PlayStation

Xperia ‘Sirius’ Flagship and ‘Castor’ Appear at FCC; ‘Sirius’ Gallery

by Jonathan Nolan | Feb 5, 2014 | 5 comments

Rumours are becoming more certain now as the ‘Sirius’ and ‘Castor’ devices appear with the FCC communications body in the US. Just in time for Mobile World Congress in Spain too.

The FCC details reveal something we didn’t expect about the ‘Sirius’ smartphone – it’s compatible with the three major US carriers. Sony is keeping to its word then, the US won’t be left out at launch.

Leaks have appeared of what is claimed to be the ‘Sirius’ and the images certainly appear like an updated Sony model. Check out our full gallery on this.

Separately, another source indicates that the Sirius and Avatar models are different phones and confirms that the Sirius will appear at MWC while the Avatar is a different model due to take over the reigns as flagship in the second half of 2014. MWC is very soon so we will know for sure then.

The new flagship will be joined by a shiny new tablet codenamed Castor and this also passed through the FCC. Given the industry awards that Sony’s flagship smartphones and tablets receive, the judges might want to sit down for this.

Read on for a closer look.

PlayStation Store Update (02-04-14)

by Trevor Rodenberger | Feb 4, 2014 | 0 comments

Welcome to the PlayStation Store update for February 4, 2014. We have a great update this week packed full of new content and sales. Several new pre-orders are now available for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 including Dark Souls II and South Park: Stick of Truth. PlayStation 3 users can now also download episode 2 of The Wolf Among Us.

PlayStation 3 users receive several new titles this week including Adam’s Venture Chronicles, Castlestorm Complete Edition, and Dustforce. PlayStation Vita users also receive Dustforce along with King Oddball.

Finally, PlayStation Plus users will be receiving Outlast (PlayStation 4) and Metro: Last Light (PlayStation 3) for free along with many discounts on several games. Keep reading to see a complete list of content available on the PlayStation Store this week!

‘Uncharted’ Movie Official, Sony Hires Director Seth Gordon

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 4, 2014 | 1 comment

The path to an Uncharted film has been a long one with Sony Pictures looking at many well-known directors, like David O. Russell and Neil Burger. While Russell’s take was the furthest from the core Uncharted plot line, neither director ended up panning out for the film. In fact, even Naughty Dog, the famous developers behind the franchise, have tried to help make the movie happen, turning to Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to pen the film but neither could come up with an original take.

Despite little presence, it seems that Sony Pictures has quietly continued its efforts to make the film happen and finally has an official director for the project.

PlayStation 4 System Software Update Version 1.60 Now Available for Download; We Have the Details

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 4, 2014 | 0 comments

As expected, Sony has released the PlayStation 4 System Software Update version 1.60. The free update can be downloaded via your PS4 and including compatibility for the soon to be released PlayStation Gold Wireless Stereo Headset as well as bringing support for the PlayStation Pulse Elite Headset. So what other changes does the new firmware bring with it? We’ve got the details, after the jump.

Blu-ray Storage Gets Boost From Facebook

by Jonathan Nolan | Feb 4, 2014 | 0 comments

The Blu-ray disk format has a new tech-giant customer.

The Blu-ray disk format may have been the winner in the last major disk format war, but life of the optical disk is apparently threatened by obsolescence as video is quickly moving online to convenient streaming and downloading services like Netflix.

But a new ray of hope has come for the format from the tech industry – and Facebook is leading the way. Read on to find out what Facebook wants to do with 10,000 Blu-ray disks.

PS4 Firmware 1.60 to be Released Tomorrow; What Features Would You Like to See?

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 3, 2014 | 10 comments

Come tomorrow (February 4th), Sony will be releasing the PlayStation 4 System Update Version 1.60 which among your typical stability improvements will bring with it compatibility for the soon to be released PlayStation Gold Stereo Wireless Headset. The firmware update will also bring support for the previous generation PlayStation Pulse Elite Headset. Beyond that, not much is known though we expect the firmware to do more than just bring headset compatibility to the PS4. Lets talk after the jump.

Sony Officially Announces PlayStation Gold Wireless Headset for PS4 and PS Vita

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 3, 2014 | 0 comments

Leaked last week, Sony has officially announced the PlayStation Gold Wireless Headset, designed for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. Despite the name, as you can see from the picture above, there is no actual real gold and or gold color used on the headset. Equally, while Sony is promoting the headset for the PS4 and PS Vita (via 3.5mm audio jack) which can be seen in a slick video after the jump, the headset is also compatible with the PS3, Mac, and PC via the wireless USB adaptor. This means that earlier rumors were indeed accurate about the headset lacking Bluetooth and requiring a USB dongle like the PlayStation Pulse Elite Headset. So what can we expect from the new flagship headset from Sony? Let’s talk details.

Talk Amongst Yourselves: Have You Received a PlayStation Now Beta Invite and Will You Subscribe?

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 1, 2014 | 3 comments

Announced at CES 2014, PlayStation Now is Sony’s answer to giving PS4 owners access to PlayStation 3 games via streaming. While we’ve put together a PlayStation Now FAQ article and have given you a live preview of PlayStation Now running on the PS Vita, the service in a nut shell can be thought of as Netflix for video games. Requiring a monthly subscription, PlayStation Now will stream PS3 titles to your PS4 and PS Vita. Sony also has plans to expand the service to their line of televisions, smartphones, and tablets by end of 2014. With the service likely launching in late summer for the PS4, Sony has begun to roll out a small private beta to gamers.

Let’s talk after the jump.

Sony Hasn’t Forgotten About the PS3, But “Large Teams Will Move On To PS4,” says Shuhei Yoshida

by Allegra Osati | Jan 31, 2014 | 4 comments

In a recent interview with Giant Bomb, President of Worldwide Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment Shuhei Yoshida gave the scoop on the impending changes to PlayStation’s attention as the focus shifts to the PS4. Fortunately for those of us who have built up quite a game library, the PS3 won’t be left in the dust just yet. But Shuhei didn’t stop there:

After [Gran Turismo 6], most… all of our large teams will move on to PS4. But we’ll continue with smaller teams or external partners to support PS3 and PS Vita.

Definitely our biggest focus is going to be on PS4 games, but many games – especially digital titles you are seeing – we are announcing a lot of games that are coming to PS4, PS3, PS Vita, and we love it. People love the Cross Buy feature that we try to put in many games so that you just buy once [and get it on all the platforms]… we’d definitely like to continue with that.

But while that doesn’t tell us exactly how long the PS3 will stay in the limelight, we can rest easy, as Yoshida later added:

“We’ll continue to support [the PS3] as long as there is demand.”

Sony Announces PlayStation Vita Slim…for UK

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 31, 2014 | 0 comments

As expected, Sony has announced the PlayStation Vita Slim for enjoyment outside of Japan. Unfortunately, despite previous rumors, the Vita Slim was only announced for the UK (good news for you guys) with no mention of a US release. Dubbed as PlayStation Vita 2000, the new Vita sports a 15-percent lighter and 20-percent slimmer design. Despite the thinner profile, Sony was able to extend gameplay battery life to 6 hours and offer an internal 1GB memory. To achieve some of the refinements, the PS Vita PCH-2000 sacrifices the OLED screen for a IPS LED display which offers the same 960 x 544 resolution.

So how about price you ask? Sony has tweaked that as well.

Sony Updates PlayStation Mobile App on iOS and Android With Streaming Features

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 31, 2014 | 0 comments

Sony has released a new update for the free PlayStation Mobile app on iOS and Android. Among your typical stability improvements, the PlayStation app version 1.60.6 brings “Live from PlayStation” to the app, showing you what your friends are streaming under the apps “What’s New” category. Currently, Ustream videos launch the UStream app while Twitch.tv broadcasts open via the web browser. But that’s not all.

PlayStation Plus Content Announced For February 2014

by Trevor Rodenberger | Jan 30, 2014 | 3 comments

Are you ready for more information about free games? February might be the shortest month of the year, but PlayStation is pulling out all the stops when it comes to their PlayStation Plus offerings for the month.

Sony continues to offer up free games for its newest system as PlayStation 4 users will be receiving the first person survival horror game Outlast. PlayStation 3 users will receive three new games with Metro: Last Light leading the way. PlayStation Vita users will get two great games including the mash-up of two fantastic fighting games in Street Fighter X Tekken.

Sony has not announced which week subscribers will be receiving the games, but as always you can expect to receive at least one new release on a weekly basis.

Keep reading to see a full list of free games available this month!

Sony Santa Monica Studio Moving to New 85,000 Square Feet Offices in Playa Vista

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 30, 2014 | 3 comments

If you’ve been camping out in Santa Monica outside of Sony Santa Monica Studios in hopes of catching a glimpse of the Stig or a tossed out paper with info about the next God of War game, then listen up. Thanks to the success of the PS4 and other hits from the studio which include God of War: Ascension (among other GoW titles), flOw, flOwer, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and the upcoming PS4 title, The Order: 1886, the studio’s 240 employees are beginning to feel cramped in their offices. With at least two AAA titles being worked on at the studio which includes The Order: 1886 among other smaller titles, the studio will be moving its location after more than a decade in Santa Monica to accommodate the companies growing teams.

PS1 and PS2 Games Coming to PS4 Without the Need for PlayStation Now Cloud Service?

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 29, 2014 | 2 comments

A rumor that’s been going around the web is that Sony will announce the arrival of PlayStation One and PlayStation 2 games for the PS4 without the need of their recently announced PlayStation Now service. The rumor further speculates that this will be done via software emulation and that Sony is working to ensure that backward-compatible games are optimized for native HD resolutions. This would be akin to what Sony offered on the PS3 via PSN where gamers could purchase and download past titles which were designed to run on the cell processor. While a juicy rumor, I find it hard to believe. Here’s why.

PlayStation Store Update-FLASH SALE EDITION (01-29-14)

by Trevor Rodenberger | Jan 29, 2014 | 2 comments

Looking for a great deal on PlayStation games this week? If so, PlayStation has you covered has they have slashed prices on several different titles for all 3 systems in what they are dubbing the January Flash Sale. The sale ends Friday, January 31st at 6 PM PT, so act fast. Some of the deals featured include: Gran Turismo 6 (PS3) for $41.99, FIFA 13 (PS Vita) for $13.99, and Killzone Shadow Fall (PS4) for $41.99. Keep reading to see the rest of the deals!