The annual CES conference showcases what new tech and ideas companies have been working on. Next year's event will be held on January 8, 2024, in Las Vegas. Sony has confirmed it'll be there, and you'll be able to watch its presentation streamed on its official YouTube channel at 05:00 PM PST.

Described as one of the world's largest technology events, you'll want to keep an eye on CES to see what game-changing tech is coming our way. This could range f?rom televisions to cameras and other electronics produced by the tech world.

This year, Sony aims to focus on the company's purpose whi??ch is to "fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology." The company has yet to reveal what's in store, though it has revealed that it will be joined by Sony Honda Mobility.

In its announcement of its attendance, the company looks back at its past attendance ??at the event. It appeared at CES for the first time in June 1977, and since then it has showcased plenty of new technology during its presentations, including the "world's first CD player." Since then, the company gradually shifted its approach to the event, and it is now concerned with "introducing its latest?? technologies and initiatives that support creators."

You should be warned that this event is not centered on PlayStation, and it is only one of Sony's several ventures. Nevertheless, past CES events have brought us some interesting gaming news. In 2023, we got a look at Sony's accessibility controller which launched on December 6, while in 2022 we got a glimpse of the PS VR2 which hit shelves in February this year.

CES 2024 is set to be another packed event filled with exhibitors hoping to show off their latest advancements. According to the event organizer, there will be over 150 companies represented. Companies that have confirmed their attendance include Samsung, Lenovo, and Intel to name a few.

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PS Plus Premium members are getting a neat extra perk for their subscription. Sony announced on PlayStation Blog that cloud streaming is coming for select PS5 titles later this month.

These titles range from ones available on the PlayStation Plus catalog to digital purchases already in users' libraries and Game Trials. Supported titles range from the Resident Evil 4 remake to free-to-play games like Genshin Impact. In-game purchases are also?? availabl??e for streaming, which Sony compares to purchases from downloaded games.

Some PS5 cloud streaming features include playing at up to 4K with HDR and access to the console's audio capabilities. Video capt??ure is also available for up to 3 minutes along with screenshots.

PS5 cloud streaming will launch worldwide in?? phases based on the region. Japan will receive the feature first on October 17 before reaching Europe on October 23. North America has the latest launch on October 30. The feature will only be available on PS5 consoles at launch.

Cloud streaming their games is a neat perk to the service for anyone with PS Plus Premium and is low on storage. Even with the PS5 Slim's 1TB of storage, many modern games are exorbitantly big, so being ab?le to stream them could potentially mitigate storage issues at least a bit.

Whether PS5 cloud streaming adds substantial value to PS Plus Premium is up to the individual player. Game Trials potentially benefit from this since they are more or less extended demos, meaning far less time investment. Even so, PS cloud ??streaming can be spotty even with great internet.

Hopefully, any benefits from streaming PS5 titles?? will outweigh the cons that come with it. Its use will vary with each subscriber's internet speed, but ideally, it helps avoid lengthy download times.

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The early 2010s were a weird time for Sony. As the PS3 started gaining some real traction and the PS4 was around the ?corner, the PlayStation Vita launched. This little handheld that couldn't served as Sony's last major handheld? before the company shifted all its focus onto console games.

It's a sad story of a console with unfulfilled potential because I think it's one of the best handhelds ever. It's also one with a?? creator who had no idea what t??o do with it.

When the Vita was alive but floundering, Sony had the baffling idea to launch a micro-console using Vita hardware. Mircoconsoles were a phenomenon that only sparked the interest of various companies as the public did not care. While Nvidia's Shield still exists, the Ouya became famous for failing, and Sony's machine was forgotten. Unfortunately, this was the case because the PlayStation TV deserves remembrance.

[caption id="attachment_401303" align="alignnone" width="640"] Photo via Destructoid[/caption]

PlayStation TV is baffling.

The PlayStation TV is a little goblin of a console that is a Vita's guts in a tabletop form. This thing came out in Japan on November 15, 2013, and exactly a year later everywhere else. By the time the international release came, the Vita was on life support, and the Ouya had long become a laughing stock. Booting it up felt like venturing through the husk of a building? abandoned early in construction.

To get one thing out of the way, I took pic?tures on my phone because my screenshots wouldn't transfer, and taking pictures of curved monitors is wonky. After trying to work with the PlayStation TV on this, it didn't want to work ?with me. 2023 just doesn't suit the PS TV.

It's also clear the PS TV lacked support. The Vita's last release was in 2021, and the newest release on the PS TV is from 2017. It's not like the store is chock full of all releases from before then, either. A controversial part of the PS TV is that it supported ??a fraction of the Vita's already limited library, and it shows. I never thought I would shop at a digital store this barren, and it was disheartening.

The lack of support and limited use is honestly embarrassing. It also says so much about how badly the PS TV flopped wh??en the Vita continued to receive support for several years, and the handheld is famous for failing.

Even more egregious is that this literally is a Vita with an ethernet port and HDMI connectivity??. The UI is the same, and the system even refers to itself as a Vita on several occasions. It did la??unch in Japan as PS Vita TV, which is honestly what it should have been called internationally.

[caption id="attachment_401305" align="alignnone" width="640"] Photo via Destructoid[/caption]

I still love this thing.

Frustrations aside, a charitable description of my experience with a PS TV is what my Vita was like in 2012. I have many complaints, but I?? love my PS TV. This ??is probably because it's playing a Vita on a TV.

Many who know me know the Vita's my favorite handheld. It's where I first played Persona 4 and discovered my love for all the otome on Vita. I spent hours playing on it as a teen, trying out anything that came to it. Niche titles were pretty much all the Vita was h?ome to post-2015. Sony gave up on it, but RPGs and visual novels flourished.

It's charming playing the original version of Persona 4 Golden on a big screen along with Persona 2: Innocent Sin's PSP remake. I spent a while scrolling through the purchases I made when I was around 14, redownloading many old?? games to have ready at a moment's notice.

The PS TV didn't receive support, but I'm coming in with a decade of digital purchases. Since many were PSP and PS1 titles, the lack of actual Vita software doesn't matter much to me. I can play Parasite Eve aga?in on a screen bigger than 5 inc??hes. A PS5 still can't do that.

This is undoubtedly t?he most comfortable way I have played these games. I have an unending love for the Vita, but my hands have gotten bigger since 2012. ?A DualShock 4 meanwhile fits comfortably in my hands, and I can lay back at a comfortable angle.

Nostalgia is no doubt why I love this?? thing. It's been a while ?since I felt like a kid again, but this somehow gave me that. The past is comforting to return to, and the PS TV brought me to mine.

[caption id="attachment_401304" align="alignnone" width="640"] Photo via Destructoid[/caption]

Do I recommend the PlayStation TV?

No. I don't recommend this thing unless the person is comfortable modding consoles. Rose glasses aside, the PlayS??tation ??TV isn't great. It could have been that, but being a more niche Vita was a death sentence. Microconsoles were also short-lived, as most people would rather play on a traditional console.

I know I'm critical of it because the PS TV could have been more. Even if it were doomed, so was the Vita after some time, and it still received eight years of support. Both could have grown, and if fu?ll parity between systems was there, it would have been a console/handheld ecosystem predat??ing the Switch.

Despite that, I don't think the PS TV would have succeeded even if the Vita did. It may have been a pretty sweet ??deal at $100, but its library consisted of games primarily played on the go. That's even if a game has support on it.

I love my PlayStation TV, but it's difficult to say many genuinely nice things about it. Exporting media sucks, there's a limited library,?? and it's UI is from a mobile device.

It's also the last devic??e where PS1 games released on PS3 are playable, physical Vita cartridges are usable, and using a DualShock 4 beats the Vita's tiny buttons. So there are genuine compliments I can give it.

I'm unsure what tone I wanted to take with this retrospective of sorts, but I feel a little reflective writing about this. I think about what could have been with the PS TV, and its placement makes me think about the girl I was at 13. Seeing the initial Vita setup blown up 12 years after she did on its tiny screen made me wonder what she felt. I just remember it looki??ng much bigger back then.

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25 years of Real Driving excellence

Today is the 25th anniversary of gaming's foremost driving simulator, Gran Turismo. And to celebrate the occasion, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Polyphony Digital released a video message, thanking the community and the team for delivering ??over two decades of critically acclaimed racing action.

The first Gran Turismo launched on PlayStation on December 23, 1997, kicking off a franchise that aimed to bring a sense of realism and technical authenticity to the racing game genre. With the ??ever-evolving technology of PlayStation hardware, developer Polyphony Digital has been afforded the opportunity to push the envelope further and further, with sequels boasting increasingly photo-realistic visuals and immersive driving physics almost unparalleled in the genre.

??//www.youtube.com/?watch?v=1zIcBFcLM7U&ab_channel=GRANTURISMOTV

A lengthy letter from Polyphony Digital CEO Kazunori Yamauchi, released for the anniversary, reflects on the history of the franchise, while also revealing that a staggering 90 million Gran Turismo titles have been sold since the series' debut. Yamauchi sp??eaks of his and the Polyphony team's immense pride in the franchise, noting that the studio still carries a sense of revitalized determination into the current and forthcoming gaming generatio?ns.

"I can’t ever thank enough the Gran Turismo users and people of the Gran Turismo community who have played our new titles, which at times could be said to have been very experimental, writes Yamauchi. "We are here today because of all the people who supported us. I believe the Gran Turismo series have always pursued “beauty.�The beauty of the cars, the beauty of the scenery, the?? beauty of the lighting, the beauty of driving, the beauty of sounds/music and the ??beauty of the graphics."

"The “pursuit of beauty�is the motivation for creating Gran Turismo."

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Pushing for Carbon Neutrality by 2040

PlayStation owner Sony Corporation has announced that it is accelerating its environmental upgrade plans by 10 years. In a new statement (as noted by Eurogamer), the industry giant announced that it would be bringing its "Road to Zero" green effi?ciency plan forward, with an aim o??f severely reducing its carbon footprint within the coming decades.

Sony is looking to achieve its ambitious renewable energy goals by revising the power input and output of its global network of offices and product??ion plants. The PlayStation publisher will be looking to install solar panels at its various international locations, whilst exploring other energy-saving measures. The company hopes to have increased its renewable energy usage to 35% by 2025, and 100% by 2030.

In addition, Sony hopes to be fully carbon neutral by 2040, while also ensuring that its wide variety of home entertainment products also produce less planet-??harming emissions and run as energy-efficiently as possible. The climax of the "Road to Zero" plan would see Sony achieve its "zero environmental footprint throughout the lifecycle of Sony's products and business activities" goal by the year 2050.

For more details on the updated Road to Zero plan, check out Sony's official statement.

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Packing Up PlayStation

Sony has announced that it is relocating its UK headquarters to a s??izeable new complex housed within ??the city of Liverpool.

For the past 27 years, Sony has centralized its UK PlayStation endeavors from Liverpool's Wavertree Technology Park industrial estate �the studio's home ever since the groundbreaking console's European ?launch in 1995. However, the company is clearly getting itchy feet, and thus will be shifting its operations to an enormous new campus located in the center of the city? later this spring.

The complex, which is formerly the home of newspaper Liverpool Echo, boasts around 65,000 square feet of space �more than enough room to implement offices, studios, board rooms, and other working environments. For its employees' benefit, the new location also features a gym, dining areas, and a rooftop terrace, so you can soak up all of that glorious B?ritish sunshine while you work... Well... I'm sure it will be nice up there at any rate.

Sony hopes that by moving to central Liverpool, it will present a far more accessible unit for visitors and employees, while also bringing the company into closer physic??al proximity to the city's central bus??iness hub and prestigious academic communities while providing better transport options and facilities for its workforce of some 500 employees.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

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Chips Challenge

In a private briefing with investors, Sony has reportedly told shareholders that it expects?? the short supply woes currently bothering its PS5 hardware to continue for the foreseeable future,?? throughout 2021 and leading into 2022.

While the PS5 has gotten off to an incredibly strong start sales-wise — even beating out the launch numbers of the previous generation's PS4 — a shortage of manufacturing components hangs heavy over the industry, with Sony expect demand to far exceed that of production. According to a report by Bloomberg, Sony Japan has openly addressed this problem in ?a meeting held not long after the release of its latest financial earnings report.

"I don’t think dem??and is calming down this year and even if we secure a lot more devices and produce many more units of the PlayStation 5 next year, our supply wouldn’t be able to catch up with demand," Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki reportedly told investors "We have sold more than 100 million units of the ??PlayStation 4 and considering our market share and reputation, I can’t imagine demand [for PS5] dropping easily."

The shortage of PS5 consoles is, essentially, a two-pronged attack on customers. At the supply level, a lack of internal components is causing slow production of the physical console itself, while at the retail level, customers have struggled in battles with scalpers and multi-buyers to bag what little hardware hits the market. Add to the mix production delays and ??distributi??on issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and it's easy to see why all major publishers — not just Sony — are struggling to get their wares into the hands of the public.

Sony has shipped over 7.8 million PlayStation 5 units since its release in N?ovember 2020. The corporation forecasts to have sold 14.8 million consol??es by the end of the current fiscal year.

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Kat's out of the bag

Two more veterans from Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan have taken their leave of the company, just one day before the developer/publisher begins its restructure process - which will see the studio shrink its workforce and dial down production, shifting focus to Astro's Playroom developer Team ASOBI.

Shinsuke Saito announced his departure from SIE Japan in a very succinct message on Twitter earlier this morning. Saito is an artist, animator, and character designer, responsible for the creation of popular protagonists such as Kat from the world-bending 2012 Gravity Rush. Saito was also art director for 2017 sequel Gravity Rush 2.

Also leaving SIE Japan is Kentaro Motomura, who has had the prestige and good fortune to be involved with the development of titles such as Bloodborne, Wild Arms, Dark Cloud, and Everybody's Golf. While Motomura did not note any specific plans, he intends on continu??ing in the field of game development.

The two former employees join a constantly growing list of long-time SIE Japan associates who have left for pastures new in the past year. The exile has seen the Sony Japan studio lose Bloodborne alumni Masaaki Yamagiwa and Teruyuki Toriyama, as well as Gravity Rush producer Keiichiro Toyama, who has since founded Bokeh Game Studio, which itself employs two further ex-Son?y Japan devs in Junya Okura and Kazunobu Sato.

The Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan restructure process begins tom?orrow, April 1.

Gravity Rush designer Shinsuke S??aito leaves SIE Japan [Gematsu]

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'It's time for us to refocus on GAMES'

Canadian video game producer Jade Raymond has announced the founding of a brand new studio. Base?d out of Montreal, Haven Studios is a new and independent developer that has already gotten straight to working on a brand new mystery IP for PlayStation platforms.

"Many of the talented game developers I have worked with for years (and love dearly!) are coming together to do what we are most passionate about," said Raymond in an official PlayStation blog. "It’s time for us to refocus on GAMES in a place where we can practice our crafts without ??any barriers or impediments. We want to create worlds where players can escape, have fun, express themselves, and find community. We want to pour our passion into a project. We want to make something wondrous for people to experience."

The founding of Haven Studios comes a mere month after the news that Raymond - formerly of Ubisoft and Electronic Arts - had left Google following the closure of Stadia's internal studios. In the introductory blog, Raymond allud??es to the difficulties she has faced - both in ?games development and the world at large - over the past year, and how she hopes her studio will offer a metaphorical "haven" for its staff and customers.

"We want to make something wondrous for people to experience. Because we believe in the power of games to bring joy to people’s lives. And Sony does, too. Their commitment to excellence is unmatched. It’s why I couldn’t be happier for their backing and s?upport," continues Raymond. "Together, we want to create games that are a haven for players, and we want to build a studio that is a haven for developers."

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Stealthing outta there

Sony Japan Studio, ?currently in the midst of a reorganization process, is losing another long-time producer in the form of Masami Yamamoto, previously responsible for producing the stealth ninja franchise Tenchu, and has also worked on franchises such as Soul Sacrifice and Bloodborne. Yamamoto has worked with Sony Japan since 1996, begin??ning in the industry giant's music divi??sion before transitioning into game development.

Speaking on Twitter, Yamamoto spoke of their 25 happy years with the company, before noting their excitement of not being tied to developing games on a specific platform. "from now on I can make games for any platform," wrote Yamamoto (as translated by Kotaku). "What a strange sensation!"

Yamamoto is one of a number of top-tier producers to leave Sony Japan for new ventures. The past six months as seen an exodus of long-term talent, including Gravity Rush and Silent Hill producer Keiichiro Toyama, Bloodborne alumni Teruyuki Toriyama and Maasaki Yawagima, and developers Junya Okura and Kazunobu Sato. Sony Japan's? consolidation process is expected to take effect on April 1, seeing various in-house t??eams and divisions reorganized and merged to streamline day-to-day development.

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— 山本正美 (@camp_masami) March 15, 2021

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Another producer moving on to new pastures and projects

Masaaki Yamagiwa, who worked as producer on the critically acclaimed Bloodborne as well as VR title Deracine and apocalyptic survival game Tokyo Jungle,?? has announced that they will be leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment Jap??an at the end of February.

Making announcement of their departure on Twitter, Yamagiwa thanked his colleagues and supporters, and not?ed that he was going to continue to work hard creating new games. Yamagiwa has not yet revealed what their immediate plans for the future are in regards to working alongside any particular studio or publisher.

Yamagiwa is the latest high-profile producer/developer to take their leave of Sony Interactive in recent months. Back in December, fellow Bloodborne alumni Teruyuki Toriyama stepped away from Sony after completion of their work on the PS5 Demon's Souls remake. Most notably, Gravity Rush and Silent Hill producer Keiichiro Toyama also left Sony this past winter in order to form Bokeh Game Studio, which employs two further ex-Sony Japan developers??, Junya Okura and Kazunobu Sato.

Should Yamagiwa also end up working with Bokeh, it would make the fledgling studio quite the design force to be reckoned with. At the moment, of course, that ??move is purely speculation on my part.

Bloodborne producer Masaaki Yamagiwa to leave ??SI??E Japan [Gematsu]

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Sticky Situation

Following last week's investigations, U.S. law firm Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith (CSK&D) has proceeded with a class action lawsuit again??st Sony, following customer complaints that DualSense controllers packaged with their PlayStation 5 consoles were severely affected by the "drift" manufacturing fault.

According to a copy of the lawsuit - acquired by Destructoid from CSK&D - the firm filed against Sony Corporation of America and Sony Interactive En??tertainment LLC in a New York court on February 12. The suit claims that the DualSense controller is "d?efective" and claims Sony offers "slim" options for those owners affected by the fault. "Drifting" refers to a physical defect whereby analogue stick register movement while remaining in a stationary position.

"Sony is - and at all relevant times has been - aware of the Drift Defect through online consumer complaints, complaints made by consumers directly to it, and through its own pre-release testing," accuses CSK&D's suit, later concluding "As a result of Sony's unfair, deceptive, and/or fraudulent business practices, owners of D?ualSense controllers have suffered an ascertainable loss, injury in fact, and otherw?ise have been harmed by Sony's conduct."

As previously noted, this isn't CSK&D's first time dealing in drift-related lawsuits, as it was one of a number of firms that previously filed suit against Nintendo in 2019, after a torrent of instances where the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controller were being similarly affected. The suit in question was compelled to arbitration after a judge refuse?d to dismiss the case.

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Rule of the Thumbstick

There have been recent reports of a manufacturing fault in regards to Sony's new PlayStation 5 hardware, specifically its sleek DualSense controller. Multiple players have been reporting cases of the notorious "drift" issue - whereby the controller's thumbsticks register movement whilst remaining sat in a neutral position - with some PS5 owners telling Kotaku that the problem arose mere days after purchasi?ng the new console.

U.S. law firm Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith (CSK&D) has stepped into the situation, announcing that it is beginning an ?investigation of the complaints, with an eye to filing a class action lawsuit against Sony Interactive Entertainment.

"CSK&D is investigating a potential class action based upon reports that Sony PS5 DualSense controllers for the PlayStation 5 console can experience drift issues and/or fail prematurely," said the law firm in a statement. "Specifically, it is reported th??at the joystick on certain PS5 DualSense controllers will automatically register movement when ??the joystick is not being controlled and interfere with gameplay."

This is not CSK&D's first rodeo, as it is one of a number of firms that has previously launched a class action suit against Nintendo when the troublesome controller fault affe??cted myriad Switch owners. CSK&D's 2019 suit was ultimately compelled to arbitration, (essentially asking the plaintiff and the defendant to come to private resolution), after the presiding judge refused to dismiss the case.

While "drift" and its related lawsuits were not as prominent an outcome in the earlier years of analog controls, the courtroom route has become increasingly popular in recent generations, with Nintendo, Xbox, and now Sony all feeling the sting of legal action of wandering thumbsticks. CSK&D has asked PS5 owners with experience of DualSense drift to contact the firm via an online form.

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Multiple restrictions possible

Sony China has confirmed that it will release its next-gen gaming platform, PlayStation 5, in Mainland China during the second quarter of 2021. The news was broken by analyst Daniel Ahmad following a New Year's greetings video by SIE Shanghai President Tatsuo Eguchi and Vice Chairman S?oeda Takahito.

While Sony's powerful new console hit global markets back in November 2020, China is yet to see its release. Although the sale sought and received approval back in December, in the interim a lucrative import market was established, with private sellers distribu??ting consoles within the territory at hugely inflated prices. Microsoft's own next-gen hardware, Xbox Series X/S is also currently unavailable in China, though it has undergone a similar approval process.

While a release window is happy news indeed for Chinese PlayStation fans, there remains to be seen if any further restrictions will be applied to the console, its services, and its software within China. Ahmad predicts that the Chinese version of the PS5 will very likely be region-locked. Every game will seek approval from China's advisory board before it can be made available for sale. While this is obviously the case for game certification in most countries, China is famous for its partic?ularly strict control of mass-market media.

So??ny Chi??na has confirmed that it plans to officially launch the PlayStation 5 in Mainland China during Q2 2021.

Tatsuo Eguchi, the president of SIE Shanghai and Soeda Takehito, the vice chairman, confirmed the new today in a special Chinese New Year greetings video. pic.twitter.com/nhFzbZQTGx

— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) February 8, 2021

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The latest departure from SIE Studios

Teruyuki Toriyama has announced that he will be leaving Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan at the end of the year. Speaking on Twitter earlier today, Toriyama thanked the fans for their suppo?rt and noted that he intends to continue producing games in future.

"I will be l?eaving SIE WWS JAPAN Studio at the end of Dec." announced Toriyama. "To all the users who have supported JAPAN Studio so far, thank you so much! I will continue to take on th??e challenge of creating new game IPs in my new company, and I ask for your continued support."

Toriyama's impressive resume includes producer duties on grim 2015 adventure Bloodborne, and more recently Astro Bot and Demon's Souls for PlayStation 5. Toriyama is one of several producers taking their leave of SIE Japan, which also recently saw the departure of Gravity Rush designer Keiichiro Toyama, The Last Guardian producer Kazunobu Sato, and Siren series planner Junya Okura, all of whom left to found new company Bokeh Game Studio.

Teruyuki Toriyama leaves Sony Japan Studios [Resetera]

[Notice]
I will be leaving SIE WWS JAPAN Studio at the end of Dec. To all the users who have supported JAPAN Studio so far,thank you so much! I will continue to take on the challenge of creating new game IPs in my new company, and I ask for your continued support. #JAPANStudio

— 鳥山晃之 (Teruyuki Toriyama) | SIE JAPAN Studio (@TORIYAMA_SIE) December 24, 2020

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PlayStation next-gen hardware matches Xbox on price

After months and months of fevered speculation, Sony has finally revealed the launch d??ates and price points of its highly anticipated next-gen hardware: PlayStation 5.

The standard PS5 model laun?ches November 12 in the U.S., Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, priced at $499 USD. It will follow in a?ll other territories one week later on November 19.

A disc-free edition of the console, PS5 Digital Edition, will launch on the same dates, and will retail for a slightly cheaper $399 USD. The graphic below displays the price point ??in various global currencies.

PS5 pre-orders will open "starting as early as tomorrow at select retailers," so keep 'em peeled if you want to be first in line. The first-party launch lineup includes Demon's Souls and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. On the high end, standard PlayStation 5 games will cost as much as $69.99.

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Four million units down on initial target

[Update: Reaching out with a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony said today that "While we do not release details related to manufacturing, the information provided by Bloomberg ??is false. We have not ch??anged the production number for PlayStation 5 since the start of mass production."]

According to a report from Bloomberg, Sony has been forced to scale ??back the production of its next-gen hardware, PlayStation 5, due to ongoing issues s??urrounding a specific component in the console's infrastructure.

The Bloomberg report claims that Sony has not been able ??to produce its custom-designed system-on-chip to target, with a production yield somewhere in the region of 50%. As? such, the manufacturer has been forced to slow down PS5 production, which is expected to reduce the PS5's launch numbers by some four million consoles.

Ironically, just back in July it was reported that Sony had made efforts to boost its output for the PS5's launch months. If the July numbers are to be believed, then even with this low production yield, Sony is still expected to produce around 11 million PS5 units in the fiscal year, a higher ??number than the tech giant had initially planned.

PlayStation 5 launches worldwide later in 2020. An online showcase, scheduled for tomorrow, is expected to reveal the new c?onsole's price and release date.

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What do you want to see?

Sony Interactive Entertainment has released its 2020 corporate report, outlining the industry giant's plans and targets as it? heads towards an incredibly important year for the gaming industry. Not only can SIE be expected to put its full weight behind the launch of its new PlayStation 5?? hardware, but the report states that SIE has plans to port some of its exclusive first-party titles to the PC platform.

"SIE aims to achieve robust revenue growth by accelerating the virtuous cycle that has been established for the PlayStation Platform," reads a section of the report. "This entails increasing active users and play time, enhancing network services and reinforcing content IP so that consumers select PlayStation as their platform of choice. Targeted outcomes include growth in active users, stronger retention and a shorter cash conversion cycle, from which expa?nded cash flow can be expected. We will explore expanding our first-party titles to the PC platform, in orde??r to promote further growth in our profitability."

Publishing on PlayStation, Sony has found invaluable success with exclusive titles and franchises such as Naughty Dog's Uncharted and The Last of Us, Sony Santa Monica's God of War, Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo, and Insomniac's Ratchet and Clank and Spider-Man.

All of the above titles have already enjoyed successful releases runs, yet still remain attractive purchases to audiences outside of the PlayStation playerbase. For example, the recent PC port of Persona 4 Golden - a PS Vita exclusive title - recently sold over half a million copies on Steam despite being the best part of 10 years old. Imagine what such a move could do for the Uncharted series, or God of War.

Furthermore, as the PS4 enters its twilight years, porting some of its first-party best-sellers to PC gives soon-to-be "last-gen" games a shot in the arm, while adding to the coffers of the studios themselves, many of whom are beavering away at more exclusives for the upcoming PS5 platform. At t?his stage, ??porting further PS4 exclusives to PC seems a more than shrewd business decision for SIE.

Sony releases their corporate report [ResetEra / Gematsu]

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Perfect for all your Hydra-beheading needs

Japanese fashion label SuperGroupies has unveiled a range of items inspired by Sony Santa Monica's acclaimed 2018 epic, God of War. The "God of War x SuperGroupies Collaboration Collection" is now available to pre-order over at the SuperGroupies store.

The first item in the collection is a stylish wristwatch, inspired by Kratos' trusty Guardian Shield. The hour markers are designated by authentic God of War runes, while the hour and minute hand represent the Leviathan Axe and one of Atreus' razor-sharp arrows. The God of War Model Watch retails for ¥19,800, or roughly $185 USD, and comes packaged in an exclusive pre??sentation box.

Next in the collection is the God of War Model Backpack. The bag features faux-fur components, representing Atreus' wolf-hide gear, ??with a red drawstring matching Kratos' iconic tattoos. The backpack retails for ¥16,000, or roughly $158 USD. Severed head of Helios is, unfortunately, not included.

The final item in the collection is a slick wallet, embroidered with a design matching that of the Leviathan Axe and featuring a small buckle replicating the Guardian Shield. The interior of the wallet features patterning and colour design matching that of Atreus' war clothing. The God of War Model Wallet retail??????????????????????????s for ¥11,800, or roughly $?110.

If you're interested in purchasing any of these fine items, rich mang, then you have until September 14 to place your pre-order with SuperGroupies. After that, the items will presumably be removed from sale. The wallet and backpack will ship in December 2020, with the watches arrivi?ng in January 2021 - just in time for a brand new year of monst??er chopping.

The post SuperGroupies unveils range of God of? War-themed g??oods appeared first on Destructoid.

That PlayStation Quintuple is ABAP

The PlayStation 5 has revealed itself, and I'm just wish?ing it didn't pop the co?llar while wearing all white before doing so. Terrifying aesthetics and mental imagery aside, we also got to see a ton of games! From surprises and obvious sequels to even dinosaurs in high school.

Truly, the future of gaming is bright and still manages to include Grand Theft Auto V in the UK sales char??ts for years to come. So, sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds (in 4K no less) of Justin and my??self recapping the event itself and what we think so far!

The post Today on Impulse: We’re recapping the PS5 event and our impressions so far appeared first on Destructoid.

This is never leaving my coffee table

It's known far and wide that Destructoid has hands-down the most open, welcoming, talented, and excellent community on the internet. And whenever possible, we like to showcase readers' industry exploits to give back to the readers that have giv?en so much to us.

So of course when Dtoid member darrenhupke let us know he w??as making a book compiling screens from the PS1-era, we jumped right on b?oard to show him some love.

Sony's PlayStation: A Chronological Visual Retrospective of SCEA Published Games from 1995-2005 is one hell of an undertaking, and one hell of a cool concept. Creator Darren Hupke has compiled screenshots for every SCEA-?published game in the original PlayStation's catalog in chronological order -- that's over 150 games, 700 pages, and 1,000 screenshots of games we know and love.

And by compiled, I mean he did this all himself. Darren pulled his own screenshots from each and every game, resulting in consistency with the quality and theme. Each title contains the title sc?reen and at least six screens, with a select number of games (usually the bigger releases) seeing even more space to show off the nostalgic goodness.

So, why games published by Sony Computer Entertainment of America? "I singled Sony out, as they are the publisher who had the best variety and represented what the PlayStation was over anyone else." While some notable releases didn't make the cut, many bigger titles such as Final Fantasy VII did, as Squaresoft had a publishing deal with Sony at the time. If all goes well, future projects could see games from different publishers such as Capcom or?? Konami.

If you're interested in the book, or even just helping out a fellow Dtoider, check out the book's Kickstarter page.

_{[Disclaimer: The author of this article has not backed this or any other Kickstarter project, but plans to change that with this one.]}

The post Great job, community: Dtoid reader makes book co?mpiling screens from all SCEA-publish??ed PS1 games appeared first on Destructoid.

Release dates finally confirmed

[Update: The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog has released a statement regard??ing the recent plot leaks on its official Twitter. To avoid the possibility of encountering spoile??rs in said tweet channel, the statement has been reprinted below.]

Original Story:

Sony Interactive Entertainment has confirmed release dates for two of its biggest upcoming PS4 releases. Naughty Dog's long-awaited sequel The Last of Us Part II will launch on June 19, while Sucker Punch Productions' Ghost of Tsushima will follow on July 17.

"As our teams at Sony Interactive Entertainment and Worldwide Studios approach development milestones and confront a world changed by COVID-19, we find ourselves having to adapt to today’s ever-changing environment," reads a statement on the PlayStation Blog. "Amidst some disruptions to our working styles, we wanted to provide an update to PlayStation gamers who are eager to learn when our next exclusive titles will arrive to PlayS??tation 4."

Readers will recall that both The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima were delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic. But it appears that SIE is now confident that it will be able to deliver both of these highly-anticipated titles to PS4 fans this summer. Be warned that The Last of Us Part II has recently had its full syn??opsis leaked online. We kindly ask our readers not to discus??s said spoilers on site.

Release date updates for The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsu?shima [PlayStation Blog]

The post (Update) The Last of Us Part II launches June 19, Ghost of Tsushima will follow July?? 17 appeared first on Destructoid.

Late Delivery

Kojima Productions has announced that the upcoming PC port of surreal adventure game Death Stranding will no longer meet its June 2 release. As is the case for many of this year's major releases, development has been delayed due to the ?ongoing COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic.

"Following the temporary closure of Kojima Productions, we have had to delay the PC launch of Death Stranding to July 14, 20??20," reads a brief statement on Twitter. "Thank you all for your patience and continued support!"

A little under a month ago, it was reported that a Kojima Productions employee had tested positive for COVID-19, having been working from home since March 20. There have been no further reports of any team members contracting the virus, but obviously it is safer that everyone remain in isolati?on for now.

Death Stranding is available now on PS4 and launc??hes on PC July 14.

Death S??tran??ding's PC port has been delayed due to the pandemic [Videogamer]

Following the temporary closure of KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS, we have had to delay the PC launch of DEATH STRANDING to July 14, 2020, to allow more development time amidst the current work-from-home orders in place. Thank you all for your patience and continued support!#keeponkeepingon pic.twitter.com/euOmebcdQj

— KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS (Eng) (@KojiPro2015_EN) April 21, 2020

The post Death Stranding PC port?? is the latest release impacted by COVID-19 appeared first on Destructoid.

'Deep Dive' video coming from Sony

PlayStation has announced tha??t it wi?ll release a video presentation tomorrow that will provide a "deep dive" into the architecture of its upcoming PlayStation 5 hardware.

The video, featuring PS5 lead architect Mark Cerny, is a recording of the presentation originally scheduled for this week's Game Developer Conference, which was cancelled ??due to the ongoin?g coronavirus pandemic. This presentation will give the public a "look under?? the hood" of Sony's newest console ahead of its release, scheduled for later this year.

The video publishes on PlayStation Blog tomorrow, March 18, at 09:00 ??PT / 12:00 ET / 16:00 BST.

PlayStation 5 is schedul??ed to release in Holiday ?2020.

Tomorrow at 9am Pacific Time, PS5 lead system architect Mark Cerny will provide a deep dive into PS5’s system architecture, and how it will shape the future of games.

Watch tomorrow at PlayStation Blog: //t.co/bgP1rXMeC8 pic.twitter.com/BSYX9tOYhE

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) March 17, 2020

The post PlayStation 5 system details to be re??vealed tomor?row appeared first on Destructoid.

Logging Off

In a sudden?? and succinct message, Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that it will be pulling down the shutters on the official PlayStation Forums, bringing an end to well over a decade of conversation, online support and community activity.

"Hello," begins Community Manager Groovy_Matthew. "Beginning 27th February, the PlayStation.com forums will no lon?ger be available. "We invite you to continue the conversation via PlayStation.Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For product support, please visit the support site."

It's undeniably a bit of a quiet and ignoble end for a hangout that not only gave the PlayStation 2 community a regular home during its heyday, but has also provided years of quick-search answers to a vast array of troubleshooting issues. As noted by GameSpot, Sony also intends to shut down its Xperia Support forums, so this may be a brand-wide decisi??on on have to pres??ent communication with its audience.

While it's true that the PlayStation forums have seen much less activity in recent years - a trait which can be attached to many far more popular c?onversation boards - it's still a shame to see any long-life community pull down the blinds.

Sony to shut down all official PlayStation forums [Segment Next]

The post PlayStation Forums to shut down on February 27 appeared first on Destructoid.

Third British studio closed

Sony has announced its intention to close another UK-based studio. The Manchester-based team was opened in 2015 with an eye specifically toward the development of VR titles, but i?t will now unfortunately be closing its doors in the near future.

Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Sony noted that the closure was decided "as part of our ?efforts to improve efficienc?y and operational effectiveness."

Manchester is the third UK Sony studio to pull down the shutters in recent years. Sony also closed Cambridge-based studio Guerilla in 2017, and DriveClub developer Evolution in 2016. In terms of first-party studios, this leaves LittleBigPlanet developer Media Molecule and Blood & Truth's London Games as So?ny's remaining first-party presence in the U.K., though it still has other st??udios in Europe.

PlayStation to close Manchester VR studio [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Sony closing VR-focused Manchester studio appeared first on Destructoid.

Coffee Maker confirmed?

Speaking in an interview with Business Insider Japan, Sony Interactive Entertainment President Jim Ryan has stated that the "biggest" and "more unique" features of the upcoming PlayStation 5 consol??e have yet to be ?revealed.

In soundbites translated by Gematsu, SIE's head honcho teased that there were still many surprises in store before the launch of the new hardware - currently scheduled for "Holiday 2020" - with previously revealed features such as 3D audio and haptic feedback being jus?t preludes to some of the console's more exciting elements.

Ryan also referenced the recently-revealed PS5 logo, noting that it was vitally important to the company that the PlayStation community would see it and immediately recognise the brand, hence the lack of departure fro??m the traditional PlayStation "look." When asked about the PS5's Japanese release date, Ryan said that he had no details to offer, but did state that ?he regrets the four-month delay between the western and eastern launches of the PS4, somewhat implying that SIE will avoid any such delay this year.

As we enter 2020, a year that brings with it an entirely new generation of consoles, we can expect a lot of teases and info bursts in the coming months. The industry giants will no doubt be vying for customer attention with their respective tales of processor power, controller adjustments, storage space, load times, compatibility options a??nd, ??of course, the ever-elusive question of shelf price.

PlayStation 5 is?? scheduled to launch Holiday 2020.

PS5 unique, unannounced f?eatures teased by SIE P??resident [Gematsu]

The post PS5 is yet to reveal its biggest and most unique features, says SIE’s Jim Ryan appeared first on Destructoid.

Happy Skullidays

For those of you yet to check out Other Ocean's remake of PlayStation classic MediEvil, Sony is giving you another opportunity to step into the rusted armour of Sir Dan, as the previously-released "Short-Lived" demo has returned on PS4.

The re-released demo has been expanded, and now allows players to battle through until the Hilltop Mausoleum area. This re-upload also gives MediEvil fans the chance to bag Sir Dan's Helmet, an exclusive item only attainable by completing the demo. So if you m??issed out on this rare gear first time around, you can get right on that.

MediEvil is available now on PS4. You can check out Chris Carter's review right here.

MediEvil's Short-Lived demo? returns with new content [PlayStation Blog]

The post MediEvil ‘Short-Lived’ demo returns to PS4 for the Holidays appeared first on Destructoid.

*But not pictured

Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Asia held its a??nnual PlayStation Awards c?eremony, celebrating the highest-selling titles of the year, (regardless of their year of release), across the Japanese and Asian markets.

As per usual, Platinum and Gold awards were offered to the big sellers, while special awards were handed out for markets such as online-only sales and VR and indie releases. While nothing quite hit the insanity of last year - where Capcom's Monster Hunter: World went Quadruple Platinum -  there were still ple??nty of heavy-hitters collecting gongs.

If you want to watch the three-hour cere??mony, then it is a??vailable for viewing right here.

The 2019 PlayStation Award Wi??nners are as follows. All ??figures include digital downloads:

Platinum Prize:
Games that shipped more than one million units in Japa?n/Asia.

• God of War
• Kingdom Hearts III
• Marvel’s Spider-Man
• NieR: Automata
• Red Dead Redemption 2

Gold Prize:
Games that have shipped more than 50??0,000 units in Japan/Asia.

• Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
• Devil May Cry 5
• FIFA 19
• FIFA 20
• Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2019
• Resident Evil 2
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

PlayStation Network Award:
The top three best-se??lling games on the PlayStation Network,? released between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019.

• FIFA 19
• Fortnite
• Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

PlayStation VR Award:
Games that saw success on the PlayStation VR, released between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019. (Last year's winners not applicable)

• Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
• Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
• Beat Saber

Indie Games & Game Developer Award:
Games that saw success in PlayStation's indie catalog, released between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019.

• Hardcore Mecha
• Hollow Knight
• Human Fall Flat
• Overcooked! 2
• Unravel Two

PlayStation 25th Anniversary Special Award:

• Battle Arena Toshinden
• Dynasty Warriors 3
• Final Fantasy VII
• Metal Gear Solid
• Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
• Resident Evil
• Ridge Racer
• Yakuza

PlayStation 25th Anniversary Users�Choice Award:
The top five titles previous PlayStation Award winners as voted by Japan and Asia users.

• Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
• God of War
• The Last of Us Remastered
• Marvel’s Spider-Man
• Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
• NieR: Automata
• Persona 5

The post Sony PlayStation Awards 2019 winners revealed appeared first on Destructoid.

Babies in bubbles landing on a desktop near you

Publisher 505 Games has announced it will be bringing Hideo Kojima's upcoming adventure Death Stranding to the PC platform in the summe?r of 2020. Additional details will be rele?ased "in the near future."

"We are extremely excited and honored to be working with the supremely talented team at Kojima Productions and to bring Death Stranding to PC gamers around the world," said 505 Games CEO Raffi Galante in a statement to the press. "Death Stranding will take gamers through a completely original e??xperience that will delight PC gamers everywhere."

Death Stranding launches on PS4 N?ovember 8 and on PC summer 2020. Start planning your mod-swaps right now.

The post Death Stranding is coming to PC summer 2020 appeared first on Destructoid.