Tag: PlayStation 5

5 things I learned about the PlayStation 5 in the first hour

Five things to know about your new PlayStation 5.

The PlayStation 5 launched on Thursday in the United States, and millions of gamers lucky enough to secure an early pre-order will be spending the weekend getting their new next-gen console set up.

A lot of things have changed from the PS4 era – the UI has been completely revamped, the PlayStation store has been remade and built into the home menu, and everything is lightning quick. There were also some surprises in my first hour exploring the menus and settings. Here are five things I learned about the PS5 during the system setup:

1. Be careful about which version (PS4 vs. PS5) of a cross-gen game you’re downloading

One of the first things you’ll notice about the PlayStation 5 – or the Xbox Series S or X – is that the fancy new solid state drive included will be full before you know it. Triple-A games are getting bigger and bigger, and it’s looking like millions of gamers will be investing in external hard drives this generation. It’s important, then, to make sure you’re downloading the correct version of a cross-gen game from the PlayStation Store to your PS5.

I went to the store to download the PS5 version of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which is a free upgrade if you have a PS4 copy. I clicked on a screen touting said upgrade – but somehow accidentally started downloading the PS4 version to my PS5. It turned out that I needed to click to an additional screen to reach the download button for the PS5 version. Now, perhaps I was just being hasty, but I’m sure I won’t be the only one.

Later, when I redeemed a code to download the next-gen edition NBA 2K21, the PS4 version of the game was included in a bundle of things to download alongside the PS5 edition. If you’re rushing through that screen, you could very well end up downloading both the PS4 and PS5 versions of the same game, eating away vital storage space. Be vigilant!

2. The PlayStation media remote is a godsend

If you’re using the PS5 as your main entertainment and streaming device, get the media remote. It’s relatively inexpensive, and it’s far more convenient than using a controller when you’re watching anything. I went through an entire console generation having to turn on my PS4 controllers that had auto-shut off just to pause a show. Never again!

3. There is no HBO Max app on PS5… yet

I wasn’t expecting this one, considering there’s an HBO Max app on PS4, but I have bad news if you’re midway through a binge re-run of Game of Thrones.

Here’s a full list of the media apps available on PS5 at launch: Spotify, Apple TV, Crunchyroll, DAZN, Disney+, ESPN, Funimation, Hulu, Netflix, NFL Sunday Ticket, Peacock, Plex, Pluto TV, Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, Twitch, Vudu, WWE Network and YouTube.

4. There are no themes on PlayStation 5 at launch

The PS4 launched with a handful of different themes you could personalize your console with, but the PS5 seems to have abandoned themes altogether. There’s no place in the PS5 version of the PlayStation Store to download themes, nor is there an option in the settings menu to change the theme.

5. Astro’s Playroom should be the first thing you play

Astro’s Playroom is a pre-installed, free game that comes with your console. While you may be tempted to marvel at Demon’s Souls’ graphics or dive into an epic new Assassin’s Creed journey, Astro’s Playroom is a brilliant tech demo for what the PS5’s DualSense controller can do. It’s the perfect way to start off a new generation.

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PS5 PlayStation Plus Collection: 20 classics you can play on launch day

New PS5 owners with a PlayStation Plus subscription can download a number of PS4 classics.

The PlayStation 5 officially launches on Thursday, and for gamers lucky enough to snag one in stores (or have their pre-orders delivered on time), you can access a library of some of the best backwards compatible PS4 games via PlayStation Plus.

Sony announced ahead of launch that it was adding a PlayStation Plus Collection to the service, which currently includes 20 PS4 games that will be best experienced on PS5. Several of the games will be receiving updates to take advantage of the PS5 hardware, but all PS4 games should receive some benefit from the console’s boost mode.

Here’s the full rundown of games included in the PlayStation Plus collection.

PS5 Unboxing: See how the colossal PS5 compares to the PS4 in size

The PS5 launch is almost here.

The PlayStation 5 launch is less than three weeks away, reviewers are starting to receive their consoles, and we should start to see a lot of footage of Sony’s next-gen console in the coming days.

The embargo for unboxing videos was lifted on Tuesday, and countless YouTubers are tearing apart retail-final PS5 boxes to showcase what’s inside.

The PS5 will launch on November 12th, 2020, with two separate editions – the standard PS5 ($499) and the digital edition for $399, which does not include a disc drive. Two days earlier, on November 10th, Microsoft will launch their own next-gen systems, the Xbox Series S and X.

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NBA 2K21 unveiled a stunning new next-gen gameplay video and it looks amazing

Wow, this looks great.

The next generation of gaming is only a couple weeks away with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S being released in mid-November.

It looks like NBA 2L is ready for that moment to get here. On Tuesday, new gameplay footage of NBA 2K21 on the next-gen systems was unveiled and it looks absolutely incredible down to the smallest details.

The game’s opening presentation looks exactly like an NBA game would. It feels like a real NBA ecosystem It’s filled with coaches huddling, refs congregating and players warming up. It even features Steph Curry doing his pre-game warm-up sprint.

It also loads incredibly fast and features an optional rail cam presentation that we saw in the NBA’s Disney World bubble. Here’s a look.

This all looks good visually — even the sweat.

It is fair to point out that there was very little defense being played here — shots weren’t being contested at all. And it seemed like the game was on the lowest difficulty setting, so we don’t really know exactly how it plays.

But the mechanics seem smooth and the presentation is amazing. For now, that’s good enough. We’ll learn more once gameplay reviews start rolling in the coming weeks.

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PS5: Breaking down all the features of the PlayStation 5 UI

The PlayStation 5 is launching with some interesting new UI features.

The launch of Sony’s new PlayStation 5 is less than a month away, but gamers have patiently been waiting for more information about the console. Sony finally revealed details about backwards compatibility for older titles on PS5 last week, and on Thursday, Sony shared a walkthrough of the PlayStation 5 “user experience.”

In an 11-minute video, Sony’s Sid Shuman details several features of the PlayStation 5, including a revamped party system, a new store, and something called the “control center.” Here’s a full list of the features discussed in the video:

 

 

  • The “look and feel” of the UI is designed for 4K TVs
  • This is the PlayStation 5 home screen. Games and “media-related” apps will be separated on different panels, so you won’t have to scroll through a bunch of games to find the Hulu app, for example.

  • This is the PlayStation Store. According to the video, the store is now “built into the system,” and is no longer a standalone app you need to launch.

  • This is the “control center.” It’s what you’ll see when you tap the PlayStation button while in game.
The “control center.”
  • From the control center, you can access individual levels from certain games. The PS5 will also provide an estimate with how long the level will take to complete. You can jump into a given level on a case-by-case basis depending on the game. An example is shown, and it takes about three seconds for the level to load.
Level select.
  • From the same menu, you can review objectives within the level that you have yet to complete. If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, there may be hints for each objective, which Sony calls “official game help.” You can then rearrange your screen to keep the hint visible while you play through the game. This could be extremely helpful for kids, or for players of all ages in very tough games like Demon’s Souls, if boss explanations are available.
Playing with game help on the screen.
  • You can enter a voice chat without leaving the game. The days of waiting forever for the PlayStation party menu to load are over. The DualSense controller includes a built-in microphone you can use to chat. There is also a mute button on the controller.
Joining a party chat in-game
  • You can also opt into watching a friend’s shared screen without leaving your own game, and have the option of keeping it on your screen in a picture-in-picture mode. You can leave a little video box in one of the corners, or pin the broadcast to the side of your screen. It remains to be seen if you can pin other apps to the screen, which would allow you, for example, to have YouTube or Netflix running on the side while you play a game.
Watching a stream within a party
  • If you have friends playing a different game that you own, you can immediately join their game from the menu. In the example, it took the player 10 seconds to switch from Sackboy: A Big Adventure and end up in the main menu of Destruction AllStars.
  • You can dictate messages to people via the PS5 controller (or a headset) in “a number of languages.”
Voice dictation
  • The new PS5 interface for taking in-game screenshots makes it much easier to tell exactly what you’re capturing. You can take photos and record video in 4K on PS5.
The screenshot screen
  • If you try to send a screenshot of a game that the developer considers a “spoiler,” you’ll get a warning before you send.

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PlayStation 5: Watch a Sony employee disassemble a PS5, piece by piece

See the inside of a PS5.

The release of the new PlayStation 5 is just over a month away, and while there’s plenty we do not yet know about Sony’s new console – such as how backwards compatibility works – we do now know what the inside of the machine looks like.

Sony employee Yasuhiro Ootori gives a detailed breakdown of nearly every part included in the PS5 in this teardown video shared by Sony on Wednesday.

If you aren’t a huge fan of the way the PS5 looks, there’s potentially good news. Taking off the white shell of the PS5 is extremely easy, and it seems likely that either Sony or third parties will quickly begin offering alternate shell styles.

Note: The video is in Japanese, but you can watch with English subtitles by clicking the CC button.

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PS5: Recapping the biggest announcements and reveals from the PS5 event

All you need to know about Wednesday’s PS5 event.

The next generation of home consoles is officially less than two months away. On Wednesday during a PlayStation 5 digital showcase, Sony announced that the PlayStation 5 will launch on November 12th in the United States.

The PS5 will launch with two models, the normal PS5 and the Digital Edition.  The PS5 (disc drive edition) will launch at a price of $499, while the digital edition will launch at $399. According to a report from Geoff Keighley, PS5 pre-orders will begin on Thursday, September 17th.

Sony kicked off the show with a major reveal –  Final Fantasy XVI is on the way, and it’s a PlayStation console exclusive. Here’s a rundown of all the trailers that were shown during the PS5 event.

Final Fantasy XVI

Release window: Unannounced

Final Fantasy XVI is a PS5 console exclusive that will also be released on PC.

Demon’s Souls

Release window: Unannounced, but according to Geoff Keighley, Demon’s Souls is a launch title.

PlayStation Plus Collection

Sony is launching a catalog of games that will be included with a PlayStation Plus subscription and playable on PS5 at launch, which includes many of the company’s best exclusive titles. Confirmed titles include God of War, Bloodborne, Persona 5, The Last Guardian, The Last of Us Remastered, Uncharted 4, Until Dawn, Detroit: Become Human, Ratchet and Clank and Days Gone, along with Monster Hunter: World, Resident Evil 7, Fallout 4, Mortal Kombat X, and Final Fantasy XV.

God Of War: Ragnarok

Release window: 2021

A short teaser for the next God of War game was shown.

Hogwarts Legacy

Release window: 2021

Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Release window: Holiday 2020. According to Geoff Keighley, it’s a launch title.

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War

Release date: November 13th, 2020

Resident Evil Village

Release window: 2021

Deathloop

Release window: Q2 2021

Deathloop is a PlayStation console exclusive that will also release on PC.

Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition

Release window: Available digitally at PS5 launch

Oddworld Soulstorm

Release window: Unannounced

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach

Release window: Unannounced

Fortnite will be available on PS5 at launch.

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Sony finally unveiled the price and release date of the Playstation 5

Finally.

It felt like it took forever to actually get a first look at the Playstation 5 and what the system even looked like.

And then, even after we did, we had no idea how much it would be or even when it would be available for pre-orders or in stores. Now, we actually have a bit of information to work with. There was no pre-order date given, but we officially have a price and release date for the Playstation 5.

Sony officially released all of the information we’ve been waiting for on the system during a Playstation event they hosted on Wednesday afternoon.

The standard edition comes in at $499, matching the price of the X Box Series X. The digital only version of the system comes in at $399, which is $100 more than the X Box Series S.

It all drops on November 12.

Now we finally know. All that’s left to give us is a pre-order date. Get on it, Sony.

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Here’s when Sony will likely reveal the PS5 price, release date

PlayStation fans shouldn’t have to wait too much longer for PS5 details.

Microsoft revealed its Xbox Series S and announced the price points ($299/$499) for its two next-generation consoles earlier this week, and PlayStation fans are starting to run out of patience with the expected release window only a couple of months away.

Fortunately, Sony has announced a PlayStation 5 showcase event set for Wednesday, September 16th. In its announcement, Sony did not confirm that the PS5 release date and price will be revealed during the event, expected to be 40 minutes long – but it seems exceedingly likely that all will be revealed, particularly after the Xbox announcements put pressure on Sony.

The PS5 digital showcase will air at 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 16th on Twitch and YouTube.

Via PlayStation.com:

“Before PlayStation 5 launches this holiday, we wanted to give you one more look at some of the great games coming to PS5 at launch (and beyond!).

Our next digital showcase will weigh in at around 40 minutes, and feature updates on the latest titles from Worldwide Studios and our world-class development partners.”

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Everyone wants details on the PlayStation 5 after Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S reveal

Sony WYD?

Details on the Xbox Series X and S have finally arrived and they both look like absolutely incredible next gen gaming systems.

Microsoft is calling the Series X as the most powerful gaming system ever and, when you take a look at the specs, it just might be. The Series S is the smaller, cheaper console that plays all of the same games. The console’s performance lags a bit next to its bigger counterpart, but it works all the same.

On Wednesday, Microsoft dropped details on both systems. They finally revealed the price for both, the pre-order date and their actual release dates. That price for the Series X is solid. But, honestly? That Series S for $299 might be a steal.

Those are two really good prices for these systems — especially after most people thought they were going to end up paying an arm and a leg for the Series X. This is a good mark.

So, now, all eyes on the internet have turned to Sony. There’s been little to no information released about the PS5’s pre-order date, how much it’s going to cost or how accessible it will be.

Microsoft gave people a bargain — on the 25th anniversary of the PlayStation’s first release date, no less! Sony can’t let that slide, right?

The people want to know.

Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too much longer. Sony may or may not have responded to the speculation on Twitter with this Ghost of Tsushima GIF.

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