The true measure of a leak is whether or not the person who leaked the information has any credibility. This is usually obtained in the form of correct leaks in the past. After all, not too many people are keen on revealing their true identity when they’re leaking top secret information. Enter Twitter user @PSErebus. This person has been correct numerous times in the past, and their latest tweets offer insight into a potential price, release date, and even backwards compatibility! Let’s see what they have to say. A Solid Track Record and Some Sweet Details! The person in question, @PSErebus on Twitter, correctly predicted the release date for The Last of Us: Part II prior to its delay. That’s not bad, but it doesn’t guarantee that they know anything about the PS5. Interestingly enough, their username also hints at a PS5 rumor. Anyone remember the rumor about the new console being codenamed “Erebus?” This news first surfaced in August of 2018, and shortly thereafter this Twitter account was opened in November of 2018. It’s not a lot to go on, but let’s just assume for a minute that @PSErebus is on to something. Let’s take a look at some of these tweets: Sony Interactive Entertainment will ship PlayStation®5 (PS5™) with a 2TB SSD at a RRP of $499, €499 and £449 #25YearsOfPlay #PS5 #PlayStation5 pic.twitter.com/pVGJRpx4lQ — PlayStation (@PSErebus) November 18, 2019 Now, this is the big one. They dropped some big info here. In terms of pricing $499 seems like a great way to keep the sticker shock low, and the 2TB SSD drive would be amazing given that games will only get bigger as time goes on (I myself have almost filled up a 4TB HDD on my PS4). The speculation continues! Check out what they said about the release date: Sony Interactive Entertainment will release PlayStation®5 on November 20, 2020. Exactly five days after the release of PlayStation®4, seven years prior. 25 days after the 20th anniversary of PlayStation 2 and exactly five weeks before December 25 #25YearsOfPlay #PS5 #PlayStation5 — PlayStation (@PSErebus) November 19, 2019 Again, this is not confirmed, but it seems like a good prediction. The proximity to the PS4’s release date in terms of day and month makes sense. The proximity to the holidays also seems like a good call. This would put the PS5 in a position to be a hot item during the holiday season. Now, I saved the best for last. Check out this prediction: PlayStation®5 will be backwards compatible with the majority of PlayStation®, PlayStation®2, PlayStation® 3 and PlayStation®4 discs #PlayStationLegacy pic.twitter.com/yDu9TYCiZR — PlayStation (@PSErebus) November 20, 2019 Yes, you read that right. If this tweet is correct, the PlayStation 5 will support a vast majority of PS4, PS3, PS2, and PS1 discs. This would be a huge, and a big blow to Microsoft, who made a lot of their ground up with their backwards compatibility on Xbox One. The entire Twitter account is worth checking out. There’s some … Read More

While the PS2 still holds the honor of being Sony’s best selling console ever, the PS4 is no slouch in the sales numbers. In the past, when a new console comes out, the transition is gradual, but this time Sony has other plans. PlayStation boss Jim Ryan has gone on the record to tell people that the goal is a faster transition to the new PlayStation when it releases. How will they manage this? Let’s find out! Sony Pushing Gamers to Jump on The PS5 Quickly Speaking to GI.biz, Jim Ryan expanded upon Sony’s plans to get PS5s into households faster than prior PlayStations (hint, it’s all about branding): “These are gamers who are networked and sticky and engaged and passionate about PlayStation to an extent that we’ve not see in previous generations. As we move towards the next-generation in 2020, one of our tasks, probably our main task, is to take that community and transition it from the PlayStation 4 to the PlayStation 5, and at a scale an pace we’ve never delivered on before.” That all seems well and good, but did anybody ask the PS4 how it feels about this aggresive strategy? Didn’t think so. Jim Ryan didn’t expand on how Sony plans to do this, but my thinking is that it will involve cross-platform titles that come out on both systems. The confirmation that PS4 games are backwards compatible will also help ease things along. Ultimately, the price and the launch lineup will be the deciding factors. As a hardcore PlayStation gamer, I’ll be there on day one, whatever it takes. Others may require more convincing, however. How about you? Will you jump on the PS5 bandwagon as soon as possible? What could Sony do to make you hasten your transition to the new PlayStation? Let us know in the comments! Article by – Bradley Ramsey Insert date – 11/7/19

Whoever said consoles were dying is probably feeling pretty foolish right now. According to Gematsu, Sony has filed trademarks for the PS6, PS7, PS8, PS9, and even the PS10 in Japan. Trademarks don’t confirm that they will ever exist, but it shows the company’s focus on the future and their belief that consoles will continue to be viable in the years to come. And of course, all of this brings to mind that trailer from several years ago for the PS9… I, for one, would love a PlayStation 9 orb. Take a look at our concepts page for some inspiration! Let us know what you think these future consoles will look like in the comments! Article by – Bradley Ramsey Insert date – 10/29/19

When we’re not freaking out about Sony casually dropping PS5 news on the internet, the majority of stories come from rumors and patents. Specifically, patents reveal possible new avenues Sony is considering in the next generation. We haven’t heard any solid news yet about plans for PlayStation VR yet. Sony has said that it will remain a focus in the next generation. This new patent offers a window into some of their potential plans. Cut the Wires, I like to Playstation Move It Thanks to the keen eyes over at LetsGoDigital, we have this new patent in our hands. It was filed back in February of 2019, but it only became public the week of October 9th, 2019. The images in the patent show a new PlayStation VR design that includes two front cameras and one in the rear. There’s also a camera on the controller, which looks to be a revamped PlayStation Move design. These exterior cameras are in addition to LEDs on the device, for use with a separate camera like the one we have now on the PS4. According to the patent, it’s also possible the headset could be wireless, and use Bluetooth for data transmission. Similar to some of the current high-end headsets, the patent mentions a “transparent” view. This allows you to see the feed from the exterior cameras and effectively view your surroundings in real-time with the headset on. The benefit here would be a way to check where you’re standing. It could also be an avenue to overlay effects on the real world, making this a potential AR headset as well! Sony confirmed already that your current PSVR headset will work on the PS5. Even so, this proves that they are already thinking about what comes next for VR. I for one can’t wait to see what they have in store. Do you use PlayStation VR? What do you think of these potential features? Let us know in the comments! Article by – Bradley Ramsey Insert date – 10/10/19

Now that we have official confirmation that the PS5 is coming in 2020, it’s time to start thinking about games. As part of the big Wired article that dropped some major PS5 bombs, we also know about Bluepoint’s next game. Keep in mind, this is the studio who is known for doing excellent remakes and remasters. Their Shadow of the Colossus remake was superb, for example. What could they be working on now? Let’s discuss! Bluepoint is Working on Something ‘Big’ For the PS5 In the Wired article, Marco Thrush, the president of Bluepoint Games, said they have something in the works for 2020. “We’re working on a big one right now. I’ll let you figure out the rest.” Not much to go on, but given their ability to make excellent remakes and remasters, it’s not difficult to get hyped about Bluepoint’s PS5 title. The internet seems convinced that this is the long-rumored Demon’s Souls. Since this was originally a Sony IP before the Dark Souls series was a game over in Miyazaki’s eye, they could be working on this. That being said, it’s a pretty niche title, so I wonder if they’re doing something more mainstream? Looking at Bluepoint’s pedigree, they’ve worked with Konami and EA in the past, so could they be resurrecting one of these publisher’s titles as a PS5 exclusive? While we wait for more info, here is a quick wishlist of my personal picks, both realistic and completely impossible: Metal Gear Solid (1 or 3 would work for me) Silent Hill (it’s the right thing to do, Konami) ICO (since it’s related to Shadow of the Colossus) Sly Cooper (Since Sucker Punch is busy with Ghosts of Tsushima) Killzone (It can finally live up to that original Killzone 2 trailer!) Resistance (Not likely, but I loved this series) Dead Space (It deserved better than EA) Uncharted (Bluepoint did the Nathan Drake Collection on PS4) The Legend of Dragoon (a lot of people are asking for it) Which game do you want Bluepoint to remake for the PS5? Let us know in the comments! Article by – Bradley Ramsey Insert date – 10/9/19

When I wake up on a Tuesday morning, I usually expect some light gaming news, maybe a few reviews for the week’s new releases, and that’s about it. What I don’t expect, is Sony casually announcing the official title of the PlayStation 5, a release window, and new details in the form of a few new articles. What used to be saved for a big event and massive fanfare has been instead relegated to a random Tuesday in October. It’s odd, to be sure, but I’m not complaining. Let’s break down this exciting news! The PS5 is Official, Coming to Your Living Room in Holiday 2020 The biggest confirmations here come in the form of the official name for the console and a release window. It’s not surprising that the system is called the “PlayStation 5,” but it’s always nice to know that for certain so we can move on to juicier details. The second confirmation we received, courtesy of The PlayStation Blog, is that the PS5 is launching in holiday 2020. This puts it in line with Microsoft’s plans and in line with our own predictions from several years ago (had to brag, feels good to be right!). Wonderful news all around, and if they stopped there it would be enough to keep us hyped well into 2020, but Sony was apparently feeling generous today. We also received some new updates regarding discs, the specs, and even some new details about the next DualShock controller! New PS5 Details: Hardware Details, Discs Confirmed, and A Fancy New DualShock! System Architect Mark Cerny and Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan sat down with WIRED magazine once again to deliver an exclusive article posted on the morning of October 8th. This is the second time the magazine has been used as a vessel to deliver PS5 news. Right off the bat, Mark Cerny clarifies something about the Ray Tracing that broke the internet when it was first mentioned. Specifically, this is not a software-based technique. Today he confirmed that “there is ray-tracing acceleration in the GPU hardware.” Nice! Physical discs are confirmed as well, and installs will be mandatory once again. This allows the SSD drive in the new console to work its magic and eliminate the need for long load times or needless developer magic to make things work. The optical drive will use 100GB discs and is confirmed to double as a 4K Blu-ray player as well. Another victory for physical media. Cerny also confirmed that you’ll have more control over what you install. If you just want to install multiplayer, that’s fine. You can also install and delete just the single player campaign when you’re finished, which is more flexibility than we’ve seen. The WIRED author also got hands on the new controller prototype. It’s not called the DualShock 5 yet, but he did mention what looked to be a microphone, which points to the recent patent regarding a virtual assistant. Sony declined to confirm or deny this feature, … Read More

While I’ve used A.I. assistants like Siri and Cortana in the past, they’ve never been a huge part of my life. That being said, when Google talked about using their virtual assistant with Stadia to help assist with games or walkthroughs, my ears perked up. Clearly Sony were listening too, because a new patent has been revealed that showcases a virtual assistant concept running on a PlayStation console. Let’s find out how this would work on the PS5! Hey PlayStation, How do I beat This Boss? Sony patents have been coming to light more and more lately. These offer windows into the things we may see on the PS5. While a patent doesn’t guarantee a feature or product, it shows that they are at least considering it. Daniel Ahmad revealed the patent on Twitter, which shows some interesting diagrams of how it would work: Sony has filed a new patent for an AI powered voice assistant called PlayStation Assist. You can input a query and then the game will dynamically respond. E.g. Ask for the nearest health pack > The game marks it on your map.https://t.co/BQWibOqSRP pic.twitter.com/PNKDEH7jGe — Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) September 29, 2019 By integrating your console with your phone or tablet, the hypothetically titled “PlayStation Assist” would allow you to ask questions out loud and have information or tips delivered directly to your phone or to the game directly. The example in the tweet, of course, suggests you could ask for a nearby health kit and the assistant would mark it on your map. Google’s Stadia implementation of this technology promises similar capabilities, including the ability to ask the assistant for tips on a specific section and receive a walkthrough in return, already scrolled to the part you’re asking about. It would all start with “Hey PlayStation,” which would trigger the assistant to listen. By leveraging a “deep learning engine,” the assistant would give you specific answers like the ones above based on the context of your question. Giving the assistant direct access to your game allows it to understand what your question is about, while also giving it the ability to beam answers directly to your TV or your phone if you prefer. To some, it may seem lazy. To others it could be the help they need to get through more difficult titles. As someone who used to love messing around with cheat codes in classic games, it would also be fun for developers to implement hidden cheats into questions you need to ask your PlayStation Assist. The possibilities are certainly exciting. Would you use PlayStation Assist on your PS5? Let us know in the comments! Article by – Bradley Ramsey Insert date – 10/3/19

On September 23rd, 2019, Sony, along with twenty other gaming companies, committed to use their platforms to join the fight against climate change. This agreement, known as the “Playing for the Planet Alliance,” has led to new initiatives in the industry and in the design of the PS5. You may not realize it, but gaming companies have a large carbon footprint. Let’s find out how Sony is tackling this issue with their plans for the PS5. Sony Commits to an Environmentally Friendly PS5 Feature A recent study found that video game consoles alone emit the equivalent of 2.3 million cars worth of carbon into the atmosphere every year. This number continues to rise. A statement from the United Nations describes just how much impact this new alliance will have: “Some of the biggest names in the video games industry, with a combined audience of 970 million players, have today formally committed to harness the power of their platforms to take action in response to the climate crisis,” the UN stated. “Combined, these commitments from 21 companies will result in a 30 million tonne reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030, will see millions of trees planted, new “green nudges” in game design and improvements to energy management, packaging, and device recycling.” Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO detailed PlayStation’s plans to contribute to this initiative in a full post on the PlayStation Blog. The company has achieved some progress already using technologies on the PS4 like System-on-a-chip architecture, Suspend-to-RAM, and low-power rest modes, they recognize that more can be done. Specifically, Jim Ryan confirms that the “next generation PlayStation console” will include a new feature to suspend gameplay with much lower power consumption than PS4. The current estimate is a minuscule 0.5W. According to the post, if just 1 million people use this feature, it would save the electrical equivalent of 1,000 homes in the United States. Ryan also commits to making changes to the company’s operations by reporting the energy efficiency measures that are using at their data centers. The post even goes on to mention efforts to educate gamers through helping developers include themes of sustainability in their games and potential PSVR applications that could help raise awareness about climate issues. Moving in The Right Direction Our planet is heading down a dark path. Sony is already taking steps to make the PS5 more environmentally friendly, and their commitment to educating gamers about sustainability is a noble pursuit. Other companies like Microsoft have their own initiatives they’ve announced as a result of this alliance. I for one would love to see a different kind of console war that focuses on how each company can better influence the future of this planet we call home. In either case, it sounds like the PS5 will be a little greener than we expected, and that’s certainly fine by me. Article by – Bradley Ramsey Insert date – 9/23/19

Saying that Sony is releasing a next-gen console isn’t really news. But, what if I told you they were working on a second cloud gaming console as well? It could be their answer to Google Stadia. A new patent filed by the company in August of 2019 describes a “cloud gaming system” that would most certainly rival Stadia. Could we be looking at both a traditional console and a cloud option in 2020? Let’s see what the facts have to say! Another Day, Another Patent We’ve seen a lot of patents in recent years that offer insights into the things Sony may be working on behind closed doors. It’s important to remember that patents don’t always indicate things they are actively working on. It’s more like ideas they wanted to copyright before anyone else took them. That being said, the latest patent comes in the form of a “cloud gaming” system. More specifically, it’s the software architecture needed to power one. This patent was spotted by Segment Next. The A1 utility patent application was filed on August 29th with the United States patent office. Some of the text pulled from the patent describes what sounds like a typical cloud streaming setup. Servers within data centers run different instances of games and compress them before streaming it to the player. It specifically mentions that the memory is used for storing video frames before they are compressed. This sounds like a good way to keep latency low. As we’ve discussed before, cloud gaming systems like this don’t need an expensive console to work. All it needs is enough electronics to maintain a connection and receive inputs from a controller. As a result, cloud-based systems are a lot less expensive. That’s why Google Stadia just needs a controller and a Chromecast Pro to function. With a patent like this, it makes sense for Sony to be thinking about selling a cloud console as a less expensive alternative. This becomes even more plausible when you consider PlayStation Now. This is a streaming service you can sign up for right now. It comes in several packages, up to a year subscription at a time. Having tried it myself for several months and across different titles, I think it’s time to talk about where things stand. We’ll also consider what Sony could improve if they want to ramp up PS Now. The New PlayStation Now? I think the standard $99.99 price for a year of PlayStation Plus is pretty steep. However, the option to grab it on sale for $59.99 made it easier to jump into. The service does primarily offer titles from the PS2/PS3 eras with the option to download a select number of PS4 titles. For the purposes of this discussion, I’ll be focusing on the streaming experience (downloading them works like any other digital game purchase). In terms of speed, I will say that getting into a game is pretty fast. There’s a short wait while everything gets set up, and then you’re … Read More