For more than 25 years, Sony’s PlayStation has been synonymous with gaming. It’s given players experiences like God of War, The Last of Us, and Final Fantasy VII alongside technological innovations from CD-ROMs all the way up to 4K, VR, and cloud gaming. There have even been attempts at portable gaming with the PSP and Vita. Across multiple generations the company has been a pioneer, starting with the original PlayStation and continuing with the PS5.
Using a flexible OLED display salvaged from a Royole FlexPai phone, a talented modder has created a folding PS2 handheld (they’ve called the PlayStation 2 Duo) by miniaturing the motherboard inside the original console, adding their own controller hardware, and wrapping it all in an custom enclosure you can 3D print yourself.
The so-called “Father of the PlayStation” told VGC that while he understands why users are upset about Sony phasing out game discs, he thinks it’s the right decision. But I’m also not sure he understands what a “metaphor” is.
“I understand that physical discs have become a metaphor for ‘owning’ games. I really understand that mentality… But nobody thinks [physical media] is necessary for a networked device like a smartphone, for example, because people feel that they will keep their content. So it’s a mentality.
“I really understand [why some people are upset], but I don’t think it’s economically reasonable. Maybe it’s a mentality issue.”
First announced in September, the headset has a recommended retail price of $99.99 and will be available starting November 19th (the same day GTA VI launches), with pre-orders opening at 10AM ET on October 29th.
Sony is promising to share more details on the step-up Pulse Edge headset model, which includes active noise cancellation and a detachable boom mic, ahead of its planned launch next year.
That’s according to analyst Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics, in a wider report on revenue from physical PlayStation games ahead of their elimination. 30 percent of Requiem’s PS5 revenue came from disc sales, exemplifying two trends Elliott finds: single-player AAA titles are especially reliant on discs, and the Japanese market is uniquely disc-centric.
[The Alinea Insight newsletter]
The update for Housmarque’s intense PS5 shooter is out today.
Sony, which acquired Crunchyroll in 2021, is launching a hub for the anime streaming service on the PS5 in spring 2027, as reported earlier by Variety. It’s still not exactly clear what this hub will look like, but Sony says it will allow players to explore anime series and games, as well as access the Crunchyroll app.
You’ll need to bring your own PS4 game files, according to the GitHub page, but it looks like a great way to play Hideo Kojima’s infamous, delisted horror demo.
“I made this on my own, in my spare time, because P.T. deserved to keep existing somewhere other than on consoles that still have it installed,” the developer says on GitHub.
Sony has two new wireless headsets for PS5 players: the PlayStation Pulse and Pulse Edge. Visually it’s hard to tell the difference between these headsets, apart from the fact the Pulse Edge has a hidden and detachable boom mic (instead of integrated on the Pulse). The Pulse Edge also has eight magnets per planar driver instead of six on the Pulse, active noise cancellation, a carry case, and built-in audio controls on a PS5. They’re both designed to compliment the existing Pulse Elite, and the Pulse will arrive this holiday, followed by the Pulse Edge in early 2027. No exact release dates or pricing yet.
The next few months are packed with new games, and PlayStation goes old-school to cut through the noise.
The new DualSense controllers will launch alongside GTA VI on November 19th. They come in black and white with a sparkly blue-purple sheen surrounding the thumbsticks and extending into the grips, as well as a “VI” logo stamped on the touchpad.
You can preorder the new controllers for $84.99 starting September 10th at 10AM ET.
Lego is officially teaming up with Sony to release a near 1:1 replica of the original PlayStation console. The set includes Ape Escape and Gran Turismo dioramas inside that have customizable parts, as well as functional power and open buttons, and a controller that plugs into the console. The Lego PlayStation will be available on October 1st, priced at $179.99.
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PlayStation dropped a new trailer for the upcoming roguelike mode, which allows you to accept bounties, hunt down enemies, earn rewards, and unlock new characters — including Jin Sakai. It’s launching on October 1st as part of the Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition upgrade.
With PlayStation Vue long gone, Sony added a new FAST package today for PlayStation 5 owners in the US and soon in Canada, available under the Media section.
You will need an adult PlayStation account and to set up a Sony Pictures Core account (according to Variety, the same package is coming to Bravia TVs) for channels like The Ringer, Hot Ones, NHL, Sony’s own Crunchyroll, and others with a mix of live and on-demand videos.
The show will kick off on YouTube and Twitch at 9AM ET / 6AM PT, followed by a State of Play Japan livestream right after.
HyperX is announcing a slew of new gaming accessories for its Level Awakening livestream event — most notable is the $149.99 Cloud Alpha Air, due out in September.
The open-back headset allows users to stay more in-tune with their surroundings while gaming. The wired headphones weigh just 10.1 ounces / 287g (with detachable boom mic) and connect to PCs or consoles via 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C, or USB-A.
Horizon Hunters Gathering was announced earlier this year, but developer Guerrilla Games has been “working to reboot the game since June” after negative test feedback, according to Bloomberg. The live service elements are apparently being removed, marking yet another live service stumble from Sony. Jason Schreier, who reported the Hunters Gathering news for Bloomberg, has a rundown of Sony’s mostly-failed live service efforts in his video for the story.
As of late, PlayStation has been focusing more on the types of premium single-player games it’s known for. But the next single-player Horizon title “remains years away from completion,” Bloomberg says.
Update: Added Schreier’s video.
From a Wall Street Journal profile of Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki: “Totoki said the company still hasn’t fixed a date for PS6’s launch.” RAM shortages are likely partly to blame, and a Bloomberg report from earlier this year said Sony has considered pushing back the launch to 2028 or 2029.
[The Wall Street Journal]
As part of a $14.99 upgrade or a new Complete Edition, the game will be getting a new narrative expansion, Echoes of Sekigahara, and a “spin” on a roguelike mode, called Most Wanted. With a free 2.0 patch, the game will also get some quality of life upgrades, including a transmog feature.
All of it will launch on October 1st, nearly a year after Ghost of Yōtei’s original release.
It’s available to play through PlayStation’s subscription service starting today, but only if you have an Extra or Premium membership. The game’s arriving in the catalog alongside the release of its Devoid of Liberty update and Warhammer 40,000: Castellan’s Creed legendary warbond.
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No extra download needed, though there will be a day one patch, Eurogamer reports. Still, it’s good news in light of Sony’s recent announcement that it will stop making physical discs for new games starting in 2028.
Sony sold 1.6 million PlayStation 5 consoles, about a third fewer than last year at this time, and says it has plenty of memory for the foreseeable future:
Regarding the impact of memory market conditions on PlayStation 5 hardware, we have secured the quantity of memory necessary to meet our projected sales volume for FY26, and there is no change to our plan for hardware profitability for FY26 to remain similar to FY25.
In other words, there shouldn’t be any major PS5 restock panics or severe manufacturing shutdowns leading into big game launches (like GTA VI), but price increases are always on the table to maintain profitability.
Game preservation group Does It Play? is encouraging console owners to give Sony “a small taste of their own medicine,” announcing a one-week PSBlackout starting on Sunday, August 23rd. Protest participants are being asked to avoid logging into, playing, or purchasing any content on PlayStation-related platforms during this period.
The latest entry in the series was given a firm release date at Comic Con 2026, after being revealed during a Sony State of Play showcase in early June. Unlike previous God of War titles, this one won’t focus on angry dad Kratos, instead following the more dexterous mom Laufey.
PlayStation uploaded new trailers for Marvel’s Wolverine and Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls today, but the comment sections are pretty much all about PlayStation’s plan to kill discs. And this isn’t exactly a new phenomenon.
Bloomberg reported on Chris Barrett’s firing in August 2024, and Barrett sued Sony and Bungie that December. On Wednesday, Barrett said he is “very satisfied” with the settlement, and a joint statement noted that Barrett has been added to Marathon’s credits as the original game director, as reported by Kotaku.
