Tag: PS4

Take-Two CEO defends Red Dead Redemption port price

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says the Red Dead Redemption price on Switch and PS4 is excellent value for the money

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says the Red Dead Redemption price on Switch and PS4 is excellent value for the money and a “commercially accurate” price for the 13-year old game. Zelnick made the comment during Take-Two’s recent earnings call when IGN asked why Take-Two and Rockstar decided to price the game at nearly the price of a brand-new release.

“That’s just what we believe is the commercially accurate price for it,” Zelnick said. “[Red Dead] was a great standalone game in its own right when it was originally released, so we feel like it’s a great bundle for the first time, and certainly a great value for consumers.”

Zelnick didn’t expand on what “commercially accurate” means to him or who decides the accuracy. The Switch and PS4 version includes the Undead Nightmare DLC, but no changes or enhancements. The open-world game is available on the Xbox store for $29.99 and its DLC for $9.99, and you can get a few solid graphics enhancements if play on Xbox Series X|S via backwards compatibility – a visually superior version for $10 less.

You can buy the PS3 version from Amazon for less than $20 and get the Game of the Year edition in supposedly brand-new condition for $16 from eBay. Meanwhile, other popular PS3 games sell for $19.99 on Switch, including Okami and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Skyrim on Switch costs $59.99, but it includes multiple expansions plus Nintendo-specific add-ons and features. It also goes on sale regularly.

So who can say what commercially accurate actually means. What we can say is that Red Dead Redemption on Switch and PS4 launches digitally on Aug. 17, 2023, and physically later in the fall.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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Rockstar announces Red Dead Redemption for Switch, PS4

It might not be the long-rumored Red Dead Redemption remake, but Rockstar is bringing the original Red Dead to Switch and PS4

It might not be the long-rumored Red Dead Redemption remake, but Rockstar announced it’s bringing the original Red Dead to Switch and PS4. The news comes a year after rumors suggested Rockstar scrapped a full Red Dead remaster to re-allocate resources to Grand Theft Auto 6.

Red Dead Redemption for Switch and Sony’s last-gen console will launch on Oct. 12, 2023, and it comes bundled with the Undead Nightmare expansion for $49.99.

Rockstar is releasing the game digitally on Aug. 17, 2023. There’s no word of a PC port, though – just a note that you can play the original via the Microsoft Store on Windows.

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This is a straight-up port of the 2010 open-world game, so don’t expect any improvements. Whether Red Dead on PS5 will upscale the game, as Xbox Series X|S do when you play the game via Xbox 360 backwards compatibility, Rockstar didn’t say.

Red Dead Redemption is technically a sequel to its sequel. It follows John Marston, an infamous outlaw who the federal government forcibly recruits to track down his erstwhile associates. It’s a cruel task, but Marston isn’t entirely a heartless mercenary. His wife is held as collateral to make sure everyone plays nice.

Undead Nightmare retells the game with a splash of zombie horror. Instead of John trying to save his wife from the government, he’s desperate to find a cure for the zombie plague turning the West into a bloody wasteland.

The original Red Dead sold 23 million copies over 11 years and spurred Rockstar to make Red Dead Redemption 2, a prequel that tells the story of Marston’s former comrades – which also sold millions of copies and earned several award nominations.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

Natsume is making a new Harvest Moon for PC and console

Natsume announced a new Harvest Moon game set for launch on Switch, PS4, Xbox, and PC sometime during summer 2023

Natsume is back with another Harvest Moon game in the works, the developer announced in a press release (thanks, Gematsu). Their latest farming game is Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos, and it’s set to launch in summer 2023 for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

If you played Natsume’s last Harvest Moon, One World, you might think Winds of Anthos sounds pretty familiar. You play as a farmer-adventurer newly arrived to a region where the Harvest Goddess has gone missing. A recent natural disaster separated towns and settlements from each other, and your goal is traveling around to rejuvenate the land and its people in the hope of bringing the Goddess back.

The roster of farmable animals has expanded once more and includes Bengal tigers, owls, and parakeets. You’ll have a trusty steed or three to help travel around Anthos, and Natsume said growing a variety of crops and flowers is mandatory to restore the world.

Meanwhile, Marvelous and XSEED are releasing Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life remake on June 27, 2023. While Natsume published the Harvest Moon games outside Japan for nearly two decades and owns the name “Harvest Moon,” the series’ original creator decided to publish the games internationally from 2014 onward and uses the original name, Story of Seasons.

It’s a bit of a tangled mess, but Harvest Moon never quite enjoyed the same popularity after that. One World, the most recent entry, launched with mixed reception from critics and fans alike.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters on Switch and PS4 have new features

Square Enix announced the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster release date for Switch and PS4 and said these versions have some exclusive features

Square Enix announced the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster release date for Switch and PS4 and said these versions have some exclusive features. The Pixel Remaster collection releases April 19, 2023, following a staggered series of releases on mobile devices and PC. You can purchase them as a set or individually on digital storefronts.

The console version includes Final Fantasy I through VI and has a new default “pixel font” that Square Enix hopes will look more natural than the Calibri-style font that the PC and mobile releases used. Fans quickly modded something better into the PC release, though Square Enix didn’t say whether the existing versions will be updated with the new font.

You also get a few tools to toggle that make the classic RPGs a smoother experience, including one that turns random encounters off and one that lets you earn up to four times the usual number of experience points. The last one is particularly helpful in Final Fantasy 5 and 6 if you’re mastering jobs and passing around Esper skills.

While the Pixel Remasters all feature a remastered score, you can switch to the original chiptune soundtrack at any time as well. It’s a busy year for the classic RPG series. Final Fantasy 16 recently went gold and is set for launch on June 22, 2023, while Ever Crisis is, presumably, still holding a beta over the summer, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is planned for winter 2023.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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Sony is ending the PS Plus Collection for PS5

PS5 owners have until May 2023 to download the PS Plus Collection on their systems before Sony ends the offer of free PS4 games for good

PS5 owners have until May 9, 2023, to download the PS Plus Collection on their systems before Sony ends the offer for good. Since the console launched in 2020, Sony has provided a selection of the best PS4 games as free downloads for PS Plus subscribers at any tier on the PS5, including Persona 5, Bloodborne, God of War, and The Last of Us Remastered, but not for much longer.

Any games downloaded from the collection before that date will still be available so long as you remain a PS Plus subscriber. Here’s the full list of games included.

  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Battlefield 1
  • Bloodborne
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
  • Crash Bandicoot: N-Sane Trilogy
  • Days Gone
  • Detroit: Become Human
  • Fallout 4
  • Final Fantasy 15 Royal Edition (includes almost all DLC)
  • God of War (2018)
  • Infamous: Second Son
  • Monster Hunter: World
  • Mortal Kombat X
  • Persona 5
  • Ratchet & Clank (2016)
  • Resident Evil 7 biohazard
  • The Last Guardian
  • The Last of Us Remastered
  • Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
  • Until Dawn

Sony made no mention of why it’s shuttering the PS Plus Collection. Given the Santa Monica-based company’s focus on the revamped PS Plus subscription service, with a wider selection of popular games each month, perhaps the thought was that the two collections overlapped.

Whatever the reason, if you’re even remotely interested in any of the PS Plus Collection games, make sure to download them before May.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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8 best PlayStation Plus Premium games

Spoilt for choice? If you don’t know where to start with PlayStation Plus Premium, use our list to narrow things down.

PlayStation Plus Premium has finally launched in North America, bringing hundreds of games to your console for a monthly fee. This is Sony’s answer to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service that has been receiving nothing but praise since launch. 

PlayStation Plus Premium needs to be competitive, that’s why it’s launching with a huge library at your fingertips. But if you want to make the most of your subscription, you need to play the best games, of course. Instead of spending hundreds of hours playing each and every game, you can use this list of the eight best games you can play on PS+ Premium to get straight to the point.

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PlayStation Plus revamp set for June launch in North America

Sony’s Game Pass competitor is rolling out sooner than most were expecting.

Sony’s all-new version of PlayStation Plus will begin rolling out for multiple regions this summer. 

On Friday, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) announced that the all-new PlayStation Plus will launch on June 13, 2022, in North America. Over on the PlayStation Blog, SIE President Jim Ryan outlined the company’s launch plans for the revamp of PlayStation Plus. We’ll outline those dates below, but remember that it’s all subject to change.

All-new PlayStation Plus Release Schedule

  • North America — June 13, 2022
  • South America — June 13, 2022
  • Europe — June 22, 2022
  • Japan — June 1, 2022
  • Asia (excluding Japan) — May 23, 2022

“We’ve been working on this massive global effort to provide flexible options, quality games, and greater value for our members for quite some time now,” Ryan said. “We want to thank our PlayStation community for the ongoing support, and we’ll have more to share as we get closer to launch.”

If you’re unsure of what’s coming in the new PlayStation Plus, check out GLHF’s comprehensive breakdown. It’s basically an Xbox Game Pass competitor just on, you know, PS4 and PS5. SIE states that more than 700 games will be on offer with the new subscription plans, including massive hits like Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us: Part 2, and Uncharted.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

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PS5 to introduce VRR “in the coming months” as new firmware update releases today

Sony just released new firmware update for PS5 and PS4, while variable refresh rate is coming soon.

Sony has just released a brand new firmware update for PS5 and PS4, and teased the highly anticipated Variable Refresh Rate feature that is set to release in the future.

VRR compatibility was mentioned during the announcement of the latest PlayStation console, but was nowhere to be seen – until today.

The feature is releasing “in the coming months,” so no firm release date yet, but more details about how it works have been shared via PlayStation Blog.

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“On HDMI 2.1-compatible TVs and PC monitors, VRR dynamically syncs the refresh rate of the display to the PS5 console’s graphical output,” Sony says. “This enhances visual performance for PS5 games by minimizing or eliminating visual artifacts, such as frame pacing issues and screen tearing. Gameplay in many PS5 titles feels smoother as scenes render instantly, graphics look crisper, and input lag is reduced.”

Developers will be able to add VRR compatibility to their games “through a game patch,” while “future games may include VRR support at launch.” 

Until VRR patches roll out Sony announced that “as an added option, you can also choose to apply VRR to PS5 games that don’t support it. This feature may improve video quality for some games. If this results in any unexpected visual effects, you can turn off this option at any time. Both VRR and this secondary option can be turned on or off.”

This is something PlayStation fans have been eagerly waiting for a while, especially considering Xbox Series X and S have featured Variable Refresh Rate since launch.

As for the latest PS5 and PS4 firmware update, some of the highlights include the ability to create or join Open and Closed Parties on PS5 and PS4 consoles, a PS5 voice command feature for U.S. and U.K. players, and UI improvements for Game Base and Trophy Cards.

Written by Paolo Sirio on behalf of GLHF.

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GTA 5 graphics comparison – PS4 vs PS5

Here we have a quick look at the graphics enhancements for GTA 5 on next-gen platforms.

Here we have a quick look at the graphics enhancements for GTA 5 on next-gen platforms. Originally released in 2013, Rockstar’s crime caper still looks good on PC, and now – thanks to a beefy graphical upgrade – it looks even better on PS5.

The next-gen version of GTA 5 boasts improved graphics, various visual modes including 4K (or 60fps at a lower resolution), improved textures and draw distance, HDR, ray-tracing, faster load times, increased population and vegetation density, improved lighting and reflections, and more. 

We played through the opening section on PS4 and PS5 to show you how the two versions of the game stack up. See for yourself in the video below: 

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As we mentioned above, you’re able to play the game in three visual modes. Above you can see the game running in Fidelity mode. Here’s what changes with each:

  • Fidelity mode: tuned for the highest visual quality and targets 30 FPS. In this mode, the PS5 and Xbox Series X support native 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled, while the Xbox Series S supports upscaled 4K resolution.
  • Performance mode: tuned for the most responsive gameplay experience and targets 60 FPS. In this mode, the PS5 and Xbox Series X support upscaled 4K resolution, while the Xbox Series S supports a resolution of 1080p.
  • Performance RT mode: a hybrid of the Fidelity and Performance modes, supporting upscaled 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled and targeting 60 FPS.

Are you heading back to Los Santos? 

Written by Kirk McKeand on behalf of GLHF. 

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Sony reveals new Horizon Forbidden West gameplay on PS4 Pro

The last-generation console can still run pretty games.

Guerrilla Games claims Horizon Forbidden West  will be  beautiful on PS4 Pro, and there’s no arguing with that after seeing it in motion.

Since Horizon Forbidden West’s  PS5  announcement in 2020, most everyone assumes the  PS4 versions  won’t hold a candle to its next-generation counterpart. Well, Sony revealed what the action-adventure RPG looks like running on PS4 Pro, and it’s looking damn good.

In a PlayStation Blog  post, the company announced that not only has Horizon Forbidden West  gone gold, but that it’s confident that the last-generation version will still turn heads. We’ve not seen the game running natively in motion on PS4 Pro before, but it’s pretty. Take a look for yourself below.

Guerrilla Games also released some never-before-seen screenshots of the PS4 Pro version, and it’s practically on par with PS5 from a glance. At least in terms of pure pixel count, who knows how much better it’ll run on PS5.

While most would prefer playing on PS5, the console is still a total pain to track down. If you haven’t got one yet, signing up for PlayStation Direct  is a good bet.

Regardless of platform, Horizon Forbidden West  will be gorgeous for its Feb. 18, 2022 release on PS4, PS4 Pro, and PS5. 

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

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