Gaming - Page 222

It's been one of the biggest gaming hardware stories of the week (and month): Sony has officially announced the existence of the PlayStation 5 Pro console while offering a quick look at the specs and features. While most of the community's feedback has been focused on the hefty $699 USD price tag, the beefed-up GPU does represent a big upgrade over the baseline PS5 hardware.

Sony has confirmed that the GPU features 67% more Compute Units, faster memory, up to 45% improved performance, and two to three times the ray-tracing or RT performance. That last bit will be a proper generational upgrade compared to the RDNA 2.5 or the 'almost RDNA 3 hardware' inside the baseline PS5 console.

How Sony achieved this is pretty simple: the RT hardware inside the PlayStation 5 Pro comes from AMD's next-generation Radeon graphics hardware, or RDNA 4. This has been confirmed by Mark Cerny, Sony's lead PlayStation system architect.

Odds are, like me, you haven't heard of EVOTINCTION, a new stealth and hacking sci-fi game with a strange title but some super impressive visuals. Available this week for PC and PS5, the PC launch arrives with DLSS 3 support and Ray Tracing. This is one of those RT titles that required Super Resolution and Frame Generation, which boosts performance by an average of 3.9X at 4K.

This massive figure sees the GeForce RTX 4090's native 47 FPS skyrocket to 169 FPS. Lower the resolution to 1080p but keep RT enabled alongside maximum graphics settings, and every GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU from the RTX 4060 on up delivers a 100+ FPS experience.

Another game launching this week with DLSS 3 support is Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, the latest entry in the long-running racing series that features a 1:1 scale recreation of Hong Kong Island to race around in exotic cars from the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Koenigsegg, Dodge, and more.

Xbox and Activision have taken to social media to confirm that the recent Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Open Beta was the biggest in franchise history across various metrics. Per the post, it was 'the biggest Call of Duty beta ever,' breaking the record for most players, the number of hours played, playtime per player, and the most matches played.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 from studios Treyarch and Raven Software might be the latest annual release in the most popular gaming franchise on the planet, but after the lukewarm response to last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, it's set to be one of the most popular entries in years.

One of the biggest additions to Call of Duty's multiplayer with Black Ops 6 is the new 'omnidirectional movement' system, which allows players to sprint, dive, and slide in any direction. According to feedback from players, the press, and content creators, it makes for a fun multiplayer experience.

Recently, Microsoft announced that it was raising prices for its Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass subscription services while removing the current Xbox Game Pass for Console subscription tier and replacing it with the new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier.

The new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier for Xbox Series X|S owners is here. The $15 USD monthly subscription removes access to many titles that were previously available on the Console tier, including first-party heavy hitters like Starfield, Diablo 4, Forza Motorsport, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and the recently released Age of Mythology: Retold.

Even third-party titles and indie games recently added to Game Pass, including Core Keeper, Dungeons of Hinterberg, Still Wakes the Deep, and many more, aren't available in the Xbox Game Pass Standard tier. Per this thread on Resetera, over 40 games have been scrubbed.

Sony's mid-gen PlayStation 5 Pro will afford developers with a myriad of options on how to best utilize the console's new upgraded horsepower, including 8K gaming modes, 120FPS boosts, and more.

The PS5 Pro is on the way, coming November 7 for a steep $700 price tag. That cost comes with a number of high-end upgrades for existing and upcoming PlayStation 5 games, all facilitated via new hardware and software optimizations. In combination with new RAM upgrades, the Pro's turbocharged GPU can deliver up to 45% faster rendering and facilitates new technology like AI-enhanced PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) that allows for upscaled 4K gaming.

A new interview with CNET reveals some more specifics about PSSR and how it will work. According to the coverage, PSSR support will only be available to games that receive patch upgrades. As we reported previously, the PS5 Pro will raise in-game performance in two main ways: PS5 Pro Game Boost, which is native and does not require patches, and PS5 Pro Enhanced, which requires developers to release game patches.

It's not often you see a 98% discount, but that's precisely what has happened with Ubisoft's open-world arcade racing game The Crew 2 - which is available on Steam forthe low price of $1. Ubisoft has confirmed that this deal will run until September 24, so be sure to head over and grab it.

Crew 2 launched in 2018, and I've played it and had a lot of fun with it. The Forza Horizon-style arcade racing game includes a large open-world USA to explore and race across, with cards, boats, planes, and various off-road vehicles. Although the game has a 'Mixed' user review rating on Steam, recent reviews are 'Mostly Positive.'

Since its launch, the game has amassed over 30 million players, and the good news is that Ubisoft plans to support it for years to come. The publisher has announced that the game's online modes will remain intact for a while and that, in the future, it will update the game with a specific offline mode - which will also be added to the newer The Crew Motorfest.

The Australian government is set to propose a new bill that would force social media platforms to restrict children's access to them, with the specific age still to be confirmed. The legislation will be presented to the Australian federal parliament before the next election, with several reports indicating that the age restriction will be set to 16 and that online games will be included.

With chat functionality, games like Fortnite, Overwatch 2, and others will be treated the same as X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. "No government is going to be able to protect every child from every threat - but we have to do all we can," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said ahead of the announcement. "Parents are worried sick about this. We know they're working without a map - no generation has faced this challenge before."

The bill would require social media platforms and game publishers like Epic to use available technology and processes to restrict access to games and platforms like Facebook. It sounds like it would be more than a simple, "Yes, I am totally an adult, so let me in" check.

Just like the last-gen to current-gen upgrade path, PS5 Pro's game enhancement patches will also be free.

Sony's new PS5 Pro will arrive on November 7 for a premium $700 price tag. The major selling point of the new system is that it can offer big in-game performance leaps in existing PS5 games through its combined trio of hardware and software innovations; new AI-driven upscaling via PSSR can be used in tandem with a new beefier GPU to actually double in-game frame rates and even triple raytracing performance.

But to get the most out of the PS5 Pro, developers will need to issue game-specific patches. Sony has confirmed that these patches, which are known as PS5 Pro Enhanced patches, will be free. Anyone who bought a PS5 during 2020 knows about this process--developers and publishers would roll out a series of free upgrade patches that would bring PS4 games forward to the new PS5 generation, complete with boosts in graphical fidelity and frame rates.

Sony has officially announced its PlayStation 5 Pro console, priced at $699 and launching November 7, 2024... with its high price tag not sitting well with gamers.

In a world where flagship smartphones debut with multi-thousand-dollar prices, high-end GPUs that are even more expensive, gamers aren't happy with the $699 pricing of the beefed-up PS5 Pro. In a new video, leaker Moore's Law is Dead thinks that the high pricing of the PS5 Pro is a test for even higher pricing of the next-generation PS6 console.

Sony's next-gen PlayStation 6 console is already in development, with AMD winning the contract to create a new semi-custom SoC for the PS6... but how expensive will it be? If the PS5 Pro is $699, could the new PS6 cost something like $999? If we're offered full 4K 120FPS+ and 8K 60FPS+ gaming out of the PlayStation 6, I would say so... and with Microsoft floundering with its Xbox, Sony can do whatever it wants if it has a powerful enough PS6 on offer.

Sony's new PlayStation 5 Pro reveal has proven to be unpopular among viewers.

Today Sony announced its new PS5 Pro console, a high-end mid-gen upgrade with a boosted GPU with +67% compute units, +28% faster RAM, culminating in a SoC capable of 45% faster rendering capabilities. The PS5 Pro also packs Sony's proprietary AI-upscaling PlayStation Spectral Resolution (PSSR) technology that potentially makes games look better without impacting frame rates to a heavy degree.

These new upgrades also come with a heavy price tag. The PS5 Pro will cost $699 in the United States, and will be a digital system by default--as we predicted, gamers will be able to buy separate PS5-compatible 4K UHD disc drives and slot it right into the Pro. Despite having a 2TB SSD, which is over double the 825GB available with the base model, gamers don't appear to be totally enthusiastic about the console.

Sony's Mark Cerny finally revealed the long-rumored PlayStation 5 Pro console, which will launch on November 7, 2024, for $699 USD. The PS5 Pro's most notable feature is its upgraded GPU, which features 67% more Compute Units than the baseline PS5 and 28% faster memory. According to Sony, this delivers up to 45% faster performance and a smoother experience.

Throw in more powerful ray-tracing hardware that can double or even triple RT performance and Sony's DLSS-like AI-driven upscaling solution called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, and Sony is positioning the hardware as a console that will let gamers play titles with increased visual fidelity at 60 FPS. Whether you choose a 'Fidelity' or 'Performance' mode, you will get a smooth 60 FPS.

In addition, one PlayStation 5 Pro console feature not mentioned (or brushed over) in the announcement presentation is PS5 Pro Game Boost, which allows the PS5 Pro to enhance over 8,500 games without needing a patch.

Sony's proprietary PlayStation Direct storefront will get first dibs on PS5 Pro pre-orders.

The new PlayStation 5 Pro has been announced with a steep $699 price point in the United States. The price tag reflects Sony's new efforts to boost per-console sales profit as the company tries to improve operating profit margins for its games segment, while also bridging the 9th and 10th console generations with new AI-enhanced hardware.

Reception on the price point has been mixed at best, and it's currently hard to gauge demand for the higher-priced and higher-powered system. Sony has revealed that pre-orders for the PlayStation 5 Pro will begin on September 26, but there's some stipulations.

Sony has made its beefed-up PlayStation 5 Pro console official, with a heavily upgraded GPU (it's 67% bigger, with 45% more performance, and 2-3x the RT performance) priced at $699, launching November 7, 2024.

Inside of the new PS5 Pro console you'll get a 2TB SSD and a wireless DualSense controller, as well as a copy of Astro's Playroom pre-installed on every PS5 Pro purchase. Sony is making its new PS5 Pro console available as a disc-less version, with the option to purchase the currently available Disc Drive for PS5 separately.

I'm sure we're going to see an even more expensive PS5 Pro with a disc drive in the future (ready for GTA 6, of course, and probably bundled with a special PS5 Pro + GTA 6 bundle).

PS5 lead system architect Mark Cerny has officially confirmed the beefed-up PlayStation 5 Pro console, which is exactly what the leaks said: 45% faster in rendering, up to 2-3x faster in RT, and it features AI-based upscaling tech called PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution).

The new PS5 Pro will be launching on November 7, 2024 and priced at $699.99 with a similar, but slimmed-down look of the PS5. Inside, there's up to 45% faster rendering, 2-3x performance improvements in ray tracing, and some heavy performance upgrades thanks to PSSR on the PS5 Pro.

Sony offers two rendering modes on the standard PS5: Fidelity Mode (30FPS) and Performance Mode (60FPS). The higher fidelity mode renders at a higher resolution and graphics quality, but drops down into the 30FPS mark which isn't good to play with. Performance Mode drops the rendering resolution and detail quality, but increases the performance to 60FPS. Cerny notes that PS5 gamers are choosing Performance Mode around 3/4 of the time.

Sony reportedly took just 19 months from prototyping the upgraded PlayStation 5 Pro console to its release, according to insider Tom Henderson.

In a new post on X, Henderson posted: "from prototyping to release, Mark Cerny and the PlayStation hardware team took 19 months in total, and they never missed a single deadline. Impressive stuff". Cerny is about to take the stage a few hours from now for the PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation, where we should be introduced to the new PS5 Pro console.

I wouldn't expect a huge deep dive as Sony isn't into that at its announcement of consoles, but we know to expect around 45% more performance from the PS5 Pro over the standard PS5. Not only that, but wicked new AI-powered PSSR technology (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) and AMD's new RDNA 4-based GPU tricks that provide 2-3x the RT (ray tracing) performance.

Sony has officially announced an exciting new "PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation" hosted by the PS5 architect himself, Mark Cerny... so expect the beefed-up PS5 Pro unveiling in just a few hours time, and here's how to tune in when it happens:

Sony posted to its official PlayStation account on X to tune into their PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation hosted by Mark Cerny, which will be a 9-minute stream that begins on September 10 at 8AM PST / 4PM BST. We've got some more time zones for you to tune in wherever you live across the world, as I'm sure there will be some gamers who want to stay up late -- or get up early -- for the PS5 Pro announcement.

As for where to watch it, you can tune into the PS5 Pro reveal event aka "PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation" on the official PlayStation YouTube account below:

Sony has announced its PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation for tomorrow, hosted by PS5 system architect Mark Cerny, which should be the reveal event for the new beefed-up PS5 Pro console.

I don't know why we'd need a technical presentation on a console that's been on the market for multiple years with tens of millions of PS5 consoles so far, so expect the big PS5 Pro reveal and technical presentation on the beefed-up hardware inside of Sony's new console.

We have been hearing leaks and rumors of the PS5 Pro for months and months now, with a recent PS5 Pro dev kit spotted with 2TB of Gen4 SSD storage and using around 200W of power (while being 45% faster in gaming, and 2-3x faster in RT games through PSSR, the PS5 Pro's AI-powered upscaling technology called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution).

Sony has raised the price of one of its profitable PlayStation 5 accessories in the U.S.

The PS5's stock DualSense controller has increased by $5 in the United States, representing a 7% price jump for the device. The PS5's DualSense used to have standard MSRP of $70 in the region, and it's not bumped to $75 across all retail channels.

The news comes little over a year after Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that its accessories business was a "highly profitable" unit for the games division.

Over the weekend, I noticed rumors popping up on X about Grand Theft Auto 6 being delayed, but now we're hearing that there is NO delay... but "it's a big, ambitious game and could very well slip" said some Rockstar staffers.

In the tweet above from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, who posted on X that "the internet (and my DMs) blew up this weekend over a rumor that GTA VI is delayed. Good news is that six Rockstar employees all told me they have not heard of any delay. Bad news: it's a big, ambitious game and could very well slip! Too much time left to say anything definitive".

Personally, I don't see any major delays for GTA 6 given that Sony has reportedly "locked down marketing rights" to the game for its PS5 and upcoming PS5 Pro consoles, and given that the PS5 Pro will be a beefed-up version of the console, we should expect GTA 6 to be run best on the PS5 Pro. Sony is reportedly gearing up to launch the PS5 Pro later this year, with a rumored unveiling of the console in the next 24 hours.

Warner Bros. Discovery shows no signs of giving up on its video games business any time soon.

Any hit-driven business is a gamble, and gaming is no different. There's never any guarantee that a game will sell and/or make earnings from microtransactions. WB Games has seen its fair share of hits with games like the Arkham series, the best-selling Mortal Kombat franchise, and more recently the 22 million-selling Hogwarts Legacy, but the pendulum also swings the other way, too.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a dud, and led to some big losses for the company. Even still, WB is mature enough to understand that these things happen in the games business, and has no intention of just giving up on the segment.