Sony has released its latest financial results from the first quarter in its Fiscal Year 2023, revealing that sales of PlayStation hardware and software are going strong while active monthly users has also seen a significant bump up from the same period last year.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that we reported Sony had crossed the 40 million units sold threshold for the PS5 console, and its latest results show that number is now an impressive 41.7 million. In the last quarter alone, 3.3 million PS5 consoles were sold which is a big step up from the 2.4 million sold in the same three months last year.

Adding to that, it’s managed to rack up a combined 56.5 million units of software sales between PS5 and PS4 in just the three months ending on June 30th, 2023, which includes 6.6 million units of first-party titles. PlayStation also revealed that the ratio of digital download sales compared to physical sales was a massive 72% which is slightly lower than the same period in FY2022 but the highest it’s been since.

The supplementary materials for the report also reveal that PlayStation had 108 million active users on the PlayStation Network as of June 30th, which is an increase of five million from the same period last year.

You can read the full report from PlayStation as well as the accompanying materials here, if you’re a nerd for statistics and financials and quarters and all that stuff.

The post PlayStation Had A Huge Quarter For Hardware Sales And Active Players appeared first on Press Start.

With how relentlessly busy life can sometimes be, I’ve found myself turning to mobile gaming more and more, only less for native mobile apps and more through things like Xbox Cloud Gaming and PlayStation’s Remote Play feature. Being able to easily access my library of console games during a commute or just from the comfort of my bed as I (poorly) attempt to turn in for the night is fantastic – especially with a decent controller attachment. And that’s where the Backbone One comes in.

I’ve wanted to test one of these things for a while now, and with Backbone firing up a supporting device and app for Android phone users, it was only a matter of time before it also introduced an Android-compatible version of its PlayStation Edition Backbone One. With native support for in PlayStation Remote Play app and themed to match the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller, it was finally time for me to become a Backbone user, and I’m pretty glad I did.

Immediate impressions of the Backbone One from a hardware perspective are of a sturdy, well-built and comfortable controller attachment that’s super easy to pop on and off your choice of Android phone through a USB-C connection at the bottom. It’s fairly light without feeling flimsy and the plastic has a feel that’s a decent enough replacement for the actual DualSense body. The headphone jack is placed under the left handle and under the right is a handy USB-C charging port for keeping your device juiced up while you play, or even to use it tethered to a larger device like a tablet – a feature that’s already come in handy at my desk multiple times.

Moving to the controls themselves, you’re definitely not getting quite the same experience as using a real DualSense controller with smaller and more shallow buttons and triggers, but it’s still pretty high quality stuff overall compared to the handful of other mobile controllers I’ve tried out. The d-pad is a bit squishy for my liking, and the equivalents to the share and options buttons are positioned annoyingly low and in second billing to Backbone’s own function keys, but it’s otherwise pretty great in the hand in the heat of action.

There’s also the matter of the lack of an equivalent to the DualSense controller’s touch pad. While it kind of makes sense given this is little more than a reskin of the regular Backbone One, calling this a PlayStation mobile controller is a tiny bit of a stretch when it’s missing a prominent button that’s become very commonly-used in games. You can still access the touchpad in PlayStation’s Remote Play app by double-tapping the screen but it’s a cumbersome solution that makes this version of the Backbone feel a touch incomplete. I get why Backbone couldn’t really, say, add a touch function to the back of the device for PlayStation users without creating an entirely new product in the process, but it’s a noticeable omission.

That aside, everything performs nicely with a fairly quick response and the Backbone One feels seriously comfortable and satisfying to use, so overall it’s still a great choice for anyone serious about mobile gaming and remote play. Aside from Xbox and PlayStation games, I also spent a bit of time with Honkai: Star Rail and Ubisoft’s new The Division: Resurgence, which both felt exactly like the console-level experience their respective developers want to impart once I had a console-like controller in hand.

The dedicated Backbone app is also a great little tool for organising games from all of the different services that Android supports, not just limited to PlayStation games but also Xbox, Steam and Google Play. You do get a customised PlayStation-flavoured experience in the app when using this version of the Backbone One though, which is nice. You can set the Backbone app to open automatically when you attach the controller, too, making it quick and easy to jump into a game via Remote Play.

Amusingly I did find myself drawn more often toward Xbox Game Pass games when playing with the Backbone One just because Xbox Cloud Gaming is so easy and has such a great available library – at which point having the PlayStation buttons on my controller as opposed to the usual Backbone One keys that match the Xbox layout felt a bit silly – but that’s hardly a fault of Backbone’s hardware or software and just something to consider if you’re tossing up between different versions of the controller. Whether you go for this PlayStation Edition or the standard variant, you’re going to have a pretty good time.

The post Backbone One PlayStation Edition (Android) Review – For The Mobile Players appeared first on Press Start.

In a surprisingly significant leak, it seems somebody has gotten their hands on PlayStation’s upcoming “Project Q” handheld early – so early the thing doesn’t even have a name yet – and has subsequently leaked a heap of new and unannounced details.

We’ve frequently reported on leaks from Zuby_Tech in the past, and they’ve struck once again with videos and images of the device posted on Twitter that reveal a whole lot more about the streaming-focused handheld than Sony probably wanted the world to know just yet.

For example, it seems the device’s operating system is in fact based on Android, and not a completely custom OS. It’s certainly going to make the device seem a little more viable for power users if it proves to enable the homebrew scene early on.

PlayStation Project Q Leaks:#PlayStation #ProjectQ https://t.co/gyFrsW7xkN pic.twitter.com/0R0yQIdr0I

— @Zuby_Tech (@Zuby_Tech) July 22, 2023

The images give us the best look yet at the device, which melds the successful DualSense Controller form factor with an 8″ tablet sporting a 1080p screen and Wi-Fi to enable PlayStation Remote Play when connected – seemingly the primary focus of this particular device. It certainly looks as large as you’d expect for something with that size of a display sandwich between two halves of a DualSense, but it looks comfortable enough to hold.

It’ll be interesting to see if this thing takes off in a meaningful way in a world where users can already attach a DualSense-like controller to their existing mobile devices, but there’s certainly merit to having something dedicated and throw-around at home to use as a portable display. Knowing that it’s Android-based definitely adds to its viability for certain punters but the photos also seem to confirm that the DualSense part isn’t detachable so it’d be an awkward thing to use as anything other than a gaming machine.

The PlayStation Project Q handheld is expected to launch sometime later this year, and given we’re now seeing the device out in the wild that’s become more believable, but without official word from PlayStation we’ll just have to wait to find out more.

The post The PlayStation Project Q Handheld Is Already Out In The Wild And A Heap Of Photos And Videos Have Leaked appeared first on Press Start.

PlayStation and port developer Nixxes Software have fully unveiled the list of recommended hardware specs for this month’s upcoming PC release of the excellent 2021 Insomniac platformer, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on July 26th.

It’s a particularly interesting one, given that when this game launched exclusively on the PS5 it was famously “not possible” to run on Sony’s older hardware due to its rift mechanics which saw players rapidly teleport or cause entire levels to load in and out of existence in an instant. While it’s definitely on the up, adoption of SSD storage in PCs, especially with the kind of performance that Sony spent a long time touting of their PS5 hardware, is still not completely widespread so fans have been eager to see what concessions or restrictions exist for those still rocking mechanical hard drives.

The good news is, despite what PlayStation’s marketing beats leading up the PS5 release of Rift Apart would have you believe, PC players will be able to play this new port sans an SSD. Granted, it won’t be the best experience, but importantly it’s possible and that’s largely thanks to DirectStorage 1.2 technology in the PC version of the game.

Principal Programmer Alex Bartholomeus says in the PlayStation Blog announcement, “For Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PC, we added adaptive streaming based on live measurement of the available hardware bandwidth. This allows us to tailor the texture streaming strategy for the best possible texture streaming on any configuration. With DirectStorage, the use of a fast NVMe SSD and GPU decompression, this results in very responsive texture streaming even at the highest settings.”

The post goes on to explain that DirectStorage can fully utilise the speed of fast PCIe NVMe SSDs, but that the technology is “also compatible with SATA SSDs and even traditional hard disk drives. This means Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PC can use the same technology for loading data, regardless of the storage device in your system.”

Meanwhile on the high end of things, the studio has added support for some graphical features over and above the PS5 version including Ray-Traced Ambient Occlusion as well as Intel’s XeGTAO that works to simulate the effects of ambient occlusion in a similar way to screen space solutions with a high quality output at less of a performance cost than RTAO. The PC port also has ultrawide and triple monitor support, unlocked framerates, ray-traced shadows and support for upscaling technologies like DLSS 3 and FSR 2.

Check out the full breakdown of the hardware requirements for Rift Apart, including what you’ll need to get the “Ultimate Ray Tracing” experience, below:

The post Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart’s PC Requirements Have Been Revealed And It’s Playable Without An SSD appeared first on Press Start.

Phil Spencer has shared the news that Microsoft and PlayStation have both officially signed a “binding” agreement to keep the Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation platforms once the $69 billion USD acquisition deal with Activision Blizzard is finalised.

“We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favourite games, ” Spencer’s tweet reads, though little other information has been revealed about the agreement. The Verge’s Tom Warren reported that Microsoft confirmed with him it will be a 10-year agreement similar to what was struck with other parties.

We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 16, 2023

Microsoft president, Brad Smith, shared Spencer’s tweet and added “From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before.”

The Activision Blizzard deal is seeming like a lock with the FTC’s recent bid to temporarily block the acquisition in US courts being denied, including a further appeal, and the deadline of July 18th for it to be finalised looming incredibly close. If the deadline is missed and an extension is not agreed upon between the two companies Microsoft could owe Activision Blizzard a not-insignificant $3 billion USD payout.

Call of Duty has been the biggest sticking point in the entire ordeal with PlayStation arguing that Microsoft owning the consistent best-seller franchise would be anti-competitive and remaining convinced that it would see future Call of Duty titles either made inferior on PlayStation hardware or simply not released at all. Early on in the road to the acquisition, a 10-year agreement was signed with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty titles to Nintendo hardware, the exact mechanics of which – especially with the current Switch’s comparatively inferior hardware – also remain to be seen.

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Peacock has premiered a brand-new trailer for Twisted Metal, the upcoming TV series based on the iconic PlayStation vehicular combat video game franchise.

While the previous trailer for the show certainly set a particular tone with John Doe and Sweet Tooth duetting Thong Song in a dilapidated casino, this new ones finally gives us a much clearer indication of the moment-to-moment of the series. The explicit new official trailer gives us a good look at some of the show’s stars like Anthony Mackie (John Doe), Samoa Joe (Sweet Tooth), Will Arnett (Sweet Tooth’s voice), Stephanie Beatriz (Quiet), Thomas Haden Church (Agent Stone), Neve Campbell (Raven) and more, with plenty of cars, guns, jokes and delightfully campy acting.

Twisted premieres its run of ten, half-hour episodes on July 27th. For Aussies, it’ll be available to watch through Stan. I honestly still have no idea whether this is going to be good, so-bad-it’s-good or just plain bad, but I’m absolutely going to be subjecting myself to it to find out.

You can watch the new trailer just below:

Official Synopsis: Twisted Metal, a half-hour live-action TV series based on the classic PlayStation game series, is a high-octane action comedy, based on an original take by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and written by Michael Jonathan Smith, about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a badass axe-wielding car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.

The post The Latest Twisted Metal Trailer Is The Best Look At The Show Yet appeared first on Press Start.

Another day, another series of informational nuggets from the ongoing legal battle between Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the former’s bid to acquire Activision Blizzard for $69 billion USD.

Today’s an interesting one, with a number of documents submitted to courts by Sony having been poorly redacted – sensitive details seemingly blacked out with a sharpie which then didn’t hold up against the court’s scanner – and revealing some before-unseen insight into PlayStation’s inner workings, including just how important the Call of Duty franchise is to its bottom line.

According to said documents, which haee since been pulled from records but can still be seen in The Verge’s report here, the Call of Duty series is worth a hell of a lot to PlayStation, reportedly generating over $1.5 billion USD globally for the company through game sales alone. Factoring in the additional revenue it creates through hardware, accessory, subscription and digital content sales you’re looking at potentially (the redacted numbers in this part of the document are a little harder to read) over $13-15 billion USD in created value.

Microsoft’s CEO Wants To Get Rid Of Console Exclusives Entirely

That’s because, according to these same documents, it was revealed that PlayStation users spend a significant amount of time playing CoD. Last year alone, a reported six million players spent over 70% of their gaming time on PlayStation devices playing a Call of Duty title, and a staggering one million players played only Call of Duty on PlayStation in 2021.

The court documents also clarify that the last Call of Duty game to be released under Sony’s exclusive marketing deal with Activision will be released later this year.

Falling victim to the same redaction stumble, it was also revealed that Sony’s own big franchise releases like Horizon Forbidden West and The Last of Us Part II cost over $200 million USD each and five-plus years to develop, so it’s little wonder the company is so concerned with keeping such a ridiculous money-making IP like Call of Duty on its platform.

The post Sony Made A Truckload Of Cash From Call Of Duty Players In 2021 appeared first on Press Start.

Another day, another series of informational nuggets from the ongoing legal battle between Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the former’s bid to acquire Activision Blizzard for $69 billion USD.

Today’s an interesting one, with a number of documents submitted to courts by Sony having been poorly redacted – sensitive details seemingly blacked out with a sharpie which then didn’t hold up against the court’s scanner – and revealing some before-unseen insight into PlayStation’s inner workings, including some of the development costs for its biggest games.

According to one document, which has since been pulled from records but can still be seen in The Verge’s report here, games like Horizon Forbidden West and The Last of Us Part II had astronomical development costs in excess of $200 million USD each. The Horizon sequel was seemingly in development for at least five years, employing around 300 full time developers and costing $212 million USD to make, with Naughty Dog’s celebrated follow-up to The Last of Us reportedly taking even longer to produce, employing around 200 full time staff at its peak and costing $220 million USD to create.

Sony just spilled confidential PlayStation information because of a Sharpie https://t.co/nJYnLhSdXg pic.twitter.com/lv26dcyg4l

— The Verge (@verge) June 28, 2023

For comparison, something like Grand Theft Auto V reportedly cost around $140 million USD to develop back in 2013, considered at the time to be one of the most expensive game development projects to date. It’s no secret that budgets are ballooning in order for studios to keep pushing the technological envelope and deliver increasingly-rich words, characters and stories, but these numbers are still pretty staggering.

In other “redacted” information to come out of these Sony documents, PlayStation console owners who exclusively play Call of Duty games and nothing else on PlayStation hardware reportedly make up a whopping 1 million users, and Call of Duty players seemingly generated over $1.5 billion USD in spending on PlayStation in 2021 alone – a clear indicator on why it’s so fired up about keeping the franchise out of competitors’ hands.

The post Sony Accidentally Revealed Some Of Its PlayStation Exclusive Development Costs And They’re Huge appeared first on Press Start.

PlayStation has once again revealed that its Days of Play sale will return for 2023 with deals to be confirmed on June 2nd on the Days of Play website (but we’ll have all the Aussie deals here for you throughout the week).

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, PlayStation confirmed that the event would bring physical and digital deals on select games and accessories including the DualSense Charging Station, Pulse 3D headsets, DualSense controllers and more.

PLAYSTATION DAYS OF PLAY 2023 DATES

PlayStation confirmed that Days of Play will run from June 2nd until June 12th this year. Deals will be announced later this week.

PLAYSTATION DAYS OF PLAY 2023 PLAYSTATION PLUS DEAL

PlayStation confirmed that there would be a PlayStation Plus deal for both new and current PlayStation members. All PlayStation Plus 12 month plans including Essential, Extra and Premium will be 25% off which is a pretty decent deal. This will last from June 2nd until June 12th.

Current PlayStation Plus Essential and Extra members can also get 25% off a 1-month, 3-month or 12-month membership when upgrading to PlayStation Plus Deluxe.

This will likely only be digital via the PlayStation Store, but we’ll keep you posted on this deal and any others that pop-up over the coming days and weeks.

The post PlayStation’s Days Of Play Sale Event Is Back For 2023 With A Great PlayStation Plus Deal appeared first on Press Start.

Hot off the heels of the PlayStation Showcase, the team reacts to all the announcements and new trailers including Spider-Man 2, PlayStation Project Q, Alan Wake 2, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Fairgame$ and more!

• Listen on LiSTNR
• Listen on Apple Podcasts
• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Omny

You can also watch the video version of the podcast below:

00:00 – Intro
00:35 – PlayStation Showcase Impressions
09:12 – Spider-Man 2 New Trailer Reactions
12:54 – What Is PlayStation’s New Handheld?
21:19 – Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater Remake Reactions
27:15 – Alan Wake 2 Trailer Breakdown
32:57 – Assassin’s Creed Mirage Reveal Reaction
37:12 – Fairgame$ PlayStation’s First Live-Service Game
40:56 – All The Other Games Announced At The PlayStation Showcase
45:47 – Mortal Kombat I Reaction
50:17 – Digital Or Physical Games Debate
56:13 – What The Wiki?!

The post Reacting To The PlayStation Showcase And Handheld Announcement – The Press Start Podcast appeared first on Press Start.

Gris is easily up there among my favourite indie releases for its gorgeous, painterly aesthetic and breezy platforming gameplay woven into a quietly powerful personal tale.

Now, the people over at Nomada Studio have announced their new project via today’s PlayStation Showcase, and it’s another beautiful-looking sidescroller by the name of Neva.

Neva will tell another emotionally-charged story, this time portraying a young woman and her wolf companion as they navigate a dying world. The pair will overcome perilous dangers and strive to break free of trauma in their journey, with Nomada aiming to build on what it achieved in Gris’ presentation while adding new gameplay depth and even bigger production values.

Neva is coming to PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC in 2024. Take a look at the breathtaking debut trailer below:

The post Neva Is A Beautiful New Adventure From The Folks Behind Gris appeared first on Press Start.

Although we got some fresh looks into new entrees in existing franchises along with remakes and re-releases in today’s PlayStation Showcase, one surprise new IP announcement came by way of Phantom Blade Zero.

The trailer immediately grabbed us with its dark, striking visual style and slick-looking combat, all rendered in Unreal Engine 5. Now that the dust of the showcase has blown over and we can start poring over the official announcements from studios that featured their games, this one in particular has some interesting origins.

According to Soulframe Liang, the founder of S-Game, the studio developing Phantom Blade Zero, the game is a “spiritual rebirth” of a 2010 RPG Maker project that they’d made called Rainblood: Town of Death. After Liang finished making Rainblood and moved to China to found S-Game, they soon spun it into a whole franchise, renaming it Phantom Blade and producing some incredibly successful China-exclusive mobile games from the IP.

Now, the studio is developing Phantom Blade Zero and expanding that universe to a whole new global audience on PS5. The game promises a semi-open-world action RPG experience an occult/martial arts/steampunk hybrid aesthetic that it’s dubbing “Kungfupunk” and an approachable but authentic kung-fu combat system. The studio has even tapped veteran stuntman and fight coordinator, Kenji Tanigaki, to assist in animating the game’s fights.

Take a look at the debut trailer for Phantom Blade Zero below. You can also read about the origins of the studio and game, as well as what to expect from it, in more depth on the PlayStation Blog.

Check out the world premiere of Phantom Blade Zero, a new Action RPG featuring deep and dark art style, fast paced combat, and a fictitious world blending Chinese martial arts and steampunk. Be the Dark Raider exiled by “The Order”, embark on the path of vengeance, and uncover the darkest secrets of Wulin.

The post Phantom Blade Zero Is A Slick New Action RPG Inspired By An RPG Maker Game appeared first on Press Start.

This morning saw a huge new PlayStation Showcase with over an hour of reveals, updates and gorgeous trailers.

One of the most exciting among the lot was a brand-new trailer for Alan Wake II, showing off a great glimpse into the game’s narrative and gameplay, including a new perspective for players.

It was also revealed that the game is coming out on October 17th this year, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

The sequel to Remedy’s 2010 survival horror experience is set to be a truly next-generation experience, starting by shaking things up with a second playable protagonist in Saga Anderson. In the game, “A string of ritualistic murders threatens Bright Falls, a small-town community surrounded by the Pacific Northwest wilderness. Anderson, an accomplished FBI agent with a reputation for solving impossible cases, arrives to investigate the murders. Soon the events spiral into a nightmare when she discovers pages of a horror story that start to come true around her. Somehow the events seem to lead to Alan Wake, the horror writer who went missing 13 years ago.”

Players will be free to choose the order in which they follow both Alan and Saga’s stories, which will seemingly echo, foreshadow and intertwine with each other at points along the way. Both stories will take players to different locations including a return to Bright Falls, and we even got a look at what seems to be the man himself Max Payne in the trailer.

Interestingly, the game will also be digital-only on all platforms, with Remedy explaining that the decision was made to keep the game at a lower price for players.

Take a look at the stunning new trailer below and read the PlayStation Blog post for more:

The post Alan Wake 2’s Release Date Has Been Revealed Alongside A Thrilling Trailer appeared first on Press Start.

It wouldn’t be a recent PlayStation Showcase without Final Fantasy XVI making an appearance to remind us all that Sony is banking a lot on Square Enix’ next mainline effort.

Dropped in during the lengthy presentation, the game has received its “Launch Trailer” nearly a full month before it actually releases. Titled Salvation, the three-minute trailer gives us another deep look into the game, from earlier moments featuring a young Clive amidst a land in turmoil to heated Eikon. There’s a heap of new locations and iconic Final Fantasy creatures to glimpse in the trailer, so check it out below:

“We don’t need your salvation. We’ll save ourselves. And we’ll do it on our own terms.” Clive Rosfield and his allies fight to take back control of their fate. What salvation can they bring to Valisthea, a land blessed by the light of the Mothercrystals?

FATE WILL FALL.

We’ve recently gotten a treasure trove of new Final Fantasy XVI info with international outlets having a second, lengthy hands-on with the game and the revelations that the pre-launch demo will be quite substantial, and the game won’t require any kind of day one update when it launches on June 22nd exclusively for PS5.

We also played Final Fantasy XVI for ourselves earlier this year, saying “…the two-and-a-bit hours I spent immersing myself in Final Fantasy XVI has painted a reassuringly positive picture. It’s been in good enough hands this whole time that I’ve always felt rather confident in the game to really bring the single-player Final Fantasy experience back into good stead, but knowing what I now know and playing what I played I’m almost certain that this will be the Final Fantasy to truly wow the world once again.

Final Fantasy XVI launches for PS5 on June 22nd, 2023. Amazon has the cheapest pre-order price at $84 with free shipping.

The post Final Fantasy XVI’s Breathtaking Launch Trailer Has Dropped Ahead Of Next Month’s Release appeared first on Press Start.

Before today, when one thought of what’s next for PlayStation and its many talented studios, the big things that sprung to mind would be Insomniac’s Marvel efforts with Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine. Outside of rumoured projects, not much else is slated. Part of that is due to the fact PlayStation hasn’t had a fair dinkum blowout showcase like this for a couple of years.

Jim Ryan stated recently that one of PlayStation’s new goals, outside of their already staggering market dominance, would be mindshare and that they were looking to make some noise.

With that in mind, here are all of the announcements from this morning’s PlayStation Games Showcase.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Is Shaping Up To Be One Hell Of A Sequel

This trailer did a lot. I mean everything except confirm a date, which has long-rumoured to be September.

PlayStation Announced Their Streaming Device Project Q

It features all of the DualSense capabilities while including an 8″ screen. It’ll stream games from your console, which is certainly rad.

We’re Getting The Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Remake After All

They definitely kept us waiting, huh? As the title has what is essentially a triangle in the title, it’s tough to transcribe. But let it be known, it got a pop from all on the call.

Metal Gear Solid’s Master Collection Vol. 1 Is Coming To PlayStation 5 This Year

This collection bundles the first three games in the Metal Gear Solid franchise, which will be handy for those like me who’ve never played them. Shameful, I know.

Bungie Has Announced Their Marathon Reboot

It looks bloody synthy, and you know how we feel about synthy. The game is said to be a PVP extraction shooter and is also multiplatform with full crossplay and cross-save.

Bungie Also Showed Off A Beautiful Trailer For Destiny 2: The Final Shape

This lovely trailer, which confirmed the long-rumoured return of Nathan Fillion’s Cayde-6, also confirmed a showcase that is happening on August 22.

Remedy Wasn’t Kidding When They Said Alan Wake II Would Be Horror

*rapturous applause*

We Got A Good Look At Basim’s Journey In Assassin’s Creed: Mirage

Everything that has been promised, a return to stealth and the series’ roots, appears to be evident in this punchy gameplay trailer. The game is also coming out in October, which is already looking stacked.

Fairgame$ Looks Fair-Okay

The first post-acquisition effort from Haven Studios has all the trimmings of a live-service game all dressed up as a Robin Hood-esque “eat the rich” narrative. It’s described as a competitive heist game where you’ll visit exotic locations to capture the cargo.

Helldivers 2 Is A Big Change On The Original

Out of the team at Arrowhead, Helldivers 2 looks to a much more robust, traditionally third-person action game. The game is coming to PlayStation 5 and PC this year.

Immortals Of Aveum Combines Might And Magic

I must say, this is the prettiest and most expensive-looking EA Originals title we’ve seen yet. The game is set to launch July 20.

Ghostrunner 2 Looks To Go Beyond The Tower

One More Level dropped a teaser trailer for their Ghostrunner sequel that seemingly goes beyond the constraints of the tower that housed the entire first game. Amazingly, it’s set to launch this year.

Phantom Blade 0 Is Yet Another Ninja Game

Steeped in myth and fantasy, this game looks like it’s a frenetic, fast-paced action-slasher that’ll do enough to separate itself from the million other games like this we’ve seen emerge in the last couple of years.

Sword Of The Sea Is Another Gorgeous Odyssey From Journey’s Creators

It’s like Tony Hawk half-pipin’ through the desert, what’s not to love?

The Talos Principle II Is A Happening Thing

It’s got beautiful visuals and a swelling, hopeful score. So look, I’m probably in.

Neva Is A Beautiful Ghibli-Esque Game Out Of Devolver Digital

I got huge Studio Ghibli vibes from this one. A light and dark battle, a somber piano score, and a cute animal companion? Checks all of the boxes for me.

Cat Quest: Pirates Of The Purribean

Meow!

Foamstars Is Basically Jet Set Splatoon

…much to Kieron’s chagrin, who let out a yelp at the Square Enix logo. I, for one, can’t wait to blow my foam wad.

We Got Another Look At Storybook Adventure The Plucky Squire

The concept of this game continues to blow my mind. It’s beyond creative, it’s Aussie made, and it’s coming this year.

Teardown Is Set To Come To PlayStation 5

Despite being out for PC already, this voxel art, open-world game basically lets you wreck absolutely anything. It’s pretty wild.

Towers Of Aghasba Seems To Take The Adventure Skyward

There are a lot of sky whales.

Final Fantasy XVI Got Yet Another Glorious Trailer

To say Harry and Kieron were making noises in the chat doesn’t quite do justice to what I heard. They were a regular pair of “foamstars”.

Revenant Hill Is A Cute Countryside Indie Starring A Cat

Meow, again!

Granblue Fantasy Relink Is Still Happening

Looks like another winner for the crowd that loves their JRPGs.

We Got A Good Look At Street Fighter VI Ahead Of Its Launch Next Month

They also showed off the pre-bonuses, which are plentiful.

Ultros Is Definitely Your Brain On Drugs

This looks like an acid-trip Metroidvania. The colour palette is absolutely to die for.

Tower Of Fantasy Looks Like An Aldi-Brand Genshin Impact

I am not going to insult fans of this any further by trying to describe what I saw, so moving on.

Dragon’a Dogma II Got A New Epic Trailer

How he had anything left in him I’ll never know, but Harry went off again for this.

Five Nights At Freddy’s: Help Wanted Is Coming To PSVR2

And the PlayStation VR2 onslaught begins, both literally with this game and in terms of the showcase itself.

We Got A Look At Resident Evil 4 VR Mode

Although it was only a small slice of the game, it confirmed at the very least that parrying will be a thing in VR.

Arizona Sunshine II Is Coming To PSVR2 This Year

You can pick up dismembered zombie heads and make them chatter. That’s a good use of the tech right there.

We Got A Big Look At Synapse

It’s coming pretty soon and looks like the first PSVR2 game to grab my attention. It looks like Control in a twisted dreamscape.

Beat Saber Is Now Available For PSVR2 Along With A Queen Song Pack

Don’t stop me now.

Concord Is Also Appropriately Synthy

Although the trailer shows nothing else.

We Got A Gran Turismo Trailer

God, these graphics are great! Oh, it’s a movie.

The post All Of PlayStation’s Showcase Announcements appeared first on Press Start.

This morning saw a huge new PlayStation Showcase with over an hour of reveals, updates and gorgeous trailers.

One of the big-ticket titles that most were reasonably expecting to see at the event made its inevitable showing with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 getting a lengthy trailer to cap off the event, kicking off with a look at Kraven the Hunter.

Flash-forward six months to Queens and we see our first look at gameplay with Spider-Man using some bad-arse venom powers and slingshotting and gliding across the city. Following is a lengthy look at a whole lot of gameplay and narrative, which all looks glorious. Traversal looks incredibly fast, the set pieces naturally look incredible, and players will be switching rapidly between both Spideys at a near-instant pace. Also Lizard is here!

Insomniac is clearly making good use of the PS5’s SSD here with new features like the Web Wings taking Spider-Man and Miles Morales across the city at breakneck speeds. He may not have been granted wild symbiote powers, but the trailer shows that Miles is also getting a host of new abilities as well.

The game’s release date sadly hasn’t been revealed yet, but Insomniac reiterates in the accompanying PlayStation Blog post that it’s still on track to deliver the game with a late 2023 window.

Take a look at the stacked trailer below:

The post Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Just Got A Huge, Stunning Gameplay Trailer appeared first on Press Start.

This morning saw a huge new PlayStation Showcase with over an hour of reveals, updates and gorgeous trailers.

One of the more interesting reveals came by way of the announcement of a new handheld, one that had already leaked previously but we hadn’t seen with our eyeballs just yet.

Codenamed “Project Q”, the device essentially looks like a tablet surrounded by two halves of a full DualSense controller, and it’s designed strictly for Remote Play from a PS5 console over WiFi, meaning it’s still somewhat travel-ready wherever there’s Wi-Fi good enough to access your console at home, but more likely something you’d keep around the house for when you’re in another room or someone else is using the telly.

It’ll feature an 8″ 1080p LCD touch screen, giving you a big, beautiful display to play your PS5 games on, and all of the existing DualSense features like adaptive triggers and haptic feedback are packed in.

PlayStation also announced a new set of official gaming earbuds alongside it, which will obviously make a good combo.

Take a look at the first-ever reveal of the handheld below:

The post A New PlayStation Handheld Has Been Officially Revealed That’s Built For Remote Play appeared first on Press Start.

This morning saw a huge new PlayStation Showcase with over an hour of reveals, updates and gorgeous trailers.

One huge surprise was the reveal of a brand-new Marathon game from Bungie, debuted in a slick-looking trailer. According to the official website, it’ll be a run-based PVP extraction shooter in “a world of evolving, persistent zones.”

Marathon will reportedly carry the same sense of player-based storytelling Bungie is known for, and even though it’s confirmed to not have a single-player campaign the studio says it’ll still give players a sense of agency and affect over their journey with some discoveries or player actions even potentially having wide-reaching impact on the community.

Bungie’s Christopher Barrett has said, “We have a tremendous amount of respect for the original Marathon games and, from the very start, we’ve wanted to honor that, especially the mythology, story, and themes of the world. At the same time, our vision for this game is something new. It’s not a direct sequel to the originals, but something that certainly belongs in the same universe and that feels like a Bungie game. Finding those opportunities to nod to the universe’s lore, while also getting to build something different and new has been one of the best parts of developing this game so far.”

It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC with full cross-play and cross save at an undisclosed date.

Take a look at the debut trailer for Marathon:

The post Bungie’s Developing A New Marathon Game And It’s A PVP Extraction Shooter appeared first on Press Start.

This morning saw a huge new PlayStation Showcase with over an hour of reveals, updates and gorgeous trailers.

One reveal came with our first look at Resident Evil 4’s PS VR2 mode, which is confirmed to encompass the full Resident Evil 4 remake and is coming as a free DLC to anyone who owns the game. It looks like it carries across a lot of what made Resident Evil 7 and Village great in VR.

There still hasn’t been a release date revealed, with the trailer simply saying it’s “in development.”

Take a look at the trailer below:

The post Resident Evil 4’s PlayStation VR2 Mode Will Feature The Full Game And Here’s The First Look appeared first on Press Start.

This morning saw a huge new PlayStation Showcase with over an hour of reveals, updates and gorgeous trailers.

One of the most hype reveals came by way of a fantastic-looking first gameplay trailer for the unlikely sequel to Capcom’s cult 2012 hit, Dragon’s Dogma. It looks gorgeous, and has all the same spirit as the original from what we can tell.

There’s not much official information out there just yet, including a release window, but the PlayStation Blog has a great little piece for fans to look over.

Take a look at the trailer below:

Dragon’s Dogma is a single player, narrative driven action-RPG that challenges the players to choose their own experience – from the appearance of their Arisen, their vocation, their party, how to approach different situations and more.

On your journey, you’ll be joined by pawns, mysterious otherworldly beings, in an adventure so unique you will feel as if accompanied by other players while on your own adventure.

All of these elements are elevated further by the latest in graphics, artificial intelligence (AI) and physics technology to create a truly immersive fantasy world in Dragon’s Dogma 2.

The post Here’s Our First, Glorious Look At Dragon’s Dogma 2 Gameplay appeared first on Press Start.

This morning saw a huge new PlayStation Showcase with over an hour of reveals, updates and gorgeous trailers.

One of the more exciting among the lot was a new trailer for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, surprisingly dropping during PlayStation’s event ahead of Ubisoft’s own showcase next month. The trailer gave us a great look at how Mirage will take an old-school approach to the Assassin’s Creed formula with a return to focus on dense, urban parkour traversal, deep stealth mechanics and considered combat.

It was also revealed that the game will release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on October 12th this year.

Take a look at the new trailer below:

In Assassin’s Creed Mirage, you are Basim, a cunning street thief with nightmarish visions, seeking answers and justice. After an act of deadly retribution, Basim flees Baghdad and joins an ancient organization – The Hidden Ones. As he learns their mysterious rituals and powerful tenets, he will hone his unique abilities, discover his true nature, and come to understand a new Creed – one that will change his fate in ways he never could have imagined.

The post Assassin’s Creed Mirage Has A Release Date And A New Gameplay Trailer appeared first on Press Start.

This morning saw a huge new PlayStation Showcase with over an hour of reveals, updates and gorgeous trailers.

Coming off the tail of the huge reveal of a full Metal Gear Solid 3 remake, the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection (Vol 1) was also announced, bringing the first three games together on PS5 and potentially other platforms. It’ll contain Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Master Collection Version) and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Master Collection Version) plus potentially some other surprises.

It’s reportedly coming in Spring this year, and unlike the remake of Snake Eater these won’t be realised in any kind of new light.

Message From Development Team#MetalGearSolid #MG35th pic.twitter.com/bx0fAdDe9W

— METAL GEAR OFFICIAL (@Metalgear) May 24, 2023

The message on the official website reads:

“Currently, the development team are working together to create an environment where fans can experience and enjoy the METAL GEAR series on the latest platforms.

We are remaking Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, one of the most beloved instalments of the METAL GEAR series, revealing the origin story of Snake, as METAL GEAR SOLID ?: SNAKE EATER. We are working hard for METAL GEAR SOLID ?: SNAKE EATER to be a faithful recreation of the original story and game design, while evolving the gameplay with stunning visuals and a seamless user experience.

Simultaneously, we will deliver the METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION series, the most complete compilation that celebrates the 35th anniversary of the series. The METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION allow fans to play the games as they were, as first released on the latest platforms.

We hope you will enjoy the METAL GEAR series on the latest platforms.”

The post The First Three Metal Gear Solid Games Are Coming To PS5 This Year appeared first on Press Start.

This morning saw a huge new PlayStation Showcase with over an hour of reveals, updates and gorgeous trailers.

One of the lesser-kept secrets in terms of surprise announcements was the reveal that a Metal Gear Solid 3 remake is indeed happening after what feels like years of rumours.

The trailer was a very fun bait-and-switch moment, and also ended with the reveal of the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection.

Titled Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, it’s coming from Konami and is set to be a full remake of the 2004 original, featuring the same story and world re-realised in cutting-edge visuals and 3D audio. The game will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC at an unannounced date.

Check out the reveal trailer below:

Discover the origin story of iconic military operative Snake and begin to unravel the plot of the legendary Metal Gear series. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater brings unprecedented new graphics, immersive stealth action gameplay and sounds to its riveting story as players once again return to the world of Metal Gear.

You can also see some gorgeous-looking screenshots from the official website:

The post The Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake Has Been Officially Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

This morning saw a huge new PlayStation Showcase with over an hour of reveals, updates and gorgeous trailers.

The show opened with a CG trailer for Fairgames, the first game from new PlayStation Studio Haven, headed up by Jade Raymond.

It’s called Fairgame$ (dollar sign and all) and it looks like a mix of Payday and SEGA’s upcoming HYENA. It’s coming to PS5 and PC at an unannounced date.

Check out the trailer below:

The post Fairgame$ Is The Debut Live Service Game From PlayStation’s Haven Studio appeared first on Press Start.

After rumours circulated in recent weeks, it’s finally official – a new PlayStation Showcase is happening this week, livestreaming across the globe on Thursday, May 25th.

The showcase will be a big one, running at “a bit over an hour” with a focus on PS5 and PS VR2 games from studios all around the world. There will be new titles from PlayStation Studios shown off, as well as games from third parties and indies.

Here’s when Aussies will be able to catch all the action, and as usual it’s a nice little early morning wake up call for some:

PlayStation Showcase May 2023 Australian Times

The PlayStation Showcase is airing on Thursday, May 25th in ANZ local times.

• 6.00 AM AEST (Melbourne/Sydney/Hobart/Canberra/Brisbane)
• 5.30 AM ACST (Adelaide, Darwin)
• 4.00 AM AWST (Perth)
• 8.00 AM NZDT (Wellington)

WHERE TO WATCH THE 2023 PLAYSTATION SHOWCASE

You’ll be able to watch the PlayStation Showcase on the official YouTube and Twitch channels or below when it airs. If you miss it, don’t worry – we’ll be doing our best to cover everything as it happens.

Nearly two years ago was the big PlayStation Showcase for 2021 that saw the dual announcement of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine, both from developer Insomniac. Given that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is still slated to launch this year it’s a safe bet we’ll see at least that, if not both.

It’ll also be interesting to potentially see what other first-party PlayStation Studios are up to, like Sucker Punch or Bluepoint, but obviously a lot of PlayStation fans are looking to Naughty Dog right now to see what they’re up to and learn more about that elusive multiplayer The Last of Us project.

Whatever ends up being shown off, it’s just the beginning of a huge few weeks of gaming, with June’s gaming showcase season kicking well and truly into gear soon after PlayStation has its moment. You can find out everything that’s happening as well as all of the local times to pop into your schedule right here.

PlayStation Showcase broadcasts live this Thursday, 25th May at 6am AEST. Details: https://t.co/GkpE344qY9 pic.twitter.com/AhtdOdTyvh

— PlayStation AU (@PlayStationAU) May 22, 2023

The post All The Aussie Times For Tomorrow’s PlayStation Showcase And Where To Watch appeared first on Press Start.

In a report on its Game & Network Services segment released overnight, Sony has revealed a broad-strokes look how it performed in its financial year 2022 and its plans for the coming future.

There’s a heap to pore over around how the brand has performed, particularly coming off the back of a return to supply of PS5 consoles following pandemic and manufacturing-related challenges, and where it’s seeing engagement from players – it’s certainly interesting to see that among the 30% of players on the new subscription tiers, a majority are in the more expensive Deluxe/Premium ring. Sony’s shown it’s projecting the PS5 to be ahead of PS4 on all of its key metrics (console user spend, game sales, hours played, active users and consoles) by the end of the 2023 FY.

One detail that stands out is Sony’s goal for evolving the outlook of its first-party game portfolio, now that its all-encompassing content plans and studio acquisitions are all beginning to fall into place. The company shared a slide that reveals it plans to release “two or more major releases” per year going forward, and wants these to cover every “major genre.” It’s also planning to have a mix of single-player and live service titles in that crowd, with a balance of “big franchises” and new IP.

Sony also reiterates its strategy of synergy between different platforms and forms of media, something we can already see in action with the recent and rapid push into bringing PlayStation IP to the big and small screens, resulting in greater sales of games like The Last of Us and even promoting Sony-owned music through appearances in its games and video content.

PlayStation VR2 is also a big component of this cross-media push, with the report also revealing that the PS VR2 sold around 600,000 units in its first six week on sale, outpacing its predecessor in an identical time period by 8%, so there’s good opportunity there for PlayStation to leverage its bigger IP on that platform as well.

Speaking to areas of potential future growth, Sony’s also very clearly interested in live service games, and crossing over into the PC and mobile markets. It’s pumped a lot of money into exploring these areas with studio acquisitions and new ventures, so it’ll be interesting to see how it leverages some of its massive IP to work towards those goals.

Of course, there’s a good shot we’re going to see some of these plans in greater detail tomorrow morning when the massive, hour-plus-long PlayStation Showcase debuts to give us all a taste of what’s coming.

The post Sony Has Revealed That The PlayStation VR2 Launched Stronger Than Its Predecessor appeared first on Press Start.

Sony has released details and the full slideshow of its Corporate Strategy Meeting 2023 presentation, where it discussed the synergy it’s currently trying to create between the disparate parts of its entertainment and technology businesses, including PlayStation and gaming, to expand its reach to 1 billion users across all of its services.

You can see the full thing here, which goes into the company’s goals across music, film, technology services and its market in India, but the key takeaways are that the strategy for PlayStation in particular going forward is expansion of the PS5 and PlayStation ecosystem install base through IP and exclusive content.

Sony says the primary focus in its ongoing Game & Network Services strategy is to increase the number of active PlayStation users, citing growth and expansion of the PlayStation 5 and strengthening of its first party game portfolio as a key driver to achieve this.

With 6.3 million PS5s shipped in the last quarter, it’s certainly on track with its domination of the new-gen console space, and Sony says it’s also going to expand its content pipeline with “increasingly innovative and compelling” game experiences in order to grow the install base of the PS5 even further, working with publishers and developers to achieve this.

It’s not just PS5 though. Sony wants to increase its install base on PC as well, a key target in its push towards live service games. It says that it continues to take on knowledge from Bungie after it acquired the studio in 2022 and will use this knowledge to support its ability to create and operate live service titles.

IP is also clearly very important, with the presentation highlighting Sony’s multi-faceted, multi-media approach to expanding its key IP like The Last of Us, Gran Turismo and Uncharted. It calls out The Last of Us as having become the most-watched show in history in Europe and Latin America, as well as boosting the sales of The Last of Us games and a Sony-published song used in the series (A-Ha’s “Take On Me”). Sony has reportedly invested 1 trillion yen (nearly $11 billion AUD) into its IP over the last five years alone.

The post Sony Aims To Have 1 Billion Active Users Across Its Services With A Focus On Live Service Games appeared first on Press Start.

PlayStation has divulged a few more details of its fantastic, upcoming accessibility controller kit, originally dubbed “Project Leonardo” when it was revealed at CES earlier in the year and now simply called the Access controller.

Aside from revealing the name, PlayStation has provided a heap of new images of the Access controller, as well as screenshots of the planned UI on the PS5. Much like what’s available for the DualSense Edge, the PS5 UI for the Access allows players to change button assignments, adjust sensitivity, set the orientation that they’re using the Access in – with support for 360 degrees of rotation and the ability to secure it to an AMPS mount or tripod – as well as pair up to two Access controllers and one DualSense to be used as a single virtual controller.

In the new images you can see some of the hardware features like the four 3.5mm AUX ports for attaching specialty third-party switches, buttons and joysticks, the adjustable analogue stick distance, mounting ports, and 360 degree rotation of the main button array.

Each PlayStation 5 Access controller will include:

• Analog stick caps (standard, dome and ball stick cap)
• Button caps in different shapes and sizes, including:
  • Pillow button caps
  • Flat button caps
  • Wide flat button cap (which covers two button sockets)
  • Overhang button caps (which benefit players with smaller hands as they are positioned closer to the center)
  • Curve button caps (which can be pushed if placed along the top or pulled if placed along the bottom of the controller)
• Swappable button cap tags for players to easily mark which inputs they map to each button

The company has also set up a new web page for the Access controller, where interested players can registers for updates on the controller’s availability and pre-orders.

Lastly, PlayStation has shared a 6-minute video highlighting their ongoing efforts between product development and the work of their PlayStation Studios teams to make video games accessible to as many PS5 players as possible. It’s well worth a watch, so check it out below:

The post PlayStation Has Named Its Accessibility Kit The Access Controller And Given A First Look At The UI appeared first on Press Start.

According to Sony’s latest released financial report for its fiscal year ending March 31st, 2023, the PlayStation 5 is still selling in ridiculous amounts.

The console has reportedly moved some 38.4 million units since going on sale in November 2020 and has just posted its strongest January – March quarter yet with approximately 6.3 million console sold, compared to 2 million in the same period the previous year. It’s also been PlayStation’s highest-revenue (fiscal year) Q4 in history, which is mighty impressive, as well as being the most of any console sold in (calendar year) Q1.

You can read the full report here if you’re a nerd for numbers, but the folks at Gematsu have also pointed out a few interesting bits of additional information based on supplementary data:

• There are 47.4 million PlayStation Plus subscribers as of March 31, 2023, which is equivalent to the 47.4 million subscribers during the same period the previous fiscal year.
• There are 108 million monthly active users on PlayStation Network as of March 31, 2023, which is up two million from the 106 million active users during the same period the previous fiscal year.
• PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 software combined sold 68 million units during the three months ended March 31, 2023, which is down 2.5 million from the 70.5 million software sold during the same period the previous fiscal year. 9.5 million units were first-party titles, which is down five million from to the 14.5 million sold during the same period the previous fiscal year. 70 percent of software sales were full game software digital downloads, which is one percent less than the previous year.

With hardware supply issues far behind them, it seems Sony’s outlook for the PlayStation 5 continues to be incredibly positive. There are still some huge marquee exclusive titles to come for the console as well, including the likes of Final Fantasy XVI and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

The post Sony Has Sold Over 38 Million PS5 Consoles And Had A Record-Breaking Quarter appeared first on Press Start.

Capcom held a special Street Fighter 6 showcase today, hosted by Lil Wayne, showing off the game’s various modes including the impressively robust single-player World Tour component with an in-depth character creator and a shockingly huge amount of content to experience, and also revealing the first wave of annual character additions with four new playable fighters.

Most excitingly, it announced that a playable demo of the game has dropped right now for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 players (the demo will also be landing on Xbox and PC a little later on April 26th), allowing fans to get a taste of the game by training up with Ryu and Luke, creating their own avatar and starting out with a small portion of the World Tour mode.

The demo will also includes some components of the Fighting Ground mode with the below:

• One on One
• Extreme Battle (‘Down & Out’ x ‘Bull Run’)
• Tutorial (Beginner: Classic/Modern/Dynamic)
• Character Guides

You can grab the demo from the PlayStation Store here.

Bring your customized avatar from World Tour into the Battle Hub for the chaos that is Avatar Battles. Fight other players online using your avatar’s customized moveset and appearance where the limits to each battle are your imagination.

Hit the streets in World Tour with RPG-like mechanics from Skill Trees, consumable items, and the ability to give presents to the legendary fighters to increase your bond.

Street Fighter 6 release on June 2nd for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Amazon has the standard copy at $109 with free shipping and a Collector’s Edition is available to pre-order now from EB Games and JB Hi-Fi for $599.

The Street Fighter 6 Mad Gear Box Collector’s Edition Includes –

• Mad Gear Box, containing:
  • Street Fighter 6 full game in Steelbook® packaging
  • POP UP PARADE Figures Luke & Kimberly
  • Artbook
  • Sticker Set
  • Figure Diorama Boards
• Digital Content:
  • 4x additional characters
  • 4 additional characters’ colours: Outfit 1 Colours 3-10
  • 4 additional characters’ colours: Outfit 2 (including colours 1-10)
  • 4 additional characters’ colours: Outfit 3 (including colours 1-10)
  • 2 Additional stages
  • Purchase Bonus: 7,700 drive tickets

The post A Street Fighter 6 Demo Has Just Dropped On PlayStation appeared first on Press Start.

PlayStation has announced the acquisition of its 20th studio to the PlayStation Studios roster, welcoming Firewalk Studios to the family.

After having already entered a publishing partnership with Firewalk in 2021 to work on an as-yet unannounced AAA multiplayer game, PlayStation has decided to bring them into the fold for good, noting that Firewalk shares their “passion for creating inspiring worlds grounded in exception gameplay” and the desire to continue investing in that mission.

The announcement on the PlayStation Blog was accompanied by a letter from Firewalk’s Studio Head, Tony Hsu, and Game Director, Ryan Ellis:

“Every once in a while, you get to have an adventure.

Over five years ago, we jumped at the chance to set up a new studio and build a new IP from the ground up. Recalling our own favorite times with games, we founded Firewalk Studios around the idea of delivering memorable moments – those amazing, had-to-be-there times shared with other people. Our goal is to deliver those shared moments of joy to players around the world.

Building a new studio at scale has been an incredibly exhilarating and relentlessly daunting task. Fortunately, we’ve been supported by great partners throughout – ProbablyMonsters helped turbocharge us in setting up the studio, and Sony has been supporting our project and our creative vision from the beginning.

We’ve assembled some of the most inspired talent in the industry to deliver awe-inspiring new worlds and experiences filled with great core gameplay. The excitement of building something new for players has thoroughly energized the team and our partners, and we’ve been playtesting every day.

Today we’re taking the next natural step and joining PlayStation Studios. We’ve worked closely with Hermen and the very talented team at PlayStation for years, helping to make our new game even better. To join PlayStation Studios is to formally become part of a family that has produced many of the most storied games of our age, and we are honored.

We want to thank everyone who’s supported us along the way and those looking forward to our future. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and we can’t wait for the next chapter in this adventure.”

The post PlayStation Has Acquired Firewalk Studios appeared first on Press Start.

PlayStation has announced a new State of Play livestream for this Friday, with a heavy focus on the upcoming PS5-exclusive Final Fantasy XVI.

The presentation will reportedly contain over 20 minutes of footage from the game, though PlayStation hasn’t announced whether any other titles will feature.

Take a look at the Aussie times below to see when you catch this State of Play:

PlayStation State of Play Australian Times

The Final Fantasy XVI-focused PlayStation State of Play is happening on Friday, April 14th in local time.

• 7.00 AM AEST (Melbourne/Sydney/Hobart/Canberra/Brisbane)
• 6.30 AM ACST (Adelaide/Darwin)
• 5.00 AM AWST (Perth)
• 9.00 AM NZDT (Wellington)

You’ll be able to watch the stream on PlayStation’s YouTube or Twitch channels.

In the PS Blog announcement for the stream, PlayStation simply says, “From the moment Final Fantasy XVI debuted in our 2020 PlayStation 5 Showcase, fans around the world have eagerly awaited details on the game’s dark fantasy setting, the powerful Eikons and the Dominants who house them, and the flashy battle system teased in those early trailers.”

State of Play presents more than 20 minutes of new Final Fantasy XVI gameplay this Thursday. Tune in live at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 11pm CEST: https://t.co/nOULcwLVnQ pic.twitter.com/vNR9kGbxL6

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) April 11, 2023

Final Fantasy launches on June 22nd this year exclusively on PS5, and the game has already gone gold.

We recently played a few hours of the game at the Square Enix offices in Tokyo, and said in our in-depth preview, ”

Regardless of the session having a more narrowed focus on combat and Eikonic battles, the two-and-a-bit hours I spent immersing myself in Final Fantasy XVI has painted a reassuringly positive picture. It’s been in good enough hands this whole time that I’ve always felt rather confident in the game to really bring the single-player Final Fantasy experience back into good stead, but knowing what I now know and playing what I played I’m almost certain that this will be the Final Fantasy to truly wow the world once again.”

Final Fantasy XVI launches for PS5 on June 22nd, 2023. Amazon has the cheapest pre-order price at $82 with free shipping.

The post A PlayStation State Of Play Is Happening This Week With 20 Minutes Of Final Fantasy XVI Footage appeared first on Press Start.

Seemingly not content with what it currently offers in the DualSense Controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, Sony has recently filed a new patent that would add even more immersion to gameplay with a controller that’s able to change temperatures.

The patent was filed last week by Sony Interactive Entertainment and is simply labelled “Controller.” You can look at it in full here for all the nitty-gritty detail and diagrams, but we’ll try to break down the important bits and how it could work in a future take on the existing DualSense controller below:

VIDEO PRESENTED BY PLAYSTATION VR2. CLICK TO LEARN MORE.

This new controller patent begins by describing the core problem that it’s looking to solve – the rigidity of the current plastics used in video game controllers. Essentially, Sony is looking to change this by including an “elastically deformable elastic member” in the controller which can provide increased deformation and sensitivity to the player’s touch and input to enhance the current haptic feedback the controllers offer.

The interesting bit goes a bit deeper in, and describes the patented mechanism’s ability to “present the material of a virtual object in a game space to the user as a haptic sensation, present the temperature of the virtual object as a warm/cold sense, or the like” which implies that not only could this hypothetical future controller give players the physical sensation of objects in-game (this would be great for VR, by the by) but also give them the feeling of hot or cold environments as real-time feedback.

Imagine swinging a fire-imbued sword or an ice spell in an RPG and physically feeling a (hopefully mild) hot or cold sensation in the moment, or feeling the difference between the beating sun of a desert environment and the frigid night and that’s where this idea could potentially take us.

Obviously filing a patent doesn’t mean that Sony is actively planning on implementing the technologies it describes, but the possibilities are exciting to think about and we’d certainly welcome these features in future controllers.

The post Sony Has Patented A Controller That Can Change Temperature For Added Immersion appeared first on Press Start.

God of War Ragnarök has finally received the New Game Plus mode that was promised late last year, giving players a reason to dive back into the 2022 megahit.

The mode will allow players who’ve already finished the game to start a new save file with their existing equipment, weapons (including the Draupnir Spear) and skills, aside from the Sonic and Hex arrows types. On top of that, there’s a bunch of new gear for players to find, new progression and level cap, boss tweaks, a skip cinematic function and more. Take a look at everything new that’s coming (via the PlayStation Blog) below:

VIDEO PRESENTED BY PLAYSTATION VR2. CLICK TO LEARN MORE.

God of War Ragnarök New Game Plus Additions

Armour of the Black Bear

The Armour of the Black Bear will keep Kratos bundled up against the Fimbulwinter frost even after the sled chase. Its stats focus on Strength and Defense with a perk that rewards your last-second evades with a volley of Bifröst shards.

Your NG+ run will begin with the Armour of the Black Bear already equipped.

Spartan Armour

If you want a serious test of your skills and to take on the toughest challenge you can get in God of War Ragnarök, the Spartan Armor is for you. With no Perk, no Stats, and locked at Power Level 1 – the Spartan Armour lets you take a more… well, spartan approach towards protection.

This set is perfect for those of you who want to strip down your power to the minimum and leave no room for error. If you’re brave enough to face the coming of Ragnarök pecs-first, then give the set a try!

If you’re more into the Spartan General look and less into the challenging gameplay, you can always transmog this armour onto another set to achieve the look without sacrificing protection.

The Spartan Armour can be acquired for Hacksilver at Huldra Brothers’ Shop.

Ares Armour

The Ares Armour rewards the lucky with a chance to drop a Health Stone on hit. When you stomp the Health Stone, you also get a rage gain alongside a bigger explosion.

The Ares Armour can be purchased for Hacksilver at Huldra Brothers’ Shop.

Zeus Armour

The Zeus Armour will enable the ultimate risk-reward playstyle. This set greatly increases your Melee and Runic damage, while also increasing incoming damage.

A single hit could be enough to take even Kratos down with the Zeus Armour equipped, so you’ll need to be mindful of where your enemies are while you prepare to deal out punishment with the raw power this armour provides.

The Zeus Armour can be acquired by defeating Gná the Valkyrie Queen and completing certain Remnants of Asgard on a NG+ save.

Spartan Aspis – New Shield

The Spartan Aspis is similar to the trusted Guardian Shield, but it has a significantly tighter Parry window. While more challenging to time, successful Parries yield a more damaging reward.

The Spartan Aspis can be purchased at Huldra Brothers’ Shop with Hacksilver.

Armour Appearances

For those of you looking to keep things fresh, we’ve also remixed 13 of our existing armours with new colour combinations and styles that were previously unavailable.

These appearances can be bought at Huldra Brothers’ Shop and applied to any of your existing Level 9+ armour in the transmog menu. The new Berserker Armour appearance can be acquired after defeating the Berserker King on NG+.

New Level Cap

In NG+, both Kratos and your enemies will become more powerful with an increased level cap. You will be able to convert all your Level 9 equipment (armor, weapons, weapon components, and shields) into new ‘Plus’ versions that will provide additional levels of progression.

Converting your equipment will also yield a Gilded Coin that can be used to purchase one of the new Enchantments from the shop.

We’ve also added a quality-of-life adjustment to the shop, so you’ll be able to purchase and sell resources incrementally. Buy and selling materials to get your equipment in tiptop shape for your NG+ run is now smoother than Kratos’ scalp.

VIDEO PRESENTED BY PLAYSTATION VR2. CLICK TO LEARN MORE.

New Enchantments

Gilded Coins – Engraving and Badge Enchantments

If you ever agonized over an armor choice because you couldn’t choose a favorite Perk, the new Enchantments available in the shop are for you! These take a selection of powerful and versatile perks from Armor (Engravings) and Shield Rönds (Badges), allowing you to equip them in your Amulet as Enchantments.

For example, you can purchase the Dragon Engraving, which has the Dragon Scaled Breastplate Perk, Dragon’s Fury (Blocks and Parries grant a Strength/Defense stacking buff). You can equip that in your Amulet while wearing a different chest piece like the new Cuirass of Ares, allowing you to combine two different chest armor perks at once.

The most powerful enchantments from the Gilded Coins will require certain Stat thresholds to be met to encourage and reward you for getting clever with your builds. With so many new options available, we can’t wait to see which combinations you make.

Berserker Soul Drops – Stat Boost Enchantments

Defeating the Berserker Souls on NG+ will also reward you with new Enchantments to equip. While not as flashy as some of the Perk Enchantments, these will give you big boosts to select stats so you can lean into whatever build you like best even more.

Burdens

Burdens are a new set of Enchantments that will allow you to equip negative Perks for a tailor-made challenge.

For example, the Burden of Evasion will automatically give Kratos the Frost status effect when he rolls.

For those of you seeking to ramp up the difficulty with an exceptionally brutal experience, you can combine Burdens with the Spartan Armour.

We’ve also added a new UI option called Show Difficulty (Difficulty HUD Visualization), which will display the current difficulty setting on the HUD, as well as how many Burdens you have equipped. Feel free to flex a little bit for your friends.

Burdens can be purchased at the Huldra Brothers’ Shop with Hacksilver.

New Progression Paths

New Skill Mod Plus

Upgrade your existing Skill Mod tokens using XP to further enhance the effects of your favourite Mods.

Platinum Tier Labors

Carry over any progress from your Kill Labours or Ratatasks and continue to unlock a new Platinum Tier of rewards.

Additional Stat Gains

Nornir Chests will now provide Yggdrasil Dew to allow players to push Stats far beyond their previous limits.

Expanded Niflheim Arena

The Sparring Arena in Niflheim in NG+ will give you a ton of new options to play with! Alongside a selection of new enemies for you to face off against, you will now be able to play as either Kratos or Atreus and choose any of the following companion characters to fight beside you: Atreus (with Kratos), Freya, Brok, Sindri, Angrboda, Ingrid, Thor, and Thrúd.

With any companion combination possible, we can’t wait to see how creative you can get in gameplay and in Photo Mode.

Endgame Bosses

Got comfortable fighting the Berserker Souls and the Valkyrie Queen Gná? We’ve made sure the toughest optional fights have a few switch-ups in NG+ so even if you’ve beaten them before, they’ll still pack a punch when you meet them again.

Other Enemy Adjustments

Available on All Difficulties in NG+

The Hateful and the Ormstunga, two of our optional mini-bosses, have been given a few new tricks. Be sure to pay them a visit when you can in your NG+ run.

Available on Give Me No Mercy and Give Me God of War in NG+

If you choose to play on Give Me No Mercy or Give Me God of War difficulties, all bosses and mini-bosses will have Runic Armour. Strategic Runic usage in these fights can make the difference between victory and defeat.

In NG+, enemies turning elite can now also happen on Give Me No Mercy in addition to Give Me God of War. Elite enemies will gain an increase in Power Level, so make sure you keep a special eye on them when you see one transform in combat.

Black and White Render Mode

Looking to experience the story again with a more cinematic twist? After you beat the game once, you will have access to a new Black and White Render Mode for any subsequent NG+ or standard New Game saves.

You can find the new mode under the Graphics & Camera settings menu.

Skip Cinematics

Pick your own pace when replaying the story with the option to skip cinematics in NG+.

The post God Of War Ragnarok’s Massive New Game Plus Update Is Out Now appeared first on Press Start.

Square Enix has announced that it’s bringing last year’s 2D-HD remake of LIVE A LIVE to PS5, PS4 and PC.

Originally exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, the game is headed to the new platforms on April 27th, and a free playable demo is available to download right now with save file carry-over to the full game. You can grab it and pre-order the game at the below:

• LIVE A LIVE – PlayStation Store – $75.95 (20% pre-order discount for PlayStation Plus members)
• LIVE A LIVE – Steam – $74.95 (20% pre-order discount)

VIDEO PRESENTED BY PLAYSTATION VR2. CLICK TO LEARN MORE.

LIVE A LIVE is a HD-2D remake of the 1994 SNES original, which never released outside of Japan, making this the first official English release of the game.

We gave the game an 8/10 in our review of the Nintendo Switch version last year, saying “Live A Live leverages a fantastic visual overhaul with an already compelling and inventive narrative structure to offer an RPG experience like no other. It’s aging for sure – the slower nature of the turn-based battles and some strange logic to get the story moving – but it’s such a unique experience that any RPG fan owes it to themselves to try.”

LIVE A LIVE, originally only released for the Super Famicom in Japan, is being revived on PlayStation and Steam! Experience this legendary RPG, brought to life in the same HD-2D visual style as OCTOPATH TRAVELER.

Meet seven heroes, each with their own unique abilities and lives to live across different time periods. Experience their stories in any order you choose, uncovering shocking developments along the way:

• Prehistory: A tribesman comes of age in a world without words.
• The Wild West: A wanderer with a bounty on his head fights for his life.
• Imperial China: A kung fu master searches for a worthy successor.
• Twilight of Edo Japan: A shinobi undertakes an important secret mission.
• Present Day: A martial artist strives to become the strongest there ever was.
• The Near Future: A youth with psychic powers takes a stand against evil.
• The Distant Future: A newly built robot is swept up in a tragedy in space.

The post LIVE A LIVE Is Coming To PlayStation And PC appeared first on Press Start.

Gran Turismo 7’s latest update is out today, bringing the game up to Version 1.31 and adding a smattering of new content as well as support for up to 120fps on PlayStation 5.

Announced via the PlayStation Blog, the update includes five new cars, two new track layouts to Nurburgring, and new cherry blossom-themed content for the Scapes mode on top of adding an unlocked framerate option for displays supporting 120Hz VRR. A most recent 1.29 update for the game added a massive new feature in support for the PlayStation VR2, but 120Hz VRR is sure to be just as exciting to a portion of players, giving those playing on HDMI 2.1-compatible screens access to an unlocked framerate with no screen tearing.

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The new cars included in Version 1.31 are:

• Audi RS5 Turbo DTM ’19
• Mazda 3 X Burgundy Selection ’19
• Porsche 959 ’87
• Porsche Carrera GTS (904) ’64
• Toyota Alphard Executive Lounge ’18

And the two new Nurburgring circuit layouts, which also include the addition of new events, are:

• Nurburgring Endurance
• Nurburgring Sprint

According to patch notes uncovered by GTPlanet, there are also a whole lot of gameplay and physics changes being implemented under the hood, which you can read about in detail here. This reportedly includes things like updates to suspension physics, a more stable tire model, aerodynamics changes, adjustments to individual performance, controller steering algorithm improvements and more.

There are also changes made to how driver assists work, online lobby adjustments, price changes for legendary cars, menu and mode changes and heap more that players are bound to discover over the next few days after the patch rolls out.

There’s even a shiny new trailer for the Gran Turismo 7 Version 1.31 update:

The 1.31 update for Gran Turismo 7 arrives on March 30th at 4PM AEDT.

Amazon currently has the game available for $79 with free shipping on PlayStation 5.

The post Gran Turismo 7’s 1.31 Update Is Out Today And Adds 120Hz VRR Support On PS5 appeared first on Press Start.

PlayStation Australia has gone ahead and done the thing – they’ve teamed up with local legends, Aunty Donna, to plug the almighty PlayStation VR2 headset in a hilarious new promo video.

The video shows Mark inviting his mates, Broden and Zach, around to try out the excellent Horizon Call of the Mountain before realising he’s brought them around at the same time and only has one headset. The solution? An incredibly convincing fake PlayStation VR2 for Zach, complete with “immersive” features like haptic feedback, 3D audio and a gorgeous “4K OLED” display. It’s well worth a watch for fans of the lads.

Check it out below:

If you’re keen to see more people enjoying Horizon Call of the Mountain, check out our own video of VR first-timers getting immersed in the game. Or take a look at our guide to the best games to play on the PS VR2 right now.

VIDEO PRESENTED BY PLAYSTATION VR2. CLICK TO LEARN MORE.

Thinking about picking up a PlayStation VR2? Read our in-depth review, where we said, “The PlayStation VR2 is an astonishingly impressive bit of gear, combining exciting and innovative features with supreme comfort and usability and leveraging the power of the PlayStation 5 to provide an all-around fantastic VR experience. It’s a breeze to wear and use, the controllers are a home run, and games can look downright astonishing. Titles like Horizon Call of the Mountain prove there’s a ton of potential here, and there are plenty of other great experiences in the launch library, but whether or not you drop close to a grand on a PS VR2 right now is going to depend on how much faith you have in that potential in the long term.”

For everything else you need to know about the PlayStation VR2, head here.

WHERE TO BUY THE PLAYSTATION VR2:

• PlayStation VR2 Standard Kit – $878 with free shipping
• PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain Bundle – $958 with free shipping
• PlayStation VR2 Charging Station – $79 with free shipping

The post Aunty Donna Playing PlayStation VR2 Is As Chaotic As You’d Expect appeared first on Press Start.

Citizen Sleeper, last year’s bloody excellent sci-fi narrative RPG, is finally making its way to PlayStation consoles this month.

As of March 31st, players on PS5 and PS4 will be able to dive in and find out why I called this game “an absolute vibe” in my review and consider it easily one of 2022’s best games.

Better yet, by the time the PlayStation release rolls around, Citizen Sleeper will have launched all three of its free DLC expansions, making it a complete release and the best version of the game yet. Solo developer Jump Over The Age (Gareth Damian Martin) announced the news via the PlayStation Blog, saying “As a longtime PlayStation player, I’m so happy to finally bring the game, complete with all its DLC to both PS4 and PS5.”

One of 2022’s most acclaimed indies, the Game Awards-nominated Citizen Sleeper arrives on PlayStation – March 31st, 2023!

Citizen Sleeper is a Tabletop-inspired narrative RPG set on Erlin’s Eye, a ruined space station that is home to thousands of people trying to survive on the edges of an interstellar capitalist society.

The post Citizen Sleeper Is Getting A PlayStation Release This Month appeared first on Press Start.

Meet Your Maker, the post-apocalyptic first-person building-and-raiding game from the studio behind Dead By Daylight, is coming to PlayStation Plus Essential on launch day – which was also just announced to be April 4th.

Behaviour Interactive made the announcement via the PlayStation Blog, where it expressed the excitement around the game’s user-generated content angle – which sees players build their own devious, trap-filled Outposts and take on other users’ creations in fast-paced and frenetic raids – with more players able to access the game hopefully meaning even more creative and compelling content for everyone to play.

Check out the trailer announcing the day one release here:

Meet Your Maker is a post-apocalyptic first-person building-and-raiding game where every level is designed by players. Switch between roles as you mastermind devious maze-like Outposts filled with traps and guards, then gear up for methodical fast-paced combat raiding other players’ creations.

CREATE TO DESTROY

• Build a maze of devious deathtraps designed to lure, outwit, and kill trespassing players.
• Combine a huge array of customizable blocks, traps, and guards.
• Pre-record custom patrol paths for your guards with the innovative AI recording system.
• Share your Outposts and watch other players take them on.
• Reap rewards from those who die, learn how to strengthen your creation from those who live, and never lose progress or resources by being raided.

OUTWIT TO SURVIVE

• Test your grit, wit, and reflexes by raiding other players’ Outposts.
• Get in, grab the Genmat, and try to make it out alive.
• Gain an edge by choosing the right loadout (melee, ranged, defensive), perks, and consumables to match your challenge or playstyle.
• Master every Outpost that stands in your way.

COOPERATE & CONNECT

• Combine your creativity and build with a friend or join forces to raid Outposts as a team of two.
• Watch raiders challenge your Outposts via the replay system.
• Grow your Outpost’s reputation with community feedback.
• Find your friends and favorite Builders, and play their Outposts any time.

You can find Meet Your Maker and add it to your wishlist on the PlayStation Store here.

The post Meet Your Maker Is Coming To PlayStation Plus Essential At Launch appeared first on Press Start.

HBO has announced that the eighth episode of its TV adaptation of The Last of Us has once again broken viewership records, pulling in 8.1 million sets of eyeballs for its premiere. For comparison’s sake, the very first episode debuted to 4.7 million viewers, so this week’s has come close to doubling that number.

Titled When We Are In Need, the episode is the second-last for the series with the finale airing next Monday at 1PM AEDT.

HBO says that The Last of Us has been the top title across HBO Max for the entire eight weeks it’s been airing, with the first five episodes nearing 30 million viewers across all platforms.

You can check out a sneak preview of the finale below (if you’re so inclined):

You can watch The Last of Us on Foxtel and Binge. Head here to see the full series schedule.

The show was also just renewed for a second season after drawing these record-breaking numbers for HBO, and our latest peek into the upcoming The Last of Us multiplayer game has us believing it could be a two-player cooperative experience.

HOW TO WATCH THE LAST OF US IN AUSTRALIA

HBO’s The Last of Us is available to stream on both Binge and Foxtel.

Binge is available starting from $10 per month for standard definition streaming, $16 per month for high definition and up two devices simultaneously, or $18 per month for high definition and up four devices simultaneously. All three tiers have a 14-day free trial available for new users – you can sign up here.

Foxtel will also have the series via FOX Showcase, which all subscribers of Foxtel or Foxtel NOW will be able to access as part of the base subscription. Like Binge, a free trial is also available for new users to Foxtel NOW, for 10 days – take a look at that here.

The post This Week’s The Last Of Us Episode Broke Viewership Records Again appeared first on Press Start.

Update: The PlayStation Plus Essential games for March are now available for players to add to their library and download.

You can grab them below:

• Battlefield 2042
• Minecraft Dungeons
• Code Vein

Your PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for March 2023 are:

? Battlefield 2042
? Minecraft Dungeons
? Code Vein

Full details: https://t.co/T5TTI7XnEu pic.twitter.com/eUmpUZ9yCi

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) March 1, 2023

Sony took to its State of Play this morning to get the jump on any leaks and announce March’s PlayStation Plus games.

March 2023 PlayStation Plus Essential Games

Sony confirmed that Battlefield 2042, Minecraft Dungeons and Code Vein would be the games coming to PlayStation Plus Essential.

March 2023 PlayStation Plus Extra/Deluxe Games

Sony also revealed a handful of games that would be coming to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalogue including new release Tchia and big hitters such as Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection and Ghostwire Tokyo.

• Immortals Fenyx Rising
• Rainbow Six Extraction
• Tchia
• Uncharted: Legacy Of Thieves Collection
• Ghostwire Tokyo

We’ll keep you posted when the full list is revealed in the coming weeks.

The post March’s PlayStation Plus Essential Games Are Out Now appeared first on Press Start.

Following the reveal of both the PlayStation Plus Essential titles and the first batch of PlayStation Plus Extra games for March, PlayStation has dropped a tasty deal for anyone brand-new to any of the Plus tiers to jump in for the first time.

Starting now and running through the weekend, new members can sign up to the Essential tier for just $1 for the first month, with the Extra and Deluxe tiers getting their own discounts as well. The prices are as follows:

• PlayStation Plus Essential 1-Month Subscription – $1 (91% off) then $11.95/mth
• PlayStation Plus Extra 1-Month Subscription – $3 (84% off) then $18.95/mth
• PlayStation Plus Deluxe 1-Month Subscription – $5 (77% off) then $21.95/mth

Those already on an Essential subscription can also save 35% on an upgrade to Extra or Deluxe between now and March 10th.

Find out more about these deals here.

MARCH 2023 PLAYSTATION PLUS ESSENTIAL GAMES

Sony confirmed that Battlefield 2042, Minecraft Dungeons and Code Vein would be the games coming to PlayStation Plus Essential.

• Battlefield 2042
• Minecraft Dungeons
• Code Vein

MARCH 2023 PLAYSTATION PLUS EXTRA/DELUXE GAMES

Sony revealed a handful of games that would be coming to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalogue including new release Tchia and big hitters such as Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection and Ghostwire Tokyo.

• Immortals Fenyx Rising
• Rainbow Six Extraction
• Tchia
• Uncharted: Legacy Of Thieves Collection
• Ghostwire Tokyo

WHAT ARE THE PLAYSTATION PLUS TIERS?

In case you need a refresher, the PlayStation Plus tiers are explained below:

• PlayStation Plus Essential: Get access to online play as well as two free PS4 games and one free PS5 games every month as well as exclusive discounts
• PlayStation Plus Extra: PlayStation Plus Extra includes the previous Essential tier benefits as well as a catalogue of over 400 downloadable PS4/PS5 games including the likes of Horizon Forbidden West, Returnal, Ghost of Tsushima, Death Stranding, Stray and more.
• PlayStation Plus Deluxe: PlayStation Plus Deluxe includes the previous Essential/Extra benefits as well as a catalogue of classic PlayStation PS1/PSP/PS2 games including the likes of Ape Escape, Syphon Filter, The Legend of Dragoon, Resident Evil Director’s Cut and more. These classic games now include different display options, the ability to rewind and some even include trophies. It also includes time-limited game trials for titles such as God of War Ragnarok.

The post You Can Get PlayStation Plus For As Little As $1 This Weekend appeared first on Press Start.

PlayStation has announced a swish new PlayStation 5 cover and special DualSense controller design created in collaboration with sports icon, LeBron James.

The cover and DualSense are both all-black and sporting James’ iconic motifs and inspirational slogans like “Nothing is Given. Everything Is Earned” and “Build. Uplift. Empower” which is a massive improvement over my controller at home that one of my friends wrote “mid” on with a sharpie.

?? LeBron James Limited Edition #Ps5 ? pic.twitter.com/NbgKwVsk6M

— RIKO! (@RikoSuaveOO7) March 1, 2023

PlayStation says that “fans in select markets will be able to preorder the accessories exclusively through direct.playstation.com later this year” which makes it sound like Aussies might miss out on this one, but we’ll be sure to keep an eye on any local availability or pricing details.

The designs come by way of the new PlayStation Playmakers program, spotlighting stories from a dynamic and evolving network of talent who are passionate about sharing their love for PlayStation and video games with the world.

“It’s still crazy to think a kid from Akron who grew up playing games is getting to create something like this. Designing a console cover and controller with PlayStation that gives a nod to my I Promise students and where we come from is a pretty cool thing. I hope it’s something that continues to inspire everyone who touches it, and that they have a little fun finding meaning in every detail.”

– LeBron James

The post PlayStation Is Releasing A New LeBron James PS5 Console Cover And DualSense Design appeared first on Press Start.

The PlayStation Store has just launched its Mega March Sale, slashing the digital prices on a bunch of top-notch titles to celebrate… well, March.

You can browse the full sale here, but as usual we’ve eyeballed a few of the juicier picks of the bunch as recommendations for games we reckon you should be catching up on while they’re cheap (everyone’s backlogs are nice and clear at the moment, right?)

The sale is running from now and set to end on March 15th.

Take a look at some of the highlights below:

PlayStation Store Mega March Sale

• Garfield Lasagna Party – $36.81 (33% off)
• FIFA 23 – $76.96 (30% off) / $43.97 (60% off) for PS+ members
• The Callisto Protocol Digital Deluxe Edition – $84.66 (30% off)
• A Plague Tale Bundle – $86.06 (30% off)
• Cyberpunk 2077 – $34.97 (50% off)
• Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade – $97.11 (33% off)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – Galactic Edition – $45.98 (60% off)
• Persona 5 Strikers – $39.98 (60% off)
• Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition – $20.96 (30% off)
• No More Heroes 3 – $34.97 (50% off)
• DOOM Eternal Deluxe Edition – $32.98 (67% off)
• Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition – $10.97 (50% off)
• Immortals Fenyx Rising – $19.99 (80% off)
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla + Watch Dogs Legion Bundle – $48.98 (75% off)
• Back 4 Blood: Ultimate Edition – $39.98 (75% off)
• Yakuza: Like a Dragon Hero Edition – $35.08 (70% off)
• Death Stranding Director’s Cut – $29.98 (60% off)
• Valkyrie Elysium – $61.47 (50% off)
• Temtem – Deluxe Edition – $78.36 (20% off)
• Crash + Spyro Triple Play Bundle – $69.58 (60% off)
• NEO: The World Ends With You – $42.47 (50% off)
• BioShock: The Collection – $19.99 (80% off)
• Deliver Us Mars – $35.96 (20% off)
• Dying Light 2 Stay Human – Deluxe Edition – $72.57 (40% off) / $66.52 (45% off) for PS+ members
• Midnight Fight Express – $23.96 (20% off)
• No Straight Roads – $20.73 (33% off)
• Return To Monkey Island – $23.21 (25% off)
• Planet Coaster: Console Edition – $15.73 (75% off)
• Saints Row – $44.97 (55% off)
• Sonic Colours: Ultimate – Digital Deluxe – $32.47 (50% off)
• The Chant – $27.47 (50% off)

The post The PlayStation Store’s Mega March Sale Has Kicked Off With A Heap Of Digital Bargains appeared first on Press Start.

There are few sounds as recognisable, at least to anyone who’s so much as touched a video game, as the PlayStation logo sound – that fuzzy sort of chime noise that’s accompanied the PlayStation’s various logos in video adverts for about as long as they’ve been around.

Credited with the creation of that familiar sound was Tohru Okada, keyboardist for influential Japanese rock band, Moonriders, and composer for anime, video games and advertising.

Last week it was announced that Okada had sadly passed away, at the age of 73.

We love you pic.twitter.com/CyvjEj6pFJ

— moonriders_net (@moonriders_net) February 22, 2023

Born in April, 1949, Okada formed the band Moonriders along with his bandmates in 1975, a project that had great success in Japan and lasted until at least 2011. He also composed music for recognisable anime such as Mobile Suit SD Gundam along with the music for various 1990s Crash Bandicoot ads.

Okada was hospitalized due to a compression fracture in early 2022.

The post The Creator Of The Iconic PlayStation Logo Sound Has Passed Away appeared first on Press Start.

HBO’s long-awaited television adaptation of The Last of Us has kicked off with the premiere episode today, and a ton of positive reviews of the full season have recently dropped – including our which you can read right here.

The Last of Us is releasing new episodes weekly over its nine-episode season, but with the often-confusing world of region-based TV and movie streaming, you might be wondering exactly when and how you can get in on the action here in Australia.

The good news is, Aussie viewers won’t have to wait any longer than our global friends to catch each new episode of The Last of Us as it drops, it’s a simple matter of accounting for time zones and knowing where to catch it – and that’s on both Binge and Foxtel locally.

WHEN DOES THE HBO’S LAST OF US GET RELEASED IN AUSTRALIA?

Each episode of The Last of Us will drop on a Monday at 1PM AEDT, starting on Monday, January 16th and continuing on for the next eight weeks. The only exception is the fifth episode, which drops two days early on a Saturday.

• The Last of Us Episode 01: Available Monday, January 16th at 1PM AEDT
• The Last of Us Episode 02: Available Monday, January 23rd at 1PM AEDT
• The Last of Us Episode 03: Available Monday, January 30th at 1PM AEDT
• The Last of Us Episode 04: Available Monday, February 6th at 1PM AEDT
• The Last of Us Episode 05: Available Saturday, February 11th at 1PM AEDT
• The Last of Us Episode 06: Available Monday, February 20th at 1PM AEDT
• The Last of Us Episode 07: Available Monday, February 27th at 1PM AEDT
• The Last of Us Episode 08: Available Monday, March 6th at 1PM AEDT
• The Last of Us Episode 09: Available Monday, March 13h at 1PM AEDT

The local timezone equivalents below for each Monday’s episode drop are below:

• 1.00 PM AEDT (Melbourne/Sydney/Hobart/Canberra)
• 12.30 PM ACDT (Adelaide)
• 12.00 PM AEST (Brisbane)
• 11.30 AM ACST (Darwin)
• 10.00 AM AWST (Perth)
• 3.00 PM NZDT (Wellington)

HOW TO WATCH THE LAST OF US IN AUSTRALIA

HBO’s The Last of Us is available to stream on both Binge and Foxtel.

Binge is available starting from $10 per month for standard definition streaming, $16 per month for high definition and up two devices simultaneously, or $18 per month for high definition and up four devices simultaneously. All three tiers have a 14-day free trial available for new users – you can sign up here.

Foxtel will also have the series via FOX Showcase, which all subscribers of Foxtel or Foxtel NOW will be able to access as part of the base subscription. Like Binge, a free trial is also available for new users to Foxtel NOW, for 10 days – take a look at that here.

Both Binge and Foxtel will have each new episode as it premieres at the above times.

ARE THERE ANY TRAILERS?

There’s been a couple teaser trailers for The Last of Us trailers released in the past, but the major official trailer is the one below:

The post Here’s When And Where Aussies Can Watch HBO’s The Last Of Us TV Series appeared first on Press Start.

Much like the recent revelation that Xbox and Arkane’s Redfall would require players connect to the internet to play either solo or in online co-op, it’s now been revealed that Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will need the same.

Putting to bed any argument over whether or not it would be a “live service” game, Suicide Squad’s lengthy showing at Friday’s PlayStation State of Play portrayed a game stuffed with all of the usual live service tropes like gear-bound power levels (or “Gear Scores” here), cosmetics, a battle pass, post-launch content and so on.

Whether or not you choose to engage fully with a lot of that, and even if you choose to simply play the game alone using AI bots to fill out the rest of your party of four, you’ll reportedly need to remain connected to the game’s servers to be able to play at all.

That’s according to the official website’s FAQ page, which says:

“IS AN INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED TO PLAY SUICIDE SQUAD: KILL THE JUSTICE LEAGUE?

Yes, an internet connection is required to play Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League solo or via online co-op.”

Probably not the most surprising news, nor will it concern many players with steady internet connections fairly ubiquitous across most households, but it does pose some questions for the longevity of the game.

Marvel’s Avengers, a game it bears more than a few striking similarities to, lasted less than three years before it was announced that support for the game would be ending. In something of a best-case scenario for the death of that game, the servers are at least staying on for fans to keep playing, but it could easily have been worse.

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is coming on May 26th for PS5 and Xbox Series X. The cheapest copy is $79 from Amazon.

The post Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Requires An Internet Connection Even In Single Player appeared first on Press Start.

PlayStation has announced its first State of Play stream for 2023. It’s taking place on Friday morning and it will bring us a look at some new third-party game announcements, five PlayStation VR2 announcements as well as more than 15 minutes of new gameplay details and gameplay footage from Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.

ALL THE AUSTRALIAN TIMES FOR THE PLAYSTATION STATE OF PLAY STREAM

It’ll be happening on Friday morning at the below times.

• AEDT (Melbourne/Sydney/Hobart/Canberra) – 08:00am
• AEST (Brisbane) – 7:00am
• ACST (Darwin) – 6:30am
• ACDST (Adelaide) – 7:30am
• AWST (Perth) – 5:00am

WHERE TO WATCH THE PLAYSTATION STATE OF PLAY

You can watch it on YouTube below:

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PlayStation’s Festival of Play event is on right now, bringing with it new game trials, a massive PlayStation Store sale, new PlayStation Stars campaigns and a heap more.

You can read about all the activity on the PlayStation Blog, but one of the biggest highlights is a free PlayStation Multiplayer Weekend happening this weekend across February 18th and 19th.

For the two days, everyone will be able to play online multiplayer modes across PS5 and PS4 games without needing a PlayStation Plus subscription.

During this time, PlayStation will also be holding some special online tournaments across games like FIFA 23, NBA 2K23 and Guilty Gear, meaning that even players without active subscriptions will be able to participate.

It's time for PlayStation Plus Festival of Play. A week-long celebration where members can enjoy Double Discounts, compete for glory, and more.

Join us and play: https://t.co/ER4iC4cRU0 pic.twitter.com/0u5qg2pYJH

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) February 15, 2023

It’s a great time to be a PlayStation Plus member though, especially in the upgraded Extra/Deluxe tiers, with February’s slate of titles added to the subscriptions including some massive titles like Horizon Forbidden West, Outriders, The Quarry, Resident Evil 7 and banger Classics like The Legend of Dragoon and Wild Arms 2. You can check out the full list of added titles below.

We also just posted our comprehensive reviews of the PlayStation VR2 which you can read here, and its key launch title Horizon Call of the Mountain.

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PlayStation has released a couple of teardown videos for the PlayStation VR2 and its new Sense controllers, to give fans an idea of the kind of intricate engineering and cutting-edge design it’s taken to get these new devices to where they are now.

We recently walked you through what the unboxing and physical hardware experience of the PS VR2 is like, but there’s no way we could’ve gone this deep (literally) into it.

The first video shows Takamasa Araki from the Mechanical Design team taking apart the headset itself to show the internals including its cooling system for gameplay comfort, the design symmetry of its internal components to keep weight even, the camera units and optics and the design of the headband. It’s an incredibly interesting watch and really shows how much is going on inside the device:

The second video comes via Takeshi Igarashi from the Peripheral Design team and explains how they reworked the design philosophies and innovative features of the DualSense controller to suit the VR form factor, adding in things like finger detection to heighten the immersive experience even further. The video reveals that the haptic feedback units in the Sense controllers weren’t just taken straight from their “flat” gaming counterpart but were redesigned to fit the new shell, likewise for the adaptive trigger mechanism.

The PlayStation VR2 releases on February 22nd, 2023. You can read more about our experience with it in our unboxing breakdown as well as our hands-on sessions with both Horizon Call of the Mountain and Resident Evil Village VR.

PLAYSTATION VR2 PRE-ORDER LINKS:

• PlayStation VR2 Standard Kit – $878 with free shipping (no deposit needed to pre-order)
• PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain Bundle – $958 with free shipping (no deposit needed to pre-order)
• PlayStation VR2 Charging Station – $79 with free shipping (no deposit needed to pre-order)

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The PlayStation Blog and King Indies himself, Shuhei Yoshida, have put together a new spotlight feature on four unique and distinct upcoming indie titles that definitely deserve a following.

Alongside a new look at the tantalising drive-to-survive run-based post-apocalyptic supernatural vehicle sim, Pacific Drive, we’re also treated to a development update on Eternights, a heartfelt origin story for Animal Well and a “Deluxe” PlayStation/PC port of PixelJunk Scrappers. Take a look at all of it on the PS Blog here, or keep reading for a quick breakdown on what was shown off:

PixelJunk Scrappers Deluxe

Once an Apple Arcade exclusive, PixelJunk Scrappers Deluxe is bringing the side-scrolling arcade beat-em-up to PlayStation and PC. It’s a couch (and online) co-op experience that’ll task you and your friends to wipe out enemy robots while also (literally) cleaning up the streets of Junktown. With over 25 levels, more than 100 customisable garbage truck parts, mini-games and more it’s sure to be a highlight at your next games night.

Wishlist it on the PlayStation Store and Steam.

Eternights

A high-octane blend of dating sim and action game, Eternights is shaping up to be an anime-inspired hit set in a dangerous world with just enough room for some good ol’ romance. The PlayStation blog post reveals some of the updates made to the game since it was revealed last year, including improvements to the overall game flow and sense of immersion. Between UI updates, time management changes, refreshed environments, level designs and more, there’s a lot going into making this a game that fans of unique and engaging experiences can look forward to when it lands later this year.

Wishlist it on the PlayStation Store and Steam.

Pacific Drive

A fresh look at Pacific Drive gives us a taste of what to expect in this inventive blend of run-based survival game and car sim, tasking players to maintain and improve their trusty station wagon in order to drive deeper and deeper into the Zone. You’ll need to brave dangerous anomalies, strange weather and cataclysmic events to find the best resources to build and improve your car and base of operations, to then strike out even further and so on. Drive, Survive, Repeat.

Wishlist it on the PlayStation Store and Steam.

Animal Well

Animal Well is a divine-looking exploratory platformer that was first revealed last year and has all the makings of a sleeper hit. It tasks players with discovering a new world through fresh eyes, learning its intricacies and patterns and how to work with (or against, if you feel the need) its animal inhabitants to progress. The development update on the PlayStation Blog from sole developer, Billy Basso, sheds some light on how the game is taking shape and how its creator got to where they are now. Give it a read here.

Wishlist it on the PlayStation Store and Steam.

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Update: These issues look to now be resolved. Many players were having success in working around the issue while it was happening by “forgetting” their network in the PS5/PS4 settings menu and re-connecting, so if you’re finding that the problems are still occurring, that’s definitely something to try.

The PlayStation Network is currently down unexpectedly. PlayStation has not announced any maintenance, planned or unplanned, or addressed the issues many users have been facing this morning.

As of right now, the PlayStation Network System Status page says that everything is running smoothly, but users on Twitter are reporting they’re unable to launch games due to licenses being unable to verify.

@PlayStation PSN status says everything is clear, but there’s a bunch of us who are locked out of our games and can’t play. Message says the licenses can’t be verified. We can’t verify them or do anything network related.

— Ziv Kitaro (@ZeOneGod) February 7, 2023

Reports of the outage on Down Detector have started rolling in since around 8AM:

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GiantBomb’s Jeff Grub, ever the source of fairly accurate claims to “insider” video game news, has spoken about Insomniac’s upcoming Wolverine game on his livestream podcast, Game Mess Mornings.

Speaking with Jan Ochoa on the subject, Grubb cites sources familiar with the studio and development of the game, saying that Wolverine could launch as early as Q3/4 2024, which would be pretty well bang on a year after the studio launches Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 this Spring.

Grubb also claims that Insomniac is targeting a more mature age rating for the game, and trying to distance it from the character as known in the Fox movies, instead aiming to have this take on Wolverine stand on its own. While the details definitely seem a bit shaky and should be taken with a healthy dose of scepticism, it also sounds like this might be some form of prequel story to Wolverine joining the X-Men or at least begin in that fashion.

Regarding the release date, it’s clarified that Grubb has also heard that the release might go as far back as 2025, though Insomniac’s output has proven to be fairly rapid through recent releases so it’s not entirely unthinkable that it could be earlier.

Following a teaser back in September 2021, we’ve heard next to nothing about the game so here’s hoping a larger reveal is on the way.

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The PlayStation Store has just launched its Critics’ Choice Sale, slashing the digital prices on a bunch of top-notch titles.

You can browse the full sale here, but as usual we’ve eyeballed a few of the juicier picks of the bunch as recommendations for games we reckon you should be catching up on while they’re cheap (and before the inevitable onslaught of 2023 hits):

PS5 DIGITAL GAMES ON SALE

• Need for Speed Unbound Palace Edition PS5 – $57.47 (50% off)
• Dying Light 2 Stay Human PS5/PS4 – $48.97 (50% off)
• Grand Theft Auto V PS5 – $29.97 (50% off)
• It Takes Two PS5/PS4 – $23.98 (60% off)
• F1 22 PS5 – $32.98 (70% off)
• Resident Evil Village PS5/PS4 – $27.47 (50% off)
• Rolledrome PS5/PS4 – $29.66 (34% off)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales PS5/PS4 – $47.47 (50% off)
• Sonic Frontiers PS5/PS4 – $69.96 (30% off)
• Jurassic World Evolution 2 PS5/PS4 – $33.98 (60% off)
• Hades PS5/PS4 – $25.96 (35% off)
• Resident Evil 3 PS5/PS4 – $13.73 (75% off)
• Persona 5 Royal PS5 – $69.96 (30% off)
• Neon White PS5/PS4 – $24.76 (20% off)
• Lost Judgment PS5/PS4 – $39.98 (60% off)
• Sonic Origins PS5/PS4 – $29.97 (50% off)
• Outer Wilds PS5/PS4 – $18.57 (40% off)
• Temtem PS5 – $50.36 (20% off)
• Two Point Campus PS5/PS4 – $41.99 (30% off)
• Control: Ultimate Edition PS5/PS4– $20.98 (65% off)
• New Tales from the Borderlands PS5/PS4 – $29.97 (50% off)
• Tinykin – $26.56 (30% off)
• Endling – Extinction is Forever – $31.96 (20% off)

PS4 DIGITAL GAMES ON SALE

• Horizon Forbidden West – $62.67 (43% off)
• Gran Turismo 7 – $62.67 (43% off)
• F1 22 – $29.98 (70% off)
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VI – $9.59 (80% off)
• Bloodborne: Game of the Year Edition – $23.97 (50% off)
• Mass Effect Legendary Edition – $24.98 (75% off)
• Sonic Colours Ultimate – $41.96 (30% off)
• Digimon Survive – $48.96 (30% off)
• Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition – $18.13 (67% off)
• 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim – $39.98 (60% off)
• The Yakuza Remastered Collection – $19.23 (65% off)

The post The PlayStation Store’s Critics’ Choice Sale Is Full Of Deals On Banger Games appeared first on Press Start.

God of War Ragnarok, Santa Monica Studio’s massive 2022 follow-up, has seemingly sold incredibly well.

The studio took to Twitter to announce that the game has now sold through 11 million copies, less than three months since its November 9th release. The game had already set a record for the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios title of all time having moved over 5 million units in its first week.

Since launch, the game has seen hugely positive reviews as well as post-launch support from Santa Monica Studio in the form of an added photo mode, with a New Game+ option coming sometime in the next few months.

Amazon has also announced that it’s working on a God of War television series that will cover the world and characters as they are in SMS’ recent games.

We’re incredibly humbled that #GodofWarRagnarok has officially sold through 11 million copies!

None of this would be possible without the support of our fans, so thank you for coming on this journey with us! pic.twitter.com/7KlAT9eddG

— Santa Monica Studio – God of War Ragnarök (@SonySantaMonica) February 1, 2023

We’re incredibly humbled that #GodofWarRagnarok has officially sold through 11 million copies!

None of this would be possible without the support of our fans, so thank you for coming on this journey with us!

We gave God of War Ragnarok a 9.5/10 in our review, saying “God of War Ragnarok is a triumph. Santa Monica Studio has successfully taken everything that was great about the last game and amplified it while correcting just about every problem area and then some.”

God of War Ragnarok is available now. Amazon has the game for $98 (PS5) / $78 (PS4) with free shipping.

The post God Of War Ragnarok Has Already Sold 11 Million Copies appeared first on Press Start.

No stranger to giant statues, PlayStation has followed up its epic Horizon Forbidden West statue activation by taking it up a notch for its new ‘Live from PS5‘ campaign.

Massive statues including humungous PS5 consoles and Kratos’ axe from God of War Ragnarok have started appearing in locations such as Korea, London, Italy and Dubai.

Whilst there’s nothing in Australia yet, this seems to be something that will continue into the coming days and weeks, so hopefully we see something down under.

OK, who threw it this time? ? https://t.co/ssCuN4Z1y9

— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) January 31, 2023

Large PS5 the size of a small PS5 is completely blocking Via del Corso in Rome https://t.co/2H5nyB5SXX

— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) January 31, 2023

If you're considering seeing it in person, experts speculate the axe will be gone by Tuesday evening.

(And please do not attempt to lift the axe, Kratos will be angry) pic.twitter.com/AJKcGDyMra

— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) January 30, 2023

??? ????!?
?????? ??? PS5 ??? ?? JBR ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ???#LiveFromPS5Arabia#Dubai#LiveFromPS5 pic.twitter.com/RAMdM5HOgd

— PlayStation Arabia (@PlayStation_ME) January 31, 2023

The launch of these statues are to coincide with PlayStation’s ‘Live from PS5’ campaign which launched alongside a new trailer that shows the likes of Spider-Man 2, Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok as if they were happening in real life.

Interesting enough, people thought that a new Uncharted game and maybe Ghost of Tsushima were being teased within the trailer as PlayStation’s post said.

“This new spot hints at the breadth of extraordinary experiences taking place in the PS5 universe through the style of a live news channel. See if you can spot all the game references”

This also marks the end of the PS5 shortage with PlayStation declaring that more stock would be available in all parts of the world. This was evident this week with the console getting its first price drop on Amazon. 

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As someone who wouldn’t remotely label themselves a “pro” gamer, the market of premium controllers like Xbox’s official Elite controllers or aftermarket pads from companies like SCUF has typically always eluded me. I love the feeling and construction of my Elite Series 2, but I can’t say that I’ve ever had the desire to mess with any of the added features that make its biggest selling points.

With PlayStation entering the fray with its own pro controller solution in the DualSense Edge though, I decided that maybe it was time to see just how much I could get out of a controller that costs about half as much as the console it’s designed for. After a good week of thorough use, I’m already struggling to go back to the regular DualSense – except for when the battery in my Edge dies and I have no other choice.

THE CHEAPEST PRICE: $339 AT AMAZON WITH FREE SHIPPING.

The very first thing I noticed on PlayStation kindly sending me out a DualSense Edge for review is that the box it comes pack in is hefty. It’s markedly bigger than the normal DualSense box and significantly heavier, making it feel every bit imposing and important right from the moment you start to unbox it. Inside, everything is already neatly packed into the included carry case, a stark white and black number that exudes the PS5 aesthetic and will probably get very dirty very quickly if you’re frequently using it to cart the Edge around.

What you’re getting for your eye-watering $340 investment is the DualSense Edge controller itself (naturally), said carry case, a very nice 2.8m braided USB-C cable with an optional lock attachment, two extra pairs of analogue stick caps in the old PS3-style convex shape with high and low variants and two sets of optional back button attachments – one “paddle” style set and a smaller, half-dome set. It’s a decent amount of kit and somewhat in line with what you’d expect from the full Elite Series 2 package, although there are a couple of odd or disappointing choices in what’s included, but we’ll get to those a bit further down.

Picking up the DualSense Edge for the first time, it’s clear that all the heft isn’t just in the goodie bag of extras inside the box – the controller itself is quite weighty and solid. I wouldn’t call it heavy, but it’s definitely a discernible difference from the normie DualSense. It feels decidedly “premium”, like it’s made out of better stuff than most and built ready to tackle anything you throw at it. It definitely comes across in the hand as an expensive bit of gear, and it’s thoughtfully designed with flourishes like a textured grip at the back of the handles and on the L2/R2 triggers, shiny black finishes on the front face and buttons and a very handsome touch pad that’s a bit more angular and textured with little PlayStation icons.

Aside from aesthetic differences, the overall shape and fit of the Edge is pretty well on par with the existing DualSense which is a pretty commendable feat considering the amount of extra stuff packed into it. In additional to the usual fixtures this new take on Sony’s iconic controller includes two function (FN) buttons underneath the analogue sticks, trigger length sliders next to each set of shoulder buttons, and two slots to fit in either of the back button attachments that come with it.

Anyone who’s used a controller of this ilk will have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the lever-style back buttons, which are similar to what you’d find on the Elite controllers. More interesting are the half-dome variety which are smaller and seem to work better for people with a higher grip on the controller, for me these were definitely the preferred option but it’s great that there’s an alternative included. I very quickly found myself making use of the back buttons in Dead Space, where I mapped them to give me instant access to health and Isaac’s Stasis ability without having to take my fingers off the shoulder buttons. I also made use of being able to shorten the travel on the L2/R2 triggers to give my fingers a bit of reprieve when slinging spells in Forspoken, a nice little added comfort option that I hadn’t anticipated.

As far as the DualSense Edge’s analogue sticks go, it’s mostly good stuff. The sticks themselves are pretty well what you’d expect from the DualSense controller, of course with the point of difference that the tops can be swapped out with the PS3-esque convex ones included in the box. These come in standard and taller lengths for people that like to add some extra travel distance for games that beg extra nuance, but I’m a bit confused as to why we only get the taller option in the convex style caps. Surely it wouldn’t have taken much more effort to include a fourth set and give people taller versions of the default caps.

The biggest plus here though, is the user-serviceability of the DualSense Edge’s analogue stick modules, which can be entirely removed with a just a couple quick switch flips and replaced with brand new ones should your sticks succumb to the dreaded drift. Given the price point of the controller I almost would’ve expected PlayStation to opt for hall effect sensors over the drift-prone analogue equivalent, but at least it’s easy enough to pick up a $35 official replacement module and pop it in if you find yourself out of warranty and unwilling to shell out another $340.

Something I didn’t clock initially was the tiny release switch tucked away on the underside of the Edge to make the front faceplate pop off for getting at the modules. I’d gotten used to just (carefully) pulling the plates off of my standard PS5 controllers to swap them for aftermarket ones and automatically started doing the same here. Thankfully it doesn’t seem like it’s done any harm, but keep that in mind and learn from my mistake.

Aside from the impressive physical additions in the DualSense Edge, the software component is also largely a success. The FN buttons at the bottom of the pad are your gateway to a handful of shortcuts that help to tie the whole experience together alongside the UI integration on the PS5. The dedicated DualSense Edge settings menu on the PS5 allows users to adjust a heap of settings from completely reassigning buttons to adjusting deadzones for the triggers and sticks as well as sensitivity. All of these tweaks can be saved into custom profiles which can then be assigned to different combinations of the FN and face buttons to make quickly swapping between them a breeze. Combining the FN and d-pad buttons on the other hand makes it easy to quickly control PS5 audio settings when using an official headset, which I found immediately useful jumping into a party with some friends.

It does feel a little odd that both FN buttons have identical function. It makes sense from a comfort perspective when using them in combination with buttons on each end of the controller, but they still feel a touch redundant as two additional buttons that don’t actually add any new in-game functionality. Overall though, the software experience and ease of customisation and quick-switching is very impressive and a major selling point for picking up one of these official pro-style pads over a third-party offering. Hopefully down the line with firmware updates we’ll see the potential unlocked even further.

One thing that can’t easily be fixed or updated and stands out as one of the few sore points on the DualSense Edge is the little ol’ issue of battery life. The standard flavour of DualSense was already trailing behind just about every other controller when it came to its stamina, usually tapping out before hitting double digits in hours played. The Edge is no better in this regard, and if anything is slightly worse (as evidenced by the fact it’s physically smaller and holds less actual charge). I’ve found I get around 4-5 hours on a charge in games that utilise the full spectrum of haptic feedback/adaptive trigger features, though that can obviously be increased by switching those and other features off. For all the good that the Edge does, its poor battery life is a big detractor and could (and should) give many potential punters pause to pick one up.

Given the nice, long USB-C cable included it’s clear that there’s an expectation for users to opt for playing with the DualSense Edge plugged directly into the PS5 console, and that’s honestly a fine way to use it. I’m convinced that wireless latency isn’t that big an issue for 90% of players, even at higher skill levels, but the kinds of people investing in a controller like this would naturally gravitate towards a perceivably more reliable wired connection anyway. The included locking mechanism that you can attach to ensure the cable can’t accidentally be tugged out of your Edge is a nice inclusion, though the implication seems to be that people would rather risk their $800 console falling onto the floor than their controller skip a few beats if a pet or unruly housemate trips the cord.

The post PS5 DualSense Edge Review – A Feature-Packed Pro Controller That Nearly Nails It appeared first on Press Start.

The DualSense Edge, PlayStation’s answer to “pro” controllers like the Xbox Elite Series 2, released yesterday and while reviews have been largely positive and we’ve been impressed with the controller so far, one looming doubt cast over the $340 pad is the potential for it to have an even shorter battery life than the already limited standard DualSense.

Now that the Edge is out there and in players’ hands, it was only a matter of time before someone conducted a thorough teardown of the controller to investigate just what’s going on with the battery from a hardware perspective. Turns out, Sony’s suggestion that the battery life in the DualSense Edge would be slightly shorter rings true, as Australian custom controller business, Budd’s Controllers, has discovered the battery capacity is actually smaller.

RELATED: Bargain Guide – PS5 DualSense Edge Controller

After tearing the controller down on Twitch, Budd’s discovered that the Edge’s battery is both physically smaller and of a smaller overall capacity, at 1,050 mAh vs the regular DualSense’s 1,560 mAh. That’s a reduction of around a third of the overall capacity, which seems pretty significant to us. You can see a comparison of both batteries below:

Check out the battery size difference/ pic.twitter.com/oAOS7yWbiM

— Budd's Controllers (@buddscontroller) January 26, 2023

Of course, until more testing is done we don’t know what other changes or magic PlayStation has get the most out of the DualSense Edge’s smaller batter, if any. And just from looking at it, it’s clear that internal space was at a premium in the fancy new controller. For now though, it’s something that will likely put some PlayStation fans off dropping $340 on a new pad that runs out of juice even faster.

The post It Turns Out The DualSense Edge’s Battery Is Genuinely Smaller Than The Standard One appeared first on Press Start.

With PlayStation’s shiny new and official pro controller for the PS5, the DualSense Edge, hitting stores this week the reviews are rolling in from outlets across the globe.

We recently ran a hands-on preview of the Edge and had a lot of good to say, but now with press spending serious time with the pad in their own time we can finally get a good idea of what it’s like to own and regularly use one of the $340 gadgets in the real world.

Bargain Guide – PS5 DualSense Edge Controller

The sentiment across the board from outlets that have published reviews of the DualSense Edge seems largely in step with what we first observed. Which is that the controller offers a premium feel with all of the expected “pro” controller hardware additions like trigger stops, swappable added back buttons and extra function buttons, but it’s the deep level of integration in the PS5 UI and the ability to swap out the analog stick modules completely if they succumb to stick drift that really set it apart at least from other third-party offerings.

It also seems as though early reports that the battery life in the controller would be a step down from the original DualSense might not be entirely accurate. Gauging the results from multiple reviews it definitely doesn’t seem to be any improvement over the base version but it at least remains somewhat on par.

@alwaysonaus

The DualSense Edge is PlayStation’s new $340 pro controller for the PS5. #tech #playstation #ps5 #ps5controller #dualsenseedge #techtok #gaming

? Cool Kids (our sped up version) – Echosmith

IGN scored the controller a 9/10 in their review, saying “At nearly triple the price of the standard DualSense controller, the $200 USD price tag for the DualSense Edge is a hefty one for most casual players. That being said, there’s a ton of fantastic tech packed into a controller that’s virtually the same size and shape you’re already used to.”

VGC had similar thoughts on the price, reiterating that this is a controller for enthusiast players in their 4/5 star review, “At $200 USD, DualSense Edge was never going to appeal to everyone. But for competitive players, the quality of its build, slick software integration and the huge amount of customisation options means it’s undoubtedly the most premium PS5 controller you can buy. For everyone else, it’s far from essential, especially if you don’t play competitive games or desire customisation beyond what the original DualSense is capable of.”

GamesRadar weren’t quite as enthusiastic, suggesting that the controller doesn’t have enough of an “edge” over cheaper third-party alternatives to justify paying the premium price, but recognised that the software integration is second-to-none on the platform.

The Loadout said the battery life for their Edge isn’t as good as the standard DualSense, but their expectation of that controller was around 12 hours which sounds like a stretch to us, otherwise their 9/10 review praised it as a premium controller for the PS5. “While it could have offered the bare minimum and sold well, the DualSense Edge offers some of the best experiences out of a controller. Its ease-of-use and comfortable grip, alongside a variety of great accessories and the final touches with the swappable stick modules, makes the DualSense Edge the most elite controller on the market right now, and one I’ll be finding myself using in most gaming sessions for the foreseeable future.

All up it seems like the DualSense Edge is doing exactly what it set out to do – offer an official premium option that meets the needs of enthusiast players and slots very neatly into the PlayStation ecosystem, but might struggle to justify its high price tag of $340, especially when battery life isn’t improved at all.

The DualSense Edge releases on January 26th for $339 AUD. You can grab it on Amazon with free shipping HERE.

The post The DualSense Edge Reviews Are In And It Sounds Like A Winner For Pro Players appeared first on Press Start.

It’s not secret that HBO’s The Last of Us series has done incredibly well for itself, earning critical acclaim across its nine-episode run (our review is here) as well as public praise and record-breaking viewership numbers for its premiere episode last week.

One thing that’s been interesting to see first-hand after the initial episode debuted is just what the audience for the show has been in terms of those who’d played or at least been introduced to the game/s it’s based on and those who hadn’t. I’m sure that plenty of TLOU fans have had a similar experience in its wake, of talk around the workplace from previously uninterested or non-gaming colleagues who caught HBO’s The Last of Us and enjoyed it – certainly helping to boost those incredible 2-day figures of 10 million viewers.

So it’s with those people especially in mind, and of course anyone who simply hadn’t got around to the recent remake, that we now see some massive sales numbers for the TLOU game in the wake of just that initial showing.

Fire Emblem Engage takes No.1 as the second biggest UK launch in the series' history https://t.co/ZC3p1GDlwc

— GamesIndustry (@GIBiz) January 22, 2023

GamesIndustry.biz reports that, at least in the UK, boxed sales of The Last of Us Part I on PS5 jumped up a whopping 238% week-on-week, with the PS4 version of the game, The Last of Us Remastered, seeing an even bigger spike at 322%.

Meanwhile on local shores, Amazon’s sales charts show The Last of Us Part I coming back into the #6 spot in PS5 game sales amidst etc, while The Last of Us Part II cracked the top spot for PS4 game sales and The Last of Us Remastered also squeezed into the top 10 at #5

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PlayStation has revealed which games on PS5 and PS4 were most downloaded from the PlayStation Store in 2022.

The top 20 games on both platforms, as well as top 10 round-ups for both PlayStation VR and free-to-play titles were shared over on the PlayStation Blog, so head there to see the full lists, but we’ve also broken down the core top 10s here.

While the data unfortunately doesn’t contain anything specific to Aussie gamers, it’s certainly interesting to see how it all shakes out between the US/Canada regions and Europe, with some pretty obvious differences like FIFA 23 taking out the top spot in the football-obsessed EU versus Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II resonating more with Americans… Then there are the year’s obvious heavy hitters such as God of War Ragnarok and Elden Ring sitting amongst the usual evergreen franchises of NBA and GTA.

The top 10 PS5 games of 2022 on the PlayStation Store are:

Top 10 PS5 Games On PlayStation Store For 2022 (US/Canada)

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
2. God of War Ragnarok
3. NBA 2K23
4. Elden Ring
5. Madden NFL 23
6. Grand Theft Auto V
7. FIFA 23
8. Horizon Forbidden West
9. Gran Turismo 7
10. Dying Light 2

Top 10 PS5 Games On PlayStation Store For 2022 (EU)

1. FIFA 23
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
3. God of War Ragnarok
4. Elden Ring
5. Grand Theft Auto V
6. Gran Turismo 7
7. Cyberpunk 2077
8. Horizon Forbidden West
9. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
10. Dying Light 2

On the PS4 front, things look more or less the same, though it’s interesting to see that God of War Ragnarok seemingly captured a much smaller last-gen audience than on the PS5, while both football and basketball had so much staying power in their respective regions that both the 2022 and 2021 releases of NBA and FIFA managed to crack the top 10. Also, props to European PS4 players for really getting into The Forest last year.

Top 10 PS4 Games On PlayStation Store For 2022 (US/Canada)

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
2. Grand Theft Auto V
3. Minecraft
4. Elden Ring
5. NBA 2K23
6. Red Dead Redemption 2
7. NBA 2K22
8. Madden NFL 23
9. God of War Ragnarok
10. FIFA 23

Top 10 PS4 Games On PlayStation Store For 2022 (EU)

1. FIFA 23
2. Grand Theft Auto V
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
4. Minecraft
5. FIFA 22
6. Red Dead Redemption 2
7. Among Us
8. The Last of Us Part II
9. Elden Ring
10. The Forest

Looking forward, PlayStation has also dropped a shiny new trailer for its 2023 line-up, and fired up a new sale with a bunch of digital games under $30.

The post The PlayStation Store Has Announced Its Most Downloaded Games Of 2022 appeared first on Press Start.

Sony and Exient have announced Ultimate Sackboy, a brand-new mobile game based on the popular PlayStation mascot.

In the 3D auto-runner, you’ll guide Sackboy as he takes on the legendary Ultimate Games, the most prestigious – and craziest – obstacle racing tournament in all of Craftworld. The game looks simple but packing plenty of charm and, naturally, tons of costumes and accessories to dress up your Sackboy.

While it’s not rolling out globally until late February, Aussies are among the lucky few who are able to get in on the action early. Ultimate Sackboy is headed to both Android and iOS devices, with pre-registration available on the Google Play Store here, and – provided you’re rocking a compatible device – you should be able to download and get playing right away.

Check out the trailer for Ultimate Sackboy below:

The post Ultimate Sackboy Is A New Mobile Game And Aussies Can Play It Early appeared first on Press Start.

Update: Variety reports that updated figures for the show have come through and viewership for the premiere episode of The Last of Us has already reached another milestone of 10 million in the US alone in its first two days.

Cast aside any doubt you might have had – after overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics for the full season and a similar sentiment from viewers after the premiere of the first episode, HBO’s TV adaptation of The Last of Us now has the viewership numbers to prove it’s a hit.

A press release from HBO reports that the debut episode of the show, created by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Naughty Dog’s own Neil Druckmann, reached 4.7 million viewers in the US on HBO/HBO MAX alone. That number is the network’s second-highest figure after House of the Dragon, and makes it the first show since 2010’s Boardwalk Empire to nab that #2 spot.

Here’s When And Where Aussies Can Watch HBO’s The Last Of Us TV Series

HBO also claims in the press release that “Sunday night viewership for an HBO series typically represents 20%-40% of the show’s total gross audience per episode,” with shows like Euphoria scoring half the premiere numbers but going on to average nearly 20 million viewers per episode after that.

We were among the lucky few to be able to watch the entire series in full ahead of its first episode debut, with our own Shannon Grixti saying in his review, “HBO’s The Last Of Us rises above to be an absolute classic. It’d be a disservice to only go as far as saying that this is a fantastic TV show adaption of a video game, because on its own, it’s a must-watch piece of television.”

“Our focus was simply to make the best possible adaptation of this beloved story for as big an audience as we could,” Mazin and Druckmann said of the success of the debut. “We are overjoyed to see how many fans, both old and new, have welcomed ‘The Last of Us’ into their homes and their hearts.”

“We are thrilled to see fans of the series and game alike experience this iconic story in a new way, and we extend our gratitude to them for helping to make it a success,” added Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & HBO Max Content. “Congratulations to Craig, Neil and the brilliant cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this show to life. We look forward to fans around the world enjoying the rest of the season.”

HBO’s The Last of Us drops new episodes every Monday at 1PM AEDT. To see the full schedule and where Aussies can watch the episodes, head here.

The post The Last Of Us Series Is HBO’S Second-Biggest Debut In Nearly 13 Years appeared first on Press Start.

After long being an open secret, Returnal was finally announced as coming to PC during last December’s The Game Awards.

Now, we finally have a release date for the PC port of Housemarque’s cosmic sci-fi roguelike shooter – and it’s not far off. Returnal comes to PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on February 15th (or Feb 16th for Aussies to account for timezones).

In a new trailer announcing the release date, the game’s PC-specific features are shown off including image reconstruction technologies like NVIDIA DLSS/NIS and AMD FSR, ultrawide support up to 32:9, ray-traced shadows and reflections and Dolby Atmos. Take a look at it below:

Returnal’s PC hardware requirements were also detailed in an accompanying PlayStation Blog post, with suggested spec from the bare minimum performance at 720p/60fps with the equivalent of an Intel i5 and NVIDIA GTX 1060 all the way up to 4K/60fps with ray-tracing enabled if you’re lucky enough to have your rig blessed by an Intel i9 and NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti equivalent. It definitely looks as though there’s quite a bit of flex in your Returnal PC experience along with the ability to push things quite far if you’re able.

You can pre-order Returnal on PC now via Steam or the Epic Games Store.

If you’re yet to check out the game on PS5, Amazon currently has it at a 30% discount for $86.90 with free shipping.

The post Returnal’s PC Release Date And Features Have Been Revealed In A New Trailer appeared first on Press Start.

A new year has begun, and that means a whole new slate of upcoming games to look forward to. With that in mind, PlayStation has released a shiny new promotional trailer that shows off (at least some of) its schedule of massive games to come in 2023.

The trailer contains the obvious big hitters like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter 6 and Final Fantasy XVI as well as reconfirming some 2023 release windows for games such as Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Stellar Blade and Alone in the Dark. A heap of indies and VR-exclusive titles make the cut as well, giving us a pretty exciting glimpse into the future of gaming on PS5 and PS4.

Take a look at the video below:

PlayStation Games 2023 – Official PS4 & PS5 Trailer

From innovative indies to cutting-edge blockbusters, check out the most exciting games set to land on PS5 and PS4 in the coming year.

We’ve recently run out own lists of exciting titles to come this year, whether PlayStation exclusive or just worth having on your radar:

The Biggest Games Confirmed To Be Coming In 2023

The post PlayStation Has Dropped A Promo Trailer Showing Off Its 2023 Line-Up appeared first on Press Start.

Update: This month’s line-up of PlayStation Plus Extra/Deluxe games is available now.

You can see the titles included below, and click through to add them to your library via the PlayStation Store for the web:

PLAYSTATION PLUS EXTRA AND DELUXE | GAME CATALOG

• Back 4 Blood – PS4/PS5
• Dragon Ball Fighter Z – PS4
• Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition – PS5
• Life Is Strange: Before The Storm – PS4
• Life Is Strange – PS4
• Jett: The Far Shore – PS4/PS5
• Just Cause 4: Reloaded – PS4
• Omno – PS4
• Erica – PS4

PLAYSTATION PLUS DELUXE | CLASSICS

• Syphon Filter 3 (PS1)
• Star Wars Demolition (PS1)
• Everybody’s Golf 2 (PS1)

Additionally, some new time-limited trials have been added for PlayStation Plus Deluxe subscribers including the likes of The Last of Us Part I, Gotham Knights, A Plague Tale: Requiem and Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3.

These titles join Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, Axiom Verge 2 and Fallout 76 in the PlayStation Plus Essentials lineup for January.

If you’re not already subscribed to PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra or Deluxe, head here to get around it!

PlayStation has revealed the first month of PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe games for 2023. All of these games will be available on January 17th.

The entire line-up is pretty good with a good mix of AAA games such as Back 4 Blood and Devil May Cry 5 and some great indie titles in the likes of Erica and Jett: The Far Shore. On the classics side, there’s three PS1 games, which is better than what we’ve seen in recent months.

PLAYSTATION PLUS EXTRA AND DELUXE | GAME CATALOG

• Back 4 Blood – PS4/PS5
• Dragon Ball Fighter Z – PS4
• Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition – PS5
• Life Is Strange: Before The Storm – PS4
• Life Is Strange – PS4
• Jett: The Far Shore – PS4/PS5
• Just Cause 4: Reloaded – PS4
• Omno – PS4
• Erica – PS4

PLAYSTATION PLUS DELUXE | CLASSICS

• Syphon Filter 3 (PS1)
• Star Wars Demolition (PS1)
• Everybody’s Golf 2 (PS1)

These titles join Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, Axiom Verge 2 and Fallout 76 in the PlayStation Plus Essentials lineup for January.

The post January’s PlayStation Plus Extra/Deluxe Games Are Available Now appeared first on Press Start.

Hot off the heels of yesterday’s premiere of the first episode of HBO’s The Last of Us, PlayStation has added The Last of Us Part I to the catalogue of games with time-limited trials for PlayStation Plus Deluxe members.

Players on the most expensive PS+ tier will be able to download the game in full and then play for up to two hours before their trial runs out, at which point they can opt to purchase the game digitally (or go out and pick up a cheaper physical copy) and continue their progress.

Watched #TheLastOfUs premiere on HBO Max?

Continue Joel and Ellie's journey with a game trial for The Last of Us Part I available now with PlayStation Plus Premium: https://t.co/vANYKjiXN2 pic.twitter.com/1r41EDgu2S

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) January 16, 2023

The Last of Us Part I is last year’s ground-up remake of the PS3 original, created specifically for the PS5. We scored it a 9/10 in our review, saying “The Last of Us Part I is, for all intents and purposes, the same The Last of Us that you know. It doesn’t take liberties to completely reshape the experience and nor should it. It does, however, smartly enhance the original’s combat through A.I. advancements, and drags the original’s production values over the line to create a product that can stand unified with its more polished sequel.

You can download the trial from the PlayStation Store on console or queue it up remotely from a web browser right here.

Haven’t caught the premiere of HBO’s The Last of Us yet? You can find out all about when and where to watch it right here.

We were fortunate enough to see the full season ahead of time and found it to be a fantastic adaptation of the video game source material – read Shannon’s review here.

The post The Last Of Us Part I Is Now Available As A Trial For PlayStation Plus Deluxe Members appeared first on Press Start.

Everyone’s favourite industry leaker, The Snitch, has come out of hiding to drop a new bombshell on their public Discord.

As reported by Insider Gaming, the notorious leaker who once ran the @insider_wtf account on Twitter and outed some pretty major announcements early such as Horizon Forbidden West’s Burning Shores expansion and Final Fantasy XVI’s release date, has popped back up with the news that some kind of announcement on new third-party content is impending. While we aren’t prone to reporting on every new and unsubstantiated leak or rumour, The Snitch has been a consistently reliable leaker thus far, lending this some serious credence.

(via Insider Gaming)

The Snitch claims a “reliable source” has informed them that PlayStation is about to announce “3rd party stuff” very soon, which could mean many things but an easy guess would be a new State of Play presentation. With plenty of future titles both PlayStation-exclusive and otherwise still in limbo as far as release dates go, and rumours continuing to swirl around games like the oft-rumoured Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake, it could be quite the show if and when it happens.

The last showcase from PlayStation was a State of Play in September last year that featured a combination of first and third party titles including God of War Ragnarok, Tekken 8 and Like A Dragon: Ishin.

Meanwhile, Xbox is holding its own presentation very soon with the Xbox & Bethesda Developer Direct on January 26th.

The post PlayStation Could Be Announcing New Third Party Content Soon appeared first on Press Start.

According to noted leaker Tom Henderson at Insider Gaming, PlayStation is set to drop its next major PS5 firmware update, version 7.00, in March.

The update will reportedly contain the long-awaited Discord voice integration that has been in the works since 2021, allowing players to join Discord voice channels directly from their console and chat to friends while playing on PS5.

Henderson also reports that the 7.00 update will include cloud streaming of PS5 games for the first time, as part of the PlayStation Plus Premium tier (which presumably rules it out for Australian users).

SCOOP; PlayStation 5 Version 7.00 to Include Discord And Cloud Streaming for PS5 Gameshttps://t.co/POemXxfgad

— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) January 12, 2023

Beta testing for the update is apparently coming as early as this month, though it won’t feature the incoming Discord support so it’ll be interesting to see what other features, if any, are on the way.

Just yesterday the PS5 received a software update to add support and UI integration for the new DualSense Edge controller, which launches on January 26th.

We went hands-on with the DualSense Edge and came away impressed by what it offers, if a little hesitant on the asking price.

You can still pre-order the DualSense Edge at Amazon for $339 with free shipping.

The post The Next Major PlayStation 5 Update Looks To Be Coming In March With Discord Integration And PS5 Game Streaming appeared first on Press Start.

Update: Eagle-eyed users on Reddit have begun speculating that this could in fact be a recently-revealed project from Outriders studio, People Can Fly, codenamed RED. In the leaked footage, the word “RED” can be faintly seen in the bottom right-hand corner.

The comments from leaker, Dusk Golem, when the original video surfaced were that the game has seen quite a bit of polish since the footage was taken, which doesn’t quite line up with People Can Fly’s claims that RED is still very early in production, but given the studio is based in Europe and has experience with third-person RPG shooters it certainly makes sense.

A well-known poster on video game forum, IconEra, has shared what is supposedly footage of a very early prototype build of an unannounced new PlayStation IP.

The footage is claimed to be from a sci-fi RPG running on Unreal Engine 5 and in development by Sony’s European external support studio “XDEV” presumably in collaboration with another, unnamed studio.

You can see the IconEra footage embedded in the below tweet:

Eis o leak de um early game first party da Sony. Trata-se de um RPG Sci-fi, provavelmente feito na UE5. Estúdio seria o XDev e mais leaks irão surgir este ano. As pessoas estão apelidando o jogo de "Gears of Effect". pic.twitter.com/EPCc8tuHma

— SUPERNOVAS (@supernovastv) January 8, 2023

It’s obviously not a lot to go off, showing just a scant few seconds of a generic-looking player character looking out across something foreboding and alien (and very 2006 tan/beige).

Noted leaker, Dusk Golem, has also commented on the footage as it was shared to Reddit, confirming its authenticity and saying that the game is now much further along than this early footage suggests with music and full voice acting already implemented and that they’ve seen a lot more of it.

As with any “leak” and particularly one so thin on details it’s important to understand that this could very well be fabricated or, even if it is real, may never see the light of day as a final product. Still, it’s interesting to see what PlayStation might be cooking up especially with its acquisition of Bungie last year reportedly being a product of a focus on live-service games into the future.

The post UPDATED: Early Prototype Footage Of An Alleged New PlayStation IP Has Leaked appeared first on Press Start.

Update: The PlayStation Store’s January Sale has been refreshed with new titles. You can browse the whole thing here, but some of the new highlights are below:

• Need for Speed Unbound – $65.97 (40% off)
• Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut – $62.47 (50% off)
• Sable – $26.56 (30% off)
• Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: Next-Level Edition – $54.97 (50% off)
• Alien: Isolation – $9.59 (80% off)
• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Deluxe Edition – $30.73 (75% off)
• God of War – $12.47 (50% off)
• Human: Fall Flat – $11.98 (60% off)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition – $77.46 (38% off)
• Dying Light 2 Stay Human Deluxe Edition – $66.52 (45% off)
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – $62.47 (50% off)
• Red Dead Redemption 2: Ultimate Edition – $44.98 (70% off)
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure – $46.17 (58% off)
• Marvel’s Midnight Suns Enhanced Edition – $73.66 (33% off)
• Sifu – $41.96 (30% off)
• A Plague Tale Requiem – $74.96 (25% off)
• Returnal – $62.47 (50% off)
• Demon’s Souls – $62.47 (50% off)
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Galactic Edition – $57.47 (50% off)
• It Takes Two/A Way Out Bundle – $29.69 (67% off)
• Death Stranding Director’s Cut – $29.98 (60% off)
• Cuphead & The Delicious Last Course Bundle – $29.89 (27% off)
• Tales of Arise – $39.98 (60% off)
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VI Anthology – $38.48 (65% off)
• Final Fantasy XIV Online Complete – $41.47 (50% off)

The PlayStation Store’s digital January Sale deals have gone live, with hundreds, if not thousands of titles discounted.

It’s worth noting that a fair few of the titles in these sales are also included in the PlayStation Plus Extra/Deluxe subscription tiers.

Luckily there’s also a sale on PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe subscriptions for new and upgrading members!

The post The PlayStation Store’s January Sale Has Been Refreshed With New Discounts appeared first on Press Start.

Speaking to Comicbook in an interview to promote HBO’s TV adaptation of The Last of Us, which starts airing next week, Neil Druckmann has admitted that announcing upcoming titles too early has had a negative impact on work-life balance at Naughty Dog, suggesting that future titles from the studio might be revealed much closer to their intended launch dates.

The quote from the interview is as below:

“You’re right, we did announce Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us Part 2 way in advance, but that actually caused a little bit of the work-life balance issues that we’ve sometimes had at the studio.

“By delaying that announcement a bit, we could play with the schedule more and we’re more conscious now about how we’re approaching production. So there’s our [The Last of Us] multiplayer project and there’s another project that I will not say anything about that’s beyond that that we’re also very much excited for.”

Issues of crunch at Naughty Dog have been spoken about in the past, so it seems as though Druckmann considers setting a hard release schedule or marketing cycle too early is one of the culprits behind the studio’s struggles with crunch culture.

It also suggests that when we do next hear about whatever the studio has cooking right now, including its standalone The Last of Us multiplayer game, there’ll be far less of a wait to actually play them.

In another interview with The Washington Post, Druckmann also stated that games like Elden Ring have inspired him from a storytelling perspective, saying “I’m more recently intrigued by stuff like Elden Ring and Inside that doesn’t rely as much on traditional narrative to tell its story.

“Some of the best storytelling in The Last of Us is in the cinematics, but a lot of it is in gameplay, and moving around the space, and understanding the history of a space by just looking at it and examining it. To me, right now, that’s some of the best joy I get out of games that trust their audience to figure things out. That don’t hold your hand, that’s the stuff I’m really intrigued by going forward.”

The post Neil Druckmann Has Suggested That Naughty Dog Will Start Revealing Games Closer To Launch appeared first on Press Start.

It looks like PowerWash Simulator is finally bringing its extraordinarily addictive pressure-washing shenanigans to PlayStation consoles at the end of the month.

After the announcement last year that the game would be coming to PS5 and PS4, it’s been revealed via a now-deleted PlayStation Blog post that it’s set to drop on January 30th.

Since launching in early access in 2021 and then in full last year on both PC and Xbox, PowerWash Simulator has had a positive reception from critics and players with an “overwhelmingly positive” user review score on Steam.

The game is a tongue-in-cheek sim that has players blasting away every speck of grime and dirt across a range of unique environments either solo or with up to three other friends in co-op.

A Switch port of the game was also announced last year but no new details on that have been revealed yet.

The post PowerWash Simulator Is Finally Coming To PlayStation This Month appeared first on Press Start.

As we dive into the third full year of the current generation of consoles, the slate of future game releases is becoming more and more stacked with exciting-looking titles.

We recently ran a list of what we think are some of the biggest games on the calendar for 2023, but we also wanted to break it down and highlight the future PlayStation console-exclusive games (at least the ones we know about) that are set to justify having being a PlayStation owner or becoming one this year and in the years to come.

PlayStation Console Exclusives Coming In 2023 And Beyond

MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2

Platforms: PS5

Release Date: TBA 2023

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the next game in PlayStation’s critically acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise. Developed by Insomniac Games for the PlayStation 5 console in collaboration with PlayStation and Marvel Games.

Wishlist it here.

FINAL FANTASY XVI

Platforms: PS5

Release Date: June 22nd

The Cheapest Copy: $84.99 at Amazon with free shipping

An epic dark fantasy world where the fate of the land is decided by the mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them. This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix.

Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.

HORIZON CALL OF THE MOUNTAIN

Platforms: PS5 (PS VR2)

Release Date: February 22nd

Pre-order the PlayStation VR Horizon Call of the Mountain Bundle – $958 at Amazon

Conquer colossal peaks, overcome fearsome machines and uncover a hidden danger to the world of Horizon – as you answer the call of the mountain in an immersive new adventure for PlayStation VR2.

Enter a living, breathing world of dangerous machines, tribal lore, exciting quests and new and returning characters. Explore a diverse landscape – embark on a journey with multiple paths to take where you’ll have to look all around you to uncover the secrets of the mountains.

Pre-order it digitally here.

HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST: BURNING SHORES

Platforms: PS5

Release Date: April 19th

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores is a PS5-exclusive DLC expansion that sees Aloy pursue a sinister threat in the untamed wilds of Los Angeles, now a treacherous volcanic archipelago.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Platforms: PS5

Release Date: Q4 2023/Q1 2024

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second story in the Final Fantasy VII remake series which tells the story of the iconic fantasy game that redefined the RPG genre, in three distinct games. Cloud and his friends embark on a new journey in this game, which will give players a fresh, new experience whether they played the original, Remake, or it’s their first Final Fantasy VII experience. The game is slated to arrive in the US Winter months, meaning either the end of this year or early next.

The Last Of Us Multiplayer Game

Platforms: TBA

Release Date: TBA

We still know very little about the upcoming The Last of Us multiplayer game, other than it’s more “ambitious” than just more Factions.

Naughty Dog recently posted some new concept art (above) and hinted at more to come. With the series’ 10th anniversary coming up in June we wouldn’t be shocked to see a release date announcement and our first looks at the game at the very least.

Silent Hill 2

Platforms: PS5, PC

Release Date: TBA

Silent Hill 2 is being remade at indie horror studio, Bloober Team, who say that their take on the classic PS2 survival horror game will be “very faithful” to the core narrative and themes while revamping the gameplay and visuals from the ground up. The game will be running on Unreal Engine 5 and will take advantage of PS5 features such as 3D Audio and DualSense support, with a new over the shoulder camera and modernised gameplay including a brand new combat system and set pieces. Some of the original talent such as monster designer Masahiro Ito as well as composer Akira Yamaoka are also involved.

FORSPOKEN

Platforms: PS5, PC

Release Date: January 24th

The Cheapest Copy: $85 at Amazon with free shipping

Forspoken puts players in the shoes of Frey Holland, an ordinary young woman who must harness her magical abilities to survive in a fantastical and dangerous land called Athia. Frey takes center stage in Forspoken, exploring an unknown world and facing treacherous trials to unravel the mystery behind Athia.

Read our recent hands-on preview of the game here.

Death Stranding 2

Platforms: PS5

Release Date: TBA

Death Stranding 2’s announcement was a massive surprise at The Game Awards 2022, and judging by the explosive first trailer it’s already coming along nicely. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the sequel arrive as early as this year – it’s been four years since the original, after all – but however long the wait is we’re incredibly keen to see where Kojima is headed with this one.

Wolverine

Platforms: PS5

Release Date: TBA

While we know that Insomniac’s Spider-Man follow-up is due to land this year, the timing of its other big Marvel game is still unclear. We’ve really not seen a lot from Marvel’s Wolverine since it was announced in 2021, but hopefully 2023 is the year we learn more.

STELLAR BLADE

Platforms: PS5, PC

Release Date: TBA

Formerly dubbed Project Eve, Stellar Blade is an upcoming action game with an abstract sci-fi story, stylish visuals and highly skilled combat. It looks all kinds of wild and promises some epic boss battles.

Wishlist it here.

Rise of the Ronin

Platforms: PS5

Release Date: TBA

It’s darkest before dawn. In this Edo Era action title from Team Ninja, you’ll explore an evolving world as you fight to forge a new era for Japan. You are a Ronin, a warrior free from all masters and bonds and as your destiny intertwines with story characters, take part in an immersive combat focused action experience.

Wishlist it here.

THE DARK PICTURES: SWITCHBACK VR

Platforms: PS5 (PS VR2)

Release Date: February 22nd

The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR will take players on a multi-sensory ride on a sinister rollercoaster from hell, where they’ll fight to survive in a variety of scenarios from ghost ships to haunted carnivals and more, using the PlayStation VR 2’s eye tracking, haptic feedback, adaptive triggers and 3D audio for a truly spooky and immersive experience.

Pre-order it digitally here.

GRANBLUE FANTASY: RELINK

Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC

Release Date: TBA 2023

First announced way back in 2017, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is finally set to release this year. The epic action RPG from Cygames has suffered numerous delays due to the studio taking over completely from what was originally a joint project with Platinum Games, and then pandemic complications pushing it back further still. Granblue Fantasy: Relink will allow up to four players in online co-op to traverse its gorgeous world together.

TCHIA

Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC

Release Date: TBA 2023

Developer: Awaceb

A Tropical Open-World adventure. Climb, glide, swim, and sail your boat around a beautiful archipelago in this physics-driven sandbox. Use Tchia’s Soul Jumping ability to take control of any animal or object you can find, and Jam on your fully playable Ukulele. A game inspired by New Caledonia.

Wishlist it here.

GOODBYE VOLCANO HIGH

Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC

Release Date: TBA 2023

Developer: KO_OP

Goodbye Volcano High is a cinematic narrative adventure about love, change, and the end of an era. Guide Fang through their final year of high school as they try to make things right before time is up.

SEASON: A LETTER TO THE FUTURE

Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC

Release Date: January 31st

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and let yourself be carried away by the great journey of Season, a third-person atmospheric adventure bicycle road trip game. Explore the world through the eyes of a young woman. Collect artifacts and memories before a mysterious cataclysm washes everything away.

Pre-order it digitally here.

Lost Soul Aside

Platforms: PS5, PS4

Release Date: TBA

Starting life as a solo dev project, this upcoming action game looks impressively stylish in a modern day-Square Enix kind of way. Lost Soul Aside seemingly went MIA for a while but has come back into the spotlight thanks to support for PlayStation’s China Hero Project.

Pacific Drive

Platforms: PS5, PC

Release Date: TBA

Pacific Drive is a run-based, first-person driving survival game. Your car is your only companion as you navigate a surreal and anomaly-filled reimagining of the Pacific Northwest. Structured as a “road-like”, each excursion into the wilderness brings unique and strange challenges, as you restore and upgrade your car from an abandoned garage that acts as your home base. With the car as your lifeline, you’ll unravel a long-forgotten mystery as you make your way to the heart of the Olympic Exclusion Zone.

Wishlist it here.

Knights of the Old Republic Remake

Platforms: PS5, PC

Release Date: Hopefully

The Bioware classic is returning in this remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which promises to be a faithful one-to-one remake built from the ground up for the PS5 and PC. This one’s likely still a ways off, if it releases at all, thanks to development being halted indefinitely and potentially moved to another studio entirely.

The post PlayStation Exclusives To Get Excited For In 2023 And Beyond appeared first on Press Start.

Bungie’s Senior Design Lead, Tom Farnsworth, took to Twitter today to celebrate 11 years at Bungie and 25+ releases of the studio’s mammoth online shooter, Destiny.

In the tweet, Farnsworth highlights Bungie’s move from boxed releases to live service games, notably one of the motivators for PlayStation to have acquired the developer  for $3.6 billion USD last year.

Most interesting though, is the follow-up tweet that mentions Bungie is working on “a number of unannounced projects” with Sony, which is somewhat new information given the studio has been hard at work on its Destiny IP for the better part of eight years. The next big expansion, Destiny 2: Lightfall, is set to release on February 28th with another, titled The Final Shape, slated for 2024.

And with the support of Sony we are working on a number of unannounced projects too. Come join us!

Also, obviously I’m missing a medal, my kids played with the shield awhile back and I’m still looking for it, lol.

— Tom Farnsworth (@tomfromtheweb) January 4, 2023

Sony said in a financial statement last year that it plans to have 12 live service titles in the market by 2026, so it’ll be interesting to see how many of these come out of Bungie, if any.

The post Bungie Apparently Has Numerous Unannounced Projects In The Works With PlayStation appeared first on Press Start.

Sony spoke about Gran Turismo at length during its CES 2023 conference, starting with the film adaptation coming in August 11, 2023, alongside announcing that Gran Turismo 7 on PS5 would be getting a free PlayStation VR2 upgrade.

The VR update for GT7 will be launching on day one with the PlayStation VR2 hardware, on February 23rd.

RELATED: HERE’S WHERE TO PRE-ORDER THE PLAYSTATION VR2 IN AUSTRALIA

We’ll be sure to update with any more info as it comes. You can watch the full Sony CES 2023 conference below:

The post Gran Turismo 7 Is Getting A Free PlayStation VR2 Update At Launch appeared first on Press Start.

During Sony’s CES 2023 conference, where it spoke at length about its film and imaging divisions, Neil Blomkamp alongside Sony producers took to the stage to formally introduce the upcoming Gran Turismo movie, which releases on August 11, 2023.

Blomkamp describes how the process of producing the film, itself adapted from true story, was a great marriage of video game and real life and will be a stunning showcase of film and cinematography using Sony technology. Hyper-detailed shots inside tiny racing cockpits and unique video-game inspired racing POV shots were apparently made possible due to the versatility of Sony’s cameras.

The trio also introduced a promo clip of the film including some in-movie segments and behind the scenes with David Harbour and Orlando Bloom.

Check out the teaser video below:

The post Here’s Your First Look At The Gran Turismo Movie appeared first on Press Start.

Boxing Day has come and gone but sales continue on, with the vast majority of the gaming deals on Amazon still going and some even dropping further than what they were earlier in the week.

Some deals have finished, but we’ve taken the time to remove and update anything that’s changed so take a look at some of our picks below or head to Amazon’s sale page to scope out everything else.

PLAYSTATION BOXING DAY DEALS AT AMAZON

HARDWARE

• PS5 DualSense Controllers (Black/White/Pink/Blue/Purple/Red) – $69
• PS5 Pulse 3D Headset (Black) – $118
• PS5 Pulse 3D Headset (White) – $118
• DualSense Charging Station – $37
• PS5 Digital Edition – $649
• PS5 Console – $799
• DualSense Edge – $339
• PS5 Cover Plate – $84
• PlayStation VR2 – $878
• PlayStation VR2 Call Of The Mountain Bundle – $958

GAMES

• Elden Ring – $59
• Horizon Forbidden West – $39
• Gran Turismo 7 – $39
• Demon’s Souls – $53
• God Of War Ragnarok – $89
• Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales – $39
• The Last Of Us Part 1 – $69
• Persona 5 Royal – $49
• Sackboy A Big Adventure – $39
• Returnal – $54
• Call Of Duty MWII – $78
• FIFA 23 – $49
• Ratchet & Clank – $49
• Need For Speed Unbound – $59
• Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order – $28
• Gotham Knights – $59
• Ghostwire: Tokyo – $19
• The Quarry – $29

More here:

Amazon Has A Bunch Of Great PS5 Deals In Its Boxing Day Sale

NINTENDO SWITCH BOXING DAY DEALS AT AMAZON

• Nintendo Switch Neon Console + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + 3 months NSO bundle – $399 with free shipping
• Nintendo Switch OLED Model Console – $478 (was $539) with free shipping
• Nintendo Switch OLED Model Console + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – $537 (was $619) with free shipping
• Pokémon Shield – $59
• Pokémon Shining Pearl – $57.45
• Pokémon Brilliant Diamond – $58
• Pokémon Legends Arceus – $59.95
• Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes – $47
• Animal Crossing New Horizons – $64
• LIVE A LIVE – $49
• Super Mario Party – $64
• Super Mario Odyssey– $59
• Super Smash Bros Ultimate – $69
• Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy – $69
• Monster Hunter Stories 2 – $67.63
• Mario Strikers: Battle League Football – $59

More here:

A Bunch Of Switch Games Are Crazy Cheap On Amazon Right Now

XBOX BOXING DAY DEALS AT AMAZON

• Xbox Series S Console – $429
• Xbox Series X Console – $749
• Xbox Wireless Controllers (Black/White/Red/Blue/Volt) – $69
• Xbox Expansion Card 1TB – $310
• Halo Infinite – $24
• Forza Horizon 5 – $48
• Red Dead Redemption 2 – $28
• Gotham Knights – $59
• A Plague Tale: Requiem – $68
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare II – $78

TECH BOXING DAY DEALS AT AMAZON

• Sony Bravia X75K 4K HDR TV 43″ – $764
• Sony Bravia X75K 4K HDR TV 50″ – $849
• Sony Bravia X75K 4K HDR TV 55″ – $934
• Sony Bravia X75K 4K HDR TV 65″ – $1099
• LG 34WL50S – 34 inch UltraWide Full HD IPS Monitor – $405 (was $499)
• Up to 37% off select SteelSeries gaming peripherals
• Up to 55% off select Razer gaming peripherals
• Up to 72% off select SONY headphones
• Up to 44% off select Philips televisions

LEGO BOXING DAY DEALS AT AMAZON

• LEGO 71411 Super Mario The Mighty Bowser – $315 (was $399.99)
• LEGO Super Mario Nintendo Entertainment System – $309.69 (was $399.99)
• LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Millennium Falcon 75192 – $1066.49 (was $1299.99)
• LEGO Optimus Prime 10302 – $210 (was $279.99)
• LEGO Technic Ferrari Daytona SP3 42143 – $629 (was $699.99)

WE LOVE BRINGING YOU THE BEST GAMING AND TECH BARGAINS. WE MAY GET A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE SALE THROUGH AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS

The post Amazon’s Boxing Day Specials Are Still Going With Some Prices Reduced Even Further appeared first on Press Start.

The first DualSense Edge hands-on previews as well as an official overview video from PlayStation overnight, but the largest piece of news comes from The Verge which got a statement from PlayStation on the battery life for the DualSense Edge.

Sony has confirmed that the DualSense Edge has a moderately shorter battery life than the original DualSense controller. This is largely due to the fact that it has the same form-factor as the original controller, but then also has completely removable components which may mean less room for battery life.

“The DualSense Edge wireless controller’s operating time is moderately shorter than the original DualSense wireless controller because we’ve included many more features within the same form factor and ergonomic design as the original DualSense controller. We wanted to strike a good balance between wireless operating time and delivering robust, high-performance features. Additionally, the longer USB braided cable is also great for competitive players who prefer playing with a wired connection to avoid wireless interference – this option preserves battery life.” said PlayStation to The Verge.

The post The DualSense Edge Controller Has A Slightly Shorter Battery Life Than The Regular DualSense appeared first on Press Start.

Update: December’s PlayStation Plus Extra/Deluxe catalogue games are now available! Click through any of the listed titles below to add them to your library.

This month’s line-up includes a whole bunch of Far Cry titles and some very recent Yakuza games, including Yakuza 6, Like a Dragon and the first Judgment spin-off. There’s a bit in there for younger players too with Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion, Gigantosaurus The Game and Ben 10: Power Trip, plus the enormous Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire for anyone looking to get completely lost in something these holidays.

For the Classics catalogue, we’re getting Ridge Racer 2 and Pinball Heroes for PSP, and Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus on PS1. Unfortunately once again Aussies miss out on any PS3 titles due to the lack of game streaming availability here, so no Heavenly Sword for us.

Check out the full list for the month below:

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog

WWE 2K22 | PS4 (available starting January 3rd)
Far Cry 5 | PS4
Far Cry New Dawn | PS4
Far Cry Primal | PS4
Mortal Shell | PS4, PS5
Judgment | PS4, PS5
Yakuza: Like a Dragon | PS4, PS5
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life | PS4
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor | PS4
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War | PS4
The Pedestrian | PS4, PS5
Evil Genius 2 | PS4, PS5
Adventure Time Pirates of the Enchiridion | PS4
Ben 10: Power Trip | PS4, PS5
Gigantosaurus The Game | PS4
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire – Ultimate Edition | PS4
Worms W.M.D | PS4
The Escapists 2 | PS4

PlayStation Plus Premium | Classics

Ridge Racer 2 | PSP
Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus | PS1
Pinball Heroes | PSP

The post December’s PlayStation Plus Extra/Deluxe Games Are Available Now appeared first on Press Start.

Capcom has announced the release schedule for the PlayStation VR2 version of Resident Evil Village, and it’s great news all around.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Producer Kanda Tsuyoshi revealed that the entirety of RE Village’s campaign will be playable on the PS VR2 on the same day Sony’s new headset launches, February 22nd, 2023.

The optional VR mode will be coming as a free DLC to the base game, so anyone who owns or purchases Resident Evil Village will be able to play on their PS VR2 headsets at no extra cost.

The game’s VR functionality will take full advantage of the headset’s 4K HDR display and eye tracking to produce incredible visuals, and enable intuitive combat and exploration through the Sense controllers.

We played a portion of Resident Evil Village on the PlayStation VR2 earlier in the year at Tokyo Game Show and came away very impressed by both the game and the hardware. You can read about that here.

Resident Evil Village joins a host of exciting-looking titles coming to the PlayStation VR2 at launch, including Horizon Call of the Mountain and Moss/Moss Book II!

Haven’t secured a PlayStation VR2 for yourself yet? Amazon still has pre-orders available with no deposit necessary:

• PlayStation VR2 Standard Kit – $879.95 with free shipping
• PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain Bundle – $959.95 with free shipping
• PlayStation VR2 Charging Station – $79.95 with free shipping

The post Resident Evil Village Will Be On PlayStation VR2 At Launch As A Free DLC For The Main Game appeared first on Press Start.

Deadline has reported that the long-gestating God of War TV adaptation has finally been signed off at Amazon to be developed for Prime Video.

As we’ve previously detailed, the show is being developed in conjunction with Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions and has some big names attached, including The Expanse’s Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby as well as The Wheel of Time’s Rafe Judkins as showrunner.

The series has reportedly been in the works since March, but now that negotiations with Amazon are complete, the streaming service has been able to officially reveal plans for the show.

God of War is coming. pic.twitter.com/GzbyutRO2k

— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) December 14, 2022

According to a synopsis shared by Deadline, the God of War series on Amazon will focus on the characters as they are in the recent 2018 soft reboot and God of War Ragnarok, rather than any past or unexplored time period/location:

“The series follows Kratos, the God of War, who, after exiling himself from his blood-soaked past in ancient Greece, hangs up his weapons forever in the Norse realm of Midgard. When his beloved wife dies, Kratos sets off on a dangerous journey with his estranged son to spread her ashes from the highest peak—his wife’s final wish. Kratos soon realizes the journey is an epic quest in disguise, one which will test the bonds between father and son, and force Kratos to battle new Gods and monsters for the fate of the world. ”

We’ll be sure to bring you more as it comes.

Meanwhile, HBO’s The Last of Us series is gearing up to premiere very soon, on January 16th.

The post The God Of War TV Series Has Been Officially Been Greenlit By Amazon appeared first on Press Start.

Just like it has in the last two years, PlayStation has dropped its PlayStation Wrap-Up for 2022.

You can plug your PSN details into the PlayStation Wrap-Up HERE. The actual process has been refined this year. You get to see four seperate breakdowns including total play time, top games played, trophies earned and a section on PlayStation Plus. Each of these four sections are then broken down further to give you a greater look at your year in gaming.

You’re then presented with a really neat summary card that you can download and share on socials. This has the total amount of hours played, games played, your top game of 2022 including how many hours and what percentage it made up of total play time and how many trophies you earned.

Interestingly enough, as part of the wrap-up process, PlayStation has revealed the most downloaded PlayStation Plus games of 2022 as well. In order they were:

• FIFA 22
• EA Sports UFC 4
• Dirt 5
• Team Sonic Racing
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2

Within the wrap-up, a bunch of stats are given across the community for a number of games such as God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo 7. It’s well worth jumping in to get your results, even if you’re not the biggest gamer.

The post The PlayStation Wrap-Up 2022 Will Tell You How Many Hours You Spent Playing PS5 Games This Year appeared first on Press Start.

PlayStation is offering new PlayStation Plus subscribers a tasty discount on 12-month subs to cap off the end of the year!

Right now, all three tiers of PlayStation Plus 12-month subscriptions are $40 off for new sign-ups only, saving up to 50% when looking at the Essential tier.

That means each of the relevant tiers are going for the following prices:

• PlayStation Plus Essential 12 Month Subscription – $39.95
• PlayStation Plus Extra 12 Month Subscription – $94.95
• PlayStation Plus Deluxe 12 Month Subscription – $114.95

These deals end on December 20th, so you’ve got a week to get around them!

The PlayStation Plus Essential games for December are available now, with the Extra/Deluxe titles for the month yet to be revealed.

Head here to learn more about the upgraded tiers and what they have to offer.

The post PlayStation Plus 12 Month Subscriptions Are Currently $40 Off For All Tiers appeared first on Press Start.

In the unfolding saga that is PlayStation vs Xbox over the latter’s bid to acquire Activision-Blizzard and by proxy the mammoth Call of Duty franchise, we’ve seen Microsoft offering up deal after deal to Sony (as well as Nintendo and Steam) to keep the franchise on PlayStation consoles for a promised period of time.

Last we’d heard, Microsoft was attempting to appease US/EU regulators scrutinising the Activision-Blizzard takeover bid by offering to keep the Call of Duty games on PlayStation platforms for a guaranteed 10 years.

Microsoft's offer to make Call of Duty available on PlayStation includes access to Sony's subscription plan https://t.co/Kj3II74jI0

— Bloomberg (@business) December 12, 2022

In a just-published report (paywalled but VGC has the crucial details here), Bloomberg claims that the proposed deal also includes an offer that would allow Sony to include the Call of Duty titles in its PlayStation Plus Essential/Extra/Deluxe subscription tiers. This would presumably take some of the edge off of Sony’s and regulator’s arguments against the deal, which have repeatedly cited Microsoft’s ability to roll the franchise into its popular Game Pass subscription service following the acquisition as an unfair competitive advantage.

Bloomberg reports that Sony has yet to accept the offer and that neither company has responded to requests for further comment.

The post Microsoft Will Reportedly Give Sony The Right To Offer Call Of Duty On PlayStation Plus appeared first on Press Start.

During The Game Awards 2022, PlayStation has finally announced the PC release date for The Last of Us Part I on PC.

It’s coming March 3rd, 2023 to Steam and Epic Games Store.

We gave this year’s PS5 release of the game a 9/10, saying “The Last Of Us: Part I is without doubt the most definitive version of The Last of Us on the market.”

The post The Last Of Us Part I Just Got A Release Date On PC appeared first on Press Start.

During The Game Awards pre-show, it was finally officially announced that Returnal will be coming to PC.

It’s been rumoured and well-documented in leaks before but this is the first official word of the PC port. So far though, we don’t have any detail of release dates other than “early 2023.”

The post Returnal Has Been Announced For PC appeared first on Press Start.

Microsoft president Brad Smith has posted a op-ed in The Wall Street Journal today detailing negotiations that have been in place between Microsoft and Sony to appease regulators over Microsoft’s takeover of Activison-Blizzard.

Scrutiny from US and EU Regulators over the takeover, particularly in relation to Call of Duty becoming Xbox exclusive has led Microsoft to offer Call of Duty to PlayStation for another 10 years, which they’re willing to commit in a legally binding document to appease both Sony and regulators.

“We’ve offered Sony a 10-year contract to make each new ‘Call of Duty’ release available on PlayStation the same day it comes to Xbox,” says Smith. “We’re open to providing the same commitment to other platforms and making it legally enforceable by regulators in the US, UK, and European Union.” continued Smith.

Another report by the New York Post today revealed that out of the four-person panel currently investigating the takeover, two of them are currently looking to side with Microsoft which would be enough for the takeover to pass.

This isn’t to FTC chair, Lina Khan’s liking who was looking to potentially look to block this deal to show the FTC’s dedication to reining in power of large tech companies. Khan is reportedly happy to potentially look at passing the deal based on concessions such as this one above in which Microsoft will make long-term commitments to ensure that its dealings aren’t anti competitive in the eyes of the FTC.

The post Xbox Has Offered PlayStation Call Of Duty For 10 More Years To Smooth Over Activision Takeover appeared first on Press Start.

Naughty Dog and HBO have dropped a massive collection of new posters for the upcoming The Last of Us HBO series, showcasing the stellar cast as their roles in the game’s recognisable characters.

The character portraits revealed in the posters give us our best (and often first) looks at the below actors/characters:

• Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller
• Nico Parker as Sarah Miller
• Anna Torv as Tess
• Merle Dandridge as Marlene
• Bella Ramsey as Ellie Williams
• Nick Offerman as Bill
• Murray Bartlett as Frank
• Gabriel Luna as Tommy Miller
• Lamar Johnson as Henry
• Keivonn Woodard as Sam
• Storm Reid as Riley Abel

Take a look at all the posters below:

It comes as part of a celebration of the upcoming show at Brazil’s annual Comic Con Experience expo, where an impressive (and massive) activation is also present for fans to check out:

Spoiler Night ? #TLOUnaCCXP pic.twitter.com/kfhS3EYLO8

— The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) November 30, 2022

HBO’s The Last of Us isn’t far off now, premiering on January 16, 2023 on Binge and Foxtel in Australia.

The post These New The Last Of Us HBO Posters Show Off The Cast As Their Respective Characters appeared first on Press Start.

Fight to survive the horrors locked within the walls of Black Iron Prison in The Callisto Protocol, a new video game from Striking Distance Studios. Available December 2nd, 2022. Pre-Order now on PlayStation.

The Callisto Protocol is nearly here, and there’s a lot of expectation on this hugely-exciting AAA sci-fi survival horror from the brand-new studio at Striking Distance to deliver unbridled fear and terror when it drops on December 2nd.

Set on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto, in the year 2320, The Callisto Protocol is a new-generation take on survival horror that will challenge players to escape the maximum security Black Iron Prison and uncover its terrifying secrets. A blend of horror, action, and immersive storytelling, The Callisto Protocol aims to set a new bar for horror in video games.

Will it be scary though? We have every reason to believe that not only will The Callisto Protocol be a spooky good time, it might well earn itself the title of one of 2022’s most terrifying games if all falls into place. Here’s why we reckon this game could be the one that truly keeps you up at night going well into the new year:

It’s Helmed By The Masters Of Spooky Space Games

If there’s one thing that’s been clear from the outset, it’s that The Callisto Protocol has some serious pedigree behind it. This is more than just a game inspired by the likes of Dead Space, it’s quite nearly a spiritual successor with the talent at Striking Distance stacked with veterans of the industry and some key names from that franchise.

For starters the studio is headed up by the former Executive Producer on the original Dead Space, Glen Schofield, a fact that has been front-and-centre in The Callisto Protocol’s marketing. Also along for the ride though are names like Steve Papoutsis, who directed Dead Space 2 and produced Dead Space 3, as well as a heap of former animators, designers and more. What I’m getting at, I guess, is the same people responsible for how creepy, gory and generally unsettling the Dead Space games were? A lot of them are here, and they’re determined to push the envelope even further in The Callisto Protocol.

It’s (Sometimes Literally) Dripping With Atmosphere

The most immediately-recognisable result of this team of cosmic sci-fi horror vets is that The Callisto Protocol’s got some serious spooky atmosphere going on, despite the frequent lack of it (that’s a space joke). 

Bleak, moody and regularly scarce lighting mixed with unsettling volumetric fog effects, claustrophobic surroundings and anxiety-inducing environmental audio will come together to create an altogether suffocating and foreboding sense of impending doom and danger around every corner. Long have survival horror games strived to make players feel unsafe and afraid simply by existing in the worlds they create, and with the tech driving The Callisto Protocol’s horrific encounters inside a crumbling space prison there’s every reason to believe this game will achieve that goal and then some.

You Can Smell Josh Duhamel’s Sweat Through The Screen

A fact that I feel has gone underappreciated for much of the lead-up to The Callisto Protocol’s launch is how utterly impressive its character models are. The recent launch trailer certainly gave us our best look at the game’s cast of characters, played by some recognisable names and faces from movies and TV like Josh Duhamel, Karen Fukuhara and Sam Witwer, and they look incredible in their in-game forms.

How does that contribute to the spooky factor, you ask? Well, I don’t know about you but I’m an empathetic sweater. When I’m looking at the photo-realistic Jacob anxiously walking through pitch-black corridors, his neck craning and eyes darting around at every minute sound, I’m right there with him. And then, when that same penchant for hyper-realism and immense detail powered by new-generation gaming hardware extends to the menagerie of nightmarish monsters and their pustule covered, writhing, misshapen and unhinged forms I wish I was anywhere but.

It’s Bloody Gory

One look at any of The Callisto Protocol’s trailers is enough to tell you that one thing’s for certain – expect buckets of blood, viscera and generally gross shit thrown at you with reckless abandon. This game isn’t pulling any punches with its depictions of bodies being absolutely torn, crushed, shredded, bisected, trisected, and whatever comes after trisected. Regular humans and fucked-up spider people alike are going to have their insides unceremoniously made outsides in incredibly shocking and explicit ways.

That’s especially true of all of the horrific ways you’re likely to see Jacob die, whether it’s having his face caved in by brutish mutants, being pulverised by giant machines or impaled on jagged space junk the aforementioned impeccable character models on display are ripe for the ripping and more than likely to elicit some winced faces from everyone learning just how detailed everything truly is. If it’s gratuitous violence and unspeakable gore that makes you jump from your seat (in either fear or excitement, I’m not judging) then there’s plenty here for you.

Close Encounters With Space Zombies

Of course a significant reason why The Callisto Protocol’s menagerie of space mutants is so threatening and why the gore is so hard-hitting is because you’re going to be seeing all of it very up close and personal.

Tight quarters, a tight camera angle and a heavy focus on scarcity of resources means you’ll quite literally be going face-to-face with the horrors lurking around every corner. You’ll need to rely on the game’s unique and robust melee system when ammo is low, dodging aggressive enemy attacks from multiple angles and fighting back hard with your stun baton. It’s one thing to be able to pick off space zombies from a distance with powerful weapons, it’s another to have them spring up from hatches in the floor and have to fight within an inch of your life at any given moment.

The Callisto Protocol is available December 2nd, 2022. Pre-Order now on PlayStation.

The post Five Reasons Why The Callisto Protocol Could Be The Scariest Game This Year appeared first on Press Start.

PlayStation has officially launched its newest effort to bring competitive tournament gameplay direct to home consoles as an integrated platform, with PlayStation Tournaments on PS5.

Much like its launch on PS4 consoles in 2016, PlayStation Tournaments rolls competitive play into the PS5 system to make it easy to discover, register for and compete in cross-console tournament play across a number of games.

From today, players can get stuck into events in Guilty Gear -Strive, NBA 2K23, and FIFA 23, all through a new UI that works seamlessly within the PS5 interface and offers real-time match updates and experience improvements with special events, challenges, leaderboard competitions and more.

An easy discovery process: Tournaments are easy to find. Scroll to the relevant game on your PS5 home screen and press the down directional button to see a list of upcoming tournaments. Alternatively, view available tournaments by launching the Control Centre with a tap of the PS button while playing a supported game.

Sign up on console: Signing up is quicker than ever. From the Control Centre or Game Hub, simply select an available tournament and press the “Register” button to enter a competition.

Bracket capping: Tournament length traditionally increases as more players compete. However, we have introduced a new bracket capping feature to ensure a standard duration for every tournament. If the cap is exceeded, multiple brackets will be created for the same tournament – but prizing will remain the same for each.

More tournaments: Everyone has different schedules. Tournaments will take place more often, and at regular intervals, so more players can find the time to compete.

All-new UI: The brand-new tournament UI utilizes the activity card framework to let you easily view tournament information. Notifications will automatically carry you through the experience, and you’ll be alerted when your next match is starting. The tournament can be launched from the notification, giving you time to train up in-game, or even play other titles between matches.

View automatic and real-time results: After registering for a tournament, all relevant details can be accessed via the corresponding activity card in the Control Centre.

Exciting prizing: Anyone eligible can sign up to win prizes, regardless of skill level. Prizes can range from cash, in-game currency, PlayStation consoles or accessories, experiences, and even special collectibles received just for taking part.

From December 1st to January 31st, PlayStation is also holding a special “Win-A-Thon” to celebrate the launch of Tournaments, giving players on PS4 the chance to win PS5 consoles and PS5 players the opportunity to score prizes like DualSense Edge controllers and Pulse 3D headsets.

To win, players need to jump into eligible tournaments designated with a Win-A-Thon badge and take home victories in a leaderboard competition.

A dedicated PlayStation Tournaments Discord server has also been set up for the competitive community to engage and keep up with all the latest in Tournaments action.

To learn more about PlayStation Tournaments, and the Win-A-Thon, visit the PlayStation Blog.

The post PlayStation Tournaments Has Officially Launched On PS5 appeared first on Press Start.

Black Friday – as in, the actual day – has come and gone following a week of great sales that will begin to wrap up after this weekend.

That means it’s likely your last chance to shop for deals, so if you’re hunting for the best bargains in gaming, tech and entertainment (and beyond, because anything goes on Black Friday, right?) we’ve got you covered with the gear we reckon is a must-buy before your chance is gone:

The Best Black Friday Deals At Amazon

Amazon is once again leading the charge with Black Friday specials, either offering the best prices around or quickly matching/beating other retailers as sales go on, so if you’re keen on ensuring you’re getting the absolute best deal possible then it’s definitely your go-to. Plus, you’ll get $5 bonus credit if you spend $75 on an Amazon gift card which you can then shop with.

• $10 bonus credit when you buy certain gift cards.
• PS5 Disc Edition + God Of War Ragnarok (Code) – $888 with free shipping
• PS5 compatible 2TB Samsung 980 Pro – $315
• PS5 compatible 1TB Samsung 980 Pro – $175
• Meta Quest 2 128GB – $480 ($150 credit applied to account after ordering)
• Meta Quest 2 256GB – $589 ($200 credit applied to account after ordering)
• Xbox Series S console – $399 with free delivery
• Nintendo Switch Neon Console + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + 3 months NSO bundle – $397 with free shipping
• Horizon Forbidden West – $39
• Gran Turismo 7 – $39
• Gotham Knights – $48
• Sonic Frontiers – $54
• FIFA 23 – $49
• A Plague Tale Requiem – $64
• Saints Row – $49
• Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands – $28
• Nintendo Switch OLED Model Console – $478 (was $539) with free shipping
• PS5 DualSense Controller – $98
• Up to 50% off selected LEGO
• LG HU70LG CineBeam LED 4K UHD Cinema Projector – $1889 (was $2499)
• Great prices on Philips TVs including OLED TVs with Android and Hue lighting
• Intel-based laptops for work and gaming up to 50% off
• Razer gaming products up to 70% off
• Razer Blade 17 (144Hz 4K, 12th Gen i9-12900HK, RTX 3080 Ti 16GB, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD) – $4259 (was $7499)
• Black Friday deals on Prism+ monitors
• Deals on essential Philips Hue smart home/lighting
• Eufy Security eufyCam 2 Pro Wireless Home Security Camera System – $936 (was $1249)

Everything else:

https://press-start.com.au/bargains/2022/11/25/best-amazon-black-friday-deals-2022/

Xbox Series S Console Deals

• Amazon – $399 with free delivery
• The Good Guys – $399 plus a bonus $30 store credit for members
• Microsoft Store – $399
• EB Games – $399
• JB Hi-Fi – $399
• Big W – $399
• Harvey Norman – $399

Bargains On HDMI 2.1 TVs Perfect For Gaming

• LG 42″ OLED 4K EVO C2 Smart TV 2022 – $1388 (was $2295) plus $70 bonus store credit at The Good Guys
• LG 83″ OLED 4K EVO C2 Smart TV 2022 – $7995 (was $9995) plus $70 bonus store credit at The Good Guys
• Philips 55″ 4K UHD OLED Android TV – $2395 (was $2695) at Amazon with free shipping
• Philips 65″ 4K UHD OLED Android TV + Bonus 43? 6915 Android Smart TV – $4995 at Amazon with free shipping
• Sony 65″ A80K BRAVIA XR OLED Google TV – $2949 (was $3599) at Amazon with free shipping
• Sony BRAVIA 55″ X75K 4K HDR LED TV – $995 (was $1599) at Amazon with free shipping
• Sony BRAVIA 65″ X75K 4K HDR LED TV – $1285 (was $1999) at Amazon with free shipping

eBay’s Black Friday Sale

eBay has 20% off millions of items, up to 22% for eBay Plus members as well as a number of limited-time deals. You can shop the whole sale HERE.

The Best Deals In MWave’s Black Friday Sale

• NZXT H1 V2 Case – $399
• GALAX GeForce 3070 GPU – $699
• Sapphire AMD Radeon RX 6600 GPU – $329
• Samsung Odyssey 27″ 165hz Gaming Monitor – $249
• Gigabyte Aorus 31.5″ HDMI 2.1 4K Monitor – $999
• Gigabyte Aorus 32″ HDMI 2.1 1440p Monitor – $799
• Philips 34″ Ultrawide Gaming Monitor – $489
• Philips 27″ 144hz Gaming Monitor – $309
• Elgato Stream Deck – $139
• Corsair iCUE 4000x RGB ATX Case – $195
• HyperX Alloy Gaming Keyboard – $118
• Razer DeathAdder V2 Mouse – $99
• ASUS Rog Wireless Mechanic Keyboard – $139
• Roccat Kone Pro Air Wireless Mouse – $99
• Roccat Elo Air 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound Gaming Headset – $99
• Samsung 980 Pro 2TB SSD (PS5 compatible) – $365
• Kingston 2TB M.2 SSD – $189
• Corsair Vengeance 32GB DDR5 Memory – $239
• GIGAByte AERO 5 15.6 Gaming Laptop – $2,799

Mwave is also giving away a PS5 and you can enter that competition HERE.

K-Mart’s Black Friday Sale

• Nintendo Switch + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Nintendo Switch Online – $399
• iPhone 8 – $219
• 26 Piece Nintendo Switch Accessory Pack – $59
• Atari Flashback 11 50th Anniversary Edition – $129
• Gaming Chair – $99
• Amazon Echo Show 8 Gen2 – $99
• RGB Gaming Desk – $99
• ACER 31.5″ LCD Monitor – $269
• Mirabella Smart Home RGB Floor Lamp – $59

The Good Guys Black Friday Sale

The Good Guys have a ton of great deals on gaming consoles, TVs and home appliances and you’ll get bonus store credit for each purchase over a certain amount for signing up to its new digital wallet/rewards program!

• Xbox Series S – $399 plus a bonus $30 store credit for members
• Nintendo Switch Console + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + 3 months NSO bundle – $399 with bonus $30 store credit for members
• LG 42″ OLED 4K EVO C2 Smart TV 2022 – $1388 (was $2295) plus $70 bonus store credit at The Good Guys
• LG 83″ OLED 4K EVO C2 Smart TV 2022 – $7995 (was $9995) plus $70 bonus store credit at The Good Guys
• Samsung 75″ QN90B 4K Neo QLED 2022 – $3488 (was $4995) plus $70 bonus store credit
• Samsung 85″ QN90B 4K Neo QLED 2022 – $4995 (was $6995) plus $70 bonus store credit
• Samsung 98″ QN90A 4K Neo QLED 2022  – $9995 (was $16995) plus $70 bonus store credit

The Good Guys Is Giving Away Bonus Store Credit With Purchases In November

For more Black Friday deals, visit our hub HERE.

WE LOVE BRINGING YOU THE BEST GAMING AND TECH BARGAINS. WE MAY GET A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE SALE THROUGH AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS

The post The Best Black Friday Deals To Grab Before The Sales End Tonight appeared first on Press Start.

It’s a great time of the year to be a gamer. Not only is it awards season, which affords us the opportunity to look back on a year of releases and reflect on what we loved while identifying which bonafide classics we might have missed, it’s also the best time to pick up a bargain with holiday sales kicking off with events like Black Friday.

To that end, we figured we’d celebrate both by taking a look back at our favourite and best-reviewed games of 2022 and trawling the internet for the hottest deals on them during Black Friday week to help you pick up any gems you might have pissed at the best possible price. Take a look at our recommendations below:

God of War Ragnarök

Our Score: 9.5/10

“God of War Ragnarok is a triumph. Santa Monica Studio has successfully taken everything that was great about the last game and amplified it while correcting just about every problem area and then some.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $78 PS4 / $104 PS5 at Amazon with free shipping

God Of War Ragnarok Review – A Triumph Of Godlike Proportions

Sonic Frontiers

Our Score: 7.5/10

“It’s not perfect, but it tries its heart out and I came away with warm memories of an uneven game.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $54 at Amazon with free shipping

Sonic Frontiers Review – Brave New Zone

Pokémon Scarlet/Pokémon Violet

Our Score: 7.5/10

“New ideas, some quality of life improvements, and some excellent new Pokémon designs make the trip to Paldea worthwhile.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $64 at Amazon with free shipping

Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Review – A Tantalising Lens Into The Future

The Chant

Our Score: 7.5/10

“The Chant combines a unique setting and premise with striking art direction to offer an experience that feels wholly unique as a game.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $55 at Amazon with free shipping

The Chant Review – A Surprising And Psychedelic Adventure

Bayonetta 3

Our Score: 9/10

“Bayonetta 3 successfully reinvents itself in many ways to offer an experience that feels worthy of the title of sequel.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $68 at Amazon with free shipping

Bayonetta 3 Review – An Experience You Won’t Forgetta

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Our Score: 7/10

“As a sequel to the Modern Warfare reboot, Modern Warfare 2 feels like both a celebration of the series’ original trilogy as well as “the team” at its core.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $89 at JB Hi-Fi

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Campaign Review – Playing It Safe

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Our Score: 8.5/10

“Smart iteration on established mechanics and pitch-perfect pacing lead the way to a journey across some breathtaking locales that ups the ante in nearly every way by its shocking conclusion.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $65 at Amazon with free shipping

A Plague Tale: Requiem Review – A Provencial Tail

Gotham Knights

Our Score: 7.5/10

“Gotham Knights is both something different and something familiar for Batman fans. While the new role-playing elements create some pacing issues throughout the story, the breadth of abilities and ease of progression stop the experience from being as tedious as it could have been.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $59 at Amazon with free shipping (or $54 from UK store)

Gotham Knights Review – Batman Without Batman

Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope

Our Score: 9/10

“While Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is a markedly different game than Kingdom Battle, it’s a more than worthy sequel that successfully steps into its own space within the realm of turn-based strategy. It’s undoubtedly one of the best games on the Switch, and one of the best showings from Ubisoft in recent years.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $69 at JB Hi-Fi with bonus Steelbook

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Review – An Adventure Worth Raving About

Splatoon 3

Our Score: 8.5/10

“This is the most feature-complete and tightly designed Splatoon to date, and you’d be missing out if you choose to pass it up.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $59 at Amazon with free shipping

Splatoon 3 Review – A Splattin’ Good Time

The Last of Us Part I

Our Score: 9/10

“The Last Of Us: Part I is without doubt the most definitive version of The Last of Us on the market.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $69 at Amazon with free shipping

The Last Of Us Part I Review – Makes Every Shot Count

Saints Row

Our Score: 7/10

“The new Saints Row doesn’t break any new ground, however it’s still a relatively fun time. If you’re a fan of the series, there’s no reason not to give this one a spin.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $49 Day One Edition at Amazon with free shipping
• $49 Criminal Customs Edition at JB Hi-Fi

Saints Row Review – An Enjoyable Reboot

Two Point Campus

Our Score: 8/10

“Two Point Campus is another excellent entry from Two Point Studios that showcases not only more of the team’s penchant for humorous and accessible management sim gameplay but genuine love for the genre.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $27 at Amazon with free shipping

Two Point Campus Review – A New Twist On Management Sims

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Our Score: 8/10

“Whether you’re new to the series or a veteran, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is stylish, intriguing, super fun, and well worth checking out for RPG fans.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $59 at Amazon with free shipping

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Review – A Darker Expansive Adventure

Stray

Our Score: 9/10

“Stray is a brisk and relentlessly charming adventure that offers a very unique window into a gorgeous sci-fi world. It won’t challenge your mind or your reflexes too much but it’ll absolutely delight your senses. Importantly, it’s a video game with a dedicated ‘meow’ button, and what could possibly be better than that?”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $32 on the PlayStation Store (free for PS Plus Extra Subscribers)

Stray Review – A Meow-mentous Adventure

Mario Strikers: Battle League Football

Our Score: 7.5/10

“Mario Strikers: Battle League is a fun time that is easy enough for anybody to pickup and play but still with enough depth to mean it should keep players engaged for a long period of time.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $53 at Amazon with free shipping

Mario Strikers: Battle League Football Review – Full Of Personality

Nintendo Switch Sports

Our Score: 7.5/10

“Nintendo Switch Sports feels familiar, yet still remains fun after all these years, especially when played with groups of friends.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $54 at Amazon with free shipping

Nintendo Switch Sports Review – Still A Fun Time

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Our Score: 8.5/10

“I’ve been around the block(s) with TT’s games for some 15 years now, and this is without a doubt the best thing they’ve ever snapped together. If you’re a gamer who’s young or young-at-heart-container, I’d be very surprised if this didn’t instantly click with you.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $49 at Amazon with free shipping

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Review – Feel The Co-Op Within You

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands

Our Score: 8/10

“While Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands doesn’t offer a vastly different experience from what came before, it does venture outside of its comfort zone enough to establish its own identity. It’s an excellent extension of the already great Assault On Dragon Keep, and is a worthwhile adventure for any fan of the series, with extensive build crafting, an entertaining cast of characters, and a world worth exploring.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $28 at Amazon with free shipping

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Review – More Than A One Shot Adventure

Ghostwire: Tokyo

Our Score: 7.5/10

“A compelling concept and a beautifully realised world, Ghostwire: Tokyo leverages Japanese folklore and a unique combat system to provide a unique open-world experience.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $19 at Amazon with free shipping
• $19 at JB Hi-Fi with bonus gift pack

Ghostwire: Tokyo Review – A Dense And Wild Tour

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Our Score: 8.5/10

“Kirby and the Forgotten Land takes the Kirby franchise to new heights in new and interesting ways.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $59 at Amazon with free shipping

Kirby And The Forgotten Land Review – A Decent Step Forward

Gran Turismo 7

Our Score: 9/10

“Gran Turismo 7 is a car-lover’s dream. Whether you love cars already or have just started your journey into being a car person, GT7 wants to welcome you to the community with open arms, get you up to speed and give you everything it can to help you enjoy cars in whatever ways it’s able.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $49 at Amazon with free shipping

Gran Turismo 7 Review – Approachable Simulation

Elden Ring

Our Score: 9.5/10

“Elden Ring is without a doubt, FromSoft’s most ambitious undertaking yet, and like Dark Souls before it, I believe it will leave a permanent mark on both the open-world genre and the games industry in general.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $81 at Amazon with free shipping

Elden Ring Review – A Formula Perfected

Horizon Forbidden West

Our Score: 10/10

“Horizon Forbidden West is an exceedingly clever sequel, a deep and addictive action RPG, a dense world that unfolds with an impeccable sense of pace, a visual tour de force and the masterful delivery of a promising concept.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $49 at Amazon with free shipping

Horizon Forbidden West Review – An Exceedingly Clever Sequel

Dying Light 2 Stay Human

Our Score: 8/10

“Dying Light 2 Stay Human is a solid step-up from Dying Light in almost every way.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $39 at Amazon with free shipping

Dying Light 2 Stay Human Review – A Fluid & Frenetic Adventure

POKEMON LEGENDS ARCEUS

Our Score: 8/10

“While it might not provide the visual fidelity and exploration we might wish for in an open-world-esque Pokémon game, it does provide a satisfying and addicting gameplay loop, alongside a surprisingly enjoyable narrative to boot.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $59 at Amazon with free shipping

Pokémon Legends: Arceus Review – The Evolution We’ve Been Waiting For

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection

Our Score: 9.5/10

“Naughty Dog’s finest shine on the PS5 hardware and if you haven’t played these games, you’re in for an absolute treat, and if you’re returning to these games, you can expect to be blown away all over again, if not for the enhanced visuals alone.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $28 at Amazon with free shipping

Uncharted: Legacy Of Thieves Collection Review – A Visual Delight

FIFA 23

Our Score: 8/10

“This year’s FIFA is a comprehensive package for football fans thanks to HyperMotion 2, big reworks to FIFA Ultimate Team and the introduction of the FA Women’s Super League and the French Division 1 Feminine.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $49 PS4/Xbox Series X, $44 PS4/XB1 or $29 Switch at Amazon with free shipping

FIFA 23 Review – A Much Needed Refresh

NBA 2K23

Our Score: 8/10

“Refinements to core aspects of NBA 2K23’s gameplay make for some of the most fluid and enjoyable action seen in some years, and it’s all capped off with the excellent Jordan Challenge.”

The best Black Friday deal:

• $49 PS5/Series X or $39 PS4/XB1 at Amazon with free shipping

NBA 2K23 Review – A Solid Step Forward

For more Black Friday deals, visit our hub HERE.

The post Our Favourite Games Of 2022 To Pick Up During Black Friday Sales appeared first on Press Start.

It sounds like we won’t see a wholly new generation of PlayStation or Xbox consoles any sooner than 2028.

That’s according to newly-released documents pertaining to the ongoing review in the UK into Microsoft’s proposed $68bn acquisition of Activision Blizzard. A particular section in the documents describes Sony’s dissatisfaction with Microsoft’s terms for how far into the future it plans to offer new Call of Duty releases to PlayStation customers.

Calling the terms “badly inadequate”, Sony argues that the offer of a 2027 cut-off for PlayStation support from the Call of Duty franchise would mean that the series would not debut at all on the next generation of PlayStation consoles and thus encourage customers to switch platforms. Sony seemingly names a year for when it expects next generation hardware to launch, which is redacted in the public version of the documents, but it’s fairly easy to infer from the rest of the statement that said year would be 2028 at the earliest:

Sony referred to a next generation of PlayStation console in its CMA response, with the suggested year of release being redacted

This was in a passage where it was referring to losing access to CoD after 2027, with higher potential for platform switching

PlayStation 6 in 2028? pic.twitter.com/f7govC8R7A

— Piers Harding-Rolls (@PiersHR) November 23, 2022

According to a report from VGC, Microsoft’s accompanying response to the Competition and Markets Authority and Sony’s arguments echoes this timeline, with the Xbox manufacturer saying,

“The Parties [Microsoft and Activision] do not dispute that some portion of gamers are likely to re-assess their console ownership at the start of a new generation. But they also note that this is an event that only occurs approximately every eight years. I[n]need the next new generation of consoles are not expected to be released before the fall of 2028 at the very earliest.”

A seven-to-eight-year console cycle certainly isn’t anything new, the PS4 and Xbox One both launched in 2013 with the PS5 and Xbox Series X releasing just two years ago in November 2020. The discussion also seemingly relates to a complete generational leap and not a mid-gen refresh that could see slimmed-down and/or more powerful versions of the machines released.

The post Sony And Microsoft Aren’t Expecting To Have New Consoles Out Before 2028 appeared first on Press Start.

Head of PlayStation Studios, Hermen Hulst, has announced that God of War Ragnarök has set the record for the fastest-selling first party PlayStation game to date.

The game has reportedly sold 5.1 million copies as of its debut week, outpacing every other PlayStation Studios game launch and breaking franchise records. The last PlayStation Studios title to raise the benchmark for the honour was The Last of Us Part 2 in 2020.

Thank you to all the PlayStation fans who made God of War Ragnarok the fastest selling PlayStation Studios game ever, and congratulations to everyone @SonySantaMonica on this amazing achievement #GodofWarRagnarok pic.twitter.com/M3y7Uz2GCz

— Hermen Hulst (@hermenhulst) November 23, 2022

It’s a well-deserved victory for a game that we scored a 9.5/10 in our review, saying “God of War Ragnarok is a triumph. Santa Monica Studio has successfully taken everything that was great about the last game and amplified it while correcting just about every problem area and then some.”

If you’re yet to join the other 5 million+ people holding back the impending Ragnarok, Amazon currently has the game for $78 (PS4)/$104 (PS5) with free shipping.

We’re also giving away both a Collector’s Edition and Jotnar Edition of the game, entries close soon so get yours in here.

The post God Of War Ragnarök Has Set The Record For The Fastest Selling PlayStation Studios Game Ever appeared first on Press Start.

The PlayStation Store’s digital Black Friday deals have gone live, with hundreds of titles discounted.

The deals cover a wide variety of games, including a ton of PS5-only or cross-gen titles and bundles. Some of the pricing isn’t quite as sharp as retail deals for physical versions of the games will be over the coming week, but for anyone out there rocking a digital-only PS5 there’s never been a better time to grab a bunch of hot titles.

There are some good recent releases in the mix too, such as the the excellent A Plague Tale: Requiem for 20% off, The Quarry for half price and Gotham Knights for 40% off.

It’s worth noting a lot of the titles in this year’s sale are also included in the PlayStation Plus Extra/Deluxe subscription tiers.

Luckily there’s also currently 25% off PlayStation Plus subscriptions, including the upgraded tiers!

You can see the whole sale here, but we’ve highlighted some of the juiciest deals below:

PS5/Cross-Gen Games

• Gotham Knights – $65.97 (40% off)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales – $47.47 (50% off)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales Ultimate Edition – $77.46 (38% off)
• Stray – $31.96 (20% off)
• Cyberpunk 2077 – $34.97 (50% off)
• Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Edition – $29.97 (50% off)
• NBA 2K23 – $59.97 (50% off)
• FIFA 23 – $65.97 (40% off)
• Gran Turismo 7 – $77.46 (38% off)
• Horizon Forbidden West – $77.46 (38% off)
• The Last of Us Part I – $93.71 (25% off)
• A Plague Tale: Requiem – $79.96 (20% off)
• F1 22 – $54.97 (50% off)
• The Quarry – $54.97 (50% off)
• Dying Light 2 Stay Human – $48.97 (50% off)
• Sniper Elite 5 – $50.97 (50% off)
• Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut – $62.47 (50% off)
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Ragnarök Edition – $52.48 (65% off)
• LEGO Stars Wars: The Skywalker Saga – $44.97 (50% off)
• Ratchet & Clank: Rife Apart – $62.47 (50% off)
• Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection – $29.98 (60% off)
• It Takes Two – $23.98 (60% off)
• Death Stranding Director’s Cut – $29.98 (60% off)
• Disney Dreamlight Valley – $35.96 (20% off)
• Cult of the Lamb – $30.36 (20% off)
• Sifu – $41.96 (30% off)
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits – $29.97 (50% off)
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure – $46.17 (58% off)
• Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – $34.98 (65% off)
• Unpacking – $21.66 (30% off)

PS4 Games

• FIFA 23 – $59.97 (40% off)
• NBA 2K23 – $44.97 (55% off)
• Gran Turismo 7 – $62.67 (43% off)
• Horizon Forbidden West – $62.67 (43% off)
• F1 22 – $49.97 (50% off)
• The Last of Us Part II – $14.98 (75% off)
• The Quarry – $49.97 (50% off)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 – $29.68 (67% off)
• God of War – $12.47 (50% off)
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice GOTY Edition – $49.97 (50% off)
• Batman: Arkham Collection – $21.23 (75% off)
• Psychonauts 2 – $30.92 (66% off)
• Midnight Fight Express – $23.96 (20% off)
• Rabbids: Party of Legends – $29.97 (50% off)
• Digimon Survive – $48.96 (30% off)

Again, this is just a tiny selection of the huge number of games on sale on the PlayStation Store, so make sure to browse the rest here.

Check out all the other Black Friday sale action at our dedicated hub.

The post The PlayStation Store’s Black Friday Sale Is On Now And Has Some Tasty Deals appeared first on Press Start.

The official “Launch Trailer” for Striking Distance Studios’ highly-anticipated sci-fi horror title, The Callisto Protocol, is here and it’s a banger.

Set to a rousing new track from Kings Elliot and featuring a great look at some of the cast with Josh Duhamel as Jacob, Karen Fukuhara as Dani and Sam Witwer as Leon, the trailer does a great job of showcasing the game’s cutscenes, enemies, environments and pieces of the narrative to expect.

Check it out below:

The trailer drops alongside the fifth episode of “The Callisto Protocol: Helix Station”, the six-part audio series leading into the game’s release that stars Gwendoline Christie and Michael Ironside and is designed to get players into the game’s world and story. Check that out here.

The Callisto Protocol releases on December 2, 2022 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.

Amazon has the cheapest pre-orders at $74 for PS4/Xbox One and $84 for PS5/Xbox Series X with free shipping.

The post The Callisto Protocol’s Launch Trailer Is Here And It’s Looking Fantastic appeared first on Press Start.

This year’s Black Friday deals are beginning to kick off in earnest with brands dropping their sales as early as right now. One of those is PlayStation, with a bunch of PS5 and PS4 games going on sale on Amazon.

These are some pretty decent prices on first-party titles, especially when it comes to the PS5 releases, so it’s a great opportunity to catch up on anything you might have missed or if you’ve just picked yourself up a PS5 console.

Looking to pick up a PS5 console to take advantage of these deals? Amazon has the PS5 Disc Edition God of War Ragnarok bundle in stock for $904!

PS5 SSDS

• PS5 compatible 2TB Samsung 980 Pro – $315
• PS5 compatible 1TB Samsung 980 Pro – $199

PS5 Games

• The Last Of Us Part 1 – $69 (45% off)
• Horizon Forbidden West – $49 (61% off)
• Gran Turismo 7 – $49 (61% off)
• Returnal – $57.95 (54% off)
• Destruction AllStars – $19.45 (51% off)
• Demon’s Souls – $52.95 (58% off)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales – $39 (51% off)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate – $69 (45% off)
• The Nioh Collection – $55.95 (55% off)
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – $49 (61% off)
• Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut – $49 (52% off)
• Death Stranding Director’s Cut – $28.45 (64% off)
• Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection – $28 (65% off)
• Sackboy A Big Adventure – $40.95 (63% off)

PS4 Games

• Marvel’s Spider-Man – $20 (56% off)
• Ratchet & Clank – $8 (48% off)
• Infamous Second Son – $8 (60% off)
• LittleBigPlanet 3 – $8 (48% off)
• Killzone: Shadow Fall – $8 (46% off)
• Until Dawn – $8 (52% off)
• Death Stranding – $$19.45 (65% off)
• God Of War 3 Remastered – $8 (42% off)
• God of War – $8 (40% off)
• Gran Turismo Sport – $8 (40% off)
• The Last of Us Part 2 – $14 (65% off)
• Predator Hunting Grounds – $24.45 (56% off)
• Ghost of Tsushima – $20.95 (64% off)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – $39 (39% off)
• Sackboy A Big Adventure – $40 (60% off)
• Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut – $38.95 (65% off)

Accessories

• DualSense Wireless Controller Cosmic Red – $79.95 (33% off)
• PS5 HD Camera – $89 (11% off)
• PS5 Media Remote – $47 (6% off)
• Pulse 3D Headset – $119 (26% off)
• PlayStation VR2 Standard Kit – $879.95 with free shipping (no deposit needed to pre-order)
• PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain Bundle – $959.95 with free shipping (no deposit needed to pre-order)
• PlayStation VR2 Charging Station – $79.95 with free shipping (no deposit needed to pre-order)

Keep your eyes on the website and our socials over the coming days and weeks as more and more Black Friday bargains roll in – we’ll be sharing everything we see!

The Ubisoft Store’s Black Friday Sale Is Absolutely Stacked With Deep Discounts

WE LOVE BRINGING YOU THE BEST GAMING AND TECH BARGAINS. WE MAY GET A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE SALE THROUGH AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS

The post Amazon Is Having A Massive PlayStation Sale For Black Friday And It Starts Now appeared first on Press Start.

God of War Ragnarök is upon us! The excellent follow-up to 2018’s God of War released this week and we absolutely loved it. So much that we were eager to chat to the team at Santa Monica Studio about how the game, and especially its epic narrative, came about. Luckily, we had none other than God of War Ragnarök’s Narrative Director, Matt Sophos, on hand to answer our burning (and occasionally quite spoiler-y) questions. Take a look at the full interview below:

Please note this interview contains some spoilers for early plot points and some gameplay reveals in God of War Ragnarök, we’d recommend coming back and reading this once you’ve played through a significant portion of the game.

Presenting a narrative in this way with a single camera cut must have been a challenge in itself. I know it was the same with the original game, but doing it with this in the scope of how things play out with characters and with so much more happening, it must have been even more challenging.

Yeah, I know, you said that you’ve been playing it [so] I’m going to speak with a little bit of spoilers going on. But the fact that we had moments where you have to switch characters, and we did character handoffs and things like that, it provided new challenges, obviously, for the single cut camera, especially on ones where we were handing off from across distances as well as across characters. But it was it was fun!

When we first started tackling the game we talked amongst us ourselves as the writers, we talked to our director of photography, and our animators and said, “Alright, what challenges do we want here? What do we want to do?” And we quickly came up with, “Let’s really push ourselves on the single-cut camera and how we can mess with that.” That was one of the challenges and then the other one that we came across was, let’s do some eating scenes, because we never get to do eating scenes in games. So those were kind of the two big things we came up with.

Similarly, the original God of War had some some massive “wow” moments, both in gameplay and narratively. What kind of pressure did you feel to take this up another notch in Ragnarök?

Oh, boy. We felt a lot of pressure, because how do you follow up that game? It won lots of Game of the Year [awards] and, you know, we got to surprise people when we shipped God of War 2018. There weren’t any real expectations on it, people didn’t know what they were getting, or what it was going to be like. So, you know, we got to take people by surprise. On this one it’s the complete opposite. Obviously, not only did we not get to take people by surprise, but players had four years to kind of build up in their head what they thought the story should be or how the game should play out. And so we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to try and deliver for everyone.

Obviously, when you’re dealing with this fabled Twilight of the Gods, we knew that there was a massive war to end this whole story. So that was going to put its own kind of pressure on things. But I think the main thing that we tried to do with that pressure and all these other elements that are kind of big and grand and that we knew that were gonna have to happen was we always used Kratos and Atreus as kind of our North Star and as long as we’re sticking to the heart of these characters, and keeping that part still feeling pretty small, then have the big mythological backdrop that could provide the epicness and the bigness. I don’t even know if epicness is a word, but whatever. That would kind of be there to wrap it as long as we got the beating heart of the story, emotionally.

There was obviously Norse mythology in the first game, but it’s definitely dialled up to 100 here in terms of some of the themes and the characters that we’re introduced to. How challenging was it to draw on that and bring it a God of War game and bring Kratos around all of these characters that are so well known and have been for centuries?

It was really just a story about a father and son and this kind of very personal journey. We had Norse mythology at this kind of big backdrop that we could kind of wrap around them, but ultimately, that story could be told in any genre. It could be a Western, it could be something modern, you know, whatever. This next one because it’s Ragnarök, we knew we were going to be dealing with plot points from the mythology, things that are well known. And we were going to be bringing in characters that are more well known in the public consciousness, specifically in like Thor and Odin.

Those characters are well known largely because of Marvel and the public consciousness wrapped around there. So we ultimately did what we like to do, which is embrace the stuff from the mythology that we like, and subvert expectations as much as we possibly can. I mean, we already we had the cheat code in just that, in the Marvel Universe and what people know about them, these characters are the good guys. We already had flipped that on its head. So it gave us a lot of freedom to do what we wanted with them, which was both challenging and liberating at the same time.

That was going to be my next question, with these characters that Marvel has really put on the map. Like, everybody knows that Thor is is Chris Hemsworth. Right? Did you did look at that and think, “Okay, well, we need to do something totally different.” How does that play into the process of creating a character like Thor or Odin?

For us, with Thor in particular. We just kind of we leaned into the Eddas [Icelandic manuscripts]. Now, obviously, this physical representation is one thing but Thor in the Eddas is not the the morally, forthright, hunky Chris Hemsworth. You know, he’s a very grey character in a lot of ways. There’s this one story, I’ll try to keep it short on this one, but there’s this one story where he he’s invited to go to this family, and he has a meal with them. And he has these two goats that you can kill, take their meat, and as long as their bones are arranged perfectly and not messed with, they’ll resurrect the next day. And the kids, like, nick, one of the bones of the animals which causes this goat to resurrect lame. And he was furious, he was going to murder everybody, but the parents were like, “No, no, just take our kids!” so he’s like, okay, fine. And he takes the kids! Its like, that is not Marvel’s Thor!

So that already kind of gave us our inroads into what we wanted to do with the character, it was kind of within the text there. And then, for us, in the last game you heard a lot about Thor and Odin, and how horrible they were. But it was all from Mimir’s perspective as someone who had been tortured or Freya’s perspective as someone who had been exiled and treated horribly. And so for this one, we just we came in with like, that all had to be true, but how can we give them some nuance and some layers and make them more than just one note villains?

Something that was really loved in the first game, and obviously is here too, is not just the big narrative moments, but the little bits of dialogue that happen when you’re on your boat, or just exploring off the beaten track. A lot of games have tried to do it, but I think this still does it better than a lot of those. I’d love to know how complex and challenging this is and just how much dialogue is recorded that might not be heard, depending on if someone doesn’t go down a certain path or see a certain area.

I think the big challenging part of it, well, there’s two challenging parts of it. From the writing side of it, it’s just keeping track of it all, keeping it organised in a way because we have lots of beats along the path of the main story in this game that fundamentally change where the characters are, what their state of mind and who’s right there with you and everything. So we had to write multiple versions of things and we had to expire stories if you got past a certain part of the main story. So in those respects, we ended up with things that players won’t hear, and we like that! I personally like that because it allows people to not have the exact same experience.

If you go off and do a quest you can do it with Atreus or you can do it with a different character, and you get things that are a little bit different. But that’s the challenging part on the writing side of things, just keeping all that stuff tracked for the narrative tech design side, which I can’t talk about that crew enough. Having it all work, we did something much more challenging on this than we did on the last one, last time it was pretty black or white, you were in a boat, you’d get a story you get, and then if you wanted to get out Mimir would interrupt himself and you’d be able to resume it later. Or if you were in the Realm Between Realms (or what we like to call The Donut), you could get dialogue there. And then when the door comes up, the story is over and you’re out.

In this one? Way more complex than that. Our narrative tech design team made it so that it could calculate the time between where the character is at right right now, where Kratos is at, and then when the next thing that could interrupt the story would be – whether that’s a combat event, or critical banter or whatever. And then it would pull from a bucket of stories and things and would go “Alright, this will fit in 20 seconds, put that in there and start playing.” And so we really worked hard to try and fill the empty spaces in a way that we couldn’t do on the last game.

We touched on it before but the father-son dynamic was really the biggest part of God of War 2018. And I think that resonated with everyone, but I remember there being a lot of commentary about, I guess, fathers in particular, it going an extra mile with them. What would you say that Ragnarok has to offer beyond that? Was that something you reflected on from the original game and then wanted to expand outside of for this story?

On the last game it was all from Kratos’ perspective, you were with him for the entire game. And a lot of what we talked about in that game is, how much of yourself do you show your child, even the stuff you’re not proud of? Especially if it’s going to help them, and dealing with those aspects. In this one, we knew from the outset that it was going to be more complex than that. You weren’t – spoilers, I guess – just going to be playing as Kratos. That one was a lot about fatherhood and being the parent.

In this one both Kratos and Atreus, unlike the last game, have different goals. The last one, they had the one goal of taking the ashes but in this one, they have differing goals. We wanted to make sure that neither of their opinions was the correct one, they both were right and they both were wrong in certain parts of it. And so I think for people who are following along that path, like I am, as a father of a young son learning to let go of them a little bit and let them find their own path. You know, I can identify with that. And for other people, it’s going to be about Atreus and his journey of trying to find himself and who he’s supposed to be. We just wanted to kind of like, build out both of those perspectives, and have them kind of come together in the end because because it’s still all about their relationship. That’s the heart of that.

I think what this game does really well is almost every new gameplay mechanic is tied to something significant in the story, or the world. Particularly Atreus’ relationship with the natural world. I wanted to ask how much of this is influenced by the narrative team versus gameplay design. Obviously it’d be quite collaborative, but playing it I definitely wondered where certain ideas had started.

When it comes to game development, it’s always a little bit of both. Some of Atreus’ mechanics, I know in the last game we alluded to in a moment when he first learns about his godhood and certain aspects of Loki, and what he wishes he can do. And I think the combat team took that and ran with it a little bit and what they wanted to do with it… [to the Sony team] God, I don’t know how spoiler-y I can get on this thing!

We knew at a certain point that you know, Kratos wasn’t going to only have the Blades of Chaos and the axe, that we were going to expand beyond that, even with the shields, but not to mention other things. And each of those were things that the combat team knew that they wanted to do. So we went, alright, we’re going to take that and we’ll extrapolate and build something meaningful out of those. That’s the give and take. I think when you’re getting it right, and hopefully we’ve gotten it right, it’ll all feel seamless and won’t feel like, “Hey, here’s just a mechanic layered on top of the game.”

I think it’d be remiss to not talk about the leaks that happened. I guess the temptation to show a lot of this stuff in marketing to push people to buy the game must be there, but what holds the team to say “No, we’re just going to put out there what the players already know and trust that they know more is coming”?

Thankfully when it comes to the marketing side of things, Sony has been really respectful of what the team wants and what we want to show. We had some things where we would look at like, meeting Tyr is a big reveal, you know? The fact that he’s alive is a big reveal. But it’s early in the game so we can say that’s a kind of moment that we can build a trailer around and it won’t really harm things for players to know that. They did respect our wishes for the most part, when we would say, “Hey, we’re not going to show this, we’re not going to talk about this. We don’t even want people to see what Odin looks like so we’ll bring him into the trailer, but we’re going to render the scene where it’s dark in the front, as opposed to what you end up seeing in the game.” And so that didn’t get much pushback.

When it comes to the leaks, that’s just a bummer in general, because we want to make sure that reviewers and journalists have the time because we know it’s a big game to really sink in and be able to really fully experience it before everybody writes reviews. So leaks that came from that is a real bummer. The leaks that come from stores breaking street date, that one really sucks because this person has spent their money, they bought the game, they can kind of do with it what they want at that point. So that’s a bummer. But you know, for us we’ve spent a lot of time making it and we want people to be surprised, but we know what the story is. That part doesn’t hurt us it just bums us out. And we see people who are just really excited about the game have it turned against them in a combative way where people jump into their texts and tweets and things and start spoiling things just to be jerks.

Some of my favourite moments in the game were some of the smaller characters that that pop up every now and again like Ratatoskr, for example. I’m sure there were so many more crazy things that the team maybe wanted to put in the game, were there things that were just too weird or just would have felt out of place in this world? Things that maybe initially felt like cool ideas, but would have felt too out of place in what was happening?

Well, I mean you mentioned the one. I think Ratatoskr was the one that we really pushed the envelope on. As far as like, “Are we are we pushing so close to the edge that we’re going to break the what feels right for this game?” But we just kind of ran with it because we had a great visual design and we just had a belief that it was gonna be fun. We turned this character of Brok into a Texas prospector in the last game and his brother was a germaphobe. So like, let’s see what we can get away with and how far we can push it. So, you know, I don’t know that anything was off limits, there were things that didn’t make it or stayed on the cutting room floor.

I think we named dropped him multiple times but there’s a God of Justice called Forseti who we kind of treated like this forensics guy who was gonna go figure out what happened. And he never ended up making it into the game. But I don’t think that we ever really had anything that was too outlandish that we couldn’t reel in, in a way that would make sense.

There are more open areas in this game and sort of side stories and things you can do off the beaten track. Was there any concern that these might take away from the urgency of an event like the world ending? Was there anything that was done to keep pushing people on that path through to the end?

Yeah we went back and forth several times on when a lot of these areas unlock, especially kind of the big space in Vanaheim that unlocks at a certain point that like really expands and you can go up and spend like four hours just doing this stuff. That was always a topic of conversation, when we would allow those things to happen. I think there was that concern sometimes that players might get side-tracked but we also felt, if this is what someone wants to do in that moment, we should empower them to do it.

We have specific stretches in the game where it’s like, it wouldn’t break the narrative but what it would cause is a lot of dissonance unless we go through and record all of this stuff, multiple times based on the mood of the characters. And so those were times when we were like, that’s going to be too expensive. We can’t have everybody depressed in this version of the quest and everybody fine in this version of the quest. So we’ve just got to lock it out for this stretch, you’re going to be locked into the critical path. But I think all games that have exploration content have to make some of those compromises.

Without spoiling anything, did the team or do the team feel now that there are more stories left to be told in this particular part of the world?

Once you have Ragnarök as kind of The Big Thing and it’s the big known thing about Norse mythology it gets to the point where you’ve played with anything that’s known. It doesn’t mean there aren’t stories to tell, I think with these characters that we’ve set up and the worlds we’ve set up, we tried to make them feel like living, breathing things that could be expanded into. But for characters like Kratos and Atreus we tried to conclude their story, because that was what we wanted to do was make sure that everybody who got to play the last game, and especially players on PS4 who haven’t been able to get a PS5, they could get the full story and get the conclusion of the story and not feel like they’re gated by hardware in their ability to hear the whole story.

Lastly, this is maybe a very niche reference but I think we heard a PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale reference at one point. I was a big fan of that game and I think it needs to come back so that moment, it was just so weirdly out of place but so beautiful, are we correct in saying that’s what that was?

Absolutely, that was where Mimir asks Kratos about it. I can’t remember the exact dialogue but fighting like a chef and a princess, yeah!

Yeah, that was awesome. Are there other easter eggs like that? That sort of tie back to other PlayStation games?

The main other one we have is there are artefacts that are Kvasir’s poems, and Kvasir’s poems are all based on first party titles. You can find them in the world, and then you sell them to the dwarves. If you go to their house, you’ll get to see them on one of the bookshelves and they’re all themed around various first party games. When you go into the journal and you read the poems written about them, they’re all alluding to the different games and all the names of the books are extrapolated versions of of these titles.

My son loves them as one of the things that I was telling him about and his favourite one is, I’m going to butcher it if I can’t remember it, it’s “Large Society, Ground Orb, The Performance”, which is MLB The Show, right? That’s the type of stuff we did with all the names of them. And I think all of the poems are fun. Those are the big nods that we had along with that PlayStation All-Stars reference.

Well, we could talk about this this game all day, it’s just so fascinating from every aspect, but thank you so much for your time.

Thank you for playing and taking the time to chat about it. We all appreciate the groundswell of support and just hope people really enjoy it. That’s ultimately why we do this.

God of War Ragnarok is out now on PS5 and PS4. We gave the game a 9.5/10 in our review, saying “God of War Ragnarok is a triumph. Santa Monica Studio has successfully taken everything that was great about the last game and amplified it while correcting just about every problem area and then some.”

The post We Spoke To God Of War Ragnarok’s Narrative Director About Exceeding And Subverting Expectations In The Sequel appeared first on Press Start.

Developers Papergames and 17ZHE Studio have announced a brand-new open-world action game titled Project: The Perciever.

The game is based on the Chinese Lao Zhuang canon, and centres around a fallen dynasty that leaves a nation in chaos. You play as the Master of Varietas, a protagonist with unique abilities that, from what we can tell in the game’s debut trailer, allow them to don different outfits based on masks that give them new strength.

Project: The Perciever will feature several ancient cities in its beautiful fantasy world, a variety of unique characters and plenty of exciting combat. From the footage it looks stunning, and definitely gives us a distinct Ghost of Tsushima vibe in its open world and swordplay, with some fantastical, Sekiro-esque elements thrown in.

A release date and release platforms have not been announced, though we know it’s at least coming to PlayStation based on the Debut Trailer’s presence on the PlayStation YouTube channel. Watch it here:

The post Project: The Perceiver Is A Chinese Open World Action Game With Heavy Sekiro And Ghost Of Tsushima Vibes appeared first on Press Start.

Reports have cropped up that work is soon to kick off on a Horizon MMO, according to information provided to Korean news outlet MTN (and shared in English by Eurogamer).

It would seemingly still be early days for development of the MMO based on PlayStation and Guerrilla’s massively popular franchise, but Sony and Guild Wars developer NCsoft have reportedly “tentatively agreed to pursue a business partnership in which NC will create new games using Sony’s promising game IP” with Horizon as the first fruit of this collaboration.

Last we heard on the Horizon front, a remake of the original Horizon Zero Dawn and another, separate multiplayer game for PS5 and PC are apparently also in development.

The next big release for the franchise will be Horizon Call of the Mountain for the PlayStation VR2, which releases alongside the headset in February next year and will be available as part of a launch bundle.

The post A Horizon MMO Is Apparently Coming From The Guild Wars Developers appeared first on Press Start.

A massive drop of PlayStation VR2 news has just come through, including a release date and price for the next generation of PSVR.

On top of that though, we’ve also just had the announcement of 11 new titles from a variety of developers following the headset’s launch. You can read about each of them in detail on the PlayStation Blog, but here’s a quick rundown as well as announcement trailers for each:

The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR

Don’t blink – Immerse yourself in this fast-paced roller coaster action-horror-shooter where every move you make, and everything you see, could mean the difference between life and death. Experience the thrill of the most nightmarish VR roller coaster action-shooter, enhanced by the innovative features of PlayStation VR2 and set inside the sinister world of The Dark Pictures Anthology.

Crossfire: Sierra Squad

Soon you’ll be able to drop into the world of Crossfire in full VR, taking the fight to dimensions yet unseen! A battle-focused shooter, Crossfire: Sierra Squad will have you fighting a seemingly endless enemy force with high AI intelligence. It’s a fast-paced, easy to learn FPS. We can’t wait to show you what we are working on.

The Light Brigade

A tactical roguelike shooter with realistic gunplay and immersive light magic. Ascend the ranks of The Light Brigade as you journey through shattered memories to return light to the darkness.

Cities VR – Enhanced Edition

Be the mayor and design neighbourhoods, construct buildings, direct the flow of traffic – all while you handle economics, emergency services, and more. See your skyline rise from an expansive bird’s eye view, or watch your city come alive from the streets. From cosy suburbs to massive metropolises, only your imagination is the limit. Step inside this VR adaptation of the leading city-builder, Cities: Skylines.

Cosmonious High

Owlchemy Labs presents an out-of-this-world VR experience with their hallmark interactivity and distinctive humour. Meet a colourful cast, adapt outrageous alien powers, and discover the source of the school’s malfunctions to save Cosmonious High from chaos.

Hello Neighbour VR: Search and Rescue

Hello Neighbour: Search and Rescue is a brand new groundbreaking VR horror-puzzle game where you sneak into your creepy neighbour’s house to save your friend.

Jurassic World Aftermath Collection

This reworked version of the popular survival adventure game combines both Part 1 and Part 2 into one complete collection. Set between Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, players crash land on the familiar Isla Nublar and find themselves  trapped in an abandoned research facility.

Pistol Whip

Welcome to the next generation of Pistol Whip. Enter the action-packed world of symphonic fury you already love with all-new features exclusive to the PS VR2, including haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and finger touch detection.

This Physical FPS is fuelled by dynamic tracks, powerfully colourful visuals, and film-inspired gunplay that can be as easy or hard as you choose. Blast, duck, and dodge your way through fever dream Scenes, build unique rhythms in a ballet of bullets, and claim glory on the leaderboards.

Zenith: The Last City

Play in the definitive VR MMO experience — now remastered for PlayStation VR2. Forge friendships in guilds and parties. Fight, craft, join epic raids, and blaze your own path. How will you use your power?

After The Fall

Team up with up to three friends and take on a hostile VR world filled in which hell has frozen over. With intense 4-player co-op and cross-play at its core, After the Fall offers action-packed gameplay built from the ground up for VR. Starting out in a shared space with up to 32 other players across all platforms, players venture out into post-apocalyptic LA in squads of four in a bid to reclaim the city.

Tentacular

Ever felt like a squid out of water? The story of Tentacular plunges you into the ocean-dwelling hulk of a gigantic, kind-hearted tentacled beast trying to figure out its place in the world.

PlayStation VR2 already has a killer line-up of software beyond these 11 newly-announced titles, too. It’ll be available in a bundle with Horizon: Call of the Mountain on launch, and we recently got to try out the headset for ourselves and play some Resident Evil Village in VR at Tokyo Game Show!

The post The PlayStation VR2 Just Had 11 New Games Announced appeared first on Press Start.

Preloading for God of War Ragnarök has officially kicked off on both PS5 and PS4 for those who’ve pre-ordered the game digitally.

PlayStation Game Size on Twitter posted the preload details overnight, revealing that the game weighs in at a whopping 106GB on PS4. Those installing the game on PS5 fare slightly better thanks to the console’s superior compression, with the install on Sony’s newest machine coming in at a tidier (but still not small) 84GB.

? PS4

? #GodOfWarRagnarok pic.twitter.com/Z521XoNqs7

— PlayStation Game Size (@PlaystationSize) November 1, 2022

While digital punters will be waiting until the game unlocks in their region to start playing, physical copies of the game have already appeared in the wild thanks to a retailer selling it early, prompting Santa Monica Studio to issue a statement warning fans of spoilers.

Bargain Guide – God Of War Ragnarok

We’re reviewing the game and recently published our preview impressions of the first six hours, which you can read here or listen to us discuss on the Press Start Podcast. The full review will land this Friday, November 4th at 3AM AEDT.

God of War Ragnarok releases on November 9th for PS5 and PS4. Amazon currently has the cheapest prices at $98 for PS5 and $79 for PS4. A bundle including the PS5 disc console and a digital copy of the game looks to be on the way, too.

The post God Of War Ragnarok Preloading Has Begun And PS4 Owners Are In For A Hefty Download appeared first on Press Start.

Naughty Dog and tabletop creators, Themeborne, have announced a collaboration to develop a board game based on The Last of Us, titled The Last of Us: Escape the Dark.

Utilising the Escape the Dark engine, the game will see up to five players take on the roles of Joel, Ellie, Tess, Bill, Tommy or Marlene in a story of survival set in an open-world map containing locations from the original game. Players will make choices about the routes they take through familiar locales like the Suburbs and University, using item cards and custom dice to combat Hunters and Infected and deal with incoming challenges.

A crafting system, character-based “Hang-ups” and optional stealth round out a feature-rich adaptation that sounds incredibly true to the video game.

“I’ve been a massive fan of Themeborne’s Escape the Dark board games! Escape the Dark Castle grabbed me with its bold black & white illustrations, compelling RPG mechanics, and interesting narrative choices. With its spiritual sequel, Escape the Dark Sector, I loved the evolution of deeper mechanics and how easily they fit into the sci-fi genre. Now I couldn’t be happier to see their game design continue to evolve with The Last of Us! We’re excited to see Joel, Ellie, and more of our beloved characters take on new life through stunning artwork and mechanics that immerse players in the world of The Last of Us.”

– Neil Druckmann, Co-President of Naughty Dog

The Kickstarter funding campaign for The Last of Us: Escape the Dark will go live on November 8th, and will feature an exclusive Collector’s Edition of the game. You can find the landing page and get notified right here.

The post The Last Of Us: Escape The Dark Is A New Tabletop Adventure Based On The Original Game appeared first on Press Start.

A few days ago we reported that copies of the upcoming PlayStation Studios behemoth, God of War Ragnarök, had found their way into the public’s hands after a US retailer sold them a whole two weeks ahead of launch.

That’s resulted in numerous spoilers finding their way onto the internet in a situation which is no doubt distressing to the folks at developer Santa Monica Studio who’ve spent a long time working on the game and making sure there are plenty of surprises in store for fans.

THE CHEAPEST PRE-ORDER COPY: $98 FOR PS5 AND $79 FOR PS4 AT AMAZON WITH FREE SHIPPING.

The studio has addressed the situation, taking to Twitter with a sincere message to players and internet-goers asking for their help in combating leaks by not sharing or engaging with spoilers and advising them to mute keywords and hashtags on social media. You can read the statement below:

A message from the team. pic.twitter.com/SRE9tSOV6a

— Santa Monica Studio – God of War Ragnarök (@SonySantaMonica) October 30, 2022

“As we approach launch, it is important for our studio to preserve the experience of God of War Ragnarok for players who want to enjoy the game for the first time without spoilers.

We ask that you please be considerate of the many fans who do not want to accidentally see clips, gameplay, or narrative spoilers and avoid sharing them wider.

We are doing our best to limit the exposure of unsanctioned footage and screenshots, but the reality is that we cannot catch everything.

For those of you who do not want to risk seeing anything before launch, we strongly advise that you mute any keywords or hashtags associated with the game until release day.

We appreciate the support you’ve shown us more than we can say. We can assure you it will be worth the wait to experience the game yourself when it is released in less than two weeks on November 9th.

Thank you.

Santa Monica Studio”

God of War Ragnarök releases on November 9th for PS5 and PS4. Amazon currently has the cheapest prices at $98 for PS5 and $79 for PS4. We’ll have a full review for the game at 3AM AEDT on November 4th.

The post The God Of War Ragnarok Developers Have Issued A Message To Fans With Spoilers Flooding The Internet appeared first on Press Start.

The 2018 reimagining of God of War was one of those rare games that felt genuinely fresh – an especially triumphant feat when you consider how stale the series had started to become before it. A new setting, a new perspective and radically changed combat combined with innovative ideas like the game’s uninterrupted, single-shot third person camera to form something that was undeniably special whether you were a diehard, lapsed fan or newcomer. Fast forward four years and the father-son duo of Kratos and Atreus are back in an adventure that, so far, feels like a welcome return even if it isn’t another massive shake-up.

Thanks to PlayStation we’ve been lucky enough to have our hands on God of War Ragnarök ahead of its November 9th release and while there’s still so much for to see, our impressions of the first 6-7 hours of the game have been incredibly positive.

Just a reminder that spoilers for the first game are unavoidable here, so if you’re yet to play God of War (2018) you should close this page, go to your nearest PlayStation ? console or gaming PC and enjoy that first.

God of War Ragnarok picks up some years after the long and brutal journey that saw Kratos and son travel across many of the nine Norse realms, following a trail left by Atreus’ late mother that ultimately leads them to learn of the impending Ragnarok. The pair seem to be enjoying relative peace despite the imminent doomsday event, but soon find themselves at the ire of Odin himself following the death of his son, Baldur, in the previous game. With Odin and Thor at their backs, Kratos and Atreus are forced to set off on a new journey, this time to find a means of stopping both Odin and Ragnarok itself.

First impressions of God of War Ragnarok are that of familiarity – from a broad-strokes perspective this game largely follows the template laid out by its predecessor. Kratos and Atreus navigate larger-than-life environments in a mostly linear fashion, solving environmental puzzles and exploring for secrets while engaging in the odd bout of combat against all manner of enemies and fantastical beasts. The more I play through Ragnarok though, the more its changes begin to reveal themselves from subtle tweaks to the moment-to-moment gameplay to larger additions and improvements that I’m sure are only the beginning of things to come.

The core combat experience in Ragnarok feels instantly recognisable. It’s still the same meaty, brutal ballet of violence that sees Kratos utilise both the boomerang-like Leviathan Axe and his classic Blades of Chaos to smash the ever-loving souls out of his foes while Atreus backs him up from afar with his bow, but smart revision and additions help it stay fresh. New abilities mapped to the triangle button allow Kratos to infuse his axe or blades with elemental powers for example, and different shields now offer slightly different blocking or parrying bonuses to suit how you play, things that quickly add up to make combat feel much more dynamic overall.

One of the other big changes comes in the form of an updated progression system that rewards players for using specific skills repeatedly in order to increase that skill’s “tier” and unlock the ability to further enhance it with modifications. I’ve been having a lot of fun with this, and it’s motivated me to really think about what skills I’m using and where, especially when it comes to dealing with new enemy types with their own new challenges. Odin’s Einherjar, for example, will inflict a ‘Bifrost’ status on Kratos that temporarily sections off a large portion of his health bar which he’ll lose if he’s hit by a follow-up attack.

Further adding that dynamism to everything is more verticality and interaction with the environment – Kratos can pick up nearby objects like pillars or molten rocks and hurl them at enemies with a button press, for example, and his Blades of Chaos now act as a sort of grappling hook to scale large cliffs or cross chasms with ease. Atreus being older also makes him a more formidable partner as well, he’s incredibly capable in battle and will traverse the environment without the assistance he needed last time around.

Other than some added mobility, traversal and exploration do feel quite similar to the 2018 game. Trekking off the beaten path and solving satisfying environmental puzzles to find things like Nornir Chests and slabs of lore is a matter of muscle memory. It’s far from a bad thing though, with all of the worldbuilding and onboarding groundwork already laid last time around, Ragnrok drops you right into the thick of it again and has you holding your own in battle, plumbing for secrets and canoeing around like the years haven’t passed.

The cheapest pre-order copy: $98 for PS5 and $79 for PS4 at Amazon with free shipping.

One thing that’s obviously going to be quite special about this sequel is the opportunity to explore all of the world’s nine realms, something that wasn’t possible before and that comes up within the game’s opening hours as Kratos, Atreus and Mimir head to Svartalfheim in search of Tyr, the Norse God of War originally thought to be dead.

Svartalfheim is quite a sizable locale, a series of land sections amongst huge lakes navigated mostly by boat (not unlike the Lake of the Nine in the previous game). It took me a good few hours to see everything that I possibly could sans some parts I’ll need to come back to with new abilities, including a couple of lengthy and genuinely interesting side quests. One of these rewarded me with some very attractive and useful armour for my troubles, the other – well, I’m not allowed to say. It’s cool as fuck, though.

Both of these also happen to centre around one of the game’s supporting characters and the reconciliation of their shady past, so while I’m excited for all of the new cast of characters I’ll meet across Ragnarok it’s also heartening to return to some familiar faces and have the opportunity to get to know them even more. And I think that really sets the tone for my journey back into this world – it might not be the massive shift that the previous entry was, but that game wasn’t just exciting because it was different, it was exciting because it was really bloody good and so it’s an immense pleasure just to be here again.

Following my semi-open world jaunt in Svartalfheim is a deeper dive into an enormous mine, a labyrinthine environment packed with large-scale puzzles that make good use of the pair’s increased mobility as well as some handy new ‘sonic arrows’ gifted to Atreus that can both stun enemies as well as cause certain materials in the world to crumple under acoustic pressure. This section serves to highlight the newfound synergy between Kratos and Atreus more than ever as they navigate the mine’s depths together and actively work towards a common goal.

Between Svartalfheim, Midgard and a secret hideout amongst the World Tree in the realm between, it’s clear that God of War Ragnarok is just as handsome and awe-inspiring a game as the one before it. Playing on PS5 there’s naturally a massive bump up in fidelity and detail with lush locales, gorgeous lighting and effects and breathtaking PS5-exclusive character models, despite a lack of any other real “new gen” features given this is a cross-platform release. It’s also a little odd to still be trudging through the Yggdrasil branch sections that were originally designed to mask the last game’s loading times, though these are also used to give characters time for conversation so it’s not a huge offence.

The single, uninterrupted camera shot that was a bold and fresh concept in the last game is back as well, and despite not being a new idea is still a unique point-of-difference in this series. It works just as well as ever, and even in these early moments is used to great effect to draw you into each scene and impart the wondrous sense of scale from enormous peaks right down to the quiver in a character’s eye. The game doesn’t pull any punches with throwing heart-wrenching moments at you from the outset and so being forced to sit, in those moments, still hits awfully hard.

There’s so much more that I could talk about, and exponentially more that I simply can’t just yet, but suffice it to say that based on the first half-dozen hours of God of War Ragnarok this is everything I would have wanted in a sequel. It doesn’t offer a wildly new experience in the way that its predecessor did, but it has no reason to when there’s still so much left to offer. It’s my hope that there’s maybe a major surprise or two in store down the track, but even if that hope turns out to be in vain I’ll be left with a meaty, satisfying action game filled with gorgeous views and a riveting next chapter in this compelling world.

God of War Ragnarok releases on November 9th for PS5 and PS4. Amazon currently has the cheapest prices at $98 for PS5 and $79 for PS4.

We’ll have a full review for the game at 3AM AEDT on November 4th.

The post God Of War Ragnarok Hands-On Preview – More Of The Good Stuff appeared first on Press Start.

Ragnarök is coming. God of War Ragnarök, that is. The highly-anticipated sequel to 2018’s pseudo-reboot is mere weeks from release and we’ve been putting serious hours into it this week ahead of dropping our full review on November 4th.

Before then though, we’ve got a meaty preview impressions piece for you to read over covering our thoughts of the first half-dozen hours of the game, so go give that a read here. We’ve also highlighted the game’s visual and performance options if you’re interested in knowing how the PS5 version will perform on your setup at home – take a look at that here.

On top of all that, we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight another key area of the God of War Ragnarök package, and that’s the suite of options available to tweak the game experience to suit both your playstyle and some potential accessibility needs. It’s something that PlayStation’s first party studios have quickly become pioneers in, offering up myriad ways to adjust in-game behaviours and presentation at a surprisingly granular level both to offer players a way to play that suits them as well as smooth over any hurdles that might come about during gameplay.

The cheapest pre-order copy: $98 for PS5 and $79 for PS4 at Amazon with free shipping.

Ragnarök smartly builds off of the framework laid down by other recent PlayStation Studios titles like The Last of Us Part I, serving up more or less a similar suite of options albeit more tailored to the game at hand. Unfortunately current embargo restrictions prevent us from sharing any screenshots to illustrate what’s available, but we’ve put together a brief overview of what to expect from the options below:

Controls

God of War Ragnarök comes with quite a few options to customise the control experience, from a general gameplay perspective as well as in the interest of accessibility. One of the big things that this sequel brings to the table over its predecessor (at least the console versions) is the ability to completely remap the controller layout, which is great, and there are even option motion controls for aiming ranged weapons and attacks.

On the accessibility front there are tons of ways to tweak how certain control elements work, including multiple options for how on-screen prompts and combat abilities are activated. For example, when an enemy is stunned and primed for a finishing move, the default R3 click to execute it can be swapped for a hold of the circle button or even switched to automatically activate when you move toward a stunned enemy. One thing I really appreciated was being able to switch the thumbstick-controlled cursor in the skill tree menus to directional button navigation.

A hidden player in Ragnarök’s accessibility suite is the DualShock/DualSense touch pad, which by default doesn’t have any function bound to swipe inputs but can be customised so that different directional swipes toggle certain visual or difficulty settings on and off on the fly which should prove incredibly handy to some.

Difficulty

Difficulty is a big topic when it comes to a game’s accessibility and playability, and God of War Ragnarök is stacked with ways to mould the game’s challenge to suit an individual player’s experience and capability. Starting with the below preset difficulty options:

• Give Me Story: For those who want an experience with the least focus on combat
• Give Me Grace: For players who want story focussed gameplay with some focus on combat
• Give Me Balance: Equally focused on combat and gameplay
• Give Me No Mercy: For those who want demanding combat.
• Give Me God Of War: For those who want the game as difficult as possible (can only be selected when starting a new game but can be permanently reduced mid-game).

Outside of these broad options, more specific toggles can be activated to alleviate pain points that might fall outside of the general idea of “difficulty”. These include things like navigation assist, which adds a button prompt that will automatically swing your view towards your next objective if you’re prone to being turned around easily, and multiple levels of traversal assistance which automate things like jumping, vaulting, climbing and crawling.

The behaviour of the camera in combat can be customised too, with varying degrees of lock on and auto-tracking depending on how comfortable you are with manually manoeuvring the camera with the right stick. Things like puzzle timers and QTE minigames can be made more forgiving as well, as can the need to manually pick up items on the field like health boosters – something I’m actively using just because it’s incredibly handy.

Curiously, there’s not much in the way of major buffs like invincibility or enemy health and strength modifiers in the way that The Last of Us Part I had them, but the Give Me Story difficulty option will hopefully suffice for most people in that regard.

Visuals

When it comes to visuals and visual aids, God of War Ragnarök follows the template laid out by other PlayStation Studios games pretty closely. There are standard colour filter options for people with various degrees of colour vision deficiency, including separate toggles for rendered visuals and UI elements. There are also high contrast display options to recolour specific game elements in bold hues to help highlight them in-game, like enemies, items and environmental interactions.

You’re also able to adjust the size and contrast of icons, subtitles and HUD elements, as well as a neat option to strengthen or reduce the contrast between foreground and background elements which is a feature I’m not personally using but took the time to play around with and actual found quite a boost to my eye comfort in certain circumstances – if you’re someone who’s fatigued by a lot of visual noise or suffers astigmatism I’d recommend checking it out.

Audio

Supplementing the visual options, Ragnarök also has a number of ways to control the audio experience whether it’s setting things up to sound as good as possible on your personal setup or using audio to help overcome impairments that might limit your gameplay.

The usual options are on hand for things like subtitles (which are highly customisable in themselves), volume and surround sound output, but something I appreciate on the audio treatment side of things is the ability to boost the volume of voices and even restrict them to the middle channel in an multi-channel environment to improve clarity. Playing through a soundbar with added rear speakers I’ve had zero issues with voice clarity or direction but it’s definitely a welcome inclusion given how commonly people have issues with it in modern media.

Audio cues are also a feature, adding distinct sounds to match all of the important interactive prompts in the game, which will no doubt help those with a variety of issues that might prevent them seeing and reacting to visual cues in a timely manner. Finally, a screen reader is available to narrate text on-screen.

AUDIO CUES

We have linked a sound cue to each of the on-screen interact prompts, so that when using this feature, you can hear when an interact icon is nearby, as well as when the button prompt becomes active.

[12/16] pic.twitter.com/oW85MM7Naq

— Santa Monica Studio – God of War Ragnarök (@SonySantaMonica) May 19, 2022

As always, it’s great to see another first party PlayStation Studios title go all-in on giving players a stark amount of freedom in customising and tweaking their gameplay experience both from a playability perspective as well as ensuring it’s as accessible as possible to everyone that might want to play and enjoy the adventure.

God of War Ragnarök releases on November 9th for PS5 and PS4. Amazon currently has the cheapest prices at $98 for PS5 and $79 for PS4.

We’ll have a full review for the game at 3AM AEDT on November 4th.

The post God Of War Ragnarok Offers A Highly Customisable Gameplay And Accessibility Experience appeared first on Press Start.

PlayStation and Santa Monica Studio are gearing up to release one of the year’s biggest games next week in God of War Ragnarök, and while it’s so far been surprisingly quiet on the trailer front when it comes to this game, it looks like things are about to really ramp up.

That’s starting with this new God of War Ragnarök Behind The Scenes project, a nine-part video series that will take players across all nine of the game’s mythical realms on a weekly basis and chronicle the multi-year production of the game. The first episode, titled Shaping The Story, starts us off and takes us through the key narrative beats that will take fans from the epic previous game and set up the journey ahead in Ragnarök.

In the video we hear from a number of developers on the narrative team about what to expect from the likes of Thor and Odin, who’ve come to the party with a thirst for vengeance after what Kratos and Atreus took from them (the video is packed with spoilers from the original game, if you haven’t played it) as well as the impending doom of Ragnarök itself. The team also describes the pair’s personal journeys, with Atreus growing up in the shadow of his own destiny and Kratos still finding what kind of father he wants to be.

The studio also talks about developing a world-class narrative during a pandemic, including the challenges of motion capture amidst social distancing restrictions. Notably, it’s revealed that rather than compromise on the vision and what would be included in the final game the team rose to the occasion and found creative solutions to shoot exactly what they needed.

You can watch the video below:

God of War Ragnarok releases in a month on November 9th for PS5 and PS4. Amazon currently has the cheapest prices at $98 for PS5 and $79 for PS4.

We’ve been playing the game for ourselves and will have our preview impressions live at midnight this Friday, October 21st and a full review at 3AM AEDT on November 4th.

The post A New God Of War Ragnarok Video Series Is Here To Take You Behind The Scenes Of The Massive Sequel appeared first on Press Start.