play. These games are all set to release soon on the new VR system. Destiny 2: Lightfall trailer While there wasn’t any new information for the upcoming new expansion, the newest trailer gave Destiny 2 players a look at what exciting action is awaiting when Lightfall releases on February 28. Tchia release date Adorable adventure game Tchia finally got a confirmed release date for the PlayStation. The trailer showcased the cartoony graphics and March 31, 2023 release date. March monthly game lineup Several new games will be available on the PS Plus service in March 2023. You can see all the games that will be available here. Goodbye Volcano High release date A cinematic story game about the demise of the dinosaurs, Goodbye Volcano High’s new trailer confirmed that the game will release on June 15, 2023. Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections announced The next installment in the Ultimate Ninja Storm series, Naruto X Boruto will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the anime and will include 124 playable ninjas that appeared in Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto. That means that this game will have the largest roster of heroes in the series. Baldur’s Gate III PlayStation release date The iconic RPG will be coming to PlayStation 5 on August 31, 2023, with a new trailer showcasing how the game will utilize the PlayStation’s graphics. Wayfinder gameplay trailer Fans who are ready to become the powerful Wayfinder got another glimpse at what those powers will actually mean with a new gameplay trailer. New Street Fighter 6 characters The newest fighters – Cammy, Lily, and Zangrief – showed off their moves as they join the roster when Street Fighter 6 arrives later in 2023. Resident Evil 4 new trailer Not much new information was shown in the latest trailer for the Resident Evil 4 remake, but fans of the game got another look at how the classic game will look on the upgraded graphics of the PlayStation 5. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League gameplay The State of Play ended with a 15-minute look at the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Among the features fans got a closer look at were the in-game combat, the gear upgrades that will be available in the game, and what content will be available through the battle pass.

PlayStation Stars scheme: Release date, how it works & rewards Sony PlayStationSony’s PlayStation Stars loyalty program aims to reward players with exclusive points that can be used to redeem on special collectible items and store purchases, so here’s how it works. For most PlayStation users, playing games provides enough joy and entertainment, but Sony aims to go one step beyond and actually celebrate the hours put in by loyal consumers of the blue brand. It was back in July 2022 that Sony unveiled the exciting PlayStation Stars program to much acclaim, and now we know a ton of further details about it and how it will pan out. Thankfully, none of the digital collectibles will be NFTs, so what exactly will the rewards consist of? Here’s everything we know about the PlayStation Stars loyalty scheme. Contents PlayStation Stars release date – PlayStation Stars how it works – PlayStation Reward how to check progress – PlayStation Stars points & rewards – PlayStation Stars release date The release date for each region featuring the PlayStation Stars program is different, and we can confirm that PlayStation Stars is already live in Asia, and it will be coming to America on October 5, 2022, with Europe, Australia, and New Zealand receiving the service from October 13, 2022. PlayStation Stars how it works First of all, Sony has made it clear that you will not need a PlayStation Plus subscription to take part in the PlayStation Stars scheme and it will be open to any PS user with an adult account. To take part, Sony will be offering a variety of promotions and challenges, this includes “campaigns and activities” for users to complete, a “Monthly Check-In” that simply asks you to boot up a game of your choosing each month (acting as a login bonus), attaining specific PlayStation Trophies, and various other special tasks. PlayStation Stars how to check progress To access PlayStation Stars to check it out, analyze your progress, and see what other events might be happening, you simply need to access it through the PlayStation App, or head to the official PlayStation website. PlayStation Stars points & rewards With all this in mind, we should move on to the juiciest details and that’s the fact that you can earn loyalty points and digital collectibles for your hard work. Points can be redeemed for PSN wallet funds, exclusive collectibles, and PS Store products. Not only that, but if you do happen to have an active PS Plus membership, then your purchases will also earn you points too. To use points, you’ll need to complete the following instructions: Download or access the PlayStation App. – Access your ‘Player Profile’. – Click on ‘PlayStation Stars’. – Then, finally, go onto the ‘Rewards Catalog’. – Pick out the rewards that suit your needs and claim them! – Sony has also made it clear that they will continually reward your efforts to the extent that you can increase your status level, with a higher level granting “more perks and benefits.”

PlayStation Stars leak reveals Diamond “invite only” tier for players PlayStationPlayStation’s upcoming loyalty program PlayStation Stars reportedly features an invitation-only tier, according to new leaks about Sony’s fresh scheme for PS Plus subscribers. Since the inception of the PlayStation Store, players have wondered whether Sony would implement a service akin to Xbox’s Microsoft Rewards program. In exchange for your hours of playtime, earning achievements, and purchases, players can redeem points towards a multitude of rewards. Though PlayStation players have seen the arrival of Game Pass style tiers on PS Plus, players can expect Sony’s upcoming loyalty program PlayStation Stars to arrive in the future. While a few tiers have already been revealed, it appears that Sony has hidden a secret tier within its new service. PlayStation Mobile app leak unveils Diamond PlayStation Stars tier According to Redditor the_andshrew information within “the PlayStation mobile app” shows that “there may be a yet to be revealed and exclusive 5th tier of the service – accessible by invitation only.” “The 5th tier is called Diamond and has the requirements to reach it listed as Invite only to Diamond Level,” continued the Redditor. Reaching this currently unavailable tier will reward players “with a Legendary grade collectible called Level 5 Diorama – Bot’s Don’t Breathe” which is adorned with multiple Astro Bots. The collectible is accompanied by rotating animation, that displays it in all its glory. However, the requirements to be invited to Diamond Level have yet to be determined. Currently, the fourth tier for PlayStation Stars requires players to have “bought four full games from PlayStation Store, earned 128 uncommon trophies.” In return, players will “receive a celebration collectible, chat priority routing and retain all collectibles from Levels 1, 2 and 3.” It is possible that the Diamond Level tier will require further game purchases, however, this is purely speculative. PlayStation Stars has already received backlash from players amid the declaration that Sony’s customer service will prioritize higher-level members.

PlayStation Stars members divided after seeing how to get “free” PS5 games Bandai NamcoSomeone crunched the numbers and discovered how much money PlayStation Stars subscribers need to spend to unlock one free PS5 game. The response from fans seems mixed, thus far. Sony’s all-new PlayStation Stars loyalty program is now live in Asia and the Americas. Players in Australia, Europe, and New Zealand can join the fun in the coming days on October 13. All users can enter the program for free, then earn Trophies and purchase games through PSN to level up across five different tiers. Accruing points unlocks digital extras and enough points will eventually allow members to access a free game. Some players have found, however, that unlocking one full-priced title requires a lot of spending on the PS Store. Earning a free game through PlayStation Stars is pretty costly Upon joining the rewards program, Twitter user Crusader pre-ordered a digital copy of God of War Ragnarok for PS5. Priced at $74.20 including tax, the purchase earned the player a total of 742 points. Simple math led Crusader to the conclusion that PlayStation Stars awards 10 points for every dollar spent. As Tweaktown noted, members can presently choose from five games to unlock with reward points, one being The Quarry priced at $69.99 or 17,500 points. To unlock Supermassive’s latest slasher adventure, then, PS Stars subscribers will need to spend approximately $1,750 on PSN – the equivalent of 24 games. Again, it’s worth noting that points can be earned by earning Trophies in-game. Completing campaigns also rewards users with an instant 50 points. So accessing a free game through PlayStation Stars may not always be costly, especially since some titles come in at a lower price. For instance, Hades ($24.99) is also on the list of unlocks at this time and only asks for 6,250 points. Fans seem pretty mixed on the revelation, thus far. Some Twitter users think unlocking one game after buying 24 is “better than getting nothing,” especially since this “4% reward” is better than the 1% attached to other loyalty memberships. Other users can’t help but gawk at those who have come to PlayStation Stars’ defense on the matter. The fact that the cost of a game through rewards doesn’t reflect sales prices – like with The Quarry’s present $40 price tag – has caused a bit of confusion, as well. Akin to PlayStation Stars’ controversial customer support perk, the free game unlocks have somewhat divided the community.

Everything that was shown at the PlayStation Showcase Sony Interactive EntertainmentThis year’s Sony PlayStation Showcase event was full of surprise reveals and anticipated trailers. We’ve got a full rundown of everything that was shown. It’s fair to say that it’s been a while since our last proper PlayStation Showcase experience. However, the wait is now over. The 2023 PlayStation Showcase was an opportunity for the company to give a glimpse into the future. This will included a look at major, first-party titles, third-party behemoths, and much more. From mouthwatering teaser trailers to full-on gameplay reveals, there was a bit of everything! Here is everything fans saw at the PlayStation Showcase. Contents Fairgame$ – Helldivers 2 – Immortals of Aveum – Ghostrunner II – Phantom Blade 0 – Sword of the Sea – The Talos Principle II – Foamstar – The Plucky Squire – Teardown – Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater remake – Towers of Aghasba – Final Fantasy 16 – Alan Wake II – Assassin’s Creed: Mirage – Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Street Fighter 6 – Ultros – Dragon’s Dogma – Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted – Resident Evil 4: VR Mode – Arizona Sunshine II – Crossfire: Sierra Squad – Synapse – Beat Saber – Marathon – Destiny 2: The Final Shape – Spider-Man 2 – Fairgame$ The first game shown at the PlayStation Showcase, Fairgame$ is a mix of Payday and Cyberpunk 2077 where players are tasked with stealing from stealing from the rich using incredible technology. Helldivers 2 Next up is Helldivers 2, which takes place on Super Earth as players take on the role of a peacekeeper/invader that are meant to kill the insectoid creatures that dominate the world. With a sensibility that clearly borrows a ton from Starship Troopers, this game should be a fun ride for all. Immortals of Aveum Immortals of Aveum is a medieval-style first-person “shooter” where players use magic spells instead of weapons. The game will release on July 20, 2023. Ghostrunner II A sequel to the 2020 action platformer, Ghostrunner II promises a lot more of the highly-kinetic movement and combat that made the original so beloved. Ghostrunner II will release later this year. Phantom Blade 0 Phantom Blade is a gorgeous-looking samurai battler, which allows for players to engage in unique combat actions including wall-running. It may look at lot like Ghost of Tsushima, but Phantom Blade promises to be much darker game when it releases for the PS5. Sword of the Sea Showcasing a very unique artstyle, Sword of the Sea lets players weild the Hoversword a hybrid of a snowboard, skateboard, and hoverboard all in one. Players can use it to skate through ancient ruins in a new take on skater games. Sword of the Sea will release for the PS5, but does not yet have a release date. The Talos Principle II The sequel to 2015’s original, The Talos Principle II promises even more mind-bending puzzles for players to sink their teeth into. The Talos Principle II will release in 2023. Neva With its typical unique animation of as many adorable animals as you could want, Gris’s upcoming game Neva promises a unique experience when it drops in 2024. Foamstars Replacing the paint of Splatoon with bubbles, adding the visuals of Dance Dance Revolution and the music of Persona, Foamstars promises a fun time for gamers. There is no known release date. The Plucky Squire A story-book style (literally) game, players will control the drawing Dot as he explores the world both on and off the page to defeat the evil Humdrum. The Plucky Squire is set to release later this year. Teardown With a blocky look that will draw quick comparisons to Minecraft and LEGO games, Teardown is a GTA-style heist and shooter game set to come to the PS5 soon. Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater remake It’s been a while since we’ve had a new Metal Gear Solid game, and it looks like we will be waiting a bit longer. However, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, is getting a much-needed revival. The new trailer reveals that the remake of the 2004 action game will be releasing around Easter 2024. Towers of Aghasba It may not quite be to the level of Tears of the Kingdom, but Towers of Aghasba promises a similarly unique world and gameplay. The game is set to release in 2024. Final Fantasy 16 After so long, Final Fantasy 16 finally dropped a new trailer that showed off some exhilarating combat. See our full breakdown of Final Fantasy XVI here. Alan Wake II The twisted horror and mystery of Alan Wake finally returns in the long-awaited sequel, Alan Wake II, dropping later this year. Alan Wake II will release on October 17, 2023. Assassin’s Creed: Mirage The latest install in the Assassin’s Creed franchise arrives as the Successor to Valhalla brings the player back to the Middle East. See our full breakdown of the trailer here. Granblue Fantasy: Relink A remake of the hit JRPG, Granblue Fable: Relink will drop for PlayStation players in Winter 2023. Street Fighter 6 Finally, there will be a new installment in the popular fighting game, as the Street Fighter 6 trailer showed off favorite fighters like Guile as well as the new ones added. See our full breakdown of the new trailer here. Ultros With a combat style out of Hollow Knight, but a psychedelic color palate, Ultros promises plenty of thrill for fans of 2D platformers. Ultros is coming to PS4 and PS5 in 2024. Dragon’s Dogma 2 A major shocker was the announcement and first trailer for the sequel to Dragon’s Dogma, almost ten years after the original. The release date for Dragon’s Dogma 2 is still unknown. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 With news of a movie based on the iconic horror game coming soon, it seemed as good a time as any to reveal that a sequel is in the works to FNAF: Help Wanted. Players can strap back into the chair and get scared later in 2023. Resident Evil 4: VR Mode After the recent Resident Evil 4 remake, it seemed almost inevitable that we would get a VR port, which is exactly what Capcom delivered. This game is currently still in development and no release date has been given. Arizona Sunshine II Witness the zombie apocalypse for yourself in virtual reality, as Arizona Sunshine II takes you into a desert overrun by the undead. Visit the Arizona Sunshine in 2023. Crossfire: Sierra Squad The gameplay might be right out of Rainbow Six Siege, but this VR game will take players into the fight in a way they’ve never experienced before. Synapse In a trippy take on a VR game, Synapse lets the player go into the subconscious of another (virtual reality within virtual reality), in a new type of shooter. Synapse will release on July 4, 2023. Beat Saber Beat Saber is now also coming to the PlayStation VR, bringing along with it the music stylings of the iconic band Queen. Marathon The latest Bungie product, Marathon will take players to a new, beautiful world, with incredible action and visuals. The new Sci-fi extraction shooter does not have a release date yet. Destiny 2: The Final Shape No sooner has the most recent Destiny 2 content update, Season of the Deep, gone live then Bungie is already teasing players with the next major content release. Destiny 2: The Final Shape will release in August 2023. Spider-Man 2 No doubt, though, the biggest reveal of the Showcase was Spider-Man 2, which revealed that Kraven the Hunter was heading to New York to hunt more dangerous quarry. See our full breakdown here.

PlayStation shooter Concord shut down after only 10 days because no one played it Firewalk StudiosAfter a middling launch on August 23 leading to a terribly low player count, PlayStation has announced that Concord will be going offline just two weeks after release. In a message on the PlayStation blog, Game Director Ryan Ellis at Firewalk Studios announced that Concord will go offline starting September 6. Although this PS5 hero shooter offered an Open Beta that peaked at 2,388 concurrent players, its launch barely reached 700 users, plummeting to around 50 concurrent players in the following days. Ellis also explained how the team will “explore options, including those that will better reach our players,” meaning Concord may not be dead in the water forever. In addition, Concord sales will immediately cease and anyone who purchased it on PS5 or PC will be offered a refund. The post then went into detail on how players could refund their game depending on their storefront. This news comes only 10 days after its release, which is a near record-breaking time for a AAA game to announce a shutdown. While Concord’s demise seems to mainly stem from the abysmal player count and $40 price point, the audience had other contentions like the game having the “ugliest” character designs ever. Fans and non-fans alike are stunned at the speed at which Concord is being taken offline. Although PlayStation’s post on X about the shutdown had replies turned off, that didn’t stop other posts from discussing it. “8 years of work and it’s gone just like that,” someone wrote in response to the news. Another called this “embarrassing,” and explained how it wasn’t surprising after the game “failed to resonate with players.” PlayStation’s online shooter was predicted to not be a good enough game to stick around for long, even Concord believers expressed doubt, but the swift closure is still a surprise.

PlayStation responds to harassment allegations as more women speak out in lawsuit Unsplash: Lee Paz / SonySony has responded to allegations of workplace harassment by former PlayStation staff as eight more women speak out against the company. Sony is taking the “newly submitted declarations seriously”, but still aims to dismiss the original lawsuit. The workplace environment at PlayStation was put under the microscope at the end of 2021 as former IT security analyst Emma Majo filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against Sony in November. In it, she claimed she was wrongfully terminated after speaking out about sexist practices at the company. As reported by Axios, the case states women at PlayStation are subjected to “disparate treatment in pay and work opportunities”. Now, eight more women have spoken out about Sony’s practices in a new class-action lawsuit filing, forcing the company to address the matter publicly. Both former and current employees are involved in the proposed case, according to Axios, including company veterans of more than 15 years. Allegations range from excluding women from senior roles, an exodus of women following sexual harassment, and more. Kara Johnson, a former program manager at PlayStation, stated “I believe Sony is not equipped to appropriately handle toxic environments” in the filing. Sony addressed the new class action allegations a week after the initial March 10 filing. “To be sure, SIE [PlayStation] takes the substance of the newly submitted declarations seriously,” it said. “Although most are by former employees who no longer work at SIE, SIE either has addressed or will address the issues raised in them in due course, as SIE values its female employees and takes proactive steps to ensure they have every opportunity to thrive and be heard.” However, the company is still not backing down in its lawsuit against Majo. In February, Sony asked the court to dismiss the case, stating it “fails to identify a single policy, practice or procedure at SIE that allegedly formed the basis of any widespread intentional discrimination or had a discriminatory impact on women.” A hearing on the new class-action lawsuit is expected in April.

PlayStation respond to the PSN bricking issue sent via messages After widespread reports of a major message system exploit on PS4 surfaced on October 13, Sony has responded to assure players that it has been resolved. The exploit would force PS4 users to either factory reset their console, losing all their data, or rebuild the console’s database, simply by sending a message with specific characters. These malicious messages appeared to serve no purpose other than to force players to lose their data by forcing a factory reset, and simply receiving the notification for the message was enough to trigger the bug. Players were advised to set their message privacy settings to ‘Friends Only’ or ‘No One’ to prevent random users sending them potential harmful and software corrupting codes. The issue was not tied to any particular game, so it was clear that there was a vulnerability in the messaging system itself, which PlayStation says it has now addressed. PlayStation UK’s support Twitter account responded to a user who reported the issue, saying that messages were not in fact ‘bricking’ consoles, but in fact could be saved by opening up in safe mode. We’ve since fixed the issue, and it wasn’t bricking consoles, just sending them into a crash loop that can be quickly fixed in under 5 minutes. Delete the message on the PS mobile app, go into Safe Mode, use Option 5, console back to normal. ^DB — Ask PlayStation UK (@AskPS_UK) October 15, 2018 As for punishment of users sending the messages out, the PlayStation UK support Twitter account was unable to say whether they had been identified or banned. As for those who factory reset their console, they will be wondering why PlayStation did not make clear that a safe mode restart would have prevented the issue. Initially PlayStation didn’t acknowledge the issue at all, despite widespread coverage, only giving an update to say they were looking into it on October 15.

PlayStation reportedly launching their own version of Xbox Game Pass PlayStation / XboxAccording to a new report, PlayStation are gearing up to launch their own subscription service to rival Xbox Game Pass. It will reportedly feature three tiers and give players access to PS4 and PS5 titles, as well as classic games. On December 3, 2021, Jason Schreier of Bloomberg claimed that the subscription — codenamed Spartacus — will merge PlayStation Now and PS Plus, replacing the services the gaming giant currently provides. It will allegedly consist of three tiers, each at a different price point. Tier 1 contains all existing PS Plus benefits such as free monthly games and online multiplayer; Tier 2 gives access to certain PlayStation 4 and 5 titles; and Tier 3 provides a library of classic games from the PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP, extended demos, and more. The report also stated that Sony is interested in shifting more towards cloud gaming, much like Xbox’s xCloud streaming service, which will replace PS Now — something the company is supposedly looking to phase out completely. Spartacus will reportedly be available on both PlayStation 4 and PS5, with Bloomberg claiming it could come as early as Spring 2022. Xbox Game Pass offers over 200 games on its subscription service and is often praised for having new titles available on day one, such as the recent Forza Horizon 5. There’s been no official word from Sony yet as to the existence of Spartacus, but with the outlet claiming it may release in the Spring, it may not be long before they lift the lid. Source: Bloomberg

PlayStation releases most bizarre Ghost of Tsushima stats PlayStation/Sucker Punch[jwplayer Dmyq1BYA] Nearly two weeks after the game hit store shelves, Sony has released some interesting and bizarre statistics surrounding the latest PlayStation exclusive, Ghost of Tsushima. On July 17, 2020, Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Sucker Punch released their brand-new title, Ghost of Tsushima. The game garnered critical acclaim and is one of the most talked-about games within the industry right now. On top of that, the game sold 2.4 million copies within the first three days, making it the highest-selling PlayStation 4 game based on an original IP. Because of this, a ton of people have interacted with the game in a variety of ways. That’s where PlayStation steps in. Earlier today, PlayStation released a slew of statistics from the game on its Twitter page, based on what players had done and accomplished within the first 10 days of release. While a lot of the statistics make sense, some of them are absolutely jaw-dropping, even with the impressive sales. 8.8 million foxes petted – 14.2 million haikus written – 15.5 million photos taken – 16.2 million onsen visited – 17.1 million bamboo strikes – 28.1 million flute songs played – 37.5 million inari shrines honored – 57.5 million duels completed – 139.4 million enemies collapsed in fear – 156.4 million standoffs – 810.3 years on horseback – Easily the most impressive statistic in that list is the final bullet point about players’ time spent on horseback. Even though this is the primary mode of transportation in the game, 810 years is still an insane amount of time, no matter how you slice it. You’ve all been busy! Stats from the first 10 days of #GhostofTsushima ⚔️ 57.5 million duels 🦊 8.8 million foxes petted 🐎 810 years on horseback 📸 15.5 million photos takenAnd more: pic.twitter.com/5LFSxvSjbC — PlayStation (@PlayStation) July 31, 2020 Overall, it’s good to see a large number of people enjoying their time with Ghost of Tsushima. While games based on established IP are bound to sell marginally well, new IP can sometimes be a shot in the dark. While it probably won’t happen, it would be interesting to see more statistics from the game as time goes on. Hopefully, people will continue playing the game far past its release date. Ghost of Tsushima is available exclusively on PlayStation 4.

PlayStation Plus PS5 games 2021 ranked Team 17, Counterplay Games, Oddworld InhabitantsPS Plus subscribers were treated to another year of free games in 2021, in particular, PS5 gamers. That being said, here’s every free PS5 game on PS Plus in 2021 ranked from worst to best. At the end of the day, your PS Plus membership is paying for the right to play your favorite multiplayer games online. Free digital downloads of great games are merely a bonus perk of the membership in Sony’s eyes. Nevertheless, PlayStation owners are still treated to some excellent games, and 2021 was no different. From innovative puzzle games to chaotic, destruction-based racing games, PS5 owners have seen it all. Whilst most PS Plus games can be played on PS4 and PS5, we’re ranking the ones purely selected and singled out for the PS5. So here they are, 2021’s PS Plus games from worst to best. PS Plus games ranked from worst to best in 2021 12. Godfall: Challenger Edition – December 2021 PS Plus Game Godfall was supposed to be a gigantic AAA, day one release for the PS5, but it didn’t fare well critically. Outside of its outstanding visuals, Godfall was a very ordinary game that didn’t particularly excel at anything. However, for December 2021, it was announced that players could get Godfall for free, presumably with a year’s worth of updates and content. Sadly, this wasn’t the case. Instead, players got Godfall: Challenger Edition, a severely stripped-back version of the original that encourages players to then buy the omitted story mode. The transparent effort was seen through by gamers and has proved to be very unpopular. 11. Destruction All-Stars – February 2021 PS Plus Game A flashy game that exemplifies the philosophy of style over substance, Destruction AllStars looked to shake up the arcade, combat racing genre by allowing players to exit the vehicle, find new ones, and pull off exuberant tricks in the process. Read More: The 10 best games of 2021 – But it sacrificed this for repetitive game modes and an overall lack of imagination to keep players engaged. It offers solo content, but it was quite threadbare and felt like a basic tutorial for the main portion of the game – multiplayer. It’s isn’t the best game in the world, but it can be fun with friends. 10. Oddworld: Soulstorm – April 2021 PS Plus Game It’s never a bad thing to see Abe, a chanting, farting, Murkodon that does his best to escape the clutches of peril and free his people. Abe’s Odyssey and Abe’s Exodus were successful puzzle games on the first PlayStation console, and then the series went on a weird adventure for the next couple of decades. Soulstorm was a return to classic Abe gameplay, but a bunch of problems plagued the game on release. Its repetitive gameplay is great for long-time fans but will put off newcomers to the franchise. It lacks the spark and originality of the PS1 games but did well as a free game on PS Plus. 9. Hunter’s Arena: Legends – August 2021 PS Plus Game A condensed PVE battle royale with magical creatures and warriors is a zany but interesting concept on paper. On one hand, it felt like a fresh battle royale concept that players weren’t accustomed to. On the flip side, this was also to the game’s detriment as it wasn’t advanced enough to be a true competitor to the leading BR titles in the world. Its idea felt stronger than its execution and had a sense of needing more time to feel exceptional. But, if you’re tired of Fortnite and Warzone, then Hunter’s Arena: Legends might be worth a go. 8. Maquette – March 2021 PS Plus Game Anyone who’s played Superliminal will recognize the manipulation mechanics in Maquette. At its core, it’s a creative puzzle game that requires the player to think outside the box, and typically change the size of the box too! There’s a lot of satisfaction to be had with Maquette, but its potential was stunted by some obvious issues. Technical problems like bugs and glitches were abundant at launch, and some of the puzzles were frustrating trial and error experiences that sometimes disregarded logic. But if you do want to test your lateral thinking and puzzle-solving abilities, then Maquette will provide this. 7. Maneater – January 2021 PS Plus Game In a year of ‘out there’ PS Plus games, Maneater might just be the most adventurous of the lot. Taking control of a shark, you must avenge your mother’s death by evolving your shark to become the ultimate shark. Unfortunately, this required lot of grinding of tedious objectives such as eating and attacking other fish. You can also attack humans as well to spice things up. It’s a game that can suffer from the novelty wearing off too quickly, but it’s got enough bite to keep you going and see the story through to its conclusion. An asymmetrical multiplayer mode might have bolstered its repertoire of gameplay and extended its life. 6. Operation Tango – June 2021 PS Plus Game We need more games like Operation Tango in the world. Yes, it clearly borrowed its concept from 2015’s wildly entertaining Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes – but so what? The idea is easy-to-understand, two players each have a defined role – the Spy and the Spy’s eyes – and have to complete some covert operations. The Spy will have to act on the instructions passed down by the ‘instructee’, making for some heated discussions and situations. It’s a fun party game that didn’t always click. Some of the mini-games are frustrating and inconsistent, it could only be played online (so no couch co-op), and it did have some software problems too. 5. A Plague Tale: Innocence – July 2021 PS Plus Game Possibly the darkest (literally) and least upbeat title on this list, A Plague Tale: Innocence was nominated for numerous awards thanks to its heartwarming story. It borrows from many modern-day horror games with players looking to avoid conflict at all costs. Not only that, but the fear of being chewed up by rats is a constant rush of anxiety and dread. Puzzles, stealth, and survival are all the order of the day for Amicia and her younger brother Hugo. It’s a solid AAA single-player title and did well enough to warrant a sequel. 4. Knockout City/First Class Trouble – November 2021 PS Plus Games We’ve tied November’s games together as it’s the only month really that provided a double offering of proper PS5 games to players. So it gets plaudits for that alone, and also gets marks for offering two really solid games. Knockout City is a well-received dodgeball-esque title that pits teams against one another. Games take place across a variety of weird and wacky arenas, and it provided hours of back-and-forth sporting action. Whereas First Class Trouble carried on the multiplayer theme for November with a familiar-feeling game. Players work together to figure out who’s trustworthy and identify the wrongdoer amongst them. It sounded a bit sus to us, but players lapped up the newer elements it brought to the genre. 3. Hell Let Loose – October 2021 PS Plus Game Whatever you think of Hell Let Loose’s brutally realistic interpretation of war, there’s no denying its desire to make you learn. This was not a game designed for Call of Duty or even Battlefield players, Hell Let Loose is stern and harsh. Read More: Top 5 best and worst video game remasters – Matches can last an eternity, maps are huge, and tactics, strategy, and communication are simply non-negotiable. If you could get used to the game’s steep learning curve, then there’s an authentic FPS game here waiting for you. 2. Wreckfest – May 2021 PS Plus Game Wreckfest takes hints of Motorstorm, Destruction Derby, and Burnout to create one super-duper carnage-filled experience. You’ll be racing, taking part in intense 1v1 duels, and straight-up wrecking foes in demolition derby events. The tracks are designed for collisions and instill a sense of trepidation. After all, you could be one fatal crash away from having your race participation terminated. With franchises such as Gran Turismo, Forza, and F1 out there, a game like Wreckfest can fall by the wayside. 1. Overcooked: All You Can Eat – September 2021 PS Plus Game Our top pick for 2021 goes to one of the most perfect displays of local co-op you are ever likely to see. Team 17 managed to take the concept of two players cooking and turn it into something special and unique. Overcooked’s premise is simple and the first few levels teach you about the basics of each food to prepare. Then introduce some chaotic elements like moving platforms, and eventually mix all these ingredients together to see what you’ve learned. You’ll condemn your friend or significant other for leaving fries to burn or accidentally yeeting a burger patty into the bin. ‘All You Can Eat’ comes with every level from the first two games, as well as the DLC. It’s a sumptuous package of deliciousness, and anyone who owns it should play it.

PlayStation Plus games lineup for December 2022 confirmed Sony Interactive EntertainmentAs the holiday season approaches, here’s which free games will be coming to PlayStation Plus in December 2022. Expectations are always slightly higher as we enter the festive season, but as with every month, the free PS Plus games provided by Sony will delight some and disappoint others. Remember, to take advantage of the free PlayStation Plus games each month, you’ll need to have an active subscription to the service with Essentials being the most basic package. The good news is, this entitles you to not only the free monthly games, but also gives subscribers access to the PlayStation Library of free games, and enables access to multiplayer. Here’s what we know about this month’s free games. PS Plus Essentials free games The December 2022 lineup of free PS Plus games this month will be the following three games: Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (PS4) – Biomutant – Divine Knockout: Founder’s Edition – Sony has now confirmed that each title will appear on the service on December 6, 2022. So, what do you think? Are you excited about these holiday gifts from Sony or were you expecting something more?

PlayStation Plus free games for September 2024: Confirmed games for PS5 & PS4 PlayStationSony has officially confirmed the PlayStation Plus free games in September 2024, including a diverse selection of different genres, along with PlayStation Extra and Premium titles. To take advantage of the free PlayStation Plus games each month, you’ll need to have an active subscription to the service with Essentials being the most basic package, and Extra/Premium available at higher tiers. PS Plus games for September 2024 The following games are available on PS Plus right now: Quidditch Champions – PS4 / PS5 – MLB The Show 24 – PS4 / PS5 – Little Nightmares IIthe Knights – PS4 / PS5 – PS Plus Extra & Premium games for September 2024 Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium games on the official PlayStation Blog for September 2024. All of these games will be available on September 17. The PlayStation Plus Extra games for September 2024 are: The Plucky Squire | PS5 – Under The Waves | PS4, PS5 – Night in the Woods | PS4, PS5 – Chernobylite | PS4, PS5 – Wild Card Football | PS4, PS5 – Space Engineers | PS4, PS5 – Road 96 | PS4, PS5 – Ben 10 | PS4 – Far Cry 5 | PS4 – PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers have access to all of the Extra games, as well as these additional titles. The PlayStation Plus Premium games for September 2024 are: Pistol Whip | PS VR2 – Secret Agent Clank | PS4, PS5 – Sky Gunner | PS4, PS5 – Mister Mosquito | PS4, PS5 – How to get PS Plus games for free If you are looking to claim these games as a part of the September 2024 lineup, then you are going to need to follow some basic steps: Go to your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5’s home screen. – Head to the PlayStation Plus symbol on the media bar. – Now, choose which PS Plus games you want to download. – You’ll now be able to play the newly added games from your ‘Library!‘ – After following these steps, the games will be added to your library, where they can be downloaded individually whenever you are ready to play them.

PlayStation Plus free games for April 2023: Confirmed games for PS5 & PS4 PlayStationSony has officially confirmed the PlayStation Plus free games in April 2023, including titles across the PS Essentials tier. Each month, Sony offers free PS Plus games to new and existing subscribers of its subscription service. While the available game sometimes disappoints players, Sony has struck gold several times with its PS Plus additions. To gain access to free monthly games, PlayStation users must have an active subscription to PS Plus under the Essentials package – the most basic tier. On May 9, 2023, subscribers will lose the ability to play classic PS4 titles like God of War, Persona 5, and The Last of Us due to the shutdown of PS5’s PS Plus Collection. Furthermore, players have until April 3 to add Battlefield 2042, Minecraft Dungeons, and Code Vein to their library. Here are the monthly titles PS Plus subscribers can download starting April 5. Contents PS Plus games for April 2023 On March 29, PlayStation’s official Twitter account revealed April 2023’s three available PS Plus games. The following titles are for subscribers of the PS Plus Essentials tier: Meet Your Maker (PS4, PS5) – Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS4, PS5) – Tails of Iron (PS4, PS5) – The April 2023 lineup consists of games from three different genres which all have both PS4 and PS5 versions. As for the titles’ descriptions, Meet Your Maker is a post-apocalyptic first-person shooter that also incorporates a building mechanic. In the Behaviour Interactive game, gamers can play solo or with a friend to place traps and raid outposts. On the other hand, Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a 3D multiplayer platformer and spinoff of the LittleBigPlanet franchise. Lastly, Tails of Iron is a hand-drawn RPG game with an intense combat system. Players control Redgi, the heir to the Rat Throne, as he tries to win back his Kingdom by defeating members of the Frog Clan and their tyrant ruler, Greenwart. How to get PS Plus games for free If any of the April 2023 titles sound interesting, here’s how to download them. Go to your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5’s home screen. – Head to the PlayStation Plus symbol on the media bar. – Now, choose which PS Plus games you want to download. – You’ll now be able to play the newly added games from your ‘Library! ‘ – For more free games on a different console, check out our latest Xbox Game Pass guide.

PlayStation players could claim money in $5bn lawsuit against Sony SonyPlayStation are due to face a $5 billion lawsuit, as claims of overcharging customers for digital purchases have been presented to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK. The PlayStation Network store is among the world’s biggest digital storefronts. Usurping the need to acquire physical copies, customers have long been able to purchase games months in advance, allowing them to be downloaded ahead of launch. However, Sony’s go-to platform for purchases can often see exponential price differences between acquiring a physical copy. Now, a new legal claim from Consumer Rights Champion Alex Neil will see PlayStation stare down a $5 billion lawsuit, after allegedly overcharging customers since 2016. PlayStation Network users could claim compensation amid lawsuit According to Sky News, Consumer Rights Champion Alex Neil appeared before the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK to present the claim against PlayStation on August 19. The claim in question purports that PlayStation is in breach of competition law, by forcing significant price increases due to challenging conditions imposed on publishers ad developers alike. By supposedly maintaining a 30% commission fee on all digital storefront sales, including in-game purchases, customers have been overcharged by at least $5 billion since 2016. Customers have been using the PlayStation Network since August 19, 2016 may be eligible to claim compensation, should further action be successfully taken. The amount will vary between customers, but Neil suggests that claimants could receive up to £562 / $660. Neil explained to Sky that “with this legal action I am standing up for the millions of UK people who have been unwittingly overcharged. We believe Sony has abused its position and ripped off its customers.” “The actions of Sony is costing millions of people who can’t afford it, particularly when we’re in the midst of a cost of living crisis and the consumer purse is being squeezed like never before,” Neil continued. Sony have yet to release a statement on the matter. Alex Neill is advised by the law firm, Milberg London LLP, alongside funding from Woodsford.

PlayStation trophies could be on their way to PC A new discovery by data miners suggests that PlayStation trophies could be on the way to PC in the future. Trophies are the way users of the Sony flagship console track their achievements. Crossplay has become a significant part of the gaming landscape in recent years, with many games now allowing players to join their friends on different platforms. In particular, Microsoft have led this charge with Game Pass. The premium subscription model allows players to play a ton of free games on either PC or Xbox and this crossover extends to the achievement system. Awards gained in-game go towards a universal profile and the gamerscore is shared regardless of platform. PlayStation looks like they are about to follow suit, with new information suggesting trophies could be getting PC integration soon. Data miners uncover clues to PlayStation’s plans for PC The first hint that PlayStation trophies are coming to PC came when Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered added PSN support for PC. Alongside info relating to several unannounced features, modders uncovered that this support was going to be extended to all PlayStation Studios games. Though this wasn’t an explicit statement of intent, it did suggest a renewed desire to integrate the two platforms further. Following that, a scanner has now discovered a new trophy list with the platform category “PSPC”. Though this wasn’t attached to a specific game, it looks to be a test list of some kind. Further research found that the PSPC is separate from the PS5, though it may have some form of integration. Despite PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying this would not be the case, games like Helldivers 2 are on the way with a simultaneous release on both PlayStation and PC. With more games releasing on both platforms than ever before, it seems only a matter of time before PC trophies become a reality.

PlayStation PC ports get enormous discounts at Green Man Gaming The PlayStation PC ports have all been massively discounted just in time for the Christmas break, with savings of up to 79%. Sony’s PlayStation PC ports have all been great. Mostly, it’s nice to see a console-centric company opening its doors to another audience. With Christmas coming, Green Man Gaming has gotten ahead of the oncoming Steam sale by putting pretty much all of Sony’s PC port output on sale. These are delivered to you via download codes that you then redeem on Steam. They’re pretty much instantaneous but can take a few minutes to appear during busy periods. The PlayStation PC ports have been a rousing success, outside of The Last of Us. However, it appears the game is mostly stable now. Our time with Uncharted, Returnal, and Sackboy found them to be excellent ports with a tonne of options to get it running just right on your PC. Plus, if you’re outfitted with an ultra-wide monitor, you’ll experience these games as they probably were never intended to be seen. This all said, those Spider-Man ports are fantastic and flourish on PC. Green Man Gaming drops prices on God of War, Horizon & more The list of games you’ll find on sale and their discounts include: Horizon Zero Dawn – 79% off – The Last of Us Part 1 – 43% off Deluxe Edition is 43% off – – Spider-Man: Remastered – 49% off – Spider-Man: Miles Morales – 49% off – God of War – 57% off – Days Gone – 79% off – Ratchet & Clank – 43% off – Returnal – 43% off – Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection – 57% off – Helldivers – 79% off – Predator: Hunting Grounds – 79% off – Sackboy: A Big Adventure – 57% off – If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Is the PlayStation Network down? PSN users reporting major outage on June 13 [UPDATED] Sony PlayStationUPDATE 4:09 PM PST, June 13 PlayStation Network is back up and running again finally, meaning players can enjoy all of its services once more. Sony’s PlayStation Network is currently down for players all across the world, with no idea of when normal service will resume. PlayStation fans are furious with the company after their PlayStation Network service suddenly ceased to work, meaning players can’t play online multiplayer games, use the PlayStation Store, or access their PlayStation Plus games. The official PlayStation support Twitter account acknowledged the downtime, tweeting, “We’re aware that some users are experiencing issues logging into PSN. Thank you for your patience as we investigate.” We’re aware that some users are experiencing issues logging into PSN. Thank you for your patience as we investigate: https://t.co/s026QGzJZr — Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) June 13, 2019 It’s not the first PSN issue this month PSN users encountered errors with the service earlier this month, after their consoles were telling them that they needed a PlayStation Plus subscription to access online features, even though they already had one. PlayStation’s official UK support Twitter responded to reports of the fault, advising users to log in and out periodically to see if it resolved the issue. The service eventually resumed normal service, much to the relief of PSN players. Seems like PlayStation couldn’t go a few more days without any issues, though. People are angry Obviously an outage of this scale is going to be met with anguish from fans, especially if they pay for the PlayStation Plus service. One fan even punched his system over the downtime, tweeting, “Damn… I just punched my PlayStation because I thought it was fucked up.” Damn… I just punched my PlayStation because I thought it was fucked up — Leo (@LeoPlayz14321) June 13, 2019 Xbox fans were quick to react to PlayStation’s tweet, finding the entire situation absolutely hilarious. “Xbox would never,” one fan said. “I just switched to ps4 and I’m already regretting it. When Xbox has this problem it took no more then an hour or two to fix,” another person complained. I just switched to ps4 and I’m already regretting it. When Xbox has this problem it took no more then an hour or two to fix — Erin Hutson (@HRUT_EISN) June 13, 2019 We will let you know as soon as the service is up and running again.

PlayStation May State of Play predictions: Will we see Death Stranding 2, Resident Evil 9, or even Bloodborne 2? SonyWell, the Summer of Games has finally begun, with Sony kicking things off with a State of Play on May 30. According to the official Playstation X account, State of Play will return this Thursday at 3 pm PT / 11 pm BST, and we can expect updates on 14 PS5 and PS VR2 titles. It’s exciting stuff! In fact, it’s so exciting that the team here at Dexerto can barely contain themselves. So, to give us something to do while we wait for the official stream, we’ve put our heads together and put together a list of everything we want to hear about during this May’s State of Play. Our list of hopes and dreams has everything from highly anticipated sequels (yes, we predict Bloodborne 2) to exciting new IPs. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in. Death Stranding 2 From the moment it was released, Death Stranding garnered a massive cult following. Its cinematic style, eccentric worldbuilding, and intense storyline grasped the hearts of thousands — so it comes as no surprise that a sequel is in the works. We already saw 10 minutes of the game back in February, and months later, I’m itching to see what it has to offer and maybe even hear a release date. It’s been five years since Hideo Kojima imparted his ‘unique’ ideas onto my screen, and that’s five years too long. (Words by Jessica Filby) Returnal DLC/Sequel My favorite PS5 exclusive isn’t usually people’s first choice: Returnal. This game felt like the first true AAA roguelite, and it was stellar. From the controls to the fun weapons to the confusing yet intriguing storyline, our time with Selene was phenomenal. And I want more! I think there’s room to explore more of Selene’s trauma and psyche, even if it is just a smaller DLC. Returnal deserves some more attention, and announcing a sequel or DLC could be a great way to do that. (Words by Shane Black) Please put FFVII Rebirth on PS Plus PS Plus is a great service, but it’s missing one feature that Game Pass has: the ability to play games as soon as they’re released. Now, I don’t think Sony has to fully commit to that, as their exclusives will sell well no matter what, but getting FFVII Rebirth just a few months after its release would be awesome. Not only for those of us who haven’t had a chance to buy it yet but to also get more people to subscribe to the service. Bring a flagship game onboard to bring attention to it. It may be a pipe dream, but it’s one that I would be ecstatic for. (Words by Shane Black) The return of Jak and Daxter Oh man, Jak and Daxter dominated my time with my PS2. The original three games were my absolute favorites, and I even replay them every now and then. It’s about time for them to return in some capacity. Whether it be remasters or a new game entirely, I’d love to see the characters that put Naughty Dog on my map return. Naughty Dog is surely busy with another Last of Us game and more IPs, so the possibility of them bringing Jak and Daxter back is slim. But maybe they can hand the IP off to another developer who can bring us back to that world. (Words by Shane Black) Resident Evil 9 reveal The last few Resident Evil games have been announced during PlayStation Showcases, so it’s reasonable to expect we’ll see the oft-rumored Resident Evil 9 appear at a Sony event this summer. Given that Resident Evil Village and the Shadows of Rose expansion clearly tied up Ethan Winters’ story, Capcom has an opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction or go back to basics with a familiar hero. Rumor has it that Leon Kennedy will be back, but either way, we can’t wait to see what frights (and campy horror goodness) Resident Evil 9 has in store. (Words by Noelle Corbett) Housemarque’s next game Back in 2021, Housemarque released the ambitious Returnal on PlayStation 5, making the roguelike shooter one of the few PS5 exclusives. A month after releasing the game, Housemarque was acquired by Sony, who were clearly impressed by Returnal’s success. However, the studio has been pretty quiet since then, likely working on its next project and first new release as a PlayStation studio. While it might not be ready for some time, now seems like the right time for Housemarque to unveil what it’s been doing since Returnal. For one, PlayStation has few exclusives on the calendar at the moment. Plus, given that a major criticism of this console generation has been the lack of true next-gen exclusives, Housemarque seems like the perfect team to get things on the right track. (Words by Noelle Corbett) Marathon Marathon seems like a shoo-in to turn up at the next Sony presentation. Destiny 2: The Final Shape is just concluding, and while that franchise will continue, many are looking to what’s next from Sony’s newest acquisition. One thing that is heavily rumored, though, is that it’s set to be released in 2025, so we do need to see it before too long. We’ve gotten some vibe-check trailers from Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter that seem very stylish, but what does the game look like, how does it play, how is it structured? All of that remains a total mystery. Especially with the word that the game is switching to a hero-based concept under the tutelage of an ex-Valorant director, there’s every chance this game ends up feeling very un-Bungie. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either, though, and at this point, it’s just about seeing it so we can judge it for ourselves. (Words by Patrick Dane) Destiny 3 Okay. This is a long shot – but rumors of the development of the next mainline game in Bungie’s flagship franchise have begun to circulate. We also recently saw long-time Destiny leader Luke Smith reappear on camera and assure everyone The Final Shape is not the end of the franchise and that after the conclusion of the Light and Dark saga, Bungie would be back to talk about the franchise’s future. It may be a bit early for an announcement like this, but the narrative that the Final Shape is the end of Destiny still permeates audiences. Getting out quickly after the launch of The Final Shape and detailing that the long-awaited sequel is on the horizon would go a long way in securing the franchise’s future. Again, it’s a longer shot, but the reasoning behind announcing the game close to the conclusion of the Final Shape would go a long way. (Words by Patrick Dane) Silent Hill 2 remake If you were as disappointed as I was by the Silent Hill HD Collection and have been looking to test your mettle against the misty and mind-bending monsters of America’s foggiest town, chances are you’re desperate for news on the Silent Hill 2 remake. We got a brief teaser during January’s State of Play, which gave us our first look at the updated graphics and gameplay (as well as James’s new gorgeous mug, which earned him the ire of our editor Pat). Yet, we didn’t get a release date, and I expect we’ll finally find out when we can next pay Silent Hill a visit during the showcase. (Words by Tom Percival) Wolverine news We know everyone wants Spider-Man 2 DLC (I’m itching to swing into another adventure with Miles and Peter), but let’s not forget Insomniac is working on a game featuring everyone’s favorite Canadian X-Man… no, not Deadpool… he’s not even a member of the X-Men. No, we’re talking about Wolverine! The game was officially announced back in 2021, but we haven’t had much news since, or at least not from official sources. The 2023 Ransomware attack on Insomniac, unfortunately, led to several early playable builds, concept art, and plot points leaking online. Insomniac claimed at the time that the hack, while distressing, wouldn’t impact the development of the game. With that in mind, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a story trailer of some sort or maybe even some gameplay footage. (Words by Tom Percival) Bloodborne 2 Someone reset the counter! It’s a PlayStation event, and someone’s predicting we’ll hear about Bloodborne 2. It’s a cliche at this point, but you know what? I’m desperate to get my fangs into another Soulsbourne game, and while I expect Shadow of the Erdtree to scratch that itch for a while, I know I’ll be as hungry as a Scourge Beats for more. So, with Fromsoft presumably done with Elden Ring for now, why not give me some blessed relief and finally announce Bloodborne 2? Hell, I’ll even take a PlayStation 5 remake; just give me something. (Words by Tom Percival) Venom spin-off or Spider-Man 2 DLC Spider-Man 2 was a nice Venom aperitif, but we’re ready for the sticky main course now. Yes, Insomniac hasn’t officially announced a Venom spin-off game, but the aforementioned ransomware attack revealed that a standalone Venom game is in development. We don’t know how far along it is, but we’d love Insomniac to share some more details. In our most fevered symbiotic dreams, we like to imagine the game will be similar to Spider-Man: Miles Morales and serve as a sort of interquel between the mainline Spider-Man games. If this was the case, then we might see it sometime in the next two years, or perhaps we might see Venom in some Spider-Man 2 DLC. (Words by Tom Percival)

PlayStation leaker claims PC ports for major PS5 exclusives are coming in 2024 PlayStationAccording to a leak from a Nixxes employee, 2024 could be a big year for PlayStation with PC ports lined up for some of the PS5’s biggest games. In the past few years, Sony has been entering new territories by porting some of its biggest first-party titles to PC. In 2023 alone, PC players got to experience the likes of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal, and The Last of Us Part 1, some of PlayStation‘s biggest titles. Not counting The Last of Us Part 1’s mixed reception, the arrival of these ports has been stellar across the board due to the work of porting partner Nixxes Software. It seems like Sony has no plans of stopping the PC port train, with a leak indicating more PS heavy hitters could be launching on PC in 2024. Demon’s Souls, Ghost of Tsushima, and more may be coming to PC The leak in question comes from a “Nixxes employee,” who shared Sony’s PC plans for 2024. In a 4chan post shared to Reddit, the employee claims The Last of Us Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Demon’s Souls, and Grand Turismo 7 will hit PC sometime this year. They claim that Demon’s Souls and Ghost of Tsushima are taking longer to port due to the lack of experience both developers have with making PC ports. Along with that, they shared that Spider-Man 2 will hit PC in 2025 and that Sony has plans of porting early PlayStation titles like inFAMOUS Second Son to PC. As with any leaks, it’s imperative to take them with a grain of salt. Given these are big first-party names, it seems extra salt may be needed, although this post might be solely reiterating the massive NVIDIA leak from 2021. Most of those leaked titles ended up coming to PC. While the comments were skeptical of the leaker, most of the comments jokingly agreed this could be real because Bloodborne was nowhere to be found on the list. “Demon’s Souls coming before Bloodborne is the only thing believable about this,” one player replied. Another simply said: “I know this is real because he didn’t mention Bloodborne.” That said, with The Last of Us Part 2’s remaster out in the wild, it’s not hard to see a PC port that far off from being released. For the time being, PC players have Helldivers 2 and Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition to look forward to this year.

PlayStation is making a live-action Until Dawn movie with Shazam director Until DawnFamous PlayStation-exclusive title Until Dawn will come to life on the big screen with director David F. Sandberg and screenwriter Gary Dauberman. Until Dawn was released in 2015 by the creative minds of Supermassive Games, who have made similar titles like Man of Medan and The Quarry. The horror game gave players an immersive experience by putting them in control of the lives of eight college students visiting the friend’s family ski-lodge after the death of twins Hannah and Beth. Until Dawn’s story direction is entirely up to the player, allowing for multiple endings depending on which characters survive ‘until dawn.’ It also gave players a new mechanic with the PS4’s controller to sense any movement. After its success, Until Dawn will be transformed into a movie. This adds to the growing list of video game live-action renditions like The Last of Us, Minecraft, and Five Nights at Freddy’s. Until Dawn gets the royal horror treatment While Sandberg is the movie’s director, Dauberman will be acting as the film’s screenwriter. Dauberman has had his hand in successful horror titles such as It, The Nun, and Annabelle: Creation. Sanberg was also the director of Annabelle: Creation, which will give fans some insight into what the pair is capable of. Actual actors from different backgrounds captured the Until Dawn characters. Some of the most notable are Jordan Fisher, Hayden Panettiere, and Rami Malek. There are few details known about the movie regarding production. Since the game featured real actors, it is hard to say whether those individuals will resume their roles from several years ago. In the last two years, other live-action adaptations have been massively successful, like the Mario Bros movie and The Last of Us, who keep true to their gaming counterparts with only slight variations. Since Until Dawn has multiple endings depending on the number of survivors, it is hard to say which one will be chosen. We will update you once actors are announced for the Until Dawn movie, but until then, the rest is complete speculation.

PlayStation fans furious over lack of PS5 price & preorder details Sony / PlayStation[jwplayer hRlzg0BA]Sony sparked backlash after revealing its August 6 State of Play event would not feature any major PlayStation 5 announcements. Fans have become frustrated that the next-gen console still has no price or release date. On August 3, Sony revealed that their upcoming State of Play would only showcase PS4 and PSVR titles. The company warned viewers that it would not focus on substantial details about the PS5’s launch. The reveal sparked backlash on social media after players became fed up with the next-gen hardware still not having a release date or pricing, despite the console releasing in “Holiday 2020.” PS5 fans are frustrated Sony revealed that their next State of Play will be over 40 minutes long, and will heavily focus on the PS4, PSVR, and some PlayStation 5 indie titles. However in a blog post on their website, the company cautioned viewers to not expect PS5 hardware or launch news. “Just to be super clear — there will be no PlayStation Studios updates in Thursday’s episode. There won’t be any updates around hardware, business, preorders, or dates either. Our focus is squarely on showcasing some cool upcoming games,” it read. The publisher reiterated the announcement on Twitter, stating, “What to expect: A focus on PS4 & PS VR games. No big PS5 announcements!” Their tweet was met immediately met with backlash from players. State of Play returns Thursday at 1:00pm Pacific! What to expect: ▪️ A focus on upcoming PS4 & PS VR games ▪️ A few quick check-ins on third-party and indie games from June’s PS5 showcase ▪️ No big PS5 announcements!Tune-in details: https://t.co/kgrDFZsHd2 pic.twitter.com/9AIPFnh3CT — PlayStation (@PlayStation) August 3, 2020 The post received thousands of replies from those upset that the company still has not given the next-gen console a release date or pricing. Users such as ‘Rocketfuel777’ explained: “We need the price and ability to preorder! Some folks need to plan the budget.” ‘Vhero’ echoed a similar sentiment: “How can you get to Aug 6th with no price and release date with a console out this year??” The Sony tweet had gotten so much negative feedback that ‘no PS5’ began trending on the social media platform. Even industry analysts such as NPD’s Mat Piscatella weighed in on the topic. “At some point, retail hardware allocations must get locked. Retailers have to know how many they’ll have to sell, and how much they’ll have to spend to acquire the inventory. We’re getting late in the game, retail needs to know,” he said. Piscatella also pointed out that PlayStations 5’s launch consoles will no doubt “sell out” regardless of what the price or release date is. Still, the lack of information this close to launch is interesting, to say the least. It’s still uncertain who will make the first move – Sony or Microsoft. At the time of writing though, neither company has made any signals that they have plans to reveal a price or release date anytime soon, despite both systems supposedly coming out this Holiday.

PlayStation fans angered as Sony announces PS5 price hike SonyPlayers everywhere were stunned when Sony announced that the company is hiking the price of the PlayStation 5 in multiple regions. Sony has announced that in multiple regions spanning across the globe that the PlayStation 5, both the Digital Edition and the one including a disc-drive, will be receiving a price hike. On August 25, President & CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Jim Ryan wrote a blog post explaining the decision and revealing exactly how much money the price hike would be costing players. “The global economic environment is a challenge that many of you around the world are no doubt experiencing. We’re seeing high global inflation rates, as well as adverse currency trends, impacting consumers and creating pressure on many industries,” Jim said. Ryan also clarified that Sony’s “top priority” is to “improve the PS5 supply situation so that as many players as possible can experience everything that PS5 offers and what’s still to come.” Following the announcement, PlayStation fans and prospective PS5 owners shared their frustrations with the news. PlayStation players shocked by PS5 price hike The regions getting a price raise are as follows: Europe, UK, Japan, Australia, China, Mexico, and Canada. Nearly every major region outside of the United States is getting a price bump. Gaming insider Jez Corden said, “Sony’s message with its PS5 price increase to everyone outside the USA: (middle finger)” Another user on social media was shocked at how expensive gaming has become overall this console generation and said, “Converting PS5’s new £479.99 price to dollars is $568.14 Games are already $82 converted, and we’re in a living crisis.” Another PlayStation fan was crushed by the news and labeled the changes “the most Jim Ryan thing ever.” They also added, “This really is the last thing anyone hoping to buy a PS5 wanted to hear. Bad day for Sony, the PS5, and gamers.” Sadly, for those outside the USA who still haven’t got their hands on a PS5, prices will be going up on top of the fact that many still cannot get their hands on one at all due to supply chain issues.

PlayStation fan destroys setup after Horizon Zero Dawn PC reveal Twitter: THEAP99 / Guerrilla GamesShortly after a PC port of Horizon Zero Dawn was announced, one hardcore PlayStation fan destroyed their setup in order to vent their frustration. One of the most iconic games of the PlayStation 4 generation, Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn, expanded on the open-world genre in new ways and collected a heaping serve of Game of the Year awards when 2017 came to a close. Three years later and Aloy’s wondrous adventure is now headed to PC’s around the world. The March 10 announcement seems to have left a bitter taste in the mouths of die-hard PS4 fans, however, including one . While the announcement came as a pleasant surprise to the large majority of gamers, a few extreme fans were left upset as what was once an exclusive title to the PlayStation nation, is now set to jump ship. “Thanks for f***ing nothing,” Twitter user ‘THEAP99’ said in response to the announcement, and even went as far as to tag a wide array of accounts, from former Guerrilla Games director-turned- head of PlayStation Worldwide Studios, Hermen Hulst, to former Sony president Shuhei Yoshida. “Decades thrown away and now it was all for nothing,” they tweeted, alongside a clip of their now-destroyed gaming setup, which seems to have been caused by their rage at the PC announcement. “Great way to spend my birthday.” Great way to spend my birthday. Thanks for f*cking nothing @PlayStation @Guerrilla @hermenhulst @yosp decades thrown away and now it was all for nothing https://t.co/skN2v9jHge pic.twitter.com/lCBWDEf9sq — AP (@THEAP99) March 10, 2020 The clip itself revealed an overturned desk, cables left in a total mess, and a shattered monitor that seemed to have been flung to the ground after the Twitter user had read the news. Clearly frustrated by the fact PC gamers will soon be able to experience one of the best-selling PlayStation 4 titles without needing to join the console family, so to speak, this diehard fan seemed absolutely livid. Read More: Is The Last of Us 2 coming to PC? – Following in the footsteps of Microsoft as they release all exclusive titles across both Xbox systems and PC’s through the Microsoft Store, perhaps the Horizon port is the first sign of things to come for Sony. It’s confirmed! Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition is coming to PC 🏹 We’re excited that more players will be able to meet Aloy and explore the world of Horizon Zero Dawn this summer! https://t.co/Q1BknmCsQT — Guerrilla (@Guerrilla) March 10, 2020 Potentially a sign of things to come as Sony gears up for the next console generation, perhaps many future PlayStation exclusives will follow suit and be released across various platforms moving forward. From The Last of Us Part II, to Ghost of Tsushima, Sony is closing out the PS4 lifecycle with a bang, but maybe these titles will soon be accessible for PC gamers as well… apparently much to the dismay of the hardcore console fanbase.

PlayStation explains why the DualShock 4 won’t work on PS5 games [jwplayer EAAB9usT] After showing off the hardware in June 2020, PlayStation has explained which accessories will work with PS5 and why the DualShock 4 will only be partially compatible. Back in June 2020, PlayStation showed off the first games for the PS5 as well as the console itself and some of the accessories that were being made for the console. Overall, the event was praised for giving fans a deep dive into what the company had to offer, while also being criticized for a lack of finite details like the price, release date, and much more. One question that’s been on everyone’s mind is the compatibility of certain peripherals and accessories. Many people own headsets and controllers that work with PS4 and have been wondering which, if any, would work on Sony’s next-gen console. Suffice to say, the answer is complicated. First and foremost, the PS4’s controller, the DualShock 4, will only have partial compatibility. While the controller will work with PS4 games that are played on the PS5, it won’t work with any PS5 games. According to Sony, the reason behind this is that the company believes that PS5 games can only be experienced when you have all the features that the DualSense controller comes with. For those that don’t know, the controller features haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and a built-in microphone, all of which aren’t included on the DualShock 4, so it makes sense that it wouldn’t be compatible for those games that utilize those features. First details on compatible accessories and peripherals for PlayStation 5: https://t.co/PcJLll3oQi pic.twitter.com/kAaHTY4vyB — PlayStation (@PlayStation) August 3, 2020 Beyond that, however, the news is mostly good, as the company also confirmed that any wireless headset that utilizes a USB port or audio jack will be compatible with the PS5 with no restrictions. Finally, when it comes to PSVR, both the PlayStation Move controllers and the VR Aim Controller will be compatible with PS5 games that support it, which really shouldn’t come as a surprise. All in all, it is surely a bit of a disappointment that players won’t be able to use their PS4 controllers for everything, however, it does make sense when you think about it. Hopefully, the controller itself is comfortable enough so that players will be happy to use it.

PlayStation exclusive games will release on PC one year later from now on SonyHead of PlayStation Studios, Hermen Hulst, has offered more insight about the company’s release plans on PC for exclusive games. Sony’s history of publishing games on PC is fairly rocky. In 2015, for instance, it brought second-party project Helldivers to PC within months of its PlayStation console release. But it wasn’t until Horizon Zero Dawn’s Epic Games Store and Steam launch in 2020 that the console-maker began hosting its first-party titles on other platforms. In the two years since then, Days Gone, God of War (2018), and Spider-Man Remastered have all made the jump. The seemingly arbitrary release strategy raises myriad questions, though, some of which may finally have vague answers at best. PlayStation teases shorter PC launch window for exclusive games In an interview with YouTuber Julien Chièze, PlayStation Studios Head Hermen Hulst revealed that “going forward” PC versions of PS4/PS5 exclusives will arrive at least one year later. With respect to live-service experiences, though, PC releases may become available much sooner. The PlayStation boss told Chièze the following: “I think going forward, we’ll see at least a year between releases on our own platform, on PlayStation, and on the PC platform – possibly with the exception of live-service games. Live-service games are a little bit different in nature because you want to have really strong community, strong engagement right away… So we might, in the case of our live-service offerings, go day and date with PC and the PlayStation platform.” While Hulst’s comments clear the air in some respect, they remain vague enough to spark new questions about when exactly PlayStation’s exclusive games will land on PC. It’s possible, for example, that Horizon Forbidden West or God of War Ragnarok could hit Steam and the Epic Games Store next year. But until Sony actually clarifies its plans, all anyone can do is guess when these new adventures will make the jump.

Xbox Games Pass is still superior to new PlayStation Plus in one key way SonySony has combined its major subscription services, PlayStation Plus and PS Now, into multiple, attractive packages, but their different promotional tiers have ignored one of the main Xbox Game Pass selling points – day one exclusives. After a lot of discussions, rumors, and speculation, Project Spartacus has now been fully realized and the Xbox Game Pass rival has had the world talking. A simple PS Plus membership will remain the same, and one tier will offer all the PlayStation games imaginable, but Sony has overlooked a huge hook in day one PlayStation exclusives. Considered to be the flagship and standard-bearer for regular, out-of-this-world AAA titles, Sony has forgotten to consider the prospect of any new ones being added to the subscription service and we consider this to be a huge missed step. I believe this boils down to several key factors. Sony loves their PlayStation retro library Microsoft’s Xbox brand hasn’t been around as long as Sony and it hasn’t spread its wings into the handheld market. However, PlayStation’s lineage is long and prosperous. Dating back nearly 30 years now, Sony has released multiple mainline home consoles, as well as several handheld spin-offs. In that timeframe, the Japanese behemoth has released a staggering amount of games, conjured umpteen memorable franchises, and has been a home for must-own exclusives. It’s one of the reasons why the restructured PlayStation Plus tiers have made its premium one include the oldest games as part of its selling point. Whilst blockbusters such as Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, and God of War Ragnarok represent the Sony of today, it’s their past that many people still identify with and seek to rekindle. By giving players access to over 300 extra titles that include games from the earliest stages of the brand’s lifecycle, Sony believes that is a big enough reason for players to invest and subscribe. With the prospect of adding many more rare and valuable PS1 games that are selling for 3-digits on eBay right now, surely that’s great value, right? Sony believes PlayStation towers above the competition The PS3’s launch was positively disastrous, and it took the blue brand many years to catch up to Xbox. These mistakes were rectified for the PS4 vs Xbox One war and the Japanese company took that generation by an absolute landslide. We’re now well into the ninth-generation battle, and, once again, PlayStation is comfortably ahead in the home console war. But I would hazard a guess that they believe they are so far ahead that they don’t need to offer their most exclusive games as part of a subscription package. Read More: Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands review – Xbox Game Pass owners have been treated well with a ton of Xbox exclusive games releasing straight on the service on day one. Again, you’d argue that it has to try and recoup some lost fans over the years and at the very least retain the ones it has. According to VGC, PS5 sales are likely to be somewhere in the region of double the Xbox next-gen sales, and you’d have to think the only reason the gap isn’t wider is because of the documented shortage of PS5s. Day one PlayStation exclusives are a get out of jail free card As proven by the Store controversy in 2021 when Sony threatened to shut down the PS3 and PS Vita stores, they are not immune to making mistakes and inciting negative reactions from its loyal fanbase. They’ve done it before and will almost certainly do so again. This is why it could be good to hold a ‘day one exclusive’ card as a contingency plan in case things inevitably go south again. “Annoyed that we’ve removed a beloved PlayStation feature? Then we’re pleased to announce that all PlayStation exclusives are free on day one for PS Plus Premium users!” Cue the fanfare, whip out the party hats, and with the fickle society of 2022, it’s that simple. It’s an effective bargaining chip that Sony can hold onto until they encounter a perilous scenario in which they need to bolster their profile. Should Sony have made day one exclusives part of Project Spartacus? In my eyes, yes. It feels like few companies either want or know how to strike whilst the iron is hot. The PlayStation 5 is the top dog, and if more processor chips can be created or a PS5 Slim can be brought out that can be manufactured easier, then console sales will shoot up even more. Instead of capitalizing on this and securing this generation’s war in relative comfort, this kind of action just leaves a hint of doubt. It also questions how much the company cares about its fans compared to its profit margins and revenue. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate which includes everything: Live Gold, free games, cloud play, etc, is $14.99 a month. According to the missions statement for Project Spartacus, the Premium tier will cost $17.99 a month. That’s $3 more with no day one exclusives. Do PlayStation gamers really care about backward compatibility and the desire to play classic games this much? I guess only time will tell.

PlayStation customer support prioritizes high-level rewards program members PlayStationIt appears that players on higher levels of PlayStation’s Stars rewards program will receive top priority when contacting customer support. PlayStation unveiled the Stars program earlier this summer, though it’s just now rolling out across Asian territories. The loyalty system is currently on track to hit the Americas, Europe, and Australia in October. Every PlayStation user starts at Level 1 for free in the four-level system. To increase ranks, players will need to earn Trophies and purchase games through the PS Store. Notably, Level 4 unlocks once players have bought four full-priced titles from the store and earned no less than 128 rare Trophies. The benefits that reportedly come with Level 4 have caused quite a stir. How PlayStation’s rewards program impacts customer support According to the Japanese gaming website Automaton, digital extras aren’t the only bonuses rewarded to players who reach the Level 4 tier. A Google translated version of the site’s PlayStation Stars article notes that Level 4 members who contact PlayStation’s customer support team will receive “priority.” Thus, it seems that big spenders and those who can devote plenty of time to Trophy hunting will have the best chance of receiving quality customer support. Responses to the above Automaton tweet are filled with disgruntled PlayStation fans, the vast majority of whom agree “customer support should be equal.” Interestingly, others don’t appear too surprised by the news, with one Twitter user saying this “sounds like Sony.” At the time of writing, Sony has yet to directly address customer support claims. Hopefully, the publisher will issue a clarifying statement sooner rather than later.

God of War Ragnarok won’t be the last of PlayStation’s cross-gen games SonyHead of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst has hinted that Sony will continue to support cross-gen games across PS4 and PS5. Ahead of PS5’s release, PlayStation executives were quick to tout the company’s commitment to next-gen gaming. CEO and President Jim Ryan even went so far as to proudly proclaim, “we do believe in generations.” Ryan’s now-infamous quote is often cited whenever the publisher mentions its cross-gen offerings. But how long such support will last in terms of first-party AAA releases presently remains to be seen. Interestingly, it seems that not even Sony is willing to offer a clear answer as of yet. 2022 isn’t the end of cross-gen games from PlayStation Studios In an interview with Axios, PlayStation Studios Head Hermen Hulst suggested the incredibly large install base on PS4 means support for the last-gen console won’t soon cease. Hulst told the publication, “We certainly don’t want to forget the millions of active players on PS4, and we want to ensure there are great games for them as well. We’re evaluating it on a case-by-case basis.” As such, though God of War Ragnarok represents the last confirmed cross-gen game from PlayStation Studios, this may not remain the case long-term. Setting aside uncorroborated rumors, very little is known about PlayStation Studios’ release plans beyond this year. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will launch on an unspecified date in 2023. It constitutes the only blockbuster title on the first-party schedule for the next year, too. But it’s not too farfetched to expect the platform-holder will roll out at least one more heavy-hitter from its in-house teams in the next 12 months and change.

PlayStation Classic flops on Steam despite strong reviews PlayStation / SteamSony released ‘Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’ on Steam on July 26, peaking at only 8757 concurrent players. This charts well below other PlayStation PC ports. Sony has continued to dominate the console wars with its direct competition of Microsoft’s Xbox which have both shared similar hardware, games and therefore customers. Microsoft has recently acquired Activision Blizzard, further strengthening it’s overall gaming arsenal, such as console leader Call of Duty. This has ultimately put more pressure on Sony as Microsoft has historically always been more dominant when it comes to anything PC related. Overall the company has struggled to gain any major success for PC games, such as when Rift Apart was released on PC. The critically acclaimed brand of Rachet & Clank has proven key for Sony for many years, with the latest PlayStation 5 release gaining huge critical acclaim and success. Despite holding a ‘Very Positive’ 84% rating based on from 670 user reviews, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart according to SteamDB has only peaked at 8757 active users on July 26, the day it launched. With figures dropping even further in the days following, the game has no signs of being revived and is the third-worst PC launch for PlayStation. See below from PlayStation Studios the top games by highest players at one time on Steam: God of War – 73,529K – Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered – 66,436K – Horizon Zero Dawn – 56,557K – The Last of Us Part I – 36,496K – Days Gone – 27,450K – Why are Sony’s games flopping on PC? Sony’s highest active players do not even make the top 100 on Steam, whereby the 100th-ranked game ‘Tom Clany’s The Division’ has an all-time peak of 114,228 (via SteamDB). Speculation regarding PlayStation’s failings mainly has revolved around the disastrous transferring of games made for consoles being ported over to PC. However, early reviews for Ratchet and Clank suggested this was not the case, with players praising the gameplay. Instead, the low sales figures have suggested it is more towards Sony’s strategies to win over new customers who are unfamiliar with PlayStation’s giant titles. After a long successful history, the dominant console and game developer may have to rethink it’s PC launch strategy going forward if they plan to continue porting their exclusives to the platform. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is available now for PC and PS5 and to find out more about the game on PC, follow the link attached.

Sony officially responds to panic over PS5 availability SonyIf you were thinking about waiting until launch day to pick up a PlayStation 5, you might want to come up with another game plan, as the President and CEO Jim Ryan said in a recent interview that players who wanted to do just that might not be able to. [jwplayer FcWdjVVq] In today’s day and age, every piece of major technology that releases is available for pre-order. Especially in the game’s industry, most people can go to their favorite tech store, drop some or all of the money, and have a product reserved before it even officially releases. That being said, there’s always a group of people that decides that that’s not what they want to do. They think that even if they aren’t able to secure a product before launch via a pre-order, they’ll be able to pick up one no problem on release day. If you were thinking about doing that with the PS5, however, you may want to reconsider. According to Reuters, PlayStation CEO and President Jim Ryan stated that fans who want to buy a PS5 on launch day might have a difficult time, confirming the fears of those who weren’t able to secure a pre-order. “It may well be that not everybody who wants to buy a PS5 on launch day will be able to find one,” Ryan said an interview with Reuters. The PlayStation head apparently went on to say that they’ll be working hard to make sure that supply of the console meets the demand, although it’s worth noting that this this is more than likely PR speak and fans still shouldn’t hold their breath that they’ll be able to get one. Sony seeing ‘very considerable’ PS5 demand ahead of launch https://t.co/JFkpzsk0Sy pic.twitter.com/VDxn4IIqDG — Reuters (@Reuters) October 27, 2020 While this is awful news for those that were hoping to wait until day 1 to get their hands on the PS5, it shouldn’t be that surprising. Game consoles over the past couple decades are notorious for selling out quickly and considering how difficult it was to get a pre-order, this really shouldn’t be a shock. In-store purchases for PS5 on launch day On November 5, 2020, PlayStation flat-out confirmed that fans would not be able to go in-person and purchase a PS5 without a pre-order on launch day, meaning a trip down to your favorite retailer is going to be fruitless unless you’ve already reserved one, no matter which way you slice it. Their blog post states: “No units will be available in-store for purchase on launch day (November 12 or November 19, depending on your region) – please don’t plan on camping out or lining up at your local retailer on launch day in hopes of finding a PS5 console for purchase. Be safe, stay home, and place your order online.” According to the company, this new restriction is due to safety concerns about people camping out and gathering closely in one space, which makes sense considering that’s historically what happens when it comes to new console launches. That being said, fans will have the option of purchasing a PS5 online through select retailers. Given the above statement from Jim Ryan, however, it more than likely will be very difficult to find one on launch day, even through online outlets, so if you want one, you’ll still have to be fast. Even if you are able to somehow get a console through online retailers on day 1, you more than likely won’t get it for a few days due to shipping reasons, meaning the narrative that people without pre-orders are going to be at a disadvantage still stands. As of November 5, 2020, pre-orders for both the standard and digital-only versions of the console are sold out at almost every retail store. Here’s hoping that all this info is a bit hyperbolic, but all in all, this is some bad news for people who wanted to run down to their store and grab one on day 1.

Ex-Playstation boss makes prediction in PS5 vs Xbox 2 battle With more next generation Playstation and Xbox news expected in and around E3 2019, gamers are wondering which of Microsoft and Sony’s offerings will come out on top. PS4 beat Xbox One The latest console war saw the Playstation 4 square up against the Xbox One. After the PS3 narrowly beat the Xbox 360 (in terms of units sold), the PS4 and Xbox One rivalry was expected to be a closely contested affair. However, it proved to be anything but competitive. To date the PS4 has sold nearly 97 million units in comparison to the Xbox One’s estimated 40 million. The consequence of this is that Sony sit atop of the games console mountain. Due to their current dominance, most analysts are speculating that Sony will beat Microsoft once again in the upcoming PS5 and Xbox 2 battle. One prominent figure in the gaming industry disagrees though. Jack Trenton shares thoughts The man who was heavily involved in the development of the PS4, Jack Trenton, believes Microsoft will give Sony a run for their money this time around. The former President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, when asked about Sony’s current positioning, stated: “I think they’re very well-positioned. The leader of the prior generation is always in a good position going into the new generation.” He went to say that after reading the specs for the Sony Playstation 5 that they sound “impressive”. However, he concluded by saying: “[Sony are] well-positioned. But I do think they’ll face exponentially more competition than they did the last time around.” New competitors – Nintendo and Google While Nintendo aren’t exactly a new competitor, they are in fact older in the gaming market than both Sony and Microsoft, and Trenton says, “[they are] more relevant this time around”. Furthermore, Google’s entry into the gaming market with Stadia could also be a factor. Nintendo of course focus on handheld console offerings, but with the latest technology making handheld devices powerful enough to play hardware intensive games, the two types of console are no longer mutually exclusive, as seen with the Nintendo Switch. Elsewhere, Google’s Stadia is attempting to bring a new concept and new technology to the marketplace with its cloud gaming service. The cloud does appear to be the future, but whether it will take off now, or at all, remains to be seen. For now though, the PS5 and the Xbox 2 will usher in the ninth generation of video game consoles and it will almost certainly be one of them that stands tall.

PlayStation boss Jim Ryan to step down as CEO Jim RyanPlayStation boss Jim Ryan will be stepping down from his role at the company when he retires in March 2024. Since taking up the position of CEO at Sony Interactive Entertainment back in 2019, Jim Ryan has been the face of the iconic company. On September 27, 2023, reports began surfacing that Jim was stepping down from his role — and now, Sony has made it official. Jim Ryan is set to retire from the company in March 2024, and Sony Group Corporation COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki will take his place. Jim Ryan set to retire in March 2024 According to a press release from Sony, Jim Ryan will stay in his position until Hiroki Totoki becomes interim CEO on April 1, 2024. Ryan said in the press release: “After 30 years, I have made the decision to retire from SIE in March 2024. I’ve relished the opportunity to have a job I love in a very special company, working with great people and incredible partners. But I’ve found it increasingly difficult to reconcile living in Europe and working in North America. “I will leave having been privileged to work on products that have touched millions of lives across the world; PlayStation will always be part of my life, and I feel more optimistic than ever about the future of SIE. I want to thank Yoshida-san for placing so much trust in me and being an incredibly sensitive and supportive leader.” Jim Ryan first joined the company back in 1994, and hasn’t made it clear whether or not he’ll be involved in the gaming industry after his retirement, or if he’s going to enjoy the rest of his life without work. In a second statement, Ryan added a comment for his fans and customers of Sony: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Best PlayStation Cyber Monday deals 2023 There’s a new PS5 Slim and some excellent deals coming from PlayStation this Black Friday. We break down the latest and our expectations for the big day. Sony has had a busy year. Between launching the new PS5 Slim, and Portal, there’s been a bounty of games hitting the console this year. Below, you’ll find our expectations and more about Sony’s Black Friday outing this year. PS5 console Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals Sony’s recent PS5 Slim is being featured in some key bundles, and will slowly begin to phase out the older model. The Slim comes in both Digital and Disc versions, but the digital version can be upgraded to a full model with an optional disc drive. While there won’t be much on discounts, the bundles themselves are money savers. However, we suspect that some stores will do lowkey sales on consoles, so we’ll be sure to keep an eye out on that. That backward compatibility between the PS5 and PS4 is one of the better features on the console, meaning you wouldn’t be missing out on any of the latest games either. There’s essentially $60 off all console bundles, as Spider-Man 2 bundles are now $499.99 at either Gamestop or Best Buy. Best PS5 and PS4 games deals Between Sony and Microsoft, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday offerings will be sizzling on both their digital and physical fronts. Sony routinely has these weirdly brilliant sales on their PSN store, allowing you to grab certain games from even the same release year for a lot less. Throw in the expectation of Black Friday or Cyber Monday and you have the perfect recipe for a bargain. Physical games are bound to also get huge discounts, with PlayStation 4 games now aging out, it might be time to grab some of those missed classics. Best Buy Assassin’s Creed Mirage – $39.99 – Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion – $29.99 – Dead Island 2 – $34.99 – Dead Space Remake – $34.99 – Elden Ring (PS5) – $39.99 – Final Fantasy XVI – $39.99 – God of War Ragnarok – $34.99 – GTAV – $20 – Madden NFL 24 – $29.99 – Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – $34.99 – Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 – $39.99 – NBA 2K24 Kobe Bryant Editon – $34.99 – Red Dead Redemption 2 – $19.99 – Resident Evil 4 Remake – $39.99 – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – $34.99 – Street Fighter 6 – $39.99 – The Crew Motorfest – $39.99 – Amazon Dead Island 2: Day 1 Edition – 50% off – Final Fantasy XVI – 43% off – Assassin’s Creed Mirage – 25% off – Sonic Superstars – 42% off – UFC 5 – 29% off – Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 – 33% off – Diablo IV – 29% off – Elden Ring – 33% off – Payday 3 – 38% off – PlayStation Portal Black Friday deals The new PlayStation Portal streaming handheld has just been released, and while next year it’ll probably come down in price, it’s too soon for it to be included in any deals. We’d love to be proven wrong. Turns out, it sold out. PlayStation accessories: The best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals we want to see Accessories-wise, expect about the same as we’re expecting on both Microsoft and Nintendo’s side. A lot of either cheaper, less glamorous products to flood Amazon, or expect some controller deals to happen. We’re sure that there are going to be a lot of third-party PS4 controllers on sale, but as for the DualSense? There’s currently $25 off almost every variation of the PS5 controller. You can also see our expectations for Nintendo, Xbox, and even the wider breadth of sales happening this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

PlayStation announce when you’ll be able to change your PSN ID PlayStation have officially confirmed that the ability to change your PSN username is coming, after years of demand. Unlike its rival system, the Xbox 360 and now the Xbox One X, PSN users were unable to ever change their username after creating it. Microsoft would in fact charge Xbox Live users a fee to change their name, which many players obliged to, but Sony were still reluctant. On October 10, PlayStation announced that changes to your PSN Online ID “is coming”, starting with a select group of test users. This preview program will end in November 2018. If you are not one of the lucky test users, you will need to wait until 2019, when a full roll out is planned for the feature. The first name change will be free, and any subsequent changes will cost $9.99, or $4.99 for PlayStation Plus members. It’s official: the ability to change your PSN Online ID is coming. Here are the first details: https://t.co/dSBprNkjDZ Testing with select users starts soon, full rollout planned for early 2019 pic.twitter.com/4eM4lkNo9y — PlayStation (@PlayStation) October 10, 2018 Additionally, when you change your name, “you will have the option to display your previous ID with your new ID, so your friends can recognize you.” Once you have decided to display your old ID or not, you will not be able to revert this decision. Not all games will actually support the feature, but PlayStation says “a large majority of the most-played PS4 games” will, as well as any game “originally published after April 1, 2018”. “This feature is compatible with PS4 games originally published after April 1, 2018, and a large majority of the most-played PS4 games that were released before this date. However, please note not all games and applications for PS4, PS3 and PS Vita systems are guaranteed to support the online ID change, and users may occasionally encounter issues or errors in certain games.” If users do experience errors or issues after a name change, they can simply revert back to their old name for free at any time, but you can only revert back once during the preview program. When the program is full rolled out in 2019, PlayStation say they will release a full list of compatible games, so you can check before making a change. Source: PlayStation

PlayStation and Xbox reportedly adding in-game ads Sony, MicrosoftSony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox users may need to prepare for the arrival of in-game ads as it’s rumored that both companies are developing a program to integrate the concept. The rise of smartphones in the early 2010s gave birth to a new way of enjoying games — free-to-play experiences that could be enhanced or furthered through the use of microtransactions. One of the reasons they could be free-to-play is due to the presence of ads. Lots of major media companies have adopted this strategy with YouTube being a big example of incorporating ads into their content. Now, Sony and Microsoft seem to be following suit and adding in-game ads to free-to-play games to make even more money – alongside Battle Passes and paid cosmetics. Ads coming to Sony and Microsoft games According to Business Insider, both the blue brand and green brand are working on a sophisticated program that will allow people and businesses to buy in-game advertising space in free-to-play games. “Three people who are involved in the plans said Sony is doing testing with adtech partners to help game developers create in-game ads through a software developer program. The idea is to encourage developers to keep building free-to-play games, which have soared in the pandemic, by giving them a way to monetize them, they said,” the report said. The plan seems to indicate that the model will “launch by end of 2022,” and this is how they’ll work: “For the ads to appear like they’re part of the game, like digital billboards in sports stadiums. Formats could include ads that give viewers rewards for watching ads and promotions for in-game items like avatar skins.” Developers and publishers do seem to be going full board with ads as it was recently announced that Roblox will soon be adding in-game ads to increase the earning potential for its creators. It remains to be seen how big of an impact in-game ads will have on the industry and disruptive they may potentially be to PlayStation and Xbox, so we’ll have to stay tuned.

PlayStation and Scuf Gaming Team Up to Create Officially Licensed Controller: SCUF Vantage Scuf Gaming has entered a partnership with Sony and PlayStation, creating a brand new officially licensed controller built to SCUF specifications. Since their introduction into the console gaming scene, Scuf Gaming has helped redefine what players should expect from their hardware, becoming the industry standard for console pro players and casuals alike seeking to raise their game. Today, Scuf Gaming has announced the latest addition to their arsenal of controllers — the SCUF Vantage. The new controller, officially licensed by Sony PlayStation, also introduces side paddles to the controller for the first time. Previously, Scuf Gaming has teamed up with Microsoft to release the Xbox One Elite Controller. The custom controller featured familiar SCUF components, including paddles on the back which allowed players to use certain buttons without removing their fingers from the thumb sticks — greatly decreasing reaction times. SCUF released their ‘Impact’ controller for PS4 in mid-2017, boasting a slightly larger build and shape more similar to that of the official Xbox controller. The SCUF Vantage pays even closer resemblance at first glance, with a larger shell than the standard PS4 controller and the left thumb stick now positioned above the D-Pad, rather than below in traditional Sony fashion. The team at @ScufGaming has built a brand-new, officially licensed, highly adjustable PS4 controller with 4 back paddles, removable rumbles, trigger stops & extenders, and much, much more: https://t.co/tXxWHLHeOS pic.twitter.com/WCrEcPkt1T — PlayStation (@PlayStation) May 22, 2018 All the usual SCUF features will also return for the Vantage. There are trigger stops, allowing users to compress the trigger faster and more frequently; removable rumble, to eliminate controller vibration and make the controller lighter; and trigger extenders. With its new features and re-imaged shape, the SCUF Vantage is the perfect controller for both existing PlayStation players and converted Xbox owners alike. Available for preorder now, the wired-only option starts at $169.95, with a wireless Bluetooth version coming in at $199.95. The product is only for sale to US and Canadian customers.

PlayStation 5’s latest system update is packed with features, including additional storage and UI changes SonySony’s latest PS5 system update is crammed full of new features for owners of the latest console. Here’s what you can expect after downloading. PlayStation 5 has been a runaway success for Sony, but there’s no denying its UI has been controversial. While it launched missing many of the features the PS4 gained during its lifecycle, it’s been steadily clawing them back. The latest update adds big improvements to remote play, 3D audio support for TV speakers, and the long-awaited arrival of expandable M.2 SSD storage solutions following a beta period. Here’s everything you need to know. PS5 System Update for September While we’ve got the full update notes further down the page, headline additions include UI changes for the Control Center (the screen that pops up when you press the PlayStation button), and Game Base (where your chats are found). Read More: How to expand your PS5’s storage – The former will now be more customizable, with more hideable controls, while the latter will now show messages and parties within Game Base. PS4 and PS5 games will now appear separately in the Game Library and Home Screens, helping to prevent accidental installations of last-gen games, while a new Screen Reader has been added to aid accessibility. PS Now will offer a new streaming connection test and scalable resolution (720p or 1080p), and a new Trophy Tracker will make it easier to work out which trophy is next. 3D Audio is also coming for built-in TV speakers, and can be set up by measuring the acoustics through your DualSense controller’s microphone. Read More: Marvel’s Wolverine – everything we know – The big boost, however, is the addition of extra storage possibilities via compatible M.2 SSDs. We have a full guide on which ones to buy and how to fit them, so be sure to check that to get started. When is the PS5 system update available? We’ve seen reports that the download is live now, so be sure to get it installed or suffer having to wait to play your games later. Full update notes If you’re looking for EVERYTHING included, then we have the full list below, courtesy of the PlayStation Blog. PS5 UX Enhancements The PS5 September Update features new UX enhancements that make it easier than ever for players to view, personalize and manage their game content and console experience: Control Center customization. Players can now customize their Control Center more freely by rearranging or choosing which controls to hide or unhide at the bottom of the screen. – Enhanced Game Base. Players can now easily view and write messages to friends and Parties directly from Game Base in the Control Center. – While viewing Game Base in full screen, players can also see how many of their friends are online, busy, or offline, as well as accept, decline or cancel multiple friend requests at once. Game Library and Home Screen updates. If you have PS4 and PS5 versions of the same game installed, they’ll now appear separately in the “Installed” tab of the Game Library and on the Home screen. Each game’s tile now also clearly indicates its platform. – Screen Reader controls. Players can now pause or resume Screen Reader (Press “PS + Triangle buttons”) and have it repeat anything it reads (Press “PS + R1 buttons”). – New Gaming and Social Experience Customizations PlayStation Now resolution selector and connection test tool. PlayStation Now subscribers can choose between 720p or 1080p (depending on individual game) to accommodate their preferred video resolution for game streaming. A streaming connection test also helps them identify and troubleshoot any problems with their connection. – New Accolade Type: “Leader.” Following an online match, players can award others with a fourth accolade type, “Leader,” which is visible on players’ profiles. – Automatic capture of “personal best” videos. When players compete in challenges for a better time or a higher score and set a new personal best, a video clip of the action will automatically be recorded. Players can also share clips of their personal bests directly from the challenge card in the Control Center, or from their Media Gallery. Players have direct control over this functionality via their Captures and Broadcast settings. – New Trophy tracker. We’ve added a new Trophy Tracker that lets players quickly access up to five trophies per game through the Control Center. – 3D Audio Support for Built-In TV Speakers The PS5 September Update adds support for players to experience 3D audio through their built-in TV speakers. Once enabled in the Sound menu, this feature transforms standard two-channel TV speaker audio into three-dimensional sound, heightening the sense of gameplay immersion.* Players can measure the acoustics of their room using the microphone on their DualSense wireless controller to apply the 3D audio setting that’s optimized for their room. 3D audio via compatible headsets on PS5 has been a popular feature among fans and developers. We’re thrilled to bring this feature to life for players directly through their built-in TV speakers, in addition to the headset support that’s been available since launch. In addition, players with a Pulse 3D Wireless Headset now have access to equalizer settings within Sound Controls, allowing them to customize the sound profile according to their preference. M.2 SSD Storage Expansion Starting tomorrow, PS5 players around the globe can expand their storage capacity with an M.2 SSD, a type of high-speed solid state drive that can be installed in the PS5 console or PS5 Digital Edition console. Once installed in the PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition console, M.2 SSD storage can be used to download, copy, and launch PS5 and PS4 games, as well as media apps. You can play PS5 and PS4 games directly from M.2 SSD storage and freely move games between storage options. PS Remote Play App and PS App Enhancements PS Remote Play App over mobile networks With the PS Remote Play app, players have enjoyed the ability to remotely stream and play PS4 and PS5 games, switch between games, and browse their console’s menus on any compatible device connected to their broadband network.*** Now, players using the mobile app for iOS and Android have the option of using a mobile data connection when WiFi is not available. – Broadband internet with at least 5Mbps is required for PS Remote Play. For the best experience, we recommend a high-speed connection with upload and download speeds of at least 15 Mbps. – To help manage the amount of data used through a mobile connection, players can select their preferred video quality for mobile data streaming. – Please note the quality and connectivity of your Remote Play experience may vary depending on your mobile carrier network and network environment. – View Share Screen broadcasts on PS App Starting next Thursday, Sept. 23, a PS App update will begin rolling out globally and give users the ability to view their friends’ Share Screen broadcasts together. – To start, join a party voice chat from your mobile device with a friend who’s playing on a PS5 console. Then ask your friend on PS5 to start their Share Screen broadcast. Please note, only players on PS5 can broadcast via Share Screen. – The Android version of the update is a phased release and may take one week until the update is available on your mobile device. – PS4 Console Enhancements We’re also introducing some new features for PS4, including the ability for players to view their PS5 trophies on their PS4 profile and Trophy list. Players can also view other players’ PS5 trophies on PS4. On both PS4 and PS5 consoles, Party owners now also have the ability to disband a Party without having to remove players individually.

How to watch PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation: Dates & times SonyWith Sony announcing the PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation is coming in September, they are gearing up for a major reveal. Here’s how you can tune into the show and what has been confirmed about its contents. The PS5 has been around since 2020, but it certainly doesn’t feel that long. That could be because people struggled to get a hold of one for years, and it took time for the system to receive some killer first/third-party exclusives. As the PS5 has been kicking around for a few years, the time has come for Sony to reveal something new about the system. The PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation is the perfect place to make a big announcement, so don’t forget to look surprised when comes to fruition. Sony’s PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation live stream date & contents On Tuesday, September 10, Sony will host the PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation at 8:00am PT / 11:00am ET / 4:00pm BST. The event will be shown on the official PlayStation YouTube channel. The video is live at the link below and there is a button to notify you shortly before the broadcast begins. All that has been said regarding the contents of the live stream is that it will “focus on PS5 and innovations in gaming technology.” Sony has named no specific pieces of hardware as of yet. What to expect at the PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation Let’s not beat around the bush: fans expect to see the PlayStation 5 Pro revealed during the Technical Presentation. People have been expecting to see the PS5 Pro since the base version of the console was first announced. There have been numerous rumors and leaks regarding the console’s existence, along with plenty of reports about its supposed specs. While we’d love to be shocked by Sony unveiling the PSP 2 (hell, we’d take a PSVita 2 at this point), all signs point to the next iteration of the PS5, especially as it’s way too soon for a new VR headset.

PlayStation 5 release date could be sooner than you think Fans of Sony’s consoles are raring for news of the next generation in the PlayStation line, and while information has been scarce, a new report suggests the anticipated launch could be on the horizon. Video game enthusiasts are getting ready for the next chapter in the console wars as Microsoft are working on Project Scarlett, while Nintendo seem to be aiming for a new version of their popular Switch. Even though the PlayStation developers have been surprisingly quiet without so much as a working title for their next console, Sony could be eyeing the prized holiday launch it’ll need to succeed. Popular perception believes Sony’s next console will be called the PlayStation 5. While we already have an idea of the improvements it’ll have over the current PlayStation 4, there’s been various ideas of when it’ll be coming out. Read more: Nintendo respond to Switch Mini rumors – A Wall Street Journal report says that “analysts expect [the PlayStation 5] to be ready by the holiday season of 2020” which would coincide with the next major bout in the storied competition between the two major console makers. Previously, Sony Interactive CEO John Kodera suggested that their next console wouldn’t be making it to stores until at least 2021. If Sony really is setting its sites on a 2020 release, the company will have a lot of boxes to check in terms of announcements, building up hype, and making sure it has strong release titles to combat Project Scarlett. The PlayStation 4 was a runaway success for Sony, and it’s six-year lifespan might see it pass 100 million units sold since its original November 13 2013 release, according to the same report.. When will more information on the PlayStation 5 come out? A lot of E3 2019 goers were undoubtedly missing Sony’s presence at the annual convention. While fans weren’t able to get caught up on PlayStation’s latest moves, it does mean that they have PSX to get a full offering of Sony-geared information. The PlayStation event might be Sony’s best chance to kickstart the hype for a new console in a big way, seeing as they won’t have other companies to compete for attention. With all eyes on the company for more info on their imminent next-gen console, fans will be grateful to get any new details on the PlayStation 5.

PlayStation 5 Pro controller leaked and “coming soon” with paddles SonyA new official PS5 “Pro” controller could be coming soon with removable triggers, rear buttons, and analog sticks, according to a leak. The PlayStation 5′s DualSense, is one of the most revered controllers in all of gaming. The controller became an instant classic for its advanced design with adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. Now, according to a new report, Sony plans on releasing a customizable advanced version of the DualSense for hardcore gamers. PS5 “Pro” controller on the way The leak comes from Tom Henderson who labeled the new device as a “genuine professional controller.” The codename being used for it is the “Hunt.” The main difference from the basic DualSense to the new version is that the “Hunt” will have flappy paddles on the back, and offer customization options on all major components of the controller. Analog sticks will be completely removable and will have grips on the handles which are also able to be removed. Henderson later added about the analog stick removal, “You remove the entire analog unit, meaning that you can presumably replace just the unit rather than the whole controller if you develop stick drift or any other problems.” I’ve also elaborated a bit better on the analog stick removal. You remove the entire analog unit, meaning that you can presumably replace just the unit rather than the whole controller if you develop stick drift or any other problems. — Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) June 15, 2022 The Pro version will also have “significant” software upgrades, although exactly what that is remains to be seen. The price for the controller has also yet to be determined, but it’s likely that the Pro controller will be north of the $70 asking price for the current version of the DualSense. As far as the release date, the “Hunt” will be revealed “soon” according to Henderson, and could even be shown off as soon as the end of June alongside a handful of other hardware devices from Sony.

PS5 preorder deals: PlayStation 5 prices & where to buy SonySony’s PS5 is available for pre-order at select retailers starting September 16 so fans anxiously awaiting the console launch can finally punch their ticket to the next-gen. The PS5 launch is already shaping up to be one of the biggest in history with the newly announced PS Plus Collection, which will give users access to multiple big-name PS4 games. Meanwhile, the launch lineup looks solid with Demon Souls and Spider-Man Miles Morales in the window while God of War Ragnarok and the Harry Potter RPG Hogwarts: Legacy coming in 2021. That all said, if you’re as stoked as we are for either for the standard PS5 or Digital Edition, you’re wondering where you can preorder. Per Sony, #PlayStation5 pre-orders will be available starting TOMORROW at select retailers. pic.twitter.com/rwFAB5BNru — Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) September 16, 2020 Where to preorder United States GameStop – $499.99 – Digital at GameStop – $399.99 – Best Buy – $499.99 – Walmart – $499.99 – Digital Edition at Walmart – $399.99 – Target – $499.99 – Digital Edition at Target – $399.99 – Amazon PS5 Placeholder Page – United Kingdom The United Kingdom only has two vendors who are currently taking pre-order interest for the PlayStation 5. Other storefronts like Argos and Currys PC World are also expected to begin selling the PS5 once Sony’s official preorder date gets closer. Game – £449.99 – Digital at Game – £359.99 – Smyths Toys – £449.99 – Digital at Smyths Toys – £359.99 – Amazon UK – £449.99 – Australia EB Games – $749.95 – Digital at EB Games – $599.95 – JB HiFi – $749.95 – Digital at JB HiFi – $599.95 – Big W -$749.95 – Harvey Norman – $749.95 – Amazon Australia – $749.95 – How much does PS5 cost? The standard PS5 will cost $499 USD, €499 in Europe, £449 in the UK, and ¥49,980 in Japan. It will cost $749.95 AUD in Australia. However, if you’re in the market for the digital edition, you’re looking at $399 in the United States, €399 in Europe, £359 for the UK, $599.95 in Australia, and ¥39,980 in Japan. It’s worth noting that the Xbox Series S does price itself $100 lower than the Digital PS5, but both the Xbox Series X and standard PS5 will cost the same. When does PS5 launch? The global PS5 launch is set to begin on November 12 in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. However, the rest of the world will have to wait until November 19 to get their hands on the console.

PlayStation 5 officially revealed – Digital Edition, accessories, more SonySony has officially revealed the PlayStation 5 in all its glory, and it’s a drastically different design than what we’ve seen from PlayStation in the past. After keeping its console design under wraps for what feels like ages, Sony finally debuted the PlayStation 5’s official console design during its “The Future of Gaming” livestream. It debuted with much panache, serving up a space age chassis with an intriguing design that we’ve not seen on any PlayStation system in the past. It’s a far cry from the blockier Xbox Series X, and looks a bit more like a spaceship or a futuristic building than a system that plays video games. Not only did the console finally get some time in the spotlight, but it was revealed to be releasing in two different formats: one system with a disc drive and one system without, known as the “Digital Edition.” There were also several new accessories announced alongside the consoles, including a new HD camera as well as a media remote and wireless headset. Sony isn’t just courting us when it comes to the next console generation with a new system and games – it also wants us to buy some new accessories to complete the transformation. Here’s everything we learned from the PlayStation 5 reveal event about the system thus far. PlayStation 5 reveal: Standard and Digital Editions When the PlayStation 5 was finally revealed during the “Future of Gaming” livestream, it turned heads with its unorthodox appearance and somewhat strange form factor. However, it’s an aesthetically pleasing look for the PlayStation brand, and it matches the DualSense Controller’s color scheme quite nicely. There will actually be two different models of the PS5, however, and you can choose the one that’s right for you when it’s finally time to preorder the system. Standard Edition: The standard PlayStation 5 is the model that will likely be the most prevalent. It will include an optical 4K Blu-ray disc drive. It will be a bit thicker than the Digital Edition to support the optical drive, and as a result you’ll be able to play any compatible disc with the system. This is the option you’ll want to choose if playing disc-based games is important to you or you don’t want to solely rely on digital titles. Sony has yet to confirm further differences between the Standard Edition and Digital beyond the type of media and storage that can be utilized on either console. Digital Edition: The Digital Edition doffs the optical drive and is not compatible with discs as a result. It also looks quite a bit thinner than the standard PS5 console. You’re meant to store all your games digitally with this option, so this is for anyone who just isn’t interested in physical copies or disc-based backward compatibility. There should be plenty of space, as both the standard and Digital Edition PS5 will come packing a previously-announced 825GB solid state drive, which is a massive amount of space, so if you’d prefer to go discless for what we can only assume is a somewhat significant amount of savings, that’s an option. PlayStation 5 accessories: HD Camera, Pulse 3D Wireless Headset, Media Remote, Charging Station After officially revealing what the PlayStation 5 would look like, Sony gave everyone a look at just some of the accessories that would be coming to the market as well. From a newly-designed headset to a charging dock for the new DualSense controller, there’s plenty you can purchase to outfit your PlayStation 5 with when it debuts. The official PlayStation 5 accessory lineup includes the following in addition to the DualSense Controller, as shown off during the reveal livestream: HD Camera: The new PlayStation 5 camera will feature dual 1080p lenses and will likely be utilized with any new PlayStation VR that’s announced in the future. It will offer a much clearer picture than the old camera, and that should make it even simpler to stream from home via console instead of forcing users to have their on PC setup if they want to share their favorite games. Pulse 3D Wireless Headset: Sony is upgrading its wireless headset line and offering 3D audio support. This feature has been touted as absolutely integral to the PlayStation 5, so it’s no surprise that Sony is pushing it heavily with the official PS5 headset, which also offers noise-canceling microphones. Media Remote: This sleek new remote looks like it has more in common with Apple products than Sony, but it looks to offer a lot of options as well. It even features a built-in microphone to navigate the PS5 via voice and what appear to be programmable buttons along the bottom that could be customized to your liking. There’s no pricing information currently available for the accessories, nor the DualSense controller, so hopefully that information is coming down the pipeline soon. PlayStation 5 price: How much will the PS5 cost? The cost of the PlayStation 5 is unclear at this point in time. Unfortunately, Sony has yet to offer any information in terms of the system, console, or accessory pricing. There’s also no release date at this time beyond the vague “holiday 2020” we’ve been hearing ever since the PS5 was officially unveiled. Read More: Horizon Zero Dawn 2: Forbidden West announced for PS5 As we get ever closer to the PlayStation 5 release date, this should hopefully change, but as of right now all we can do is surmise what kind of cost we’re looking at with the system. It’s highly likely that it could end up costing more than the PlayStation 4 did when it first debuted considering what it has under the hood, but we’ll have to wait and see. We will continue to update this page as additional information about the PlayStation 5 is revealed.

PlayStation 5 jailbreak hack goes public & could lead to PS5 piracy SonyA jailbreak exploit has struck Sony’s PlayStation 5 console with the powerful piece of tech potentially capable of playing PS5 games for free. Since its release, the PS5 has been an absolute beast of a machine with the overwhelming demand for consoles still proving to be an issue nearly 2 years after its launch. Also, rumors abound that the next version of the generational behemoth is in the works with reports indicating that a new PS5 Slim could be incoming. In the meantime, Sony has a potential banana skin to clean up though as it appears as if the OG model could be susceptible to a new jailbreak exploit that could possibly make a ton of games for the hardware completely free to download and play. Jailbreak exploit for the PS5 discovered Thanks to the efforts of one Twitter user, it appears as if Sony’s PlayStation 5 console now has a full jailbreak exploit available that allows games to be played for free — even ones that are unavailable. Lance McDonald revealed to the social media platform a video of them having access to the PS5’s Debug Mode and showing off a bunch of secret settings that ordinarily aren’t supposed to be accessible. After going through all the available options, they then revealed the potential capabilities of the exploit as the user installed the long lost P.T demo on the console in a matter of seconds. Lance also followed up this with a subsequent tweet that gave more in-depth details on the exploit and how to potentially implement it on your own PlayStation 5 console. However, jailbreaking is completely illegal and for this reason, we feel it’s best not to share the process as doing this is a crime punishable by jail or large fines. For the time being though, Sony will be breathing a sigh of relief as even though the console’s Debug menus can be navigated, games can’t be played just yet as the hackers still need to crack the Hypervisor execution protection. Not only that, but it seems like the exploit could be limited to the 4.03 version of the PlayStation 5’s firmware cycle, so as soon as a new system update is live then progress could be lost. In any case, this is one of the biggest security breaches of the PS5 to date, and we’ll monitor the situation to see if Sony acknowledges everything that’s going on.

PlayStation 5 consoles are reportedly dying already Sony, OmniSony’s PlayStation 5 launch follows the same pattern as Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S release, as players have discovered potentially worrying hardware issues – with some reportedly “dying” already. [jwplayer FEvwH1Re] Millions of people have finally been able to get their hands on the next technological advancement in video gaming. After a successful eighth generation with the PS4, the PS5 is expected to trump that era and further cement Sony’s dominance. However, reports are already coming in that review consoles, and orders delivered on release day, are breaking already. The issues cite errors in the storage and the way it unsuccessfully tries to rebuild the unit. Also, a couple of people have been able to play games initially, turned it off, and then the console is completely unresponsive later on. YouTuber ACG’s console breaks The most notable example that we’ve seen so far is the well-known YouTuber ACG. He actually received a review unit from Sony and promised a variety of content for his viewers. Unfortunately, it appears that won’t be the case for the time being, after addressing the current situation regarding his PlayStation 5 console. The YouTuber said: “It would say your storage is corrupted and we have to rebuild it. This continued to happen a great deal of times.” He reiterated that he’s been in contact with Sony and they are working with him to try and rectify the situation. Other examples of PS5s breaking Not everyone has been fortunate enough to be sent a free one from Sony and have had to fork out several hundred dollars to land themselves this much sought after console. Some people have been able to get their PS5 to the data-rebuilding phase, but had no luck whatsoever after that. A YouTube user by the name of Omni had been enjoying his new PS5, but after turning it off, noticed it doesn’t respond at all. The video clearly shows that everything is connected and yet the PS5 shows no signs of life. PS5 consoles dying already isn’t something that Sony will be best pleased to see, or will have expected. Not by a long shot. Given that these videos are from just the first day of the console’s release, players will be hoping that there aren’t too many more problems like this in the future.

PS5 console and Digital Edition price and release date revealed SonyAfter long last, Sony has revealed the pricing and release information for the highly-anticipated PlayStation 5 console and Digital Edition. In their September 16 showcase, the company revealed the PS5 and its cheaper counter-part will run for $499.99 and $399.99, respectively. The next line of Sony gaming stations will be available on November 12 in US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. The rest of the world will receive it on November 19. The long-awaited announcement will put Sony’s premier console right at the same price-point for its mainline competitor, the Xbox Series X. The Digital Version will be priced about $100 more than the Xbox Series S. PlayStation 5 pre-orders According to the official PlayStation Twitter account, Sony will put the new console up for pre-order just one day after the PS5 showcase “at select retailers.” PS5 pre-orders will be available starting as early as tomorrow at select retailers. — PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 16, 2020 However, according to Geoff Keighley, some retailers could be putting out pre-orders as early as tonight on Wednesday 16, so soon after the price reveal. It’s unclear when the exact time will be, so make sure to keep your eyes on Dexerto for more details as we get closer to retail information and availability for pre-orders. Note: I am hearing some retailers may make inventory available today as well. Stay tuned. — Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) September 16, 2020 Availability of the consoles has been on every PlayStation fan’s minds since reports started coming out that Sony would be cutting production by four million units. But those rumors were later quelled when Sony released a statement debunking those reports and that they were still on track to make 15 million PS5 units by March 2021. DualSense control and accessories prices Along with confirming the price and release date for the PS5, the company also revealed the price points for many PlayStation accessories including the standalone DualSense Wireless Controller, PULSE 3D wireless headset, and more. DualSense Wireless Controller – US$69.99/¥6,980/€69.99 – PULSE 3D wireless headset – US$99.99/¥9,980/€99.99 – HD Camera – US$59.99/¥5,980/€59.99 – Media Remote – US$29.99/¥2,980/€29.99 – DualSense Charging Station – US$29.99/¥2,980/€29.99 (RRP) – This is going to be important listing for holiday shoppers getting their gift lists together for the upcoming releases. PS5 Launch Day games and prices The next-generation of gaming is going to tune up the prices for standard games by $10 for a total of $69.99 / ¥6,980 / €69.99 for new releases. While there will still be some games priced at $49.99 / ¥5,900 / €59.99 or $59.99 / ¥6,900 / €69.99, expect a lot of the popular titles to start out at the $70. PlayStation 5 Launch Day Games from SIE Worldwide Studios Astro’s Playroom – pre-installed on PS5 – Demon’s Souls – US$69.99/¥7,900/€79.99 – Destruction All Stars – US$69.99/¥7,900/€79.99 – Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – US$49.99/¥5,900/€59.99 – Marvel’s Spider-Man: Mile Morales Ultimate Edition – US$69.99/¥7,900/€79.99 – Sackboy A Big Adventure – US$59.99/¥6,900/€69.99 – This would make a standard purchase for a two-player PS5 setup clock in at around $750 with a normal PlayStation 5 unit, an extra controller, and charging station along with two games to start out. Read more: Demon’s Souls revealed as PS5 launch title – Reduce that total by about $100 if you’re planning on picking up the Digital Edition instead of its pricier brother. The holiday season is going to be a huge time for Sony fans who will be looking to score the PlayStation 5 along with its bevy of games and accessories.

PlayStation 5: Everything we know about the Sony PS5 Sony confirmed back in October 2019 that the PlayStation 5 will be the official name of their next console, and revealed that it will release in holiday 2020. Even as of January 2020 though, we still don’t have a specific release date. The console was first teased by Sony in an interview with WIRED, who have now have released another exclusive look into the new console, alongside PlayStation’s own confirmation. “These updates may not be a huge surprise, but we wanted to confirm them for our PlayStation fans”, Sony states, with WIRED giving the first details of the new controller. New controller According to WIRED, the prototype they were given was visually similar to the current-gen Dualshock 4, but Sony’s Mark Cerny was apparently keen to point out new features. One such feature is “adaptive triggers”, which “offer varying levels of resistance to make shooting a bow and arrow feel like the real thing.” There’s also an improved speaker on the controller, and new haptic feedback, as opposed to the traditional ‘rumble’ vibration. There are some drawbacks though, namely the bigger battery and new haptic feedback causing the controller to be heavier. PS5 confirmed As for details about the console itself, there hasn’t been any more news in recent months, at least in an official capacity. Sony are likely keeping that under wraps until closer to launch with February being rumored as when the full reveal will occur. Apart from finally confirming the name as the PlayStation 5, which realistically everyone expected anyway, there’s not much that we don’t already know. The next-gen PS system will feature an SSD, ray-tracing technology and up to 8K playback as some of its headline features. Xbox more powerful? While where haven’t heard any official news since October 2019, a recent leak has suggested the new Xbox could be more powerful than the PS5. This would mean Microsoft could keep their title of making the world’s most powerful console, something which they aren’t shy about advertising. It has been estimated that the Xbox Series X could have a GPU 30% more powerful than its PlayStation 5 counterpart. This is fascinating considering the initial specs suggested the two consoles would be neck and neck in terms of what’s under the hood. It is important to note however, that this is a leak and is certainly not confirmed at this stage. Backwards compatibility If the new Xbox is indeed more powerful it may not affect the PlayStation all that much. Sure, there will be a number of players who want the most powerful console but they are other factors to consider. There is also the price point to consider, too. One of those is the widely discussed topic of backwards compatibility. Sony has several generations of games, which players still want to be able to enjoy today. Fortunately, if reports are to be believed, the PS5 will be backwards compatible with each of the PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4 – that’s a lot of nostalgia right there. Those reports come primarily from HipHop gamer who has been proven correct in the past. He discussed the potential PlayStation 5 backwards compatibility below. PLAYSTATION 5: Remastering Engine For PS1 – PS4 Titles. Backwards Compatibility Enhanced https://t.co/myRtnbmZB1 — HOT97’S HipHopGamer LogitechG (@HipHopGamer) January 1, 2020 Devkit leak confirmed This leaked image of a devkit, which many dismissed as fake due to its rather unorthodox design, is apparently actually pretty close to the real deal. WIRED state that “on quick glance”, the real devkit “looks a lot like” the leaked version: PS5 Pro? There has been a rumor circulating that Sony will actually launch with two consoles – a reasonably priced PS5, and a more pricey PS5 Pro, for the more ‘hardcore’ players. There’s no mention of this in the October 8 announcement though, so we will have to wait on more details. A pro version would certainly make sense though, as it would perhaps allow Sony to sell the base version, complete with an expensive SSD, at a lower price point, while making up the margins with the pro version. The PS4 Pro was a resounding success, so it would be no surprise if the repeated the model for the next-gen too.

Players share hilarious reaction to PS5 restock selling out in seconds PlayStation / Wal Mart“PlayStation 5 restock” trended on Twitter after stores sold out of the Sony console in literally seconds on November 19. Players took to social media to voice their frustrations. [jwplayer FcWdjVVq] Ever since its launch, Sony’s PlayStation 5 has been this holiday’s hottest item. Stores across the world can’t keep the next-gen console in stock, and consumers are desperate to get their hands on one. On November 19, stores like Walmart announced a restock of the PS5. Only, they sold out in seconds. Angry players left empty handed were stunned and frustrated by the disastrous availability – and vented their feelings online, as you do. Gamers rage out after PS5 restock disaster A similar story played out for many attempting to buy Sony’s next-gen console. Consumers were able to add the coveted hardware to their basket, only to be greeted by Walmart’s “oh deer” crash screen, made even more frustrating by displaying a photo of a smiling dog with reindeer antlers on. Other users made it as far as entering their payment and shipping information, but by the time they clicked and confirmed their order, they were told the new PlayStation had already sold out. On Twitter, #PS5Restock and #OhDeer began trending after the gaming community let out their rage using hilarious memes to describe the situation. Here are some of the best reactions. PlayStation fans react Many frustrated PlayStation fans used iconic clips from pop culture, such as Spongebob Squarepants or anime to express their anger with the restock lasting only seconds before selling out. Walmart watching me trying to get the PS5 even tho they “Out of Stock” #ps5restock pic.twitter.com/6rP6rnAg14 — Zi 👑 (@zi_was_here) November 19, 2020 It was in my cart man 😭 #ps5restock pic.twitter.com/Y1BnLhY9k8 — Jae (@Jaelon_Roberts) November 19, 2020 https://twitter.com/BluFlamecadet/status/1329520178498048008 Other players raged out over Walmart’s now-infamous “Oh Deer” site crash screen which plagued those trying to purchase the console. The smiling dog in the Christmas outfit quickly became meme fodder, and even trended worldwide. https://twitter.com/odeexchris/status/1329522829470150658 Walmart: “Oh, deer, the whole North Pole is trying to save big right now, so please try again….” Me: #PS5 — 🐐 (@Arrestful) November 13, 2020 At the time of writing, Walmart has not made any public comment about the situation. It is also unclear when there will be another restock for the PS5. With Christmas just around the corner, the scarcity of the new console will only further fuel the demand for the hot item. This isn’t the only time the PlayStation 5 has trended on social media over lack of stock. An hour after Sony announced pre-orders would go up 24 hours later, stores quickly broke the street date and put the next-gen hardware up for sale a day earlier than they were supposed to – which also left many gamers frustrated.

Players rip Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League for “visual mess” of a UI SteamSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League previews are being released, and first looks at the game’s UI are driving players insane. To say Rocksteady Studios’ journey with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been challenging would be an understatement. The studio’s first title since 2015’s Batman Arkham Knight has been under the spotlight for many reasons, notably due to the heavy push to a live service model. However, Rocksteady has pushed on, ensuring this product can reach beyond the failed live service games that came before it and deliver a better experience. That said, the criticism kept piling up, as massive story leaks have continued to sour the game’s reception. The game releases next month, and, as previews come to light, player feedback has been less than stellar. Players label SS: Kill the Justice League’s UI as a “visual mess” Given that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League leans heavily into the live service model, a lot of the UI will look eerily familiar to many of the big names in that field. Expect to see a ton of mission markers, ability meters, daily messages, and prompts of that nature very frequently. That said, it’s quite the shift from Rocksteady’s previous work of single-player titles. With gameplay footage becoming more available through previews, fans aren’t pleased with what they see on screen. As Twitter/X user PatStaresAt bluntly stated: “It’s such a visual mess.” Many of the replies shared similar sentiments. “This hurts to look at,” one comment sadly replied. Another scathingly replied: “Holy sh*t, that HUD is a mess.” Other replies were more critical of the visual aesthetic and Brainiac’s tentacle in the sky filling in the void. Of course, you can’t have a UI discussion without sharing the infamous Elden Ring UI meme, of which there were plenty in the replies. Other comments shared their favorite cluttered HUD moments, all in a meme manner. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League launches on February 2, 2024. If you preorder the Deluxe Edition, you’ll gain access to the game a few days early on January 30.

Players outraged over PS5 Spider-Man Remaster cross-save controversy Insomniac Games/Sony/MarvelAfter Insomniac Games revealed that saves from the PS4 version of Marvel’s Spider-Man wouldn’t transfer over to the remastered PS5 version of the game, many players turned to Twitter to voice their concerns. When Spider-Man: Miles Morales was first shown off during the PS5 showcase back in mid-September 2020, fans were blown away by how good the game looked. After the fact, however, details about the how the game would be released were revealed – including how the Ultimate Edition of the game would include a remastered version of the original Spider-Man game on PS5. Now, developer Insomniac Games has clarified that the PS4 version of Marvel’s Spider-Man and the remastered version coming to the PS5 – as a part of the Miles Morales Ultimate Edition – are two separate games, meaning the saves from one version of the game cannot transfer to the other. Needless to say, after the news went viral, many fans were not happy and took to Twitter in order to voice their displeasure – with some major names cropping up. One Twitter user commented that they thought the news was lazy and that it would alienate customers, which it very well might. Now this is just pure laziness. And a lesson in how to alienate your customers. https://t.co/M5zAoxkbCu — Shaun (@SauRoN_ZA) September 21, 2020 Content creator and streamer ‘djchrisv’ offered a simple but effective response to the news, also voicing his displeasure. One commenter had a less intense take than some people, but still agreed that news wasn’t exactly the best in the world and that, in his opinion, the remaster seemed like a “cash grab” It’s not that much of a big deal, but this still sucks. This remaster seems more like a cash grab at this point https://t.co/4BEs35n3yL — TheCount (@TheCount1899) September 21, 2020 Twitter user and YouTuber ‘BlackRockShadow’ also voiced their displeasure with the news. No physical release is cringe, and I know for certain it’s to increase sales for Miles Morales on PS5 but LMAO NO WAY TO TRANSFER SAVES? GET OUTTA HERE https://t.co/NIyCZ0DNWa — Nihahahaha! (@BlackRockShadow) September 21, 2020 As previously mentioned, some notable names got involved with the conversation, too. Gamertagradio co-host Danny Peña, also gave a one-word comment that definitely got his point across, while IGN host Brian Altano chimmed in on the news, as well. This deal is getting worse all the time 😐 https://t.co/0bm9Rxv5DC — Brian Altano 🍕 (@agentbizzle) September 21, 2020 At the same time, however, some players weren’t affected by the news at all, with some even confused as to why there were any complaints at all about it. One said that, while he understands the frustration, restarting the game again in his eyes is going to be worth it. https://twitter.com/NikoVelazquez27/status/1308139220104548353?s=20 Another user compared this situation to Modern Warfare Remastered, stating that player stats didn’t transfer over in that case so why should it here. I mean. MW remastered didn’t come with a physical release when you bought it with Infinite Warfare (granted it was released physical MONTHS later.) But your level progression from Xbox 360/PS3 didn’t carry over? I don’t get the hoopla. It’s a new version of the game. https://t.co/ZjI0JOXgy6 — Zak Brown (@yrokaz_nworb) September 21, 2020 All in all, it’ll be interesting to see Insomniac and Sony’s response when it comes this controversy. Given how much notoriety it’s gotten, the company might be willing to reverse course and allow players to transfer their saves, although this is purely speculation.

Players call Lost Ark “fresh air” after New World’s struggles Smilegate RPG, Amazon Game StudiosLost Ark has finally hit Western audiences in beta form, but the title’s newfound community are claiming Amazon made a mistake by releasing it after New World. While Lost Ark has long been out of reach for the West, players all across South Korea have been diving into the MMOARPG title since 2018. Its immense popularity has convinced the title’s publisher, Amazon Games, to send the hype train roaring through Western stations, with the closed beta currently available to players across a whole plethora of regions. As the title continues to attract adventurers far and wide to the shores of Arkesia, players have argued that Amazon should have released Lost Ark before New World, the studio’s own MMORPG that has failed to live up to the excitement it originally generated. Players compare Lost Ark and New World Despite a promising story and stunning vistas, Amazon Games’ self-made New World has struggled since launch. Plagued by ongoing server issues and a plethora of irritating glitches, the game is only finally starting to recover from its rocky start. By comparison, the company’s Lost Ark beta (developed by Smilegate RPG on behalf of the internet behemoth) has run relatively smoothly, leaving fans arguing that they should have released the title before New World. “Amazon should’ve released this game first,” reads one post on the game’s dedicated subreddit. “This would have made sense,” they continue, calling the ARPG “brilliant and well executed. The lore, the music and the game itself is a good breath of fresh air.” The comments section largely echo these sentiments, but some argue that New World would never have taken off if Lost Ark released had first. “Releasing LA [Lost Ark] before New World? LA would wipe its ass with NW, given the issues NW currently has,” one respondent writes, claiming it was a “calculated move” by Amazon. Read More: How to add friends in Lost Ark – Others speculate that “it makes more money to release New World first,” as the title had an upfront cost instead of relying on microtransactions. Either way, both New World and Lost Ark have changed up the MMO genre for good, and it’ll be interesting to see how the two continue to develop.

Players are hacking the PlayStation Classic and adding games that shouldn’t be included The newly launched PlayStation Classic brings back the nostalgia of the PS1 with the original shape and some truly essential titles – but players are now adding more games by simply ‘hacking’ the console. The perfect Christmas gift for a seasoned gamer, the PlayStation Classic comes preloaded with 20 retro titles that will throw many twenty-somethings back into their childhood with games like Tekken 3 and Rayman. However, fans were disappointed to hear alter that the games pre-installed would be the only games available, so some players have decided to take matters into their own hands. Console hackers discovered the key to decoding the PS Classic’s system was embedded physically on the device itself, instead of being kept private by Sony. Basically, as Ars Technica puts it, “Sony distributed the PlayStation Classic with the key to its own software lock hidden in the device itself.” Making matters worse, hacker yifanlu streamed his deeds on Twitch, explaining that there was no further security on ‘signature checks’, which means it was possible to load pretty much anything onto the device using USB, as he shows with a video of Crash Bandicoot running on the Classic. With all this now discovered, PlayStation Classic owners are able to simply download pre-prepared files onto a USB, plug them in and play an array of ‘unreleased’ games on the console. More: Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online update 1.04 released for PS4 and Xbox One – Patch notes – However, players must currently substitute one of the twenty game slots that came with the console originally, as shown in the video above. At only $100, many the PlayStation Classic is clearly just a quick attempt at cashing in on nostalgia in perfect time for the Holidays. The lack of security may not concern Sony all that much, considering it’s unlikely they give much continued support to the console. Rumors are coming thick and fast about the potential for a PlayStation 5 being announced as early as 2019, with Sony’s absence from the upcoming E3 adding more fuel to the speculation, so they probably have their hands full for now.

Player goes viral after pranking scalper selling PlayStation 5 for $1200 PlayStation/SonyIf you are one of the players mad at the people scalping PS5’s for a steep profit, you may be comforted by the fact that one fan has seemingly duped a scalper in a hilarious fashion while he was trying to sell one over in Scotland. It’s no secret that over the past few weeks fans have been unable to get their hands on a PS5. While this is partially due to Sony seemingly failing to produce enough supply to meet demand, another unfortunate aspect of this unavailability is scalpers. People will buy up the consoles and then sell them at a higher price because they know people want it. These scalpers are obviously annoying considering it just means you have to put up a ton of cash if you want one and since you can’t find many at stores, it’s the easiest way to get your hands on one. Now, one fan has seemingly gotten revenge on a scalper in a very simple but hilarious way. According to a Reddit post with almost 25,000 upvotes, one person responded to an ad for someone selling a PS5 for £950 ($1,200 USD) in Glasgow, Scotland and told him to go an address in order to meet-up. The address, it turns out, was for a comedy club which he then told the scalper to go into for a job since he thought he could sell the console for such a ridiculous price. The whole conversation is very clearly a variant of the original meme from a few years back, where one person asks for a Macbook that someone is selling for $200 and is told to go to a comedy club because that was a “joke.” Despite it’s unoriginality, it’s still hilarious that it happened in general, especially with these scalpers on the rise. Not being able to buy the console you wanted stinks, so it’s not hard to understand if it was satisfying to screw over the scalper like that. Here’s hoping these scalpers go away in the near future.

PlayStation 5: Specs, backwards compatibility and more revealed First details of Sony’s next-gen console have been revealed, and they prove that what is coming next is more than just a standard hardware upgrade, with a number of major improvements coming with whatever the fifth PlayStation is called. Speaking exclusively to Wired, Sony’s lead system architect Mark Cerny revealed the first details of the next-gen PlayStation console. What CPU will the PlayStation 5 have? As expected with any generational upgrade, a new CPU (central processing unit) will be one of the biggest talking points. The CPU is essentially the brain of any system, and is often the baseline when it comes to comparing speeds. The PS5 will run an 8-core processor, based on the 3rd gen AMD Ryzen CPU’s. The mid-range Ryzen 5 for example, runs at a base clock of 3.6Ghz – the current PS4 pro processor is only at 2.13Ghz, so if it matches up with the current Ryzen speeds it would be a significant upgrade. What GPU will the PlayStation 5 have? Another of the main features will be the graphics processing unit (GPU). As the name suggests, this is the chip or ‘card’ that provides all the graphical power to the system. The PS5 GPU will be a custom variant of AMD’s Radeon, and will support ray tracing. Although very few games currently utilize ray tracing technology (Battlefield V and Metro Exodus for example), it can produce stunning effects. In simple terms, Ray Tracing allows light, reflections and shadows to be displayed more naturally, as opposed to traditional ‘rasterization’ used in most video games. Will PlayStation 5 be backwards compatible with PS4 games? This is a must-have for some players, as they will want to ensure that they don’t have to repurchase their entire game library when the new console drops. Sony’s Mark Cerny has confirmed that PlayStation’s next-gen console will be backwards compatible with PS4 titles, as it’s based on the “same architecture”. Backwards compatibility was already ‘leaked’ by a Sony patent too. Read More: PS5 News: release date & specs leaked? – How much storage will the PlayStation 5 have? Console gamers will be well aware of the increasing size of many big releases, as they chew up more and more of the rather limited 1 TB of storage which comes with the higher-end PS4 Pro – and only 500GB on the lower-end PS4. Unfortunately, no details were given as to the size of the next-gen’s storage, but we may have got something better instead. The new console will use an SSD, rather than a hard drive. The benefits of this are obvious – it cuts loading times considerably, and there are no moving parts, meaning it will be more durable and quieter (no more clunk-clunk as the rusted PS4 hard drive loads up a level). The new SSD cut the loading time in Spider-Man from 15 seconds on a PS4 Pro to only 0.8 seconds on the next-gen system. Will PlayStation 5 support 8K resolution? Yes, 8K resolution will be supported on the next-gen Sony console, although currently, you’ll have a hard time finding a display that can output that many pixels, so that’s another consideration here. Not to mention, achieving even 30 FPS (frames per second) while running 8K resolution would be a miraculous achievement with the hardware in this system. This means the 8K functionality will be more for entertainment like TV shows and movies – it’s unlikely 8K will be possible in most video games without seriously sacrificing frame rates. When is the PlayStation 5 release date? All we know at the moment, is that it won’t be releasing in 2019. A 2020 release is likely, although 2021 may also be on the cards. Sony won’t be at E3 in 2019, which led to lots of speculation that they will be announcing a new console later, as they might not have much to show off at the Summer convention until they have a new console to brag about.

PlatinumGames release statement amid Bayonetta voice actor controversy PlatinumGamesBayonetta developer PlatinumGames have addressed the voice actor controversy surrounding the recasting of their game’s titular character, following calls by previous voice actor Hellena Taylor to boycott. The drama surrounding Bayonetta 3 continues to grow ahead of the game’s release. On October 15, Bayonetta voice actor Hellena Taylor called out PlatinumGames and Nintendo for “immoral” conduct, revealing that she will not be voicing the character in the upcoming third instalment after she was reportedly only offered $5,000 for the whole role. As a result, Taylor has been calling on fans of the series to boycott the game, with the situation now bringing to the forefront the larger discourse surrounding the role of voice actors and compensation for their work. However, Jason Schreier reported on Bloomberg PlatinumGames had originally wanted to hire Taylor for around five sessions, each paying $3,000 to $4,000 for four hours of work in the studio, making her total sum closer to around $15,000. Schreier’s sources then added Taylor refused the offer, wishing to negotiate for “a six-figure sum as well as residuals on the game.” The role has now been taken on by one of the industry’s most well-known voices Jennifer Hale, who revealed via social media that she is unable to comment on the situation due to an NDA she signed. After declining to comment on the situation for almost a week, PlatinumGames have now finally come out and addressed the Hellena Taylor recast situation. In a message shared on the PlatinumGames Twitter account, the developer outlines their “sincerest appreciation to everyone who has contributed to creating the Bayonetta series over the years, as well as the community that has served as its foundation.” The message then offers up support to Hale, with PlatinumGames stating she has their “full support” in taking on the role and that they “align with everything in her statement” made earlier in the week. They then ask their community to “refrain from any further comments that would disrespect Jennifer or any of the other contributors to the series.” Bayonetta 3 is set to release on October 28, 2022.

Platform fighter Rushdown Revolt combines Smash with Guilty Gear Rushdown RevoltA new platform fighting game, Rushdown Revolt, is looking to steal some thunder from Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros Ultimate. The game, which has taken over five years to craft and perfect, borrows heavily from games such as Smash Melee, Rivals of Aether and Dragon Ball FighterZ to create an extremely combo-centric experience. The question is: how does it stand out and what are the long term plans for this upcoming game? Dexerto had a chance to talk with Rushdown Revolt’s Creative Director Chris Kovalik about the game, its esports potential, netcode and how it differs from its competitors. How much would you say the game is inspired by Smash? I’d say we draw from the speed and expressiveness of Melee, the combo shenanigans of Smash 64 and the accessibility and vibrancy of the latest installments. If I had to call out one in particular, I’d say we really love the idea that “Melee is Jazz” – in other words, its ability to facilitate distinct playstyles. With Rushdown Revolt, we wanted to dial that idea to 12/10 by designing a game from the ground up to as expressive as possible. Would you say the game is competing more with Smash or Rivals of Aether? I’d answer by saying we’re as much of a competitor to Smash and Rivals as we are to Dragonball Fighter Z or Guilty Gear. I think we accomplish this by taking as much inspiration and influence from non-platform fighters as we do from platform fighters. Almost as if we took Terry Bogard from Smash Ultimate and made an entire game out of the hybrid mechanics he posses. To name a few examples, we have Health Bars and cross-up-able blocking from Arcade / Traditional Fighters and a Roman Cancels-equivalent from Guilty Gear. We worked really hard to carve out something that plays differently from every fighting game out there. At the same time, we think our gameplay gives anyone something fun and familiar to play with, no matter what their background is. Was there ever discussion to use a % based system like Smash? We use HP, and this was a major discussion point for our team. Our goal was to combine the exciting knockback scaling of traditional platform fighters with the consistency of traditional arcade fighters. With percentage based health, there’s much more nuance to which moves are best to use at certain percentages, how the opponent gets launched, and how to follow up from there. On the other hand, traditional fighters’ combo systems make combos reliable and can be practiced and executed at any point. With our health system, we wanted to take the best of both worlds by effectively creating three clear knockback bands with escalating intensity for gameplay. Tell us about the netcode. We wanted to make a fighting game built for playing online and streaming all over the world. Vortex Rollback Netcode is probably one of the aspects of our codebase that we are most proud of. The game’s rollback is our branded derivative of (technical warning) Time Synchronized, Deterministic, Lock-step Rollback that GGPO made famous. Our game plays flawlessly online and supports cross-continental play with reasonably stable connections. We have a couple tricks too that take drive our rollback’s results further. What are the team’s goals with esports? Our near-term goals for esports are about starting small. For the near-term, we want to do everything we can to empower you to organize weekly events with 10 people in person (or online) than we are about having a massive prize pool. To that end, we are excited to lean on our Holos system, which we can use to promote and generate financial rewards for event organizers, sponsors and players. As for big picture esports or streaming, our hallmark game mode for online play are Gauntlets (a round-robin style brawl), and we’re exploring ways we can make that never-ending onslaught into a thrilling competitive and spectator sport. How will the team approach balancing? Our approach to game balance is first and foremost about making sure things are fair, and that every “overpowered” option has clear and equally strong counterplay. It comes down to understanding player strategies and whether certain moves are overly centralizing across playstyles and scenarios. Those that never appear or appear too frequently are targets for tuning. Beyond that, though, it’s vital we remember that things need to be fun, and I want to refrain from overbalancing the fun out. For example, players who spam projectiles will have to be strategic in use because every character is equipped with a Shield Bash move which can reflect projectiles. How soon can we expect to see new fighters/stages? Our game is currently in alpha as we are focusing on the core elements of the game. Once we complete our alpha development this year, we will begin working on new characters for early 2021. We’re really excited about the current design concepts, because the characters in Rushdown Revolt are heavily redesigned from Icons. Our next characters’ DNA will be entirely our own. Would you like to do what Rivals has done by adding third party fighters? Third party intellectual property is one of the most fun opportunities for video games these days. Fighting games did it first, but its fun to see games like Fortnite introduce new characters or IP into special events. We’ve already had serious conversations about IP crossovers, so while we’re not sure whether we will fall squarely in one of those two camps (fighters vs. limited time events), we are confident we’ll be doing IP crossovers in some way.

What planets are in Star Wars Outlaws? All confirmed locations Ubisoft / LucasfilmStar Wars Outlaws is the first ever open-world game set in the galaxy far, far away, but exactly which planets are we going to be able to explore? From familiar holes in the wall on Tatooine to brand new areas on the Moon of Toshara, here’s every location that’s been confirmed thus far. Star Wars Outlaws is set to make history as the IP’s first true open-world game. While EA’s Jedi series boasted large areas with multiple branching paths to explore, Outlaws ups the ante with full planets and multiple sprawling cities to navigate. So as the first of its kind, just which planets are set to be featured as their own distinct open worlds? While some will be familiar to even casual Star Wars fans, others are deep cuts only the hardcore crowd will recognize at first. One is even a brand new location designed by Ubisoft in collaboration with Lucasfilm. Below is the full rundown on every planet confirmed to be explorable in the upcoming Star Wars Outlaws game. Contents: Every confirmed planet in Star Wars Outlaws Akiva Akiva is a rather hot planet in the Outer Rim, known predominantly for its stormy weather, with thunder and rainstorms all too common. Having entered Star Wars canon in the Aftermath novel series, Outlaws marks the first time this location has been properly visualized in Star Wars media. Myrra is the capital city of Akiva, described as a sprawling web of interconnected streets, locals use bala-bala speeders to turn tight corners and navigate the narrow pathways. Not to mention, it’s all built atop some fascinating elements under the planet’s surface. We know for certain Akiva once housed an enormous droid construction facility underground, and rumors suggest the city sits atop a maze of ancient catacombs. Outlaws Creative Director Julian Gerighty has also teased the planet’s unique cantina at the center of it all. Called the Alkazar, this hub “has a huge tree in the middle” and attracts all sorts of “patrons you will get to know” over the course of the game. Cantonica Cantonica is set to appear in Star Wars Outlaws, though it appears we’ll be mostly traveling through its coastal city, Canto Bight. That name might ring a few bells for fans of the series as Canto Bight was a key location in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. A vibrant, flourishing city, Canto Bight is where much of the galaxy’s ultra-elites like to spend their time. With exorbitant gambling, races to watch, and the finest food and drinks to enjoy, it’s often called a “playground of the most glamorous beings in the galaxy.” Naturally, we can expect plenty of mini-games here in Outlaws, some high-stakes Sabacc wouldn’t be out of place. Perhaps it’s here we even bump into Lando Calrissian, a beloved character already confirmed to make an appearance in the game. Outlaws’ protagonist Kay Vess just so happens to be from Cantonica, though she doesn’t quite come from a wealthy family, that we know of. Rather, it’s been confirmed Vess grew up in Canto Bight’s Worker’s District. She’ll no doubt have plenty to say upon returning to her home planet and seeing the many sights and sounds she never could before. Kijimi We’ve seen Kijimi at the worst of times. This planet located in the Mid Rim Territories was ultimately eviscerated in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, in a show of force from the First Order. Obviously, with Outlaws taking place well before the events of the sequel trilogy, we get to see the planet in its prime. Known as a haven for criminals, this location had no central governing body. Thus, it was a rather lawless region, one rife with scoundrels. It boasts mountainous terrain though with its chilly weather, you certainly won’t want to be out in the snow for long. During our own hands-on time with Outlaws, we got to explore a small chunk of Kijimi, warming up in some local cantinas, playing Sabacc, and listening to words of wisdom from the locals. Tatooine If you’ve engaged with anything even tangentially related to Star Wars, there’s every chance you’ve seen Tatooine before. As one of the most-visited locations in the franchise, the sandy Outer Rim planet will once again be on display in Outlaws, though perhaps with a greater level of detail than ever before. We know for certain its iconic cantina will be brought to life in-game, and that we’ll be dealing with Jabba The Hutt as one of the main syndicate leaders at the time, but exactly how much of Tatooine we get to explore remains a mystery. Toshara Not a planet but a moon, Toshara is a brand-new location built from the ground up for Outlaws. Ubisoft worked closely with Lucasfilm in designing the location and ensuring it fit well within the Star Wars canon. Found in the Toshaal system, the planet features Savannah-like terrain, though much of its taller structures have degraded over time as a result of staggeringly strong winds. Known as a hub for criminal activity, we’ll no doubt be spending plenty of time on Toshara. With a huge city in Mirogana, it sounds like Kay will be visiting this moon a great deal throughout her adventure. For now, that’s every location confirmed to appear in Star Wars Outlaws. Though as the galaxy is far bigger than we can imagine, there’s always a chance a few surprises are thrown in along the way. We’ll be sure to keep you posted here with any further details as we learn more.

Pixelborn shutdown divides Disney Lorcana players amid wider TCG launch Disney/RavensburgerThe recently announced shutdown of Disney Lorcana’s premiere, albeit unofficial, online client Pixelborn has rocked the TCG’s community. Fans of the game are split on the potential impact of losing Pixelborn. Disney Lorcana is relatively new in the wider TCG scene but it has been exploding in popularity and availability in recent months. Its mechanically tight gameplay combined with a plethora of beloved IPs seems like a guaranteed recipe for success. Early in the game’s lifecycle, Pixelborn emerged as a fan-made online client that emulated Disney Lorcana’s tabletop gameplay almost precisely. For that reason, we named it one of the best ways to play Disney Lorcana online. Therein lies the problem, however. Its near-perfect emulation of the TCG meant that the online client’s days would be numbered from the beginning. It was recently announced by Pixelborn’s creator that they would be shutting down the service at the behest of Disney and the Lorcana community is now mourning its impending absence. Pixelborn is a feature-complete version of Disney Lorcana that can be played for free online. Developed almost single-handedly by Lorcana fan Pavel Kolev, it gained a successful enough Patreon subscribership to manage server maintenance and development costs. Kolev himself made the decision to redirect any surplus funds to charities such as Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders. In some instances, sums of over $5,000 were donated. Unfortunately, not only did Pixelborn do a serviceable job replicating Disney Lorcana’s gameplay, it also housed a complete library of the game’s cards including their artwork. The program’s website gave tutorials on how to upload the images as well as zip files with every single available card including their Enchanted variants. For this reason, Disney made the decision to request a shutdown of the service to protect their intellectual property. Kolev announced his decision to comply via the Pixelborn Discord Server and shared the message via a post on X. Kolev admitted that the decision had ‘shattered their heart to pieces’ but they maintained that the service would indeed be terminated. “I’ve always stated I would respect such a request, and I plan to keep my word and will not grasp at technicalities. Pixelborn will stop the support for Lorcana before 16th June 2024,” Kolev vowed. The announcement has fractured the Disney Lorcana community as players attempt to unpack the ramifications of losing Pixelborn. The service has actively shaped the TCG’s competitive meta and economy on a global scale with many competitive decks used in official comps emerging from the program. Card costs rose and fell on the back of their success in the Pixelborn meta and it served as a valuable resource for testing and preparing for tournament play. For many players in remote regions or without local scenes, it became an accessible way to engage with Disney Lorcana. Sentiment within the player community is split. There are those who believe that the Pixelborn shutdown will have no impact on the health of the game whatsoever and others who think it spells an early doom for Disney Lorcana. “I personally see myself losing some interest in the game as the ability to play every day makes me want to play and invest in the game more,” one Lorcana player said in response to the shutdown. “I might stop playing Lorcana because of this decision,” another replied. Veteran TCG players have pointed out methods for the sort of testing that Pixelborn engendered which have been present in the hobby for a long time. “You print proxies and test at home or in person with friends and a league, and then go to tournaments once you’ve tuned the deck and bought the cards,” one user advised. Unfortunately for some Lorcana fans, this isn’t feasible or desirable. “I have no interest in hanging out at an LGS testing decks that may or may not work,” a player explained. “If I’m going to spend my free time actually going somewhere to play, I want to make sure the deck works first, which is why Pixelborn was great.” Aside from the potential impacts on players, content creators who used Pixelborn as a means of easily streaming Lorcana are losing a valuable tool. Not all of them are convinced that the loss of Pixelborn means the end of the game, however. Longtime Disney Lorcana content creator Speci Lorcana has been a fixture of the game’s online community for some time. Primarily focusing on deck building and competitive play, his expertise saw him tapped to cast one of the first Disney Lorcana Challenge events in Lille, France. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the TCG following the Pixelborn shutdown, Speci remains optimistic about the state of the game. He isn’t blind to the importance of Pixelborn to Disney Lorcana’s overall success of course. “It would be remiss to say that Pixelborn has not helped the game in a lot of ways,” Speci qualified in a video going over the shutdown. “I think without Pixelborn, the game would not be as popular as it currently is. I know many people who have picked up the game as a direct result of having the opportunity to play on Pixelborn.” Primarily, he acknowledged the platform’s role in facilitating a powerful free marketing engine for the TCG. “Pixelborn has provided many streamers opportunities to easily make Disney Lorcana content accessible in, what is otherwise, a very difficult game to make content for.” The necessity of expensive equipment, space to play, and physical products may cause a possible gap in this area. Even with those considerations, Speci isn’t ready to call time on Disney Lorcana as a whole. After casting an event that saw over 2,000 competitors come together to play the game, it’s easy to understand why. “I think Disney Lorcana is going to continue to go from strength to strength,” he posited. Particularly if Disney and Ravensburger can capitalize on the outcry for an official digital client of their own. “We’ve seen how popular Pixelborn is, imagine how popular an official Lorcana client would be,” Speci put forward. “They’ve got a lot of work on their hands to match what Pixelborn was able to do,” he qualified. “The quality of this client was tremendous.” Like most players in the Disney Lorcana community, he did acknowledge Disney’s right to protect their IP, even at the expense of a well-loved fixture. “I definitely think Pavel is making the right decision to shut it down as he’s been approached to do so.” Disney’s reasoning for the shutdown may be as simple as protecting their copyright but it has begged the question ‘why now?’ Pixelborn had been allowed to run for over 12 months before they put a stop to it. It’s possible that now that Disney Lorcana is available in more countries and stock of each individual set is more widely available, the company felt it was the right time. Many are hopeful that this is an indication of an official online client on the horizon. We’ve reached out to Disney for clarification on the matter and will be sure to update this article with a response.

How Pipeline are helping the creators YouTube & Twitch won’t PipelineIt’s no secret that large content creators generate a lot of money and that’s not just for themselves — the revenue generated from adverts and donations are split with the platforms they’re on, and thus it’s in their best interest to cater to the heavy-hitters that utilize what they offer. But what about the little guys? That’s where Pipeline come in. Founded by former professional League of Legends player Stephen ‘Snoopeh’ Ellis and veteran creator David ‘StoneMountain64’ Steinberg, the company is catering specifically to aspiring video creators and streamers alike. With attention being the main currency of the internet, it’s not always easy to make it as a creator. You’re not only going up against your peers for people’s attention but other avenues of entertainment too. Netflix and live sports matches are competition as much as YouTubers and Twitch streamers. It’s not a sure thing by any means. With Pipeline, Snoopeh and StoneMountain64 are attempting to create a one-stop-shop for creators. However, not only have they utilized their experiences and resources to inform the next generation, they’re providing personalized experiences, and ultimately a community, for those who see a future for themselves in this corner of entertainment. Supporting the next generation “My co-founder StoneMountain64 and I are so fortunate that we’ve been able to do what we love for the last decade,” Snoopeh told Dexerto. “We’d love to help the next generation do the same. As a small-town kid from Scotland, I got the opportunity to compete at the highest level, travel the world, and stream to millions of viewers. I didn’t get much help on the way up and frankly, I made a bunch of mistakes. “We’re building something we wish we had when we started and would love to help those who are just starting out avoid all the mistakes we made. While it’s early and there is no such thing as an overnight success, it’s incredibly fulfilling to see some of the members transitioning to becoming full-time creators.” Read More: MrBeast to invest $2m in smaller YouTubers – As already established, it’s in the interest of the platforms to ensure their top creators are as successful as possible as they receive a cut of revenue and it can generate more attention for them. The inverse is true too however, helping more creators earn sustainable revenue they can siphon off for themselves would also benefit them — that’s more effort, though. “Platforms do try and build support for new creators but it’s difficult for them to prioritize new creators when their top creators are driving the bulk of the viewership,” Snoopeh added. “They also have an inherent bias in that they’re not going to recommend alternative platforms to help you grow. For example, Twitch would much rather advocate for you to use their clips product instead of YouTube Shorts or TikTok and I don’t fault them for that. “Our goal is to remain platform agnostic and focus on helping creators be successful. Everyone has the potential to be a creator and we want to help more creators turn their passion into a career.” To improve the overall experience and the services they can offer to their members — there are plans priced at $28 and $34 per month — Pipeline have just unleashed their new platform. New features, new content aimed at specific topics and pain points, and a clearer vision than ever before, this revitalized platform has been crafted mindfully. There’s a personalized dashboard with goal trackers, over 100 video modules hosted by subject matter experts, and a heavy focus on building a community. In Pipeline’s exclusive Discord server, they have channels for almost everything; mental health support, technology troubleshooting, and everything in between. If the likes of Google and Amazon won’t fully support the millions of people struggling to gain steam on their platforms, it’s clear that there is indeed a place for them. Read More: How does Pokimane make money? – As Snoopeh explained to Dexerto, he and his co-founder have worked from the top down to help others achieve success of their own — however they define it. “It first started with breaking down everything Stone and I have learned over the last decade,” he explained. “We’ve got experience from being creators, negotiating deals, working with game developers to actually building a streaming platform. This took us months of late nights and weekends to distill it into a format that would help break it down for new creators. “Over the year as our team at Pipeline has grown, we’ve continued to iterate and develop new content for our community. We also work with industry professionals and subject matter experts to go deeper into specific topics such as mental health, PR, or TikTok strategy. The content creation landscape is constantly shifting and we are staying at the forefront of it to help our community navigate these changes.” Empowering and educating Pipeline have a roster of partners who help them to support those who feel like they need a nudge in the right direction, and one of which is gaming brand CORSAIR. Together, they launched a scholarship program in December 2020 that identifies three creators who would really benefit from new equipment and personalized guidance. IronSmithy, a former veteran and recipient of a scholarship, decided to start streaming on Twitch in March 2020. Despite never having broadcast gameplay online before, he identified it was something he was passionate about and joined Pipeline. With additional support from CORSAIR, he’s since made his hobby a full-time gig. “I started streaming March 2020, playing Last Oasis and as the game died I transitioned to Sea of Thieves which I continue to focus on today,” IronSmithy said. “In just a year’s time, I have been able to grow from 0 followers to 7,000 and am now able to sustain myself and my family as a full-time creator! “None of this would have been possible without Pipeline. From very early on I have felt nothing but encouraged and supported every step of the way! Both Snoopeh and Stonemountain64 have given their time to aid me along my journey both privately and publicly and so have so many others within the Pipeline Staff and community. I know they want to see each and every member of Pipeline succeed!” While not every creator in Pipeline’s ranks can be on the receiving end of the scholarship at once, Snoopeh and StoneMountain64 are empowering dozens upon dozens of people to progress to places when the very platforms themselves won’t. As the internet develops and more monetization methods are devised, there’s no reason to believe that creating content full-time will be available to more people than ever before — regardless, having all of the resources in one place is a great place to start.

Pikmin Bloom player rescues gift Pikmin during transpacific flight @serinide / TwitterA Pikmin Bloom player made an attempt to rescue her gift Pikmin mid-way through a transpacific flight and actually succeeded. Pikmin Bloom, an augmented reality mobile game similar to Pokemon Go, just celebrated its one-year-and-a-half anniversary by hosting a special event that brought a variety of colorful flowers to the game. Each player’s real-world movements are rewarded with unique items for their Pikmin creatures while playing. It is not difficult to see the appeal of a Pokemon Go-style game involving adorable Pikmin creatures, but such games can also get tedious after a while. When this happens, fans look for ways to challenge themselves and spice up the gameplay. One player did just that after sending her Pikmin on a mission to pick up gifts. After traveling, she decided to let the Pikmin go across the ocean and then planned on picking him up later on while in mid-flight. And many spectators waited with bated breath to see if she could pull off such a clutch moment. Pikmin Bloom player rescues gift Pikmin while flying Taking to Twitter to post her plans, the Pikmin Bloom player stated that she was going to send one of her Pikmin creatures on a mission. She had traveled to Korea all the way from California and had then sent the Pikmin to Los Angeles. The poor little Pikmin had still been making his way, returning from the long trip with the gifts he had picked up. Reb, the player in question, stated that she would attempt to rescue him while flying back to California. This would mean she’d have to attempt a retrieval while flying over the Pacific Ocean to get her Pikmin back. The player returned to Twitter just a day later after saying she would attempt the rescue, confirming that she had, in fact, succeeded! She managed to collect her well-traveled Pikmin while crossing the ocean via airplane. Other players went wild, commending the poster on her achievement and expressing their joy over the rescued Pikmin. Many commented that they had been waiting for the update all day, welcoming the Pikmin back as he dramatically returned to his owner after traveling so far. This silly feat only goes to show that the Pikmin creatures are serious little troopers, and you can expect their full dedication to finding gifts for you in Pikmin Bloom.

Pikmin 4 will allow avatar customization and players are thrilled Nintendo of AmericaNintendo has revealed that the latest addition to the Pikmin series, Pikmin 4, will allow players to customize their very own avatar using its character creator tool. Pikmin 4 is the latest and greatest to come from the beloved action-adventure series. Nintendo has officially announced that not only do we get to enjoy a brand new storyline, but we get to do so as our own characters. Pikmin players have longed for more opportunities to customize their characters as they journey across each unique world. In previous games, players were given a set-in-stone main character, such as Captain Olimar in the original Pikmin game. For the first time ever, Nintendo will allow our creativity to flow and make a brand new Captain of our very own minds. New trailer shows off Pikmin 4 character creation tool The trailer showcases a little bit about the lore and storyline of how Captain Olimar has once again crash-landed on a mysterious planet. In an attempt to save the trusty pilot from yet another crash, the rescue core was sent out to answer the Captain’s distress signal. In a very expected turn of events, the rescue core also crash-landed onto the planet; that is where we come in! Since all of the efforts to save the Captain have failed, it is now up to the player to get to the unknown planet and rescue everyone who has face-planted onto the surface. The character creation appears to be very in-depth. Players will be able to create their “ID Badge” which is how they create the avatar itself. From hair color to hairstyle, to preset character designs, it appears that we will have plenty of options to choose from to make characters our own. Now, players aren’t going in with the latest and greatest technology, and are basically thrown onto the planet with just a will and a way. But players don’t seem to mind, as they’re more focused on this new character creation tool. “Wasn’t expecting character customization for this next game, really exciting,” one fan commented on the video. “Making your own captain is so awesome!” another said, with many others chiming in to agree. Even though some fans were disappointed that more gameplay wasn’t shown, this new feature seems like it will be a massive crowd-pleaser. Pikmin 4 is one of the highest anticipated games of the year and will be released on the Nintendo Switch on July 21, 2023.

Pikmin 4 review: A delightful starting point for new explorers Pikmin 4 is an incredibly satisfying resource management game cloaked in adorable visuals and a morbid sense of humor. It’s also the perfect opportunity for newcomers to jump into the series for the first time. 10 years after the last proper Pikmin game was released, one of Nintendo’s strangest and most under-appreciated franchises is making a long-awaited comeback. Rather than shaking things up completely, Nintendo has opted to finetune the existing Pikmin format with great new features, improved visuals, and a scene-stealing Rescue Pup called Oatchi. Pikmin 4 – Key Details Price: $59.99 – Developer: Nintendo – Release Date: July 21, 2023 – Platforms: Nintendo Switch – Pikmin 4 trailer Making the most of each day There are three overarching objectives in Pikmin 4. Repair your spaceship, locate your missing crewmates, and eventually rescue Captain Olimar. That’s right – unlike every other main series Pikmin, you won’t be playing as Olimar this time around. Instead, you’re a rookie member of the Rescue Corps, a team of rescuers who’ve crash-landed on a mysterious planet after responding to Olimar’s distress signals. It’s a solid setup to introduce (or reintroduce) people to the Pikmin franchise, as there’s a reason for your character to be learning about these tiny creatures and the world around them for the first time. There’s even a cute – albeit fairly basic – character creator to make your own custom hero for that personal touch. As someone who’s never connected with a Pikmin game before, it didn’t take long for me to figure out what I was doing and get stuck into the surprisingly satisfying gameplay loop. Each day you’ll blast off on a short expedition to one of four lovingly-detailed stages, where you’ll have a limited time to do as much exploring as you can. This is where the game’s strategy elements come into play. With so much to discover, where do you spend your resources? It’s far too easy to get distracted by a big pile of gold or a far-off treasure, so planning your day effectively is key to making it back to your ship in one piece. Helping hands Of course, you’ll have an army of Pikmin to help you. These plant-like beings can be commanded to defeat enemies or transport items back to your ship, but they’re vulnerable and easily distracted. It’s up to you to keep them safe. There are now nine variations of these cute little creatures to collect, ranging from the classic Red Pikmin to the new Ice Pikmin. Each type has its own quirks and resistances, so this adds a team-building strategy element to each expedition. The real star of the show in Pikmin 4 is Oatchi, your adorable Rescue Pup companion. He can carry you on his back, swim, smash obstacles, and help you transport objects. As you progress through the game, you’ll be able to upgrade his skills using Pup Drive points. You can even take control of him directly to explore tunnels or solve switch-based puzzles. Oatchi isn’t just a cute gimmick, he’s an essential part of the experience, so much so that I can’t imagine playing a Pikmin game without him. Look at this stuff, isn’t it neat? While the game’s four stages initially feel quite small in comparison to the open-world games of today, they’re all incredibly dense with a surprising amount of things to discover. I’m a firm believer in quality over quantity, and that’s something that Pikmin 4 absolutely gets right. Whether you’re growing your Pikmin army, plundering underground caves, or collecting treasures like a Game Boy Advance, it’ll take you hours to fully explore every stage. Like previous Pikmin games, your character is roughly the size of a bug, so everything from the flowers to the gardening tools are oversized and exaggerated. I’ve always thought Pikmin games looked uninspired, but there’ve been some pretty major visual improvements this time around. It’s lovely to look at, with vibrant environments and colors that pop – especially on an OLED Switch screen. Aside from the layouts and visual differences, each stage has its own mechanics that make them unique. At the beachy Serene Shores, the water level will drop halfway through the day so you can access new areas. Over in Hero’s Hideaway, a green space pup stalks you and your Pikmin unless you temporarily knock him out. Think of Resident Evil’s Mr. X, only cuter and cuddlier. The Pik of destiny There’s no limit on how many times you can return to each stage. It makes it easy to take a more relaxed approach if you prefer. There’s also the ability to reverse time, which is primarily used to save Pikmin that have met an untimely end. I confidently told myself that I wouldn’t need to use this, but just a few hours in I’d already caved on that promise after half of my beloved Pikmin were sent flying off the edge of a cliff. Death plays a big role in Pikmin 4. Despite its cutesy visuals, you’re going to have to get used to the sight and sounds of your Pikmin burning, drowning, or being gobbled up by an angry Bulborb. Watching your army of Pikmin murder a wild creature and then transport it to your ship to be converted to more Pikmin seeds feels a little grim too. All of this is done with a morbid sense of humor though. It’s easily one of my favorite things about the game. Alongside the main campaign, there are also several night expeditions. These turn each stage into a game of base defense, as you fend off waves of enemies who become enraged once the sun sets. Then there are Dandori Battles. These require you to battle against a leafy opponent to see who can collect the most treasure before time is up. That’s not to mention the hefty chunk of post-credits content, including some nice surprises for longtime Pikmin fans. The Verdict – 5/5 Pikmin 4 is an absolute delight. It’s packed full of humor and charm and never failed to put a smile on my face. Whether you’re a hardened fan or a newcomer to the franchise, there’s plenty to love in this imaginative, morbid, satisfying sequel.

Pikmin 4 has finally made me understand the joy of Pikmin NintendoPikmin 4 is nearly upon us and we were recently invited by Nintendo to go hands-on with the game. However, did we like how the game was shaping up and did it leave us wanting more? As a lifelong Nintendo fan, there’s one franchise that I’ve never been able to connect with: Pikmin. I can’t explain why. Maybe it’s the strategy elements that put me off or the fact that I’ve always hated Olimar in Super Smash Bros. – but I do know I’m not alone. Pikmin has always felt like one of Nintendo’s most niche first-party franchises. That might have changed after I was given the chance to spend around an hour and a half with Pikmin 4, the first proper Pikmin game in a decade. While I was only able to play through one stage, something definitely clicked in my brain. I found myself caring about these cute little creatures in a way that I’ve not been able to before. Finding (Dan)dori It was mentioned a few times during my preview session that the goal with Pikmin 4 was to create a more relaxing experience than previous entries, while still offering a challenge for those who want it. That certainly resonated with how it felt during my short time with the game. The closest I got to feeling a sense of urgency was a countdown ticking away in the corner of the screen as nighttime approached, but I never felt pressured to achieve anything specific during each day. I knew that once the timer was up, I could simply return and do more exploring the next day. My preview session took place in a single area called Sun-Speckled Terrace, which felt like being shrunk down to the size of a bug and wandering around someone’s backyard. It didn’t take long to get used to the gameplay loop, so off I went collecting Pikmin to do my bidding. That could be recovering treasures full of Sparklium to restore my spaceship to its former glory, defeating various bug-like enemies, or hunting for my missing crewmates in underground caves. The game encouraged me to work on my Dandori, the art of “organizing your tasks strategically and working with maximum efficiency”. This isn’t something I’m used to when gaming. I’m someone who gets distracted by sidequests or whatever shiny thing lies in the distance. But there was something about working alongside my team of Pikmin to achieve our goals together before the day ended that felt incredibly rewarding. Pikmin’s Best Friend My favorite gameplay element from my time with Pikmin 4 was definitely Oatchi, the loyal canine companion who followed me around as I explored Sun-Speckled Terrace. At first, my commands were limited. This good boy functioned much the same as my army of Pikmin in the sense that I could send him out to attack enemies, carry items back to my ship, or break down walls. But as I progressed through the game, Oatchi grew larger and learned new tricks like jumping to help me discover new areas. I quickly realized that Oatchi wasn’t just a cute sidekick, but an essential part of progressing through Pikmin 4. There were vases that could only be smashed by charging up Oatchi’s dash or scents that he could pick up to point me in the right direction. After venturing into one underground cave, I had to leave my main character behind and control Oatchi by himself to solve a puzzle involving buttons and moving platforms. Adorable and functional, what’s not to love? Exploring the space Another feature I got to experience was the variety of Pikmin on offer, especially the new ice variants which work exactly as you’d expect them to. Lob them at your enemies to freeze them in their tracks or use their cooling powers to freeze water and make a path to walk across. It’s not a game-changing addition, but it’s another handy Pikmin type to have at your disposal that works a treat when you’re feeling overwhelmed by multiple enemies. Despite being a relatively small stage when compared to the vast worlds of many modern games, there were absolutely loads of things to discover in Sun-Speckled Terrace. I feel like I could have easily spent another two or three hours just exploring this area, let alone the rest of the stages. While the core gameplay doesn’t stray too far from classic Pikmin fare, one area that has been given a decent overhaul is the visuals. I’ve never considered Pikmin to be a particularly pleasant-looking franchise (the word ‘muddy’ springs to mind). However, this new iteration marks a pretty big upgrade with environments looking far more vibrant and inviting than in previous outings. Left wanting Oli-more This isn’t the kind of game that needs cutting-edge graphics, of course – and we’re never going to get that on the Nintendo Switch anyway. Even so, Pikmin 4 really is quite lovely to look at. I was given the option to play on a huge TV with the Switch docked, but I chose to stay in handheld mode as it looked great on the OLED screen. Although I was only able to experience a snapshot of what Pikmin 4 has to offer, the sense I get is that this is Nintendo’s attempt to introduce the franchise to a newer audience while also keeping existing fans happy. It’s not reinventing the wheel. But, with a handful of great new features, some lovely visuals, and a more relaxed approach to gameplay, I feel like it’s won me over already. Pikmin 4 will be available on Nintendo Switch on July 21, 2023.

Pikmin 4: How to find the Yellow Onion NintendoYellow Pikmin are incredibly useful in Pikmin 4 and can only be grown after collecting a Yellow Onion. Here’s how fans can find this Onion and start raising Yellow Pikmin. Pikmin 4 has been a hit title for many Nintendo Switch owners, even if you’ve never experienced the Pikmin series before. Pikmin 4 is a real-time strategy puzzle title, which has players explore different stages, collect treasures, and defeat enemies along the way. Perhaps the biggest aspect of Pikmin 4 is the Pikmin themselves, which can be raised from different colored Onions scattered around different areas. This guide will tackle how to find the Yellow Onion in Pikmin 4 so fans can start raising their Yellow Pikmin population. Yellow Onion in Sun-Speckled Terrace The first location players can find the Yellow Onion in Pikmin 4 is in the first area, Sun-Speckled Terrace. The Yellow Onion is located behind a paper bag that needs to be flattened first. However, it will take a bit of work to get to its location. First, fans want to make their way to the Crackling Cauldron cavern, which is the pipe in the middle of the map on a raised section of ground. The Crackling Cauldron is home to some wild Yellow Pikmin, which players need to bring to the surface to break an Electric gate to the west. After breaking this Electric gate, lower the Paper Bag ramp to the left to make an easy path to your nearby base and head to the small hallway facing the circular pond. Toss 10 Pikmin onto the Paper Bag Gate to flatten it, revealing the Yellow Onion. Now, simply have 20 Pikmin carry it back to base to make it your own. Yellow Onion in Blossoming Arcardia The second Yellow Onion players can find is in Blossoming Arcadia. This one just requires players to head north from the starting area and around the bend to the right. Then head south, break the Dirt Wall, and watch out for Bearded Amprat enemies along the way. Head up the slope, lower the Paper Bag Ramp, dig up the Yellow Onion, and bring it back to your base. And there you have it! That’s how Pikmin 4 fans can find the Yellow Onion and start raising their own population of Yellow Pikmin to solve puzzles and gather treasures. For more Nintendo content, make sure to check out our home page.

Pikmin 4: How to find the Rock Pikmin Onion NintendoRock Pikmin are incredibly useful in Pikmin 4, but you’ll need to find the Rock Onion before you can raise their numbers. Here’s how explorers can find it in Pikmin 4. In total, Pikmin 4 has nine different Pikmin types that each have their own strengths, weaknesses, and uses when exploring and solving puzzles. One of those types introduced in Pikmin 3, the Rock Pikmin, are incredibly useful when fighting certain enemies and solving puzzles, as they can’t be crushed or impaled. However, explorers traveling around PNF-404 will first need to find the Rock Pikmin Onion before they can begin raising the number of Rock Pikmin in their squad. Here’s how you can find this elusive Onion in Pikmin 4. How to find the Rock Onion in Pikmin 4 Getting to the Rock Pikmin Onion actually requires players to roll credits in Pikmin 4, though without going into story spoilers, you will be able to continue exploring the planet of PNF-404 after doing so. Once explorers have access to Giant’s Hearth they will need to head to the southern area of the map. Upon finding a base location on the open side of the outdoor grill, head south to encounter a Stone Wall. You will need to use three Bomb Rocks to break down this Wall to access the area further inside, but it’s recommended you take more than three for what comes next. How to Defeat the Sovereign Bulblax Inside the first area, you will encounter the Sovereign Bulblax which you’ll need to defeat to move past it. The Sovereign Bulblax can eat Pikmin with its tongue lash, jump in the air to crush Pikmin, or roar to scatter them in a Panic. Thankfully, there’s a fairly easy trick to defeating this enemy. Whenever it uses its tongue lash attack, throw a Bomb Rock at its tongue. The monster will eat the Bomb Rock causing it to explode and stun it. Now, use an Ultra Spicy spray on your Pikmin and charge them all onto the Bulblax to do massive damage. Rinse and repeat this until the fight is over. After defeating the Sovereign Bulblax, head further south and find the Rock Pikmin Onion buried in the ground. Dig it up and return it to your base to start raising your Rock Pikmin numbers. And there you have it! That’s how Pikmin 4 fans can find the Rock Pikmin Onion and start raising their own population of Rock Pikmin to break Glass Walls and gather treasures. For more Nintendo content, make sure to check out our home page.

Pikmin 4: How to find the Pink Onion NintendoWinged Pikmin in Pikmin 4 are very helpful for gathering and transporting treasure quickly, but you’ll need to find the Pink Onion first. Here’s where to find the Pink Onion in Pikmin 4 to start gathering more Winged Pikmin. While Pikmin 4 only allows players to take out three types of Pikmin at a time, there are nine different Pikmin types that explorers can gather throughout the game. Many of these Pikmin types return from past games, such as the Rock and Winged Pikmin that originally made their debut in Pikmin 3 for the Wii U. However, before fans can make use of the incredibly helpful Winged Pikmin, they will first need to find their Pink Onion to raise their population. Here’s how to find the Pink Onion on Planet PNF-404 and get more Winged Pikmin. How to find the Pink Onion in Pikmin 4 To reach the Pink Onion players will actually need to roll credits in Pikmin 4 first. Without going into story spoilers, you will still be able to continue exploring the planet of PNF-404 after reaching the credits for the first time. After watching the credits, you will have access to two more areas. The second area is known as the Primordial Thicket, which houses the Pink Onion. Unlike the Blue and Yellow Onions, there is only one Pink Onion to find in Pikmin 4. Upon landing in the Primordial Thicket, head to the east side of the map down the tree trunk bridge. Here, you will see a raised ledge that houses a Dandori Trial as well as the Pink Onion. However, a Cardboard Box Wall is blocking the path to the Pink Onion with Poison Geysers lining the path. To clear the Poison Geysers bring at least one White Pikmin found underground to the surface and head around the back of the ledge to the first Geyser. Toss your White Pikmin on the ledge and wait for them to destroy each of the three Geysers. Next, Head around through the gap in the wall under the Box to find another small hole where you can toss up more Pikmin near the Cardboard Box. However, be very careful not to get attacked by the enemies hiding in the muddy water nearby. After moving the Cardboard Box Wall with 10 Pikmin, walk up the ramp to the left, cross the Box, and carry the Pink Onion back to your base. And there you have it! That’s how Pikmin 4 fans can find the Pink Onion and start raising their own population of Winged Pikmin to carry treasure over hazards with ease. For more Nintendo content, make sure to check out our home page.

Pikmin 4: How to find the Ice Pikmin Onion NintendoIce Pikmin are the brand new type introduced in Pikmin 4, but players will need to find the Ice Onion before raising their Ice Pikmin numbers. Here’s how fans can find this frigid Onion in Pikmin 4. Pikmin 4 introduced two new types of Pikmin to the series: Glow Pikmin and Ice Pikmin. While Glow Pikmin don’t have a dedicated Onion, Ice Pikmin do. This means that once players are able to find the Ice Pikmin Onion, they’ll be able to raise their own population of Ice Pikmin instead of having to rely on finding them in the wild through Caves. Considering how useful Ice Pikmin are in combat and exploration, explorers may want to find the Ice Pikmin Onion as soon as possible. Well, here’s a breakdown of how to do just that. How to find the Ice Onion in Pikmin 4 There is only one Ice Pikmin Onion that players can find in Pikmin 4, and it’s in Hero’s Hideaway — the fourth area of the game. To get to the Ice Pikmin Onion, fans will need to reach the countertop area on the northeast side of the map. To do this, head to the yellow hoverpad just below the countertop in the living room. Ride the hoverpad to the top and cross the kitchen area until you see a Cave system surrounded by fire from the oven. To enter this Cave, called the Frozen Inferno, you will need to have the Scorch Guard item for your captain and Oatchi. Enter the Frozen Inferno and make your way through the dungeon while collecting treasure. Once you exit the Frozen Inferno, you will appear on the other side of the counter space. From here, activate the button next to the Cave Exit and look for another yellow hoverpad next to the fridge. The Ice Onion will be surrounded by a frozen Hyrdo Jelly. Break it and carry the Ice Pikmin Onion back to your base using 30 Pikmin or with the help of Oatchi. And there you have it! That’s how Pikmin 4 fans can find the Ice Pikmin Onion and start raising their own population of Ice Pikmin to freeze ponds and gather treasures. For more Nintendo content, make sure to check out our home page.

Pikmin 4: How to find the Blue Onion NintendoOne of the earliest Onion types that Pikmin 4 players can find is the Blue Onion. Here’s how fans can find this Onion and start raising Blue Pikmin. Many Nintendo Switch fans likely experienced the Pikmin series for the first time through Pikmin 4, which we deemed an excellent starting point for new fans looking to get into this fun, strategy series. However, even though Pikmin 4 may seem approachable to series veterans, some new fans could feel a bit overwhelmed with Pikmin 4’s amount of collectibles, like the various Onions present throughout each map. These Onions offer players a great way to raise Pikmin of different color types permanently, without the need to rely on finding them in the wild in Caves. So, here’s how players can find the Blue Onion in Pikmin 4 and start raising their Blue Pikmin population. Pikmin 4: Blue Onion in Sun-Speckled Terrace The first location players can find the Blue Onion in Pikmin 4 is in the first level, the Sun-Speckled Terrace. The Blue Onion is located across a fairly large pond at the top of a ledge. The largest barrier to getting the Blue Onion is the amount of Ice Pikmin needed, as you will need at least 30 Ice Pikmin to freeze this pond. Thankfully, Ice Pikmin can easily be found in certain caves like the Last-Frost Cavern and the Aquiferous Summit, both located in the Sun-Speckled Terrace. Fans will also have to collect enough Flarlic to hold at least 50 Pikmin as the Blue Onion will need 20 Pikmin to carry it. Once players have their numbers ready, it’s time to get the Blue Onion. First, freeze the pond with 30 Ice Pikmin. Next, have you Pikmin build the climbable wall on the left side of the pond. Once the wall is built, climb it and defeat the Fiery Blowhog guarding the Blue Onion. Finally, have your remaining Pikmin carry the Blue Onion across the ice to collect it and integrate it into the Main Onion. Pikmin 4: Blue Onion in Serene Shores If players opt to skip the Blue Onion in the Sun-Speckled Terrace, there’s another option a few levels later. The second Blue Onion is located in the third level, the Serene Shores. This Blue Onion is a bit easier to get but will require taking on a lot of enemies. Upon landing, players should head east from the starting area and begin climbing the sandy ramp leading up to the giant sandcastle. Upon taking out the Armored Cannon Larva enemies along the way, players should find a new base location at the top of the sand castle. Make your new base here and build the climbable wall to the right. Once built, players should find the Blue Onion sitting in a shallow pool of water, which means you will need at least 20 Blue Pikmin to return it to base. Thankfully, fans can find wild Blue Pikmin in the caves throughout the second level, Blossoming Arcadia, to uncover this Blue Onion. And there you have it! That’s how Pikmin 4 fans can find the Blue Onion and start raising their own population of Blue Pikmin to solve puzzles and gather treasures. For more Nintendo content, make sure to check out our home page.

Pikmin 4 gameplay and release date revealed during Nintendo Direct NintendoPikmin 4’s first extended footage debuted at Nintendo Direct, giving fans a look at the newest entry in the classic franchise. Pikmin 4 was first shown off in September 2022 with the official announcement trailer but now the long-dormant series is gearing up for its big return. This marks the first mainline Pikmin game since 2013’s Pikmin and will take players on another bright and wacky journey through the planet PNF-404. The details are still somewhat scarce but here’s what’s been revealed so far. Pikmin 4 release date revealed P4 was previously set for an ambiguous 2023 release, but we now know that July 21 is the official date. This marks nearly ten years since the release of Pikmin 3 and over two years since the Nintendo Switch port Pikmin 3 Deluxe. Pikmin 4 gameplay details The franchise’s iconic Puzzle/Real-Time Strategy formula is back and more expansive than ever. In the Nintendo Direct footage, we saw Red Pikmin, Ice Pikmin, a new dog-like creature called Oatchi, a boss fight, and a bit of cave diving to round it all out. Whether they were attacking enemies, collecting treasure, or breaking down environmental barriers, the mighty Pikmin pack tactics seem to be in for a shakeup. There was also the tease of a new kind of problem arriving at the end of the trailer, with the tease of a Bulborb with glowing red eyes, and the developers promised that more details on what fans can expect will be arriving soon. There is no word on when those details are arriving exactly, but the summer season is always a big one for the gaming industry, so the wait shouldn’t be long at all.

Pikmin 4 confirms multiplayer support NintendoThe upcoming Pikmin 4 has been confirmed to have multiplayer features, though what kind is yet to be seen. Pikmin 4’s newest trailer dropped at the most recent Nintendo Direct in February, giving fans something to look forward to with the full release scheduled for July 21, 2023. Fans of the popular Nintendo series have waited almost a decade since Pikmin 3 for the fourth installment to finally arrive. As it gets closer to the release date, more features of Pikmin 4 are being rumored and confirmed. Most recently, it has been confirmed that Pikmin 4 will have multiplayer features on launch day. Pikmin 4 will have multiplayer features After the Nintendo Direct event had ended and the Pikmin 4 trailer was released, Game Rant spotted that Nintendo updated the game’s eShop page. The update showed 1-2 players would be able to play. This confirms that the game will have multiplayer features of some sort, which is not surprising for the series. One of the biggest selling points for Pikmin 3 Deluxe was the co-op option, as it was the first time in the franchise where cooperative play was introduced. Being released almost ten years ago, fans will be thrilled that the next installment appears to be bringing back this feature. However, that’s not to say it’s guaranteed that this means that Pikmin 4’s multiplayer mode will be co-op. Earlier Pikmin titles have had different multiplayer modes so there is plenty of speculation for what could be in the fourth game. For instance, Pikman 2 had a 2-player battle mode, where players could face off in a mini-game. As of now, there are no details or confirmations about co-op yet as more will be revealed before the game releases. Regardless, it is still confirmed to have some form of multiplayer which will be pleasant news to players who enjoyed those modes in the past.

Pikmin 4: All Pikmin types explained NintendoPikmin 4 includes nine different types of Pikmin that players can use to solve puzzles, locate treasures, and defeat enemies. Here’s a breakdown of all nine types and what they do. The Pikmin series is most well known for the adorable little creatures the games take its name from, and Pikmin 4 is no different. Pikmin are central to the gameplay, and help explorers solve puzzles, collect treasures, and take on the dangerous denizens of planet PNF-404. In Pikmin 4, there are nine total types of Pikmin and each have different abilities that help them succeed in different situations. As such, here’s a breakdown of what each Pikmin type does and how best to use them. Contents: Red Pikmin – Yellow Pikmin – Blue Pikmin – White Pikmin – Purple Pikmin – Rock Pikmin – Winged Pikmin – Ice Pikmin – Glow Pikmin – Red Pikmin Red Pikmin are perhaps the most iconic in the series and were first introduced in Pikmin 1. They are essentially the “jack-of-all-trades” Pikmin type, thanks to their average mobility and throw distance. However, there are a few key areas that Red Pikmin shine above all others. Most notably, Red Pikmin are resistant to any type of Fire damage making them excellent attackers against enemies like Fiery Blowhogs and Fiery Bulblax. Additionally, Red Pikmin have above average Attack Strength when compared to other Pikmin types, making them great additions to the squad when enemies need to be taken care of. Should players not know which Pikmin to take into an enemy-heavy area, Red Pikmin are always a solid option. Yellow Pikmin Yellow Pikmin were introduced in the first game alongside Red and Blue Pikmin. Aside from their vibrant yellow coloring, they’re large ear-like appendages help them stand out. Yellow Pikmin are resistant to Electricity damage, meaning they are invaluable in taking on obstacles like Electric Gates and enemies like the Bearded Amprat. Unlike Red Pikmin, Yellows have normal attack strength. Additionally, Yellow Pikmin can be thrown higher than any other Pikmin making them essential for reaching many treasures throughout Pikmin 4. Finally, they have the fastest digging speed out of any other Pikmin type. Blue Pikmin Blue Pikmin were the final group introduced in the first Pikmin title and are perhaps the most niche out of the original three. Blue Pikmin are the only Pikmin that can fully breathe underwater thanks to the mouth-like gill they possess. As such, Blues are proficient swimmers and can attack enemies underwater. Aside from this feature, they have average attack strength, digging speed, carrying capacity, and movement. As such, Blues will be essential in areas like the Serene Shores that are covered in water, but may not find much use elsewhere. White Pikmin White Pikmin were first introduced in Pikmin 2 and are were only found underground in Caves. In Pikmin 2, they were extremely deadly when eaten thanks to their affinity to Poison. This trait carries over into Pikmin 4, as White Pikmin are immune to Poison damage, which is much more prevalent in Pikmin 4 than in previous titles. Unlike in Pikmin 3, White Pikmin are much more deadly to enemies who eat them in Pikmin 4, though the damage they deal varies based on the enemy. Additionally, White Pikmin have high mobility and average digging speed but have below average attack compared to other Pikmin. Purple Pikmin Purple Pikmin were introduced to the series in Pikmin 2 alongside White Pikmin, and are known for being the heaviest Pikmint type. Purple Pikmin are incredibly useful as a single Purple has the carrying capacity of 10 normal Pikmin. Additionally, they slam the ground creating shockwaves when thrown, and can briefly stun enemies they land on. Thanks to these traits, Purple Pikmin are very effective when taking on strong enemies. Thanks to their heft, Purple Pikmin are the slowest Pikmin type so players should take care not to lose sight of them. Rock Pikmin Rock Pikmin were first introduced in Pikmin 3 and are one of the most unique-looking types of Pikmin. Thanks to their rocky bodies, Rocks can’t be pierced or crushed by enemies, making them excellent fighters for Long-Leg enemies, Wollyhops, and Joustmites. Additionally, Rock Pikmin can break hard surfaces like Crystal Gates and Ice. They have above-average attack strength and average digging speed. Players should keep in mind that Rock Pikmin bounce off of most enemies when thrown, which can make using them in battle a bit hectic. Make sure to keep a close eye on Rocks when fighting enemies. Winged Pikmin Winged Pikmin were introduced in Pikmin 3 alongside Rocks, and are the only Pikmin capable of flying. This makes Winged Pikmin excellent for transporting treasures back to base as they can bypass many hazards like water and even some terrain. Unfortunately, Winged Pikmin have below average attack similar to White Pikmin — except when used in aerial combat. They excel at taking down flying enemies like the Swooping Snitchbug, Flying Joustmites, and Blowhogs. Winged Pikmin have average mobility and digging speed compared to other Pikmin. Ice Pikmin Ice Pikmin are one of the two brand new types introduced in Pikmin 4. As their name would suggest, Ice Pikmin have bodies made of ice, meaning they can freeze water and enemies alike. Ice Pikmin are integral to solving a variety of puzzles in Pikmin 4 and are surprisingly helpful in combat despite their below-average attack strength. While Ice Pikmin are attacking an enemy, a blue bar will fill around the enemy’s health gauge. When this bar is full, the enemy will freeze solid making it helpless for a brief period. If the enemy is destroyed while frozen, it will always drop Nector. Additionally, if an Ice Pikmin is eaten by an enemy it will significantly contribute to that same Freeze Meter. Glow Pikmin Glow Pikmin are the final new type of Pikmin introduced in Pikmin 4 and are primarily used in Night Expeditions. Like Winged Pikmin, Glow Pikmin hover slightly off the ground making them immune to most Hazards. Additionally, once Glow Pikmin complete an assigned task they will immediately float back to the Squad Leader. Glow Pikmin also have a unique Charge mechanic, where they form into a massive ball called a Glowmob. When launched at an enemy, the Glowmob will stun enemies as the Glow Pikmin disperse and deal damage. While Glow Pikmin are only found during the Night, completing Night Expeditions will give players Glow Seeds, which can be used to sprout Glow Pikmin during Cave expeditions. And there you have it! That’s every available Pikmin type in Pikmin 4 explained. For more Nintendo content, make sure to check out our home page.

Pikmin 1+2 review: Nintendo classics revived with absurd price tag 15 years after its Wii port, Pikmin and its sequel have finally been brought onto a modern console. Previously some of Nintendo’s hardest games to play, fans are at last given the chance to try out the original Pikmin games bundled up in one convenient package. Pikmin 1+2 is a port of the first two entries in Nintendo’s strategy puzzle game series. Both were first released on GameCube in 2001 and 2004 respectively. A Wii U re-release would follow but a true modernized remaster of these classics has never seen the light of day. This collection looks to fix this by offering fans a lawful option to access and play two of the best games from the GameCube era. It even gives newcomers the opportunity to see what the hype is about ahead of Pikmin 4‘s launch in July. The idea behind such a collection is wonderful and the execution isn’t bad at all and yet a questionable decision from Nintendo leaves me hesitant to recommend Pikmin 1+2. That is at least for now until a sale comes along and amends its troublesome price tag. Pikmin 1+2 key details Price: £39.99 / $49.99 – Developer: Nintendo – Release Date: June 21, 2023 – Platforms: Nintendo Switch – Pikmin 1+2 trailer Adventure on a peculiar planet Both Pikmin games revolve around protagonist Olimar landing on a distant planet and discovering a strange flower-like species named Pikmin. Olimar and later his assistant Louie team up with the Pikmin, teaching them how to combine their strength to achieve incredible feats. You are tasked with ordering the Pikmin around to defeat enemies and collect large objects that are far too heavy for Olimar. In the first game, these objects are parts of Olimar’s ship that he needs to collect to repair his rocket and return home. The sequel sees the captain instead looking for riches to pay off his company’s vast debt. The overall flow of these games is superb, delivering a relaxed gameplay experience that still rewards players for managing their time efficiently. This is especially true in the first game where Olimar only has 30 days to acquire all of the lost parts and avoid the bad ending. It can be stressful but a good, fulfilling way. It doesn’t take long to get familiar with Pikmin’s gameplay loop either with its opening tutorial areas doing a fantastic job of introducing the core mechanics. From there the only new information players need to learn is how each new type of Pikmin interacts with the world to be used for your benefit. With the original Pikmin being over 20 years old I had some concerns its gameplay wouldn’t hold up, but that’s not the case. These games still have a strong sense of atmosphere and ambiance that hasn’t been lost. From a gameplay standpoint, Pikmin and Pikmin 2 stand the test of time. As smooth as ever Any vocal complaints about Pikmin 1+2’s control scheme are largely overstated. The camera controls can take a little getting used to but the game plays well enough, at least on the Pro Controller or a suitable third-party joypad. The Joycons don’t offer as good an experience but they still do the job. However, those who liked the Wii version’s use of motion controls may have a trickier time getting used to the Switch port. The ability to use motion controls is still present but it’s not as well executed as it was on the Nintendo Wii. This is to be expected given the entire premise of the Wii was its motion controls while that feature serves as a secondary function of the Switch. Even so, this isn’t a dealbreaker and most players should be able to adapt and get used to the new controls. Hardly a remaster It’s important to understand that Pikmin 1+2 is more so a re-release or port than it is a remaster. Admittedly, it’s a fine line and different people will have different definitions for what each term means but for me, this collection just doesn’t do enough to qualify as a remaster. Pikmin 1+2 runs at 30 FPS, 1080p in docked mode, and 30 FPS, 720p in handheld mode. It introduces full widescreen to these games and does an excellent job of not distorting the visuals in their transition from 4:3. The visuals have received a bump in clarity but that’s mostly a result of the improved resolution. Outside of a few exceptions, the majority of textures and models have been lifted straight out of the older versions. Truthfully, Pikmin 1+2 looks dated even for a Switch title. These graphics wouldn’t look out of place as a first-generation Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 indie game. Obviously, graphics aren’t everything but a little more ambition for this collection would have been appreciated. The lack of visual improvements is disappointing enough but it’s the locked 30 FPS that I find truly inexcusable. If the developers opted to keep the aged visuals either for creative reasons or time limitations I’d at least expect a smoother frame rate to compensate. The price we pay Despite its flaws, Pikmin 1+2 is still made up of two reasonable ports that play well enough and can be a lot of fun. Therefore the real problem and the reason I can’t recommend this collection isn’t the game at all, but rather its price point. Nintendo has chosen to charge its customers $50 USD for the privilege of playing two 20-year-old GameCube games that have hardly been updated. A slight premium is expected as fans are paying for the benefit of having two genuine classics on a modern, hybrid console. Even so, that only justifies a $35, maybe $40 price point at most. This is the same problem that Super Mario 3D All-Stars suffered from. A lower-cost remastered collection can be fine and serve its purpose but if a developer opts for this approach they can’t charge this much. There’s just not enough there to justify such a steep price tag unless you’re a seriously dedicated fan. The Verdict – 3/5 Pikmin 1+2 is a solid re-release with acceptable ports of two of the best games on GameCube. It doesn’t offer overly improved visuals or a better frame rate but there’s definitely enough there to have some really good fun. It’s just a shame that Nintendo has given it an absurd price tag that makes it impossible to recommend outside of a sale. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Pikachu Poncho cards: What are they, cost & where to buy NintendoFind out what the rare Pikachu poncho cards and boxes are, what they cost, and where you can buy them. Pikachu promo boxes were released during Pokemon XY and Sun & Moon to the Japanese audience, in celebration of the opening of new Pokemon stores opening and relocating around Japan. Over the years, the prices of these collectibles have increased considerably from their initial ¥2500 / $25 release price. Below, we’ll break down the cost of these cards and how it’s changed since release. The Pikachu Poncho Pokemon trading card series features a highly recognizable artistic theme, making them a real treat for collectors. Those looking to complete a series are willing to pay a premium for a card, as evidenced by the $4000 price tag on the central Rayquaza Pikachu box shown below. What Pikachu Poncho cards cost since 2021 These collectors sets are so expensive primarily because they feature Pikachu, arguably the real hero of the series. The cards themselves feature the adorable yellow mouse wearing a series of ponchos, capes, and disguises. If these cards are out of your budget, you could begin by collecting some cheaper cards first like the generations radiant collections, or even some cheeky Waifu cards. They don’t even have to be authentic to be worth collecting, you can always consider Etsy-based cards such as the Thicc Pokemon card series. Should you decide to begin collecting this adorable series of Pikachu in Poncho’s, or any other Pokemon series make sure to check out our guide to getting your Pokemon cards graded first. For more tips and tricks to become the very best, make sure you check out our other guides: Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour schedule | Current Pokemon Go Raid Bosses | Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go | Arlo counters guide | How to defeat Cliff | Giovanni counters | How to get Remote Raid Passes | How to catch Ditto | Pokemon Go Shop: Items list, prices, box changes | Pokemon Go promo codes | Rocket Grunt counters If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

When is Photo Mode coming to God of War Ragnarok? SonyWhile God of War Ragnarok doesn’t feature a Photo Mode at launch, we do already know for certain that one is coming very soon. Here’s a quick rundown on the details. Given God of War Ragnarok is one of the most visually stunning games on the market, especially when making use of the PS5’s upgraded hardware, it’s only fair that players want to show off some of the more breathtaking moments. Typically, that’s where Photo Mode comes into play. With most first-party PlayStation titles in recent years, this feature has been a staple, allowing fans to capture any moment they like and even make adjustments on the fly with filters, frames, and lighting effects aplenty. Ragnarok unfortunately doesn’t come with such an option right out of the gate. That means players jumping in right away will simply have to make do with the existing Share button on the DualShock and DualSense controllers. Thankfully we already know for certain that a Photo Mode is in the works, so here’s when you can expect to see it. When is Photo Mode coming to God of War Ragnarok? While an exact release date isn’t yet locked in for Ragnarok’s Photo Mode, Sony has confirmed the feature will arrive in an update soon after launch. Further details are set to follow in the near future, implying that we could see it in no time at all. Given the increasing complexity of Photo Modes in most new releases, it’s entirely possible developers are just taking extra care to ensure Ragnarok’s is ahead of the curve. So it’s safe to expect all the usual framing and polishing features you’ve come to enjoy, perhaps along with a few surprises too. As for a prediction on the release window, while it’s possible we see Photo Mode before the year winds down, we’d hedge our bets on a Q1 2023 launch, possibly bundled into the same mega-sized update alongside the release of New Game Plus as well. Rest assured, we’ll keep you posted right here as any further details emerge on God of War Ragnarok’s Photo Mode.

Phil Spencer says Helldivers 2 not being on Xbox isn’t helping the industry Xbox/Arrowhead Game StudiosHelldivers 2’s console exclusivity has Xbox players feeling a little left out. Phil Spencer himself commented on the issue and wondered who exactly benefits from the game’s Xbox absence. Helldivers 2’s chaotic co-op action has captured the attention of gamers everywhere. In a lot of ways, the game has mirrored the success of Palworld, albeit with a lower overall player count. Its unexpected popularity caused some server issues early on due to the sheer demand of players and the developers have had to expand their team to adjust their content output. This is all happening while Helldivers 2 is only available on PlayStation consoles and PC. CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer has questioned the decision to keep Helldivers 2 from Xbox consoles. In an interview with Game File, Spencer made his case for sharing the love. The interview was an effort to contextualize Xbox’s most recent ‘business update’ on the Official Xbox Podcast in which Spencer finally squashed rumors that Starfield was coming to PlayStation 5. He did however reveal that four unnamed Xbox exclusives would be going multiplatform in the future. Though for Xbox players, there’s no word on whether this sharing of exclusives will be reciprocated by PlayStation and Nintendo. A fact that Spencer appeared to lament, specifically in regard to Helldivers 2. “I will say, when I look at a game like Helldivers 2—and it’s a great game, kudos to the team shipping on PC and PlayStation—I’m not exactly sure who it helps in the industry by not being on Xbox,” Spencer explained. “But I get it. There’s a legacy in console gaming that we’re going to benefit by shipping games and not putting them in other places,” Spencer added, conceding that exclusives are the norm for all involved. “We do the same thing.” Spencer did qualify that Xbox’s decision to bring some of its exclusives over to Nintendo and PlayStation wasn’t an effort to have those companies to the same with their exclusives. “This is not for me, like, some kind of bartering system. We’re doing it for the better of Xbox’s business,” Spencer elaborated. “I will say shipping more games in more places and making them more accessible to more people is a good part of the gaming business.”

Phil Spencer says “conversations” with Activision Blizzard workers needed amid lawsuit Following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has addressed the workplace allegations aimed at the company they are buying out. Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard for a reported $69 billion is the most expensive of its kind in gaming history. But after a year of severe allegations against Activision Blizzard over its workplace standards, it’s also one of the most monitored. Many see this as an opportunity for Microsoft to correct potential mistakes. However, with Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick remaining and employees wanting to unionize, Microsoft has acquired a heavily scrutinized undertaking. In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Spencer addresses Activision’s workplace “incidents” and touches on Microsoft’s approach. Microsoft will have conversations with Activision workers During the interview, Spencer admitted that he wasn’t an expert on unionization. Having worked for Microsoft for 33 years, a company that is not unionized, Spencer doesn’t have personal experience in a union environment. When asked how Spencer felt about Activision workers wanting to unionize, he stated: “I’m not going to try to come across as an expert on this, but I’ll say we’ll be having conversations about what empowers them to do their best work, which as you can imagine in a creative industry, is the most important thing for us.” He revealed the acquisition had been in the works since December 2021. During this time, Spencer states: “We spent time with the Activision team looking at the incidents, looking at employee polls and then had a good discussion with them about their plan, both the progress they’ve been making and what their plan was.” The “incidents” Spencer is referring to were allegations brought to light over the course of 2021. Activision employees claimed they were sexually harassed, demoted for reporting fellow employees, and even had their breast milk stolen, among many other allegations. Some staff were accused of “shredding” documents related to the lawsuit, too. In November 2021, Phil Spencer publicly claimed he was “deeply trouble by the horrific events and actions” regarding allegations made in the lawsuit against Activision. He also stated that Xbox would be evaluating its relationship with Activision and making adjustments. At that time, no one would have guessed the “proactive adjustment” would be acquiring the company. In the Washington Post interview, Spencer clarifies that, while he wants to work with Activision employees, Microsoft will not be involved in Activision’s legal battle.