PlayStation 5 reveals are not done, "some really cool" user experience features are still to come

PlayStation head honcho Jim Ryan has teased more surprises to come for the PlayStation 5, specifically with the user experience – the home screen, share features and the like.

"We haven't shown yet any of the user experience of the PS5, and there's some really cool stuff to come on that," he told GI.Biz. "Within that, as the PS5 feature set becomes more sticky, and the way people make games are becoming more clever, more interesting… there will be opportunities for greater engagement, and greater time spent on the platform."

One of the biggest changes in the new console is the replacement to the DualShock 4's Share button. Now marked with an 'upward honk' – a fan on three short lines that are about as abstract as icons on game controllers can get – this is now the "Create" button. You could argue that the Share button has already become as much about creation as it is sharing. Released in April 2014, half a year after the PS4 came out, SHAREfactory would let you take video clips and photos captured on the console, cut them together, add filters, transitions, music and more, and then upload your creation online. It's an additional piece of software that lives separately to the Share button on PS4, but fold that into what the new Create button offers as standard, and suddenly the meaning of the button has been amplified.

Similarly, developers have also adapted to take advantage of what the Share button offered, integrating photo modes into their games that let you freeze the game, position the camera, play with lighting effects, focus, aperture and even character positioning and facial expressions. To say that photo modes have been insanely popular is an understatement, but they're rarely integrated into games on day one. Whether it was inFamous: Second Son, Horizon Zero Dawn, Death Stranding or God of War, most of Sony's first party studios have patched in photo modes as a secondary consideration months after release.

It's also possible that streaming will get a boost. At present when you stream you have to use the standard PlayStation blue layout, its very static and archaic compared to what you can see on Twitch these days, they have fancy overlays, notifications popping up, and all sorts of extra features.

Hopefully we will not have to wait long to see what Sony have created themselves.

Source: GI.Biz

Sony: Putting new games on a subscription service like Game Pass "doesn't make any sense"

Sony's Jim Ryan has said The PlayStation Plus Collection, one of the big surprises from last night, is not meant to be a competitor to the Xbox Games Pass.

"For us, having a catalogue of games is not something that defines a platform," Ryan told GI.Biz whilst discussing the PlayStation Plus Collection. "Our pitch, as you've heard, is 'new games, great games.' We have had this conversation before — we are not going to go down the road of putting new releases titles into a subscription model. These games cost many millions of dollars, well over $100 million, to develop. We just don't see that as sustainable."

"We want to make the games bigger and better, and hopefully at some stage more persistent," he added. "So putting those into a subscription model on day one, for us, just doesn't make any sense. For others in a different situation, it might well make sense, but for us it doesn't. We want to expand and grow our existing ecosystem, and putting new games into a subscription model just doesn't sit with that."

Sony already has an equivalent to Games Pass, PlayStation Now features hundreds of games that are playable on PlayStation 4 and PC, if games were to appear anywhere on day one it would be there but it seems that is unlikely to happen either.

Here are the firsts games that will appear on the PlayStation Plus Collection

  • God of War
  • The Last of Us: Remastered
  • Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
  • Battlefield 1
  • Monster Hunter World
  • Fallout 4
  • Final Fantasy XV
  • The Last Guardian
  • Ratchet and Clank
  • Infamous: Second Son
  • Days Gone
  • Bloodborne
  • Detroit: Become Human
  • Batman Arkham Knight
  • Mortal Kombat X
  • Persona 5
  • Until Dawn
  • Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Source: GI.Biz

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is coming out for PC VR headsets in December

Respawn Entertainment and EA have announced that their WW2 VR shooter Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will be out on 11th December 2020.

The game has been developed in partnership with Oculus and Facebook, and so will be available for Oculus Rift via the Oculus Store, but is also coming to Steam with OpenVR support and cross-platform play. That's important for the various multiplayer modes, with more details coming between now and launch.

In the meantime, we can revisit the single player story trailer from the end of August.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond drops you into the role of an Allied agent of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), going on a tour of duty across Europe. The cinematic story will take place across three acts, starting off with a collaboration with the French Resistance, then diving into the fray on D-Day, and finally dismantling the Nazi's secret weapons programmes. Through the campaign, it's now been revealed that you'll have a veteran sergeant and a British medic as your companions, while there will also be appearances from classic Medal of Honor characters Manon Batiste and Dr. Gronke.

Being built from the ground up for VR, there won't be any cutscenes, with everything in the game witnessed through your eyes. Respawn are looking to tap into the immersive properties of the world, letting you catch grenades out of the air, pick up and throw pans at enemy soldiers, throw knives, jump out of planes and so much more.

The game will feature both a single player campaign and multiplayer modes, but Vince Zampella opened the video explaining how grounded in real experiences it is (though obviously sensationalised). It will also give you the opportunity to sit down in VR with WWII veterans and survivors to hear them tell the first-hand stories that they brought back from one of the most tumultuous periods in our history.

Source: press release

The Nintendo 3DS has been discontinued, ending Nintendo's dual screen era

The Nintendo 3DS is being put to rest by Nintendo, with the company marking all models of the 3DS as "out of production" on their Japanese website and removing the handheld's front page of their US site. It still has a place on the UK site, but it's no longer for sale from Nintendo's direct store.

It's a quiet end for a console that played a major role in helping Nintendo survive the last decade, and brings and end to the era of dual screen gaming from the Japanese manufacturer, an era that lasted 16 years.

Announced in 2010 and released in 2011, the Nintendo 3DS was nowhere near as big a hit as the Nintendo DS that preceded it, but it still sold tens of millions of units that propped up the company as it floundered in the home console market with the Wii U. In both cases, the console naming and lack of clarity over how much it would improve the gaming experience dampened excitement and sales, but the 3DS and its many variants and upgrades still sold 75 million units worldwide and more than 384 million games.

Nintendo supported the handheld well through its life, even extending support into its twilight years of 2018 and 2019 with games like Luigi's Mansion remake, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and WarioWare Gold all lifting games from Nintendo's back catalogue and massaging them onto the console.

Of course, it's been clear ever since 2017 that Nintendo would shift their focus to the Nintendo Switch – all those above games came as a bit of a surprise, truth be told – with Nintendo's hybrid console selling like hotcakes right from the off. The Switch has been such a success, with over 61 million consoles shipped by this summer. If it continues at the pace Nintendo expect it to, it will surpass the 3DS' lifetime sales sometime in 2021.

The company now has a true handheld console to fully replace the 3DS in the form of the Nintendo Switch Lite, its lower price point and smaller form factor potentially appealing to families looking for a console for children.

via The Verge

The Saviour's Gang Review

Brand new games do not usually launch for just £3.99, and it's even more rare for games to feature Jesus texting Satan and his dad… who is a pigeon for some reason. As improbable as all of this sounds, that is exactly what happened last week when The Saviour's Gang landed on PlayStation 4, almost a year after it launched on PC. I decided to take a gamble and spend some of the £10 credit Sony had given me recently, mostly because I was curious about the game. Turns out it's not half bad.

The Python-esque intro explains that, after being crucified, Jesus – or more precisely The Saviour – couldn't actually get in to heaven and must now guide worshippers to the promised land. What that actually means is that you get to control a white circle which the worshippers follow with devoted adoration, winding your way through a series of levels. To make things a little more difficult, the almighty God pigeon has decided to place circular saws, rockfalls, Indiana Jones style rolling boulders, and clouds of poisonous gas in your way. How very Old Testament.

You begin each level with a small number of worshippers who follow your commands in a loose group. They have no free will, so if you point them in the direction of a circular saw you will soon see their blood splattered across the screen. They're also quite dumb, the more worshippers you have the more difficult it is for them to sneak past the dangers as they don't run in a straight line but as a group. Slipping between large, pointy sticks is much harder when Denise at the back is insisting on social distancing and lagging behind everyone else.

If you do lose your followers, each level has a golden chalice that can be found which resurrects some of their numbers, and there are other collectables which do.., something. The game has no text to explain what they are for, or indeed what the power ups do, but you can still go and spend souls on them in Satan's shop.

While the wandering / mass murder is going on, God, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Satan, and various other religious icons have a Whatsapp group chat on the side of the screen complete with gifs. It's a bit odd, and while some of the jokes land, it's very hard to read what is going on whilst also trying not get your worshippers spiked on very pointy sticks. Your followers also get to see the light (quite literally) once a level when you appear as a floating, glowing human shape in the level and spout lines directly lifted from the Bible.

As you progress through the levels, the way to enlightenment becomes more convoluted and you have to start back tracking, flicking switches and pushing boxes around, but that's about it. Learn the patterns, avoid the pointy things, chuckle at some bants, collect the doodahs, finish the level. The game is shallower than a Kardashian at a photo-shoot, although it it does have three difficulty levels if you want to make things a bit more murderous.

Rogue Company teases new night map for future update

It looks like Rogue Company will be getting a new night time map as part of a future update.

First Watch Games have posted a teaser for Lockdown, a new arena set in the heart of the Venezuelan jungle.

This new Rogue Company map looks as though it will feature a mix of colonial fortress architecture outfitted with modern barricades, cover points, ziplines, and other high tech features.

Currently, the competitive online shooter has eight maps, Lockdown bringing the total to nine when it drops. However, First Watch Games have yet to announce when it will be added to the game.

Last week, Rogue Company was updated to version 1.30, rolling out some minor changes:

Rogue Company Update 1.30 Patch Notes

  • Players should no longer become immune to damage in Demolition mode

  • Fixed an issue that was preventing players from reconnecting to a match after a crash or disconnect

  • Fixed an issue where players could become stuck as a Rogue regardless of who they selected in the match

  • Players should no longer be able to place the bomb inside of walls and other unintended objects

  • Fixed an issue where the Redeem Code screen would remain on screen when clicking other parts of the menu or Store.

We went hands-on with Rogue Company when it entered closed beta on consoles a couple of months back. It seems that even in 2020, years after Overwatch first entered the scene, the hero shooter genre is still going strong. Amazon's Crucible might have been an unfortunate flop though Riot Games have struck gold with Valorant, Hi-Rez providing their own superb alternative to a typically impenetrable brand of FPS. Here's what we thought:

In short, Rogue Company should definitely be on your radar. It offers a slightly more accessible gateway into this brutal shooter subgenre, but manages to do so without losing any of its strategic depth. Early access is now available when purchasing one of the three founder's packs though Hi-Rez have confirmed that Rogue Company will be free-to-play at launch.

Rogue Company will be rolling out new features and content as it approaches full release. For more on that, check out the Rogue Company roadmap.

Source: Twitter

PS5 pre-orders – Amazon UK out of stock, ShopTo is now live, Argos going on Friday

Hot on the heels of the PlayStation 5's launch date and pricing announcement – 19th November and £449 / £359 here in the UK – pre-orders have already quickly started going live and just as quickly going out of stock. Don't worry though, while stocks will be limited, there are still plenty of possibilities coming for you to pre-order in the UK.

Here's the update on what we know and where you can keep an eye on. We'll be updating this page with more information as we find out more:

PS5 Pre-Orders

  • ShopTo – Pre-orders are now fully live, but the site is seriously struggling.

Out of Stock

    • Amazon UK – Amazon UK's PS5 pre-orders are 'currently unavailable', but Amazon's email encouraged people to keep checking back through the day, but both standard and Digital Edition consoles have been listed and gone out of stock. Accessories will be made available through the day, and while the console may quickly go out of stock.
      If and when Amazon pre-orders return, we heard some people struggled to reach the page on mobile and via their apps. Try Amazon via a desktop or laptop or by requesting the desktop site on your phone. However, Amazon do have DualSense controllers available.
    • AO.com – Standard PS5 and PS5 Digital Editions are both now sold out.
    • Currys PC World – Pre-orders seem to now be out of stock. If they return, you will require to pay a non-refundable £5 deposit.
  • GAME – Pre-orders went up overnight and are seemingly now out of stock. Check here for any restocks. In-store pre-orders are live from 8AM today, so long as you put down a £10 deposit.
  • Smyths Toys – Pre-orders went up overnight and are seemingly now out of stock for consoles. Some accessories are still available.
  • Very – Very's pre-orders are out of stock. If they return, then beware: Very takes payment at the time of order, not at the time of dispatch.

Upcoming Pre-Orders

  • Argos – Pre-orders will be going live on Friday 18th September.
  • SimplyGames – Pre-orders are still in the "Register for Interest" phase.
  • John Lewis – You can't even register your interest, but their site seems to indicate that they will be getting some stock.
  • CoolShop – Has listings for PS5 but nothing on sale yet.
  • Box.co.uk – Nothing live, you can register your interest.
  • Carphonewarehouse – Register your interest, nothing on sale.

It's been a hectic 24 hours for PlayStation fans, with the build up to the PlayStation 5 showcase, the announcement of the console's price and launch date, a bunch of new game announcements including Final Fantasy XVI,

We also discovered that Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West and Sackboy A Big Adventure are all to be cross-gen releases that come to PlayStation 4 as well as PlayStation 5. Meanwhile the PlayStation Plus Collection gives a free library of PS4 games for PS Plus subscribers on PS5.

Oh, and next-gen games from Sony are going to get more expensive… Bear that in mind when deciding which version of the PS5 you're going to get!

More PlayStation 5 News:

Remnant: From the Ashes update 1.20 makes weapon and bug fixes

Gunfire Games and Perfect World Entertainment have rolled out a new hotfix for their popular roleplaying shooter hybrid, Remnant: From the Ashes.

Hotfix 250802 is live now on PC with a shopping list of minor changes. For those playing on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, this will appear as update version 1.20.

The new patch remedies some of the issues the Remnant player community have flagged while re-balancing the stats on certain weapons.

Remnant: From the Ashes saw a sudden surge in players recently – more than 10 million Epic Games Store users claimed it for free via the company's weekly giveaway.

We recently chatted with Gunfire Games about the newest (and final) DLC expansion for Remnant, Subject 2923.

Here are the patch notes in full:

General
Life Steal (Leech Ember, Nightmare Spiral, Riven, Tentacle Shot, etc…)

  1. Life Steal is no longer impacted by Triage.

Flop & Unarmed Damage

  1. Reworked how Flop Damage is calculated.

Corrosion Effect

  1. Reduced total stacks of Corrosion from 6 to 5 (25% total debuff).

Achievement: Hard Bargain

  1. Implemented a fix for Hard Bargain to properly trigger.

Survival Mode

  1. Prevented Burden rings from appearing on corpses (still purchasable at vendor).

Miscellaneous

  1. Fixed crash when interacting with a World Stone while equipped with Undying Mod and Labyrinth Armor.

  2. Updated performance across the board.

  3. Dozens of various bug fixes.

Trinkets
Stone of Balance

  1. Reduced Ranged/Melee Damage bonus from 15%/15% to 12%/12%.

Vulcan's Detonator

  1. Increased Burning damage Scalar from 10% per level 20% per weapon level that applies it.

  2. Fixed damage scaling to work when proc'ed by summons.

Ring of the Unclean

  1. Changed to +100% bonus Unarmed Damage (200% total) and +300% Flop Damage (400% total).

Five-Fingered Ring

  1. Changed to 25% Unarmed Melee, 25% Unarmed Crit Damage, 20% Crit Chance.

Restriction Cord

  1. Fixed a UI issue causing the wrong information to be relayed to the UI.

Polished Whetstone

  1. Reduced Crit Damage bonus from 50% to 35%.

Black Cat Band

  1. Increased the invulnerability window from 0.5s to 1.5s.

Scavengers Ring

  1. Added new bonus of +10% Ranged and Mod Damage when player collects Scrap, Iron, or Ammo.

Butcher's Fetish

  1. Increased Crit Chance 10% to 15%.

  2. Increased Crit Damage from 20% to 25%.

Devouring Loop

  1. Reduced proc chance from 6% to 5%.

Evoker's Seal

  1. Increased the Mod Power refund from 10% to 15%.

Burden of the Gambler

  1. The "Burden" can no longer be avoided via Exploiter and Hangman's Memento.

Burden of the Follower

  1. Increased the Fire Rate "Burden" from 25% to 35%.

Armor
Cultist

  1. Blood Pact Set Bonus: Increased duration bonuses from 15/30/60% to 30/60/100%.

Akari

  1. Opportunist Set Bonus: Buff (from perfect dodging) is no longer removed upon taking damage.

Warlord

  1. Deathwish Set Bonus: Deathwish can no-longer kill player (leaves player at 1 HP).

  2. Deathwish Set Bonus: Reduced 3-PC damage buff from 40% to 35%.

Twisted

  1. Reduced stack removal on damage from 5 to 1.

Scavenger

  1. Reduced stack removal on damage from 5 to 1.

  2. Reworked buff timer to remove only 1 stack when timer expires instead of all stacks.

Elder

  1. Believer Set Bonus: Adjusted buff behavior when removing armor pieces.

Mods
Cold Spear

  1. Fixed an issue that caused Cold Spear to display improperly when switching it between weapons.

Weapons
Machine Pistol

  1. Updated text to better reflect functionality (no actual functionality change).

Hive Cannon | Hive Shot

  1. Primary Fire no longer applies 1x Corrosion Stack.

  2. Hive Shot: Projectile (impact) no longer applies 1x Corrosion Stack.

  3. Hive Shot: AOE now applies Corrosion at a quicker rate.

Curse of the Jungle God | Tentacle Shot

  1. Tentacle Shot: Increased the baseline regen per hit from 1.25 to 4.5 to compensate for loss of Triage.

Spitfire | Flamethrower

  1. Flamethrower: Fixed a bug causing Flame Puddles to deal incorrect (considerably low) damage.

Fusion Rifle

  1. Fusion Cannon: Reduced pre-fire delay from 0.6s to 0.35s.

  2. Fusion Cannon: Fixed an issue causing the beam to fire in incorrect directions.

Traits
Vaccine

  1. Trait Level 0 no longer stops you from getting debuff build-up.

MISC
Wasteland Goodboy

  1. Informed Wasteland (Very) Goodboy about the amount of community love he has been garnering.

Source: Reddit

PS5 pre-order scalpers already selling console for over £1500

Just minutes after UK retailers went live with PlayStation 5 pre-orders, crafty scalpers are already looking to cash-in.

With GAME UK and Amazon having almost instantly sold out of PS5s this morning, some gamers looking to secure the new PlayStation for its November launch are no shifting into panic mode.

Meanwhile, scalpers who have managed to confirm their pre-orders (or not, chances are there will be plenty of scammers out there too) are starting to list their consoles.

We'll no doubt see plenty of PS5s crop up on eBay in the coming weeks, but here's a quick look at some of the listings being posted this morning following the pre-order rush.

As you can see, there are already several consoles priced at over £1,000 with one scalper asking for an extortionate £1,599 (at the time of writing).

With some UK retailers still showing stock or opening their pre-order tomorrow – and with others taking registrations – there's still time to get a PS5 without dealing with scalpers or re-sellers. We have a list of retailers here and their current PS5 pre-order status.

For those confused about the pricing and launch details of the PlayStation 5, we've got you covered. Sony's next-gen system will finally be touching down on here in the UK on November 19th. You may have seen a November 12th release date but this applies to Japan, the US, New Zealand, and other territories.

As for the price, expect to £449.99 for the full fat version of the PS5, complete with 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive. Meanwhile, the digital discless version is priced lower at £359.99.

Here are the hardware specifications for the new console!

CPU 8 Zen 2 Cores @ 3.5Ghz w/ SMT (variable)
GPU 10.28 TFLOPS – 36 CUs @ 2.26Ghz (variable)
Memory 16 GB GDDR6 (448GB/s)
Internal Storage 825 GB Custom NVME SSD
I/O Throughput 5.5 GB/s (Raw), 8-9 GB/s (Compressed)
Expandable Storage Approved M.2 third party SSDs in dedicated expansion bay
External Storage USB External HDD Support for PS4 games
Optical Dirve Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100GB/disc
Video Output HDMI 2.1 – Up to 4K at 120Hz, 8K, VRR
Audio Tempest Engine 3D audio

 

Will you be picking up a PS5 at launch and if so which version are you going to buy?

Demon's Souls Remake is not coming to PC and other consoles, confirmed as PlayStation 5 exclusive

Earlier this evening Sony showed a trailer for the Demon's Souls Remake and it ended with the text "Not available on other consoles for a limited time. Also available on PC", so it is a timed exclusive and on also PC, right?

Well as it turns out, no.

Sony has told Kotaku that the trailer was a mistake and attributed the incorrect information to "human error", confirming that Demon's Souls will be exclusive to the PlayStation 5.

The full Demon's Souls description reads:

From JAPAN Studio and Bluepoint Games comes a remake of the PlayStation classic, Demon's Souls. This remake invites players to experience the original brutal challenge, completely rebuilt from the ground up and masterfully enhanced with a new "Fractured Mode." In addition to beautiful shadow effects and ray tracing, players can choose between two graphics modes while playing: one focused on fidelity, and one focused on frame rate. Coming to PlayStation 5.

Way back in 2010 when Demon's Souls released for PS3, DJ-Katy wrote the review and said:

Demon's Souls is a very good game. It's not a fabulous game. On the one hand, it's hard to recommend to anyone who isn't a hardcore RPG fan or who doesn't have a mountain of patience at their disposal. On the other hand, Demon's Souls rarely puts a foot wrong – the game mechanics are tough but fair. If you learn from your mistakes, you will progress. You don't die from random issues or problems with the game itself, only your own error as a rule. Really, all this means is that it's a return to the old days when dieing in a game meant losing all your stuff and having to start the level again. It's just that the levels are very, very long.

You can read the full classic Demon's Souls review here.

Source: Kotaku

[UPDATE] You can pre-order your PlayStation 5 NOW at GAME, link here!

UPDATE: Oh dear, they sold out very quickly!

Original story below…

It appears UK retailer GAME couldn't wait all of 25 minutes until tomorrow rolls round and have open pre-orders for the PlayStation 5 right now!  There's a bunch of bundles available as well which pack in cameras, extra controllers, headsets, chargers, and even the new remote.

Earlier this evening Sony said that PlayStation 5 pre-orders will open tomorrow at selected retailers, you can grab yours from game by clicking this link. 

Sony have officially confirmed the PlayStation 5 will launch on November 19th in the UK and will cost £449.99 for the version with a 4K UHD Blu-ray drive and £359.99 for the digital edition.

We're getting the console slightly later than some other territories. The US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea can get their hands on the console on November 12th. In other territories the console will cost $499.99 / €499.99 /  ¥ 49,980 for the disc version and $399.99 / €399.99 /  ¥ 39,980.

Here are the hardware specifications for the new console!

CPU 8 Zen 2 Cores @ 3.5Ghz w/ SMT (variable)
GPU 10.28 TFLOPS – 36 CUs @ 2.26Ghz (variable)
Memory 16 GB GDDR6 (448GB/s)
Internal Storage 825 GB Custom NVME SSD
I/O Throughput 5.5 GB/s (Raw), 8-9 GB/s (Compressed)
Expandable Storage Approved M.2 third party SSDs in dedicated expansion bay
External Storage USB External HDD Support for PS4 games
Optical Dirve Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100GB/disc
Video Output HDMI 2.1 – Up to 4K at 120Hz, 8K, VRR
Audio Tempest Engine 3D audio

 

More PlayStation 5 News:

Here are some of the games confirmed for PlayStation 5:

Prices for PS5 launch games revealed, you may want to rethink buying the digital only console

The prices for the Sony produced PlayStation 5 launch games have been revealed and, well, ouch. Let's start with the good news, as previously announced everyone gets Astro's Playroom for free, it is installed on the hard drive of the PlayStation 5 when you buy it.

Here are the prices for the other games.

  • Astro's Playroom (Japan Studio) – pre-installed on PS5
  • Demon's Souls (Bluepoint Games / Japan Studio) – £69.99 / US$69.99 / ¥7,900 / €79.99 (RRP)
  • Destruction AllStars (Lucid Games / XDEV) – £69.99 / US$69.99 / ¥7,900 / €79.99 (RRP)
  • Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Insomniac Games) – £51.99 / US$49.99 / ¥5,900 / €59.99  (RRP)
  • Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition (Insomniac Games) – £69.99 / US$69.99 / ¥7,900 / €79.99 (RRP)
  • Sackboy A Big Adventure (Sumo Digital / XDEV) – £59.99 / US$59.99 / ¥6,900 / €69.99 ( (RRP)

That means a PS5 with a 4K blu-ray drive and Demon's Souls will cost you £569.98 at RRP, or £429.98 is you got for the all digital disc free PlayStation 5.

However, you may want to carefully think about buying the all digital version of the console as new games always launch on the PlayStation store at the RRP. Amazon and other retailers who offer the disc versions often cut the price by around £8. That means if you buy ten or so PS5 games over the course of the consoles lifetime you've already saved the money you would have kept if you bought the digital version of the console.

At the moment Amazon are selling the PS5 version of Assassin's Creed Valhalla for £51.99, the same price as the PS4 version. The Ubisoft Store and PlayStation Store are both offering the same game on PS4 for £59.99 as a digital download.

Physical media also goes on sale a lot quicker than digital, in the last generation we've seen games have £10 wiped off their price the week after launch, and some such as Fallout 76 have plummeted to almost to a quarter of the RRP less than a month after they were released. You can also trade in physical media, saving yourself more cash.

It's obvious that both Microsoft and Sony want us to switch to digital distribution but until they start pricing digital games in the same manner as physical media many people will stay with discs. We ran a Twitter poll last week and over 70% of respondents said they were getting a PS5 with a disc drive and only 15.4% were buying the digital version.

 

More PlayStation 5 News:

 

 

Horizon Forbidden West and Sackboy A Big Adventure are also coming to PS4 with free upgrades to PS5

Sony have confirmed that three of the games previously assumed to be next-gen PlayStation 5 exclusives are also actually coming to PlayStation 4. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sackboy A Big Adventure, and Horizon Forbidden West will all be cross-gen releases, coming to PS4 as well as PS5.

All three will also offer free upgrades from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5, whether you buy digitally or physically.

Sony write on their blog:

While these three games were designed to take advantage of PS5 and its unique next-gen features like the ultra-high-speed SSD and DualSense controller, PS4 owners will also be able to enjoy these experiences when they launch. The PS4 digital versions of launch games include a free upgrade on both PS5 consoles, while the PS4 disc versions of these games include a free upgrade on the PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-Ray disc drive.

It's a major turn of events, with Sony having been shouting from the rooftops about the importance of their first party games being designed to fully take advantage of the next generation hardware, while Microsoft have been sticking to their guns about their first party games bridging the divide between platforms – much to the derision of many fans and pundits.

Still, this decision is a great move for consumers facing up to the high cost of joining the next generation. While the digital version of the PlayStation 5 is $399 and £359, that comes with needing to accept that digital games tend to stick to RRP for longer, and those RRPs are rising for the next generation. Sony's own first party titles will now cost up to $69.99 / £69.99, including the Demon's Souls remake and Destruction AllStars at launch. Potentially saving money in the long run with a more expensive console featuring a disc drive means that you're paying $499 / £449 up front, something which a lot of people might struggle to do.

Games that bridge the generations will allow Sony to continue to sell millions of copies of their most highly anticipated titles, regardless of how the global economic situation and the rising cost of gaming affects next-gen adoption.

Source: PS Blog

Spider-Man: Miles Morales is coming to PS4 as well – Ultimate Edition bundles in a Spider-Man remaster on PS5

Spider-Man: Miles Morales isn't just coming to PlayStation 5 when it launches later this year, but also to PlayStation 4 – it's a full-blown cross-gen release! Additionally, Insomniac have also confirmed an Ultimate Edition for PlayStation 5 that bundles in a remaster of the original PlayStation 4 game.

The announcement came alongside a new seven minute gameplay reveal during the PlayStation 5 showcase, which you can check out here:

The Ultimate Edition will be available for $69.99, compared to the standard edition's $49.99, with the remaster of the original game taking advantage of the PlayStation 5 with better looking character models, ray-traced reflections, shadows, more pedestrians, and the optional to trade those effects in with a performance mode that lets the game target 60fps instead of 30fps. Add DualSense support and 3D audio into the mix, and you've got a thoroughly enhanced product.

However, the standard edition will be available for both PS5 and PS4. In a statement that almost sounds like it's coming from Microsoft, Insomniac say, "We know that some of you may transition to PS5 at different times, which it was why it was important to us to release the latest title in the Marvel's Spider-Man universe on both consoles."

Additionally, there will be "a next-gen upgrade path" and the game still looks great on PS4 and PS4 Pro.

Honestly, it's a mildly announcement turn of events when Sony have spent the last half year shouting from the rooftops that they're fully embracing the next generation with their first party exclusives, standing in contrast to Microsoft, who have been pushing a broader cross-generational approach.

In our review of the original game, Gareth wrote:

Marvel's Spider-Man does a spectacular job of making you feel like the ultimate Spider-Man. From swinging through the city at high speed to fighting off legions of enemies by zipping between them and pulling them into the air, its gameplay looks like a scene from the films. It's remarkably well realised in terms of its world, design, and even technically, with short loading times and a rock solid framerate even on the base PlayStation 4. If Spider-Man is your thing then this is an essential purchase.

You can read the full review here.

Source: PS Blog

PlayStation Plus Collection announced for PlayStation 5, a selection of PS4 games for PS Plus subscribers on next-gen

Sony have revealed the PlayStation Plus Collection for PlayStation 5, a library of PlayStation 4 games for PlayStation Plus subscribers that pick up the next-gen console. The collection will all be playable via backward compatibility and comes in addition to the rest of the PS Plus service, as found on PS4

Update: We've amended the story to reflect Sony's statement: "The PS Plus Collection will be an added benefit to the existing PS4 benefits that PS Plus members receive for a single subscription price.

Details are very thin on the ground at the moment but it does seem to be only PlayStation 4 games, and we don't know when and how often games will be added. It is, essentially, Sony's answer to Microsoft's Game Pass. The availability of games will vary depending on region, and China doesn't get it at all due to their strict laws on which games can be released in the country.

Here are the firsts games that will appear on the service.

  • God of War
  • The Last of Us: Remastered
  • Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
  • Battlefield 1
  • Monster Hunter World
  • Fallout 4
  • Final Fantasy XV
  • The Last Guardian
  • Ratchet and Clank
  • Infamous: Second Son
  • Days Gone
  • Bloodborne
  • Detroit: Become Human
  • Batman Arkham Night
  • Mortal Kombat X
  • Persona 5
  • Until Dawn
  • Resident Evil: Biohazard

 

Speaking of PlayStation Plus, here's you reminder to go and grab you free(ish) games from Sony along with some handy links so you don't even have to turn on your PlayStation 4. This month your haul includes fighting game Street Fighter V and the iconic battle royale, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.

Here are the links:

Though not quite the first of its kind, PUBG became the definitive battle royale game for many when it launched in Steam Early Access in March 2017. It was an absolute phenomenon, spawning countless imitators, and lead to the revival of Fortnite from a co-op wave-based survival game into something people actually gave a damn about. PUBG then made the jump to Xbox One at the end of 2017, before arriving on PlayStation 4 in December 2018.

The gist, for those that don't know, is that you and up to 99 other players drop into one of a range of maps with nothing but the clothes on your back. From there, you have to scrounge around for weapons, armour and other items, fighting for survival as a storm pushes players closer and closer together until one final person (or team of up to four) is crowned victorious.

The game is also notoriously wonky and has mediocre performance, regardless of the platform you run it on. We handed it a solid 8/10 in the original review on PC citing those bugs, while for its PS4 release, we called it "Rough, Ready, But Still Relevant."

On the other end of the scale is Street Fighter V, the latest entry in Capcom's long-running fighting game series in which you go one on one with another player or the AI. You've got a variety of single player modes to take part in, but the real test will be in online matches. Street Fighter V is now into its fifth year of content, with Capcom switching to a seasonal approach to its development.

 

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PlayStation 5 pre-orders open TOMORROW!

It's the news you have been waiting for! Well, apart from the price. And the release date. PlayStation 5 pre-orders will open tomorrow at selected retailers! Woohoo!

Update: Well, a bunch of places went early. If you're in the UK, GAME and Smyths have already sold out, but you can head to our UK PS5 pre-orders page, where we're tracking Amazon and your other options to see when they go live.

Sony have officially confirmed the PlayStation 5 will launch on November 19th in the UK and will cost £449.99 for the version with a 4K UHD Blu-ray drive and £359.99 for the digital edition.

We're getting the console slightly later than some other territories. The US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea can get their hands on the console on November 12th. In other territories the console will cost $499.99 / €499.99 /  ¥ 49,980 for the disc version and $399.99 / €399.99 /  ¥ 39,980.

Here are the hardware specifications for the new console!

CPU 8 Zen 2 Cores @ 3.5Ghz w/ SMT (variable)
GPU 10.28 TFLOPS – 36 CUs @ 2.26Ghz (variable)
Memory 16 GB GDDR6 (448GB/s)
Internal Storage 825 GB Custom NVME SSD
I/O Throughput 5.5 GB/s (Raw), 8-9 GB/s (Compressed)
Expandable Storage Approved M.2 third party SSDs in dedicated expansion bay
External Storage USB External HDD Support for PS4 games
Optical Dirve Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100GB/disc
Video Output HDMI 2.1 – Up to 4K at 120Hz, 8K, VRR
Audio Tempest Engine 3D audio

 

The first TV spot for the PlayStation 5 has also arrived with Sony trying to describe to people what it will feel like to play games on their next-gen console, wrapping together things like 3D audio, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

It's quite a high concept video, showing a woman adventuring in a weird and mysterious world. The opening line says, "Welcome to a world where you can feel more," and this is a key part of Sony's pitch for the next generation. The DualSense controller features adaptive triggers to relay different pressures to your fingers, while more advanced haptic feedback is to be incorporated to add more nuance compared to the rumble motors found in the DualShock 4. 3D audio with advanced HRTF processing to simulate different ear shapes will also aim to make audio more immersive and spatial, regardless of whether you're hearing sound from a TV, set of headphones or an existing surround sound set up.

Here are some of the games confirmed for PlayStation 5:

Source: Twitter

Some new Oddworld Soulstorm gameplay shown for PS5

A brand new trailer for Oddworld: Soulstorm has been shown during the PlayStation 5 Showcase, and it called Molluck Returns. The trailer starts off with a bit of a cutscene before it shows Abe trying to save his friends. There are some shots of gameplay that show Abe running around in different environments, as well as Abe being with his friends as they try to escape. One is a bit hungry and could do with some food, so we hope that is addressed.

Oddworld: Soulstorm was originally announced in 2016 during GDC. In 2017 the title sequence was released for Oddworld: Soulstorm. However, it wasn't until this year that a cinematic teaser was released, followed by a gameplay teaser. The game itself is a reimagining of 1998's Oddworld: Abe's Exodus but is also a sequel to Oddworld New N Tasty, which itself was a remake of Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. On PC Oddworld will be an Epic Games Store exclusive.

God of War sequel announced for PS5 – Ragnarok is coming in 2021

A huge first party exclusive is coming for PlayStation 5 in 2021, with Santa Monica Studios bringing their God of War sequel to Sony's next-gen console.

There's not much to know right now, except that "Ragnarok is coming…"

The PS4 God of War reboot set the charts alight when it arrived in 2018. For there to be a sequel coming along in 2021 already, and one that truly takes advantage of the power of the PlayStation 5 is rather surprising, especially when Sony already have big hitters like Horizon Forbidden West planned for next year. That said, Guerrilla Games were much more outgoing with their own game reveal back in June.

We were fans of the PlayStation 4 reboot, though not quite as head-over-heels for it as some. In our God of War review, Jim said:

"A lot of what goes into God of War feels as though it was cherry-picked from the modern gaming zeitgeist. The semi-open world structure, loot system, and a much deeper narrative focus work well, but are all trends being pushed by most other big games. As a result, God of War can feel slightly homogenised in a way that some fans may find unappealing. Thankfully, a strong sense of setting and brutally satisfying combat help maintain that God of War identity. If it wasn't made abundantly clear already, this is the first in what will most likely be a new trilogy for the God of War franchise, and this first instalment serves as a pretty great foundation."

Here's to the sequel building on those solid foundations.

PlayStation 5 launches on November 19th in the UK for £450 / £360 – here's everything you need to know

Sony have officially confirmed the PlayStation 5 will launch on November 19th in the UK and will cost £449.99 for the version with a 4K UHD Blu-ray drive and £359.99 for the digital edition. Pre-orders will go live as soon as tomorrow!

We're getting the console slightly later than some other territories. The US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea can get their hands on the console on November 12th. In other territories the console will cost $499.99 / €499.99 /  ¥ 49,980 for the disc version and $399.99 / €399.99 /  ¥ 39,980.

More PlayStation 5 News:

Here are the hardware specifications for the new console!

CPU 8 Zen 2 Cores @ 3.5Ghz w/ SMT (variable)
GPU 10.28 TFLOPS – 36 CUs @ 2.26Ghz (variable)
Memory 16 GB GDDR6 (448GB/s)
Internal Storage 825 GB Custom NVME SSD
I/O Throughput 5.5 GB/s (Raw), 8-9 GB/s (Compressed)
Expandable Storage Approved M.2 third party SSDs in dedicated expansion bay
External Storage USB External HDD Support for PS4 games
Optical Dirve Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100GB/disc
Video Output HDMI 2.1 – Up to 4K at 120Hz, 8K, VRR
Audio Tempest Engine 3D audio

 

Sony have confirmed that the "overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ PS4 titles" will play on the PlayStation 5, although some of them may need to be patched by the creators. Here's more from Sony:

With all of the amazing games in PS4's catalog, we've devoted significant efforts to enable our fans to play their favorites on PS5. We believe that the overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ PS4 titles will be playable on PS5.

We're expecting backward compatible titles will run at a boosted frequency on PS5 so that they can benefit from higher or more stable frame rates and potentially higher resolutions.

"Whether it's backwards compatibility or the possibility of cross-generational play, we'll be able to transition that community to next-gen," SIE president Jim Ryan told CNET. "It won't be a binary choice about whether you have to be either on PlayStation 4 or next-gen to continue your friendship."

Sony have also mandated that all PS4 games published after 13th July must run on PlayStation 5. It's unlikely PlayStation 1,2 or 3 games will run natively on the console, since Sony has the PlayStation Now streaming service for those.

The first TV spot for the PlayStation 5 has also arrived with Sony tring to describe to people what it will feel like to play games on their next-gen console, wrapping together things like 3D audio, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

It's quite a high concept video, showing a woman adventuring in a weird and mysterious world. The opening line says, "Welcome to a world where you can feel more," and this is a key part of Sony's pitch for the next generation. The DualSense controller features adaptive triggers to relay different pressures to your fingers, while more advanced haptic feedback is to be incorporated to add more nuance compared to the rumble motors found in the DualShock 4. 3D audio with advanced HRTF processing to simulate different ear shapes will also aim to make audio more immersive and spatial, regardless of whether you're hearing sound from a TV, set of headphones or an existing surround sound set up.

Here are some of the games confirmed for PlayStation 5:

Deathloop gets a brand-new PS5 gameplay trailer

Bethesda and Arkane Lyon took their turn to shine as part of this evening's PlayStation 5 event, dropping a brand-new gameplay trailer for their forthcoming PS5 console exclusive Deathloop.

Leaning on the staples of Arkane studios' games with open level design and lots of different ways to play, two assassin's face off against each other. You'll be hunting down eight targets all over the island, but if you die it's not exactly the end of the game. During the trailer Aleksis is hear saying "to break the loop I've got break the rules". Who knows what those rules are, but from the action in the trailer they presumably involve lots of killing people while using a hook shot to leap around the island. It definitely looks very cool.

The Loop is Knowledge, knowledge is power

The game is set on the island of Blackreef, with protagonist Colt trapped here in a mysterious Groundhog Day-style timeloop. Instead of trying to find love, he's trying to take out eight targets across Blackreef before midnight. It seems simple enough except Blackreef has its own guard, Julianna and she enjoys killing Colt over and over again.

Colt appears to have various abilities including the Blink ability from the Dishonored games allowing him to teleport around Blackreef. Another ability allows him to flick enemies away, including out of windows. Players will have to learn the patterns of Blackreef and discover different paths to work out how to best move forward. There will be a lot of dying but each death will bring knowledge.

Deathloop does mix the singleplayer and multiplayer. While players experience the story of Colt others can take control of Julianna to hunt Colt through Blackreef and stop his progress. It is an optional choice as players can keep it so Julianna remains AI controlled instead of player controlled.

Deathloop will be coming to PlayStation 5 and PC in Q2 2021.

Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X at launch

Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition has been announced, enhancing the game for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X (and S), and adding a new playable character. The game will be available digitally at their respective launches – so 10th November for Xbox and 12th November for PS5 – with physical release to follow.

In addition to giving fans what they want by making Vergil playable, Capcom are dramatically enhancing the RE Engine that powers the game. You'll be able to play at up to 120fps in a performance mode, or stick with 4K and add things like more lifelike reflections, shadows and lighting through the use of ray tracing. Enhanced 3D audio will also be added into the mix so you can really pinpoint exactly where enemies are.

The game will also have new game modes, such as the Legendary Dark Knight Mode – "a new difficulty level which promises to keep even the most seasoned devil hunters on their toes by pitting their skills and style against a Crazy amount of enemies" – and Turbo Mode, which makes the game 20 percent faster.

And then there's Vergil, who you can play through the whole game with, and also comes in a new Bloody Palace challenge mode. The Vergil content will also be made available for current gen systems in some €4.99 DLC.

We had super duper good things to say about DMC5 at its original release. Here's some of Nick's Devil May Cry 5 review:

"Hideaki Itsuno, my hat goes off to you and your crew. It's only March, and yet Devil May Cry 5 is another clear Game of the Year contender. The silly arguments on whether the original DMC or DmC is better can stop now, because DMC5 is here and it's bloody brilliant. This is a proper return to form for the series, something that fans of both can get behind."

Source: press release

Resident Evil 8: Village has a new trailer from the PS5 showcase

Capcom have dropped a new trailer for Resident Evil Village, or Resident Evil 8 as everyone sensible is calling it. We get to to see more of the spooky village and also some flash backs, a woman sitting by a fire who tells the tale of a smile child who encounters evil when searching for berries. The fairy tale itself is animated in a completely different style to the game and at first we thought another game trailer had started!

Resident Evil Village is a very silly name and obviously everyone will be calling it Resident Evil 8 but there is a reason why the game has such an odd moniker. The latest issue of Famitsu has a preview of the game where it is explained the game is named as the village itself, which is located somewhere in Europe, is a protagonist in the story.

In July it was announced that the game was around 60% complete and it is still scheduled for release in 2021.

Netflix has officially announced a new TV series based on Capcom's Resident Evil franchise. The series is now set in New Raccoon City, and will follow 'the Wesker kids'. I'm a bit rusty on my Resident Evil lore but as far as I know the only child Albert Wesker has is a son named Jake Muller who was introduced in Resident Evil 6.

The new story follows fourteen year old sisters Jade and Billie Wesker who move to New Raccoon City with their (so far unnamed) father. "The more time they spend there, the more they come to realise the town is more than it seems and their father may be concealing a dark secret" add Netflix.

If that sounds a little twee, fear not because the story will run across two timelines, and the second is set a decade in the future when the population of the Earth has been decimated with just 15 million people left alive. The rest – and all the animals – have been infected by the T-Virus and are the nasty, tentacled monsters we all know and love from the series. Jade is still alive, but it seems her sister is missing, as is her father.

Source: YouTube

First PS5 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War footage revealed

Activision and Raven Software have given us our first proper look at Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War running on PS5.

While it's easy to get hung up on exclusives and those newly announced games being shown at the PlayStation 5 showcase, there's a glut of cross-gen games on the way, Cold War being one of them.

The footage shown during Sony's showcase dives into mission from the sequel's singleplayer campaign as we follow familiar Black Ops characters Mason and Woods as they infiltrate a Turkish airbase during the height of the Cold War.

Looking to secure a target named Arash we watch the squad approach the military compound with plenty of dynamic lightning and weather effects at play. The detail here is incredible with a Sniper Elite-esque bullet cam elegantly showing off a well-placed headshot by the player. Compared to last year's Modern Warfare the difference isn't night and day in terms of visuals though the action in Cold War looks as smooth and bombastic as its ever been.

We're treated to even more gameplay with plenty of trademark set piece moments. One nice touch fans will pick up is the new human shield feature allowing you to grab hold of enemies and use them to soak up incoming fire.

For more on Black Ops Cold War, here's an official synopsis:

Black Ops Cold War, the direct sequel to Call of Duty: Black Ops, will drop fans into the depths of the Cold War's volatile geopolitical battle of the early 1980s. Nothing is ever as it seems in a gripping single-player Campaign, where players will come face-to-face with historical figures and hard truths, as they battle around the globe through iconic locales like East Berlin, Vietnam, Turkey, Soviet KGB headquarters and more.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War launches on November 13th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

The PS5 version is pegged for "Holiday 2020". An alpha will be available exclusively to PS4 players this Friday.

Watch the new Spider-Man: Miles Morales gameplay video here!

Spider-Man has got a new trailer with Miles Morales taking a stroll through Harlem chatting to his friend. Brian Horton from Insomniac Games explained that the story picks up one year after the last game and was war has broken out between Roxxon, a company making an experimental energy source, and a new faction called The Underground lead by The Tinkerer.

The video finds Spider-Man fighting criminals on a bridge, rather like the opening of the recent Marvel's Avengers game.

In the IGN after-show it was announced that the Ultimate edition of the game will also include a remastered version of the original PS4 Spider-Man game!

Shortly after the PlayStation 5 reveal event, there was confusion from Sony exec Simon Rutter calling this new Miles Morales game an expansion, and that "within the game as well there's been major enhancements to the game and the game engine, obviously deploying some of the major PlayStation 5 technology and features."

Sony and Insomniac quickly clarified that this would be a standalone game, with Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reporting that it would be comparable to Uncharted: The Lost Legacy in scope, as it builds off the foundations of the 2018 game.

Insomniac recently announced that players will be able to experience Spider-Man: Miles Morales in 4K and running at 60 frames per second.

In our review, Gareth wrote:

Marvel's Spider-Man does a spectacular job of making you feel like the ultimate Spider-Man. From swinging through the city at high speed to fighting off legions of enemies by zipping between them and pulling them into the air, its gameplay looks like a scene from the films. It's remarkably well realised in terms of its world, design, and even technically, with short loading times and a rock solid framerate even on the base PlayStation 4. If Spider-Man is your thing then this is an essential purchase.

You can read the full review here.

Hogwarts Legacy has finally been revealed, coming out in 2021

The long, long rumoured, and even leaked Harry Potter RPG has been revealed during the PlayStation 5 Showcase. Hogwarts Legacy will release in 2021 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One and PC.

Set in the Late 1800s, it's a long, long time before the books and films of the Harry Potter magical universe. It start off in Hogwarts, but as your magical abilities grow in the arts of spellcasting, potion brewing and the taming of beasts, you'll head out and explore more parts of the wizarding world, as you go on the hunt after an ancient power in an open world. You'll be able to visit new and familiar wizarding world locations including the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade Village.

David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Games said, "Hogwarts Legacy gives players control over their own experience with RPG gameplay unlike anything else in the Wizarding World, which will continue to build fan appeal in the Portkey Games label. Avalanche has brought to life this rich and deep world, full of action-packed magic, as well as a detailed, mysterious story to engage fans and gamers alike."

Oh yeah! As rumoured, it's Avalanche that are on the case of developing it, hopefully injecting some super fun Just Cause-esque antics into the action. No? Just me?

Well, either way, John Blackburn, Studio General Manager said, "It's such an honour to work on such an amazing franchise and the team is dedicated to delivering an authentic Wizarding World experience that both Harry Potter and RPG fans will enjoy. Hogwarts Legacy is so special because it allows players to immerse themselves in a new narrative that is filled with complex characters, and, of course, magic."

Source: press release

[UPDATE]Final Fantasy XVI announced for PS5 (and PC. Maybe)

UPDATE: It seems there's a lot of cock ups this evening, Demon Souls was announced for PC and other consoles but that turned out to be mistake, and the Final Fantasy XVI trailer shown by Sony also had 'Also available on PC' in small lettering at the end. However, the official press release does not mention the PC version so Gematsu asked them about it.

"We have no further information on if FF16 will be released on platforms other than the PS5," the said.

Another tweet which I have annoyingly lost said the game was PS5 exclusive for six months, then coming to PC, then other formats after that. The trailer has been edited and the text about the PC version has been removed.

Original story below

Sony has kicked off the PlayStation 5 Showcase with Final Fantasy XVI and it will be a PS5 console exclusive. It is being developed by Creative Business Unit II which is led by Naoki Yoshida. He was the former head of Business Division 5 which focused on MMORPGs such as Final Fantasy XI, and Final Fantasy XIV. You can watch the first trailer below and it is a lot moodier than some previous Final Fantasy titles.

The game is coming from Naoki Yoshida (Final Fantasy XIV, Dragon Quest X) and Hiroshi Takai (Final fantasy XIV, The Last Remnant).

The description for Final Fantasy XVI reads:

The legacy of the crystals has shaped our history for long enough…" Watch the exciting teaser trailer for the newest title in the legendary FINAL FANTASY series. FINAL FANTASY XVI is the next all-new standalone single player action RPG from Square Enix, coming to PlayStation 5.

The setting itself is very Medieval and it seems that nations are at war, which has been one story trope for a few of the Final Fantasy titles. It seems Summons are called Icons and they will battle each other. There also appear to be chocobo in full battle regalia ready to go to war as mounts for the humans. There seems to be some contention over the existence of the Crystals that have guided everyone's fate. Some are definitely not fans of that.

Producer Naoki Yoshida had a comment on the reveal:

FINAL FANTASY XVI producer (that's right, just producer) Naoki Yoshida here. How did you enjoy the trailer? The exclusive footage, comprised of both battles and cutscenes running in real-time, represents but a fraction of what our team has accomplished since the start of development on this, an all-new FINAL FANTASY game. In that span, the team's size has grown from a handful of core members to a full-fledged unit that continues to polish and build upon what they have created so far, all to provide players an experience unmatched in terms of story and gameplay.

Our next big information reveal is scheduled for 2021, so in the meantime, I expect everyone to have fun speculating, as we have a lot in store—not only for FINAL FANTASY XVI, but for FINAL FANTASY XIV, too. Needless to say, I'll be working hard on both!

It could be a while before we see a full release, with Director Hiroshi Takai adding, "It may still be some time before we can get it into your hands. However, I promise it will be worth the wait!"

Source: press release

Beat Saber multiplayer will be landing in October

Beat Games Studio has announced that Beat Saber will be getting multiplayer on October 13th. With the multiplayer aspect players will be able to create their own avatars, and play against friends or strangers online. The multiplayer will definitely be releasing for PC VR headsets on the 13th of October, but there may be a delay with the PSVR version. That has not been confirmed but Beat Saber Studio has stated PSVR players should be prepared for a possible delay.

Back in May an update to Beat Saber announced 10 new 360°/90° levels each and 26 new One Saber levels for those 18 songs, hitting that 46 beatmap target. This was a free content update so anyone who has Beat Saber can try these new levels out after updating to version 1.10. Last month, Beat Saber got a Linkin Park music pack DLC. Linkin Park Music Pack includes the tracks:

– Bleed it Out
– Breaking the Habit
– Faint
– Given Up
– In the End
– New Divide
– Numb
– One Step Closer
– Papercut
– Somewhere I Belong
– What I've Done

Songs can be purchased separately at £1.69 each or you can save a bit of cash by grabbing the full Music Pack DLC for £11.49. Aside from having new music to slice and dice away to, you'll have access to Link Park themed stage visuals.

Source: Twitter

Saints Row V rumour is incorrect confirms Deep Silver Senior PR Manager

Over the weekend a rumour came out for Saints Row V purporting to give lots of story information as well as gameplay. That information said that in Saints Row V players would be facing off against the Saints, superpowers would be removed, and the events of Saints Row IV and Gat Out of Hell would be retconned to be TV shows within the Saints Row universe. Well, all of that information is false. That comes from Deep Silver/Koch Media Senior PR Manager Alex Q. Ryan who confirmed that the leak was all wrong.

The rest of the rumour said:

Graphically, Saints Row V is said to be similar to Saints Row 3 Remastered, which was shockingly impressive, and the overall tone will be a bit more serious though some of the comic elements will remain. Character customisation is to said to be more in depth as each individual body part will have sliders. Four player co-op is also apparently in with difficulty scaling depending on how many players there are. There is also, allegedly, online multiplayer consisting of 32 players in a gang warfare scenario to take over territory.

One day, we shall find out exactly what Saints Row V will entail, and what kind of shenanigans the Saints will get up to in the series next instalment.

Source: Twitter

Sniper Elite VR first gameplay trailer released and Oculus Quest version confirmed

A new gameplay trailer for Sniper Elite VR has been released to go alongside the announcement that the game will be coming to Oculus Quest in addition to PSVR and SteamVR. There's still no release date confirmed, though…

Sniper Elite VR is Rebellion's second virtual reality game, following on from the Battlezone reboot that launched alongside PlayStation VR. It's being developed in partnership with Just Add Water and Coatsink games.

The game takes players to Sicily, as you fight in the Italian Resistance to try and rid the island of Nazis and their pesky U-boats. The whole game will take place in first person with smooth locomotion a possibility, just as you can go from sniping to stealthily sneaking, to an action-packed with guns akimbo. Oh, and there will obviously be the series' trademark X-ray killcam through all of this.

Miguel got to go hands on with the game at E3 2019, coming away suitably impressed with how immersive and intuitive it was:

Holding the Aim controller up to your eye brings the magnifying scope into sight, and closing a single eye in real life helps you get a clearer look like it would when handling an actual gun. This sensation led to an immediately satisfying and realistic gameplay experience that brought me into the world and never let me out.

Catch the rest of his preview here.

Source: press release

Oculus Quest 2 revealed by Facebook, coming out in October

Facebook has revealed the successor to the Oculus Quest, their popular standalone VR headset. The Oculus Quest 2 is more powerful, it's more compact, it's been tweaked ergonomically, and plenty more. The device will be shipping from 13th October, starting at $299 / £299 for the 64GB model.

That price point is a surprise, as it's actually $100 / £100 cheaper than the original Quest. An upgrade to a 256GB model will cost $399 / £399, while there's also a Quest 2 Elite Strap available for $49 / £49, and the strap with battery pack and carrying case for $119 / £119, both of which can enhance its comfort and portability. You might want that battery, since the headset is still only rated for 2-3 hours of play time…

The headset is now powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 with 6GB of RAM, as revealed by the leaks from Facebook earlier this week. There's also 1832×1920 pixels per eye (a significant step up over 1440×1600 in the original), and while there's only 72Hz support at launch, 90Hz will be coming via an update down the line.

In general, the headset has been made smaller and lighter – it's now 503g vs 571g – and it comes with updated Oculus Touch controllers that are also a touch smaller.

All current Oculus Quest games are supported, including hits like Beat Saber, Moss and Super Hot VR. Additionally, you can use Oculus Link to play PC VR titles, getting access to Hal-Life Alyx and others at the cost of having to plug in.

As expected, the headset will require a Facebook log in before you can use it, with the social network deciding that all new devices activated from October onwards will now be indelibly linked with their systems. To all intents and purposes, Oculus has no been fully absorbed into Facebook, having once been treated as a somewhat independent subsidiary.

Source: Facebook