Playstation 5 Console Discussion

[Julius]

Project Q is called Portal (£199.99), earbuds are called Pulse Explore (£199.99), and the new wireless headset is called the Pulse Elite (£129.99).

More details on the PlayStation blog:

And an ad for the headsets:

First impressions of the Portal:

No pre-order or release details for any of these right now, but they're promised to be coming soon. 

I'm in for the earbuds I think, because my Pulse headset gets way too hot during longer online gaming sessions, but for me I think the jury's out on the Portal: not sold on the screen, price, and I'm especially not sold the look of the bisected DualSense being strapped to either side. Love the name though, but apparently it can't stream games via PS+ Premium's cloud streaming? That's a pretty odd decision. 

Anyways, time to watch some impressions! 

Edited August 23, 2023 by Julius

[drahkon]

I'm not the target audience, but it seems like a nice device.

I'll stick with my trusty PSVita for my mobile gaming needs

Earbuds are more my thing. But a tad too expensive for me.

[Julius]

November 15th launch for PlayStation Portal in select markets (US, UK, and much of Europe):

Quote

PlayStation Portal remote player will launch in select markets on November 15, 2023 and is now available for pre-order at direct.playstation.com in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Starting on September 29, 2023, PlayStation Portal remote player can also be pre-ordered from other select retailers in these countries, as well as Canada and Japan. Additional regional availability will be announced at a later date.

Interesting release date, would've thought they'd put the Spider-Man themed console out so early (releases tomorrow I think?) to give this some space and potentially launch around Spidey 2, but okay then. 

[Julius]

The new Deep Earth Collection, as revealed in the SoP:

One of my three DualSenses have started to drift terribly in the left stick, had my eye on a Limited Edition controller to replace it, and while that's still on the cards, think that silver one will do for now! 

Per the PS Blog, pre-orders drop October 4th. 

[Julius]

Crazy deal for new PS5 owners in the US where, as part of the Upgrader Program, for the next month new PS5s will include a free game – and it's a mighty strong list of first-party and exclusive offerings that they'll be choosing from. 

Quote

Limited to select games. Offer valid only in the U.S. for eligible PSN account holders who are at least 18 years of age and purchase and activate a new PS5 console by October 20, 2023 @ 23:59pm (PDT). GAME MUST BE REDEEMED ON YOUR ACTIVATED PS5 CONSOLE BY NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 20, 2023 @ 23:59pm (PDT). Limit 1 game per user. No substitutions or replacements. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with other select offers. Game selections subject to change at any time. Offer subject to change or cancellation at any time. Void where prohibited.

To Redeem:

• You'll need to buy and activate your new PS5 console
• Once your PS5 console is activated, navigate to PlayStation Store on your PS5 console
• You may see a banner with this offer. Click on the offer to make it to the Games Page which features eligible games to choose from.
• Select one game to download for free
• Click Download

Select Games:

• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

• Marvel's Spider-Man: Remastered

• God of War Ragnarök

• Horizon Forbidden West

• Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut

• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

• Demon's Souls

• The Last of Us Part I

• Sackboy: A Big Adventure

• Returnal

• Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection

• Death Stranding: Director's Cut

A good few of these have been on PS+ Extra/Premium, but TLOU Part I and Ragnarök making it onto this list too is an insane move.

Based on the date by which the offer ends, the plan seems to be to sell as many PS5s between now and when Spidey 2 comes out next month with this added incentive, and then hoping people pick up either Spidey 2 or make some Black Friday/holiday pick-ups. 

Seems like a great deal for those in the IS without a PS5 to their name!

[Julius]

Schreier / Bloomberg reporting that Jim Ryan is stepping down at PlayStation. 

Holy. Smokes. 

First and foremost: hope it's not for personal reasons, because this is seriously out of the blue and where my mind first goes. Could also be retirement? 

Assuming that it's not, though – very curious to hear the reasoning for such a decision, because PlayStation has seemingly had a clear plan laid out for all to see over the last 12 months or so which is a huge focus on multiplayer output up to 2025, seeing what sticks, and just keeping things ticking along with a much weaker first party presence for the PS5 compared with the PS4 after the closure of Japan Studio a few years ago. We haven't really had a chance to see any of that come to fruition, so I'm struggling to see what the play is here, if he is indeed stepping down. Curious to hear what it means for Hulst over at PS Studios, too, if anything, but with PlayStation it seems increasingly rare for just one big hat to step down and no-one else to follow suit. 

And, you know, we've also seen PlayStation absolutely wreck shop since he took over, so I'm struggling to see how it could be business related besides a potential change in long-term planning upstairs. 

Personally, I haven't been a fan of the direction PlayStation Studios have been going since the start of the gen, which seemingly lands squarely at the feet of Jim after the internal power struggle which saw him land the hot seat in 2019 - despite still getting great games, and sure with COVID being a factor, we're still just not getting the great mix of quality and quantity of titles we got with the PS4 - so if this move means that might change, then I'm all for it.

If Shawn Layden pulls a Palpatine and somehow returns? I'll be hyped as hell. And if there's no plan for him to return? I'll eat my hat if it's Shuhei. 

Please let it be Shuhei

 

Also Ben Starr weighing in...

Edited September 27, 2023 by Julius

[Julius]

And it's official: Jim Ryan is retiring from SIE in March 2024. 

Quote

As you will have seen today in the news , I have announced my retirement after nearly 30 years at Sony Interactive Entertainment. I did not take this decision lightly and I absolutely love SIE and our community, but of late I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to strike the right balance between having my home in the UK and my job in the United States. As mentioned in the press release, I will continue my role as President and CEO until March 2024. Effective April 1, 2024, Hiroki Totoki will be appointed Interim CEO of SIE while he continues his current role at Sony Group Corporation.

I feel humbled at having the opportunity to lead a company delivering products that touch millions of lives. From award-winning games to the incredibly immersive technical achievements delivered with PlayStation 5, I’m immensely proud of what we have achieved and very optimistic for the future of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

From my beginning in Europe, it was clear that Sony had built something truly special. Generations later I am still amazed by the excitement and passion of the PlayStation community. It is thanks to you that we have been able to keep innovating and delivering even greater experiences. Since 1994, generations of gamers have inspired us to be better, to push the boundaries, and the results have been incredible. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And, per the official Sony news channels and this update on the New Management Structure of Sony Interactive Entertainment, current Sony Group Corporation President, COO, and CFO Hiroko Totoki will be stepping in as Interim CEO of SIE. 

Quote

Sony Group Corporation and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) today announced that SIE President and CEO Jim Ryan has made the decision to retire in March 2024 after almost thirty years with the PlayStation business. To support Mr. Ryan in his transition, Sony Group Corporation President, COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki will assume the role of Chairman of SIE effective October 2023. Effective April 1, 2024, Mr. Totoki will be appointed Interim CEO of SIE while he continues his current role at Sony Group Corporation. Mr. Totoki will work closely with Sony Group Corporation Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida and the management team of SIE to help define the next chapter of PlayStation’s future, including the succession of the SIE CEO role.

Jim Ryan joined Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Europe-based legal entity, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe (SIEE) — which was then Sony Computer Entertainment Europe — in 1994. Since then, he has held a number of senior positions at the company including President of SIEE, Head of Global Sales and Marketing at SIE and Deputy President of SIE since January 2018, before being appointed SIE President and CEO.

This honestly seems like a huge shift – by all accounts, PlayStation has decentralised from Japan, shutting up shop on Japan Studio, and what with its HQ now being in California for over half a decade, and they haven't had a Japanese CEO since Hirai, right? Who stepped out of the hot seat over a decade ago. It does seem like Jim's just retiring at the top, what with them taking six months to ease him out and have Totoki step into his interim role. 

This is all kind of nuts, but it's hard to parse what exactly it's going to mean, and I imagine that'll be the case for a little while. But it sure does get the mind racing with possibilities. 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Julius

[Dcubed]

Very interesting… Wonder if this means that Sony Japan might now have a chance to wrestle back a bit of power…

[Julius]

7 hours ago, Dcubed said:

Very interesting… Wonder if this means that Sony Japan might now have a chance to wrestle back a bit of power…

It's honestly a really interesting choice to announce an interim successor over 6 months out, because you'd be under the assumption that, like when Kodera briefly took the reins from Andy House back in 2017, that either the VP or someone else in a big role within SIE (for example, your Hermen Hulsts) would be ready to take the reins. It's not like Jim was President/CEO for a shorter period that his VP might not be in a position to step in, etc., because he's been in the role some 4 years or so now, and looking back at the list of SIE head honchos, that seems pretty typical. 

I don't think a power grab is the reason Jim Ryan is stepping down - he's launched what looks to potentially be the best-selling piece of PlayStation hardware to date, I'm not sure what else you'd want from a CEO - because he's mentioned in the past that he works weird hours (did so during COVID, too) to align with UK/US/JP meetings, and moving between countries on a very regular basis, so it's (unsurprisingly) a very demanding role and I can imagine that would take it's toll; fwiw, I think his GamesIndustry.biz interview is a decent watch where he goes over some of this stuff:

But yeah, I do just find the move to announce the interim replacement 6+ months out and shift away from the west - the direction PlayStation has clearly gone over the last decade after its recovery late on with the PS3 and its continued success since - a really peculiar one. Is it a sly move by Sony JP to get a Japanese person at the top of PlayStation again and perhaps lead some reform? The PS5 is surging in sales over in Japan now, for what it's worth, and is doing so after the closure of Japan Studio, perhaps leaving a niche - I'd argue PlayStation's strongest niche - unfulfilled that they might want to, well, fill.

The only other thing I can think of is that they want to do some talent poaching, because to me, this signals that they clearly don't feel like they've got the right person to step into the hot seat over at SIE within its current structure. 

Not sure if it'll lead to any major change - though I want it to; give me back Japan Studio, you cowards!! - but one to keep an eye on, for sure! 

Edited September 28, 2023 by Julius

[Julius]

Looks like the TLOU Factions project is on ice. Per Kotaku: 

Quote

[Naughty Dog] has begun cutting contracts short for dozens of workers. 

Layoffs were communicated internally at the Santa Monica, California-based studio last week, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Departments ranging from art to production were impacted, but the majority of those laid off worked in quality assurance testing. The sources said at least 25 developers were part of the downsizing. Full-time staff do not appear to have been part of the cuts. Naughty Dog’s headcount was over 400 as of July.

Despite hit ratings for the recent HBO adaptation of The Last Of Us, a multiplayer spin-off for the zombie shooter based on the first game’s Factions mode has struggled in development. Bloomberg reported in June that Sony had diverted resources away from the project following a negative internal review by Bungie, the recently acquired live-service powerhouse behind Destiny 2. One source now tells Kotaku that the multiplayer game, while not completely canceled, is basically on ice at this point.

This one hurts. Having played the original Factions all the way through twice (well, essentially three times) just last year, which was a lot of fun, I had really high hopes for this turning out well. I guess it always had the potential to be tainted by GaaS crap, but I was really interested to see their plans for storytelling in that style of game – surely ND were building up to something fresh for the space. 

While I get Bungie coming in and giving their opinion that the game might not have the best systems in place to keep players coming back, no GaaS title is a guaranteed success. Zero of them. Risking it with something fresh just to have a moment in the spotlight is far more intriguing a proposition for me - and a more realistic expectation, I think, for these publisher's - because we're getting high quality games releasing at such a pace now that very, very few games have consistent staying power that brings players back (and potentially spending money) week in and week out. I'd argue the only people who have cracked it with multiple successes in a row are the Hoyoverse folks, and even then I have to imagine that there's an obscene level of cannabalisation amongst their own products when a new one is launched. 

Now I'm left just hoping that Naughty Dog get something out before this gen is done. Hopefully there's their new IP and TLOU Part III to look forward too, but we're rapidly nearing the halfway mark of this gen and they've released a pair of remasters and a remake, so it's hard to not be a bit concerned and let down 

[Julius]

Introducing the *new look* PS5, arriving in November – but not (yet..?) called the Slim? Detachable UHD disc drive confirmed, which can be purchased separately if you get the Digital Edition. 

From the PS Blog:

Quote

The new PS5 has been reduced in volume by more than 30%, and weight by 18% and 24% compared to the previous models. There are four separate cover panels, with the top portion in a glossy look, while the bottom remains in matte.

If you purchase the PS5 Digital Edition, you can add the Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive for PS5 later, as it will also be sold separately for 79.99 USD | 119.99 EURO | 99.99 GBP | 11,980 JPY.

[...]

The same technology features that make PS5 the best to play are packed into a smaller form factor, along with an attachable Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive and a 1TB SSD for more internal storage.

The recommended retail prices for the new PS5 model are as follows beginning with the rollout in November at participating retailers.

• U.S.
- PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 499.99 USD
- PS5 Digital Edition – 449.99 USD

• Europe
- PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 549.99 EUR
- PS5 Digital Edition – 449.99 EUR

• U.K.
- PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 479.99 GBP
- PS5 Digital Edition – 389.99 GBP

• Japan
- PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 66,980 JPY (includes tax)
- PS5 Digital Edition – 59,980 JPY (includes tax)

A horizontal stand will be included with the new PS5 model. Also a new Vertical Stand compatible with all PS5 models will be sold separately at 29.99 USD | 29.99 EURO | 24.99 GBP | 3,980 JPY.

Curious what this means for their future plans when it comes to plates? They have the previously announced Deep Earth Collection still to release, but are they going to double up on the number of plates for the slimmer models to be covered? Are only the slimmer models going to get them - despite them having a different system/size? Is it going to be only the older models that get them? Or will they drop the plates altogether? 

Pricing is...interesting, to say the least, either staying the same or even increasing in some territories, in the case of the Digital Edition. I guess it pushes an emphasis on the Disc Edition as it'll cost less than the Digital Edition + disc drive...but wasn't the point to push the Digital Edition at a reduced price to have a greater hold on game pricing and get a higher % of store profits? It'll sell regardless, but I guess the savings here are to be made on the hardware production side of things for them  sure there's a bump in storage, but SSD prices are coming down on a pretty consistent basis, so it's an odd bump in price any way you try to put it. 

The detachable disc drive is a cool piece of tech, feels like something from a bygone era of gaming, but yeah, no reason to pick this up if you already have a PS5 (unless the change in dimensions is in your favour) – and if you don't, it seems like it'd be worth expediting a purchase of the current model? 

Now to wait and see if we get a Pro next year...but seeing as it feels like I can count the number of games on one hand actually pushing the current models, do we really need one just yet? Also makes me a bit nervous about the price of a potential Pro seeing as the slimmer-not-Slim PS5 hasn't seen a decrease in RRP, so it's probably going to be coming in at $549 or $599. 

Edited October 10, 2023 by Julius

[killthenet]

The disc model looks even more conspicuous now, don't think there's any doubt that they designed the digital first then just bolted on a disc drive afterwards. 

It's telling that they only talk about volume rather than height given its only fractionally shorter than the launch model. The only reason to be tempted to replace my launch model with one of these, apart from slightly reduced power consumption, is the extra internal storage but M.2 drives are getting so cheap now it would be easier and cheaper to just buy one of them instead. 

It really is all about making manufacturing less complicated for Sony though, no real benefit to consumers besides being able to upgrade a digital model to use discs 

[Dcubed]

Still every bit as ugly as the original

[nekunando]

5 hours ago, Dcubed said:

Still every bit as ugly as the original

I thought any sort of redesign would be drastically different and more likely to fit comfortably in a media unit below the TV.

How hilariously wrong I was!

I haven't had much interest in the console in the last couple of years but while I maybe didn't expect to be drawn in by a new model, I thought it may at least be a little more appealing to make it tempting in some small way.. but I'm good 😅

[Julius]

A meaty - nearly 10 minute! - video on the Access controller! 

More details in the PlayStation Blog:

Good stuff 

[drahkon]

Quote

As of November 13, 2023, integration with X (formerly known as Twitter) will no longer function on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles. This includes the ability to view any content published on X on PS5/PS4, and the ability to post and view content, trophies, and other gameplay-related activities on X directly from PS5/PS4 (or link an X account to do so).

playstation.com

Oh no, anyways

[Hero-of-Time]

Bah! I used it to post my trophies.

 

[Julius]

White 'H' on a light blue background? Who the heck is this @Hero-of-Time fella? Never 'eard of him 

(welcome back!! )

8 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Bah! I used it to post my trophies.

Same, that and whenever I wanted to quickly post a screenshot  I guess if you still want to use it the workaround now is going to be uploading the image to the PS App, downloading to your phone, then uploading via the app? Then again, can't imagine it'll be long before it's a subscription-based service from top to bottom 

It wasn't not already a blight on humanity in its Twitter form, but good lord, I audibly groan every time I read an article and it's all just referencing content from 'X, formerly known as Twitter' 

[Hero-of-Time]

3 minutes ago, Julius said:

I audibly groan every time I read an article and it's all just referencing content from 'X, formerly known as Twitter' 

I was just saying this to a lad at work last week. Everywhere seems to reference it like this now. Is there some contract in place or something that requires news outlets to word it like this?

[Julius]

39 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I was just saying this to a lad at work last week. Everywhere seems to reference it like this now. Is there some contract in place or something that requires news outlets to word it like this?

I'm not sure exactly, but I think it's more a case of contextualising what they're even talking about to be honest, as opposed to anything contractual/legal – and I think everyone and their mother in the media has got onboard because it's one of the most baffling rebrands possibly ever? Had a quick look around and it doesn't seem to be the case that that's it's actual name (even if that would probably make more sense than whatever the current mess is). I wouldn't be shocked if it's changed back to Twitter if/when Elon ever steps down, but yeah...goodness knows when or how that'll come about. 

Shout-out to my physics teacher in college for questioning me for thinking the idea to terraform Mars with nukes was an obviously stupid and dangerous idea. He was a smart guy (my physics teacher, not Elon), but this was back before the edgelord Musk had revealed his true persona, and everyone was praising his every move. 

You know, writing this all out, I genuinely think Elon Musk is an IRL attempt at the world making a JRPG villain: he's obsessed with the letter 'X', his facial features are so extreme that he looks cartoonishly evil, and he says some of the weirdest things that no-one seems to bat an eye at and just accept (the idea of terraforming Mars with nukes has some real obvious Persona/FF main villain vibes)...

Anyways, I'm really curious to see how gaming companies try to pivot out from under X, formerly known as Twitter (*sigh*), because even though I think it's a blight on humanity, it's undeniably the place for breaking news, and that includes gaming news and announcements. The way that Instagram, Facebook et al work simply doesn't cut it as an up-to-date news distributor. 

Or as a way to post Plats and screenshots 

Edited November 7, 2023 by Julius

[Hero-of-Time]

New slim model is in the wild now and comparison pics are being posted.

Gotta be honest, that's a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be. The promo shots didn't do it justice. 

[Julius]

8 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Gotta be honest, that's a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be. The promo shots didn't do it justice. 

Was just thinking the same, that looks like quite the substantial bit of weight loss! 

Think it's a real shame that they didn't go with a bit more of a redesign like they did when they went from the PS4 to the PS4 Slim, though, because it just looking like a smaller version of a regular PS5 - while an impressive technical feat - makes it look like a cheap knock-off or toy...only compounded by the keyring-looking stand, the deeper cave-in of the glossy central console, the plate slits, and man, the lack of a grill either side just looks off; like corners have been cut. 

I'm honestly also still shocked that it's not officially being referred to as the 'PlayStation 5 Slim' 

[Hero-of-Time]

Yeah, I would have preferred a proper redesign as well. 

The PS1, PS2 and PS3 slim designs were great.

 

 

 

[drahkon]

On 11/7/2023 at 9:17 PM, Hero-of-Time said:

Gotta be honest, that's a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be.

Played a bit of CoD: MWIII last night.
Love it.

[Ashley]

On 07/11/2023 at 8:17 PM, Hero-of-Time said:

New slim model is in the wild now and comparison pics are being posted.

Gotta be honest, that's a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be. The promo shots didn't do it justice. 

I know it's just the reflection on the phat giving an optional illusion but it looks like it's improved it's posture too.