Tag: Hardware
News PS5 Sales Increased 202% in Europe Year-over-Year, Xbox and Nintendo Switch Both Down
Flawless victory
PS5 sales increased by an eye-watering 202 per cent year-over-year across Europe in January, underlining Sony’s outrageously aggressive approach to 2023. In fact, the Japanese giant’s new-gen system was the only one to grow on the continent, as Nintendo Switch saw an 11 per cent decline during the same period, while Xbox Series...
News Japanese PS5 Hardware May Be Being Sent Overseas, Explaining Soft Software Sales
Stock allegedly being shipped to China
Sony is selling a lot of PS5 consoles in its native Japan right now, but physical software sales are non-existent. In the latest Famitsu report, the manufacturer moved almost 100k units, but not a single boxed title could break the software top ten – and they only would have needed to sell over 4,480 units to...
News PS5 Still King of the Japanese Charts Despite Having No Games in Top Ten
Closes on 100k in gigantic week
PS5 closed on 100k units sold through the week ending 5th February in Japan. Sony’s new-gen format – which had been flailing in its domestic region due to supply issues – managed to move 93,026 units in total for the seven day week, capping off a meteoric rise for the machine. The firm had promised stock would...
News PS2's Best-Selling Console Crown in Jeopardy As Nintendo Switch Passes PS4
Only a matter of time
PS4 was a big success, right? Sure, but the Nintendo Switch is shaping up to be something else entirely. As part of its quarterly results, the House of Mario announced overnight that its hybrid console has now surpassed over 122.5 units sold worldwide, which actually puts it ahead of Sony’s previous platform. While the PS4 is...
News Blimey! PS5 Sales Doubled Last Month in the UK
On fire
PS5 is on a serious upward trajectory – and it’s not because the console was previously flopping or anything like that. Sony’s ability to finally get ample stock onto store shelves is driving outrageous sales figures right now, with Games Industry.biz’s well-connected Christopher Dring revealing that January 2023 sales are up an...
News Sony Is So Confident in PS5, It's Bumping Its Shipment Estimate
Cash cow
Sony had said that it aimed to ship 18 million PS5 consoles during the current fiscal year, which is scheduled to end on 31st March, 2023. That’s a bullish figure, which would have required it to ship an extraordinary 5.2 million units during the current quarter. But the company’s feeling so confident in its manufacturing pipeline, that...
News PS5 Finally Takes Control of Japanese Charts, As Forspoken Flops
New-gen console comfortably outsells Nintendo Switch
It’s taken a long time, but PS5 is finally doing well in Japan. The system, capped for so long by poor availability, has been gradually getting a foothold in its native territory – and while the Nintendo Switch still very much reigns supreme, it’s finally overtaken the hybrid this week. Sony...
News PS5's Market Share Is Expanding Significantly in Xbox's Backyard
Sony takes control in USA
There had been a school of thought that, due to the various stock shortages, Sony and Microsoft were neck-and-neck in the all-important battleground of the United States. That’s actually not the case, and the PS5 is actually outperforming the Xbox Series X|S at a ratio greater than the PS4 against the Xbox One at the same...
News PS5 Shipments Eclipse 32.1 Million Units, with Huge Year Ahead
Lock stock
Sony managed to ship an impressive 7.1 million PS5 consoles in the quarter ending 31st December, showcasing an enormous improvement in hardware availability. In the same period a year prior, it was only able to supply 3.9 million units, so it almost doubled stock availability. It’s since promised that the new-gen console will be much...
News As PS5's Stock Situation Improves, Japanese Retailers Are Ditching Lotteries
Order direct
Sony promised the PS5 would be much easier to find in 2023, and it’s slowly becoming a reality. Sales are improving dramatically in the manufacturer’s native Japan, where for the longest time you’ve had to register your interest with retailers in order to partake in lotteries for the opportunity to purchase a system. That practice...
News Sony Could Skip PS5 Pro for PS6, Says Social Media Scuttlebutt
Detachable disc drive model coming in September
There may not be a PS5 Pro this generation, with Sony potentially planning to skip a supercharged mid-gen refresh in favour of a full-blown successor. Reliable industry snoop Tom Henderson teased the tidbit on Twitter, as he weighed in on a recurring report that PlayStation will overhaul its new-gen...
News PS5 Stock Will Be Easier to Find as Sales Surpass 30 Million Units Milestone
Sony's new-gen system is a beast
PS5 has now surpassed 30 million units sold through to consumers, after enjoying its most successful month since launch in December 2022, according to boss Jim Ryan. The milestone was announced during Sony’s CES 2023 press conference, and improves upon the 20 million units milestone the firm announced on 31st May,...
News Sony Reveals Highly Customisable Accessibility Controller for PS5
Project Leonardo will break down barriers
It’s no secret that Sony has been a pioneer of accessibility in games, with its first-party productions like The Last of Us: Part I and God of War Ragnarok winning awards for their commitment to ensuring they’re playable by all players. However, one piece that’s been missing has been a true revision of...
News Sony Bigwig Teases Very Important 2023 for PS5
"I can’t talk about specifics at this time"
In a wide-ranging interview with Japanese gaming bible Famitsu, Sony’s senior vice president of platform experience Hideaki Nishino hinted that 2023 will be “very important” for PS5. “I can’t talk about specifics at this time,” he said, via Google Translate, “but I hope you will look...
News 'Flawless' New PS5 with Some Devs, Features Detachable Disc Drive
Likely to launch next year
A revised PS5 hardware model with a detachable disc drive is now in developers’ hands, according to original rumourmonger Tom Henderson. The reliable Insider Gaming scribe first broke news of the revamped console earlier in the year, but now claims to have heard from two separate sources that test kits are out in the...
News Sony Says It's Resolved Long-Term PS5 Stock Shortages
Will deliver new-gen console to many customers
Sony bigwig Jim Ryan told an audience at the PlayStation Partner Awards a few days ago that Sony has resolved PS5’s stock shortages. His message, targeted at publishing partners, added that it will be able to deliver the new-gen console to “many customers in Japan and Asia” starting “this...
News PS5 Stock Scalper Bots Losing Interest in Sony's New-Gen Console
But only a little bit
As PS5 stock becomes more readily available, and starts to dominate hardware sales charts again, scalper bots are beginning to lose interest. That’s according to a report by Netacea, which tracks the products targeted by scalper bots on a quarterly basis. According to its results, while Sony’s new-gen system remains very...
Rumour Sony Will Flood Stores with PS5 Stock in 2023, Revamped Model Due in September
Sources suggest more than 30 million units will ship
If you’re still having trouble finding a PS5 console – and stock has massively improved in recent months, to be fair – then you’ll allegedly have no issues in 2023. A follow-up report from Insider-Gaming – which previously
News PS5's Bonkers Dev Kit Looks Like an Alien Space Craft in the Flesh
Poised for take off
Many of you will be familiar with the outlandish design of the PS5’s dev kit by now – after all, diagrams that leaked several years ago gave us our very first glimpse of Sony’s successor to the PS4. But this is the first time we’ve been able to get up-close-and-personal with the hefty hardware, courtesy of YouTuber
Rumour PS5 Redesign to Feature Detachable Disc Drive
Optional accessory expected next September alongside refreshed format
Sony will allegedly release a redesigned PS5 hardware model next year, and its biggest change will be a detachable disc drive. According to reliable reporter Tom Henderson, writing for a new website named Insider Gaming, players will have the option to connect an UHD Blu-ray disc...
News PS5, PS4 Had 1.5% of Console Market Share in Japan Last Week
A blot on its record
We all know Splatoon is a phenomenon in Japan, and that Sony’s situation in its domestic market is “challenging” to put it politely. But the latest Famitsu sales report will surely be sobering for the top brass at PlayStation, as its consoles slumped to just 1.5 per cent of the overall market share for the week ending 11th...
News Lighter, More Energy Efficient PS5 Has Revamped Gubbins
Cheaper to manufacture, more expensive to buy
There’s a new PS5 in town, and early analysis suggests it’s lighter and more energy efficient than its predecessors – perfect for the impending energy crisis. In fact, a brand new teardown from YouTuber Austin Evans reveals that the innards have been completely revamped: Sony is using a smaller...
Reaction PS5 Price Hike a Sobering Sign of the Times
But Sony needs to work harder to justify costs
As energy bills skyrocket and grocery prices soar, we greeted today’s PS5 price increase news with a shrug: of course it’s gone up. The reality is that everything is getting more expensive, from essentials like fruit and vegetables to luxuries like your Netflix subscription – why would video games...
News Why the PS5's Price Hasn't Changed in USA
Two cents
Sony is being absolutely slaughtered on social media for increasing the price of the PS5 outside of the United States. Many are understandably frustrated that the firm appears to be gouging consumers across Europe, Australia, and its native Japan. While that criticism is founded, it’s also important to look at the facts. The US dollar...
News Sony Ceases to Share Shipment Updates for PS4
After 117.2 million units sold
Sony is no longer providing shipment updates for the PS4, its previous console. While the system remains very relevant in terms of software support, and the platform holder did commit to manufacturing more, Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad noted that the organisation appears to have pulled the plug on new official...
News Sony Coy on Potential PS5 Price Increase
"There is nothing specific to share"
Sony has failed to rule out a potential PS5 price increase, as it said there is “nothing specific to share” on the subject. Speaking to investors in an earnings call earlier in the week, the company was asked about a hypothetical hike after it bumped the MSRP of a number of its home electronics, including...
News Sony's Goal Is to Become the Nike of Gaming Gear
Just do it
Think about your favourite athletes across a number of sports. Whether it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo in the NBA, Cristiano Ronaldo in the Premier League, Emma Raducanu in the WTA, Tiger Woods in the PGA Tour, or long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge, they all have one thing in common: they wear Nike gear. This is a marketing tactic as old as...
News This Is the Closest You'll Ever Get to a PS3 Devkit
Early PS Vita devkit also showcased
Here’s a fascinating video from Linus Tech Tips: a PS3 development kit pulled apart and showcased in all of its enormous glory. The giant 2ft behemoth was used by developers to create games for Sony’s last-last-gen console, and the clip even includes development build footage of titles like Life Is Strange,...
News Sony's INZONE $899 Gaming Monitor Will Automatically Optimise PS5's HDR
EVO 2022 sponsored by company's new gamer gear
As rumoured last week, Sony has announced a new range of gaming-specific hardware, including two monitors and a trio of headsets. The line, named INZONE, is headlined by the M9: an $899.99 27-inch 4K IPS monitor with 144Hz refresh rate. The panel matches the white and blue aesthetic of the PS5, and is...
News PS5 Stock Shortages Force Format to Fall Behind Xbox for a Second Week in Japan
Low five
Sony’s trying time in its home country continues, as the PS5 was outsold by the Xbox Series X|S in Japan for a second week. This already occurred once in mid-May, and was noteworthy because it was the first time a PlayStation console had been beaten by an Xbox platform in the weekly Japanese hardware charts for over a decade. Acco
News Sony Invites You to Find Your Zone on 28th June
Hardware announcements incoming
As rumoured earlier in the week, it looks like Sony will announce a new line of gamer-focused products on 28th June. The initiative – apparently not led by PlayStation – will span several new announcements, including a trio of headsets which have already leaked and a cou
Rumour Sony Poised to Reveal 'Perfect for PS5' Gaming Monitors
And multiple new headsets leak
As the synergy between Sony subsidiaries looks set to increase, the Japanese giant is plotting a new line of consumer electronics under the INZONE brand name. This, according to journalist Tom Henderson, will initially span three new headsets and two gaming monitors – the former of which has already started to leak...
News PS5 Slim That's Just 2CM in Height Built by YouTuber
But!
We all know that the PS5 is a bit of a beast in terms of size – love it or loathe it, the console is borderline obnoxious, isn’t it? Given the ongoing semiconductor shortages, it’ll probably be a good few years before we get a PS5 Slim, so one industrious YouTuber has taken on the task himself. This is actually a really entertaining and...
News PS5's Rumoured Pro Controller Could Have a Sturdy Solution to Stick Drift
Replace the entire analogue stick unit
Those worried about paying a small fortune for one of Sony’s rumoured pro controllers for PS5 only to get stick drift may be able to put their concerns on ice – an update to journalist Tom Henderson’s original report suggests that you may be able to remove and replace the entire analogue stick unit. This...
News PS5 Pro Touted for 2023 by TV Company, But Seems Highly Unlikely
Just a guesstimate
TCL Technology, a television and electronics manufacturer, appeared to allude to the release of a hypothetical PS5 Pro during a presentation this week. The supercharged system, spotted as part of a PowerPoint by Polish website PPE and shared by journalist Tom Henderson, is touted by the firm for a 2023 or 2024 release date. It’s...
News PS5 Outsold by Xbox in Japan for First Time, But All Stock Related
High five?
In what will undoubtedly be painted as a humiliating twist for Sony, the PS5 was outsold by the Xbox Series X|S in Japan during the week ending 15th May – and it wasn’t even close. Before we delve any deeper, it’s worth noting that while Microsoft’s console has been doing comparatively well in the Land of the Rising Sun, its...
News Horizon Forbidden West PS5 Bundle Registrations Now Open in USA
Good luck getting your hands on one
Console bundles are nothing new, as packaging a high-profile game alongside a brand new console is a no-brainer. It's perhaps due to a lack of PS5 stock that Sony's latest hasn't had an official bundle so far in its lifecycle. Until now, that is. As first relayed by the inimitable Wario64 via Twitter, and
News Nintendo Switch Has Now Outsold PS4 in USA
Records exist to be broken
Whisper it, but when all’s said and done, we reckon there’s a distinct chance the Nintendo Switch will have outsold even the PS2 – it’s certainly on track to do so. For now, the hybrid hardware’s latest achievement is outselling the PS4 in the United States, as confirmed in the latest NPD report, which is...
News PS5 Hardware Resurges in UK After Dismal Start to the Year
Best month of the year for rebounding box
PS5 has been posting poor sales numbers of late because of a lack of supply – and not, it’s important to underline, because of a lack of demand. Microsoft recently gloated that it was stealing marketshare from its closest competitor, but the caveat has always been Sony’s inability to ship enough...
News Sony Is Predicting Improved PS5 Stock Availability
Praise the gaming gods
It’s been a rough few months for PS5 stock, with even Microsoft claiming that it’s stealing market share from Sony’s console. But there have been signs around the world that things are slowly beginning to improve, with availability being a bit better in the UK – and that being reflected in the software sales charts,...
News Cutting-Edge PSVR2 Presentations Scheduled for GDC
Coming into focus
This may be the week we learn a little more about Sony’s next-gen PSVR2 headset, which still remains something of a mystery. While we’ve seen the hardware and controllers, and even a few seconds of Horizon Call of the Mountain gameplay, specifics like software lineups very much remain undercover. But a GDC presentation from...
News PS5 Stock Registrations Open in Europe Now
Sony combating the scalpers
While the PlayStation 5 has been easier to purchase at points over the past few months, it still remains largely elusive. One way Sony is trying to combat scalpers and get the console into the hands of fans is by selling the device directly, and we’ve seen it launch its PlayStation Direct storefront in Europe following...
News Sony Reportedly Planned to Cease PS4 Production at the End of 2021
PS5 shortages mean it'll keep going, though
Picking up a PlayStation 5 is still rather difficult, thanks to part shortages seriously slowing down production. Because of this, Sony Interactive Entertainment made the decision to continue making PS4 consoles throughout 2022. That's according to a new report from Bloomberg, who cite anonymous sources...
News Sony Quietly Squashes PS5's Dead Battery Concerns
Recharged
You may recall a furore earlier in the year, when it emerged that Sony consoles, like the PlayStation 5 and PS4, could potentially be rendered unplayable in the future due to an oversight in their design. The summary is this: the systems use an internal battery to verify Trophy unlocks, which need to be authorised by pinging a PSN server...
News PS4 Sales Have Dropped Off Enormously Since PS5's Release
Just 200k sales in previous quarter
At one point in time, the PlayStation 4 looked like it would rival the PS2 to become the best-selling console of all time – but now that seems impossible. In the quarter spanning July through September, the system sold just 200k units, taking its lifetime tally up to 116.6 million. In the same period, the supply...
News 'Checkmate, Lawyers' - dbrand Returns with Newly Designed PS5 Faceplates
Infringement-dodging Darkplates 2.0 now available
Over the weekend, you might have read about dbrand's dispute with Sony over the company's replacement PlayStation 5 faceplates. In a nutshell, dbrand put its black 'Darkplates' on sale, and some time later, Sony's legal team sent it a cease and desist letter, claiming the product infringed on...
News Sony Threatens to Sue Company That Goaded It to Sue Over Black PS5 Replacement Plates
Quelle surprise
"Go ahead, sue us." It's a bold strategy for a company to effectively ask a much larger one to sue it, and that's exactly what happened a while back with dbrand. It's a business that creates and sells custom shells, skins, and decals for all kinds of consumer electronics like smartphones and laptops. Not too long ago, dbrand expanded...
News PS5 Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Available in Midnight Black Starting Next Month
Sounds dark
So, you've got your Midnight Black DualSense controller for PlayStation 5, but it doesn't match any of your other accessories. Not the end of the world, of course, but it would be nice to have everything match — including the PS5 itself. In the meantime, Sony has announced a new colour scheme for the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset...
News PS5 Revision Teardown Prompts Cooling Concerns
But is it all an overreaction?
One of the top trending videos on YouTube right now, a teardown of the revised PlayStation 5 model, claims that the console is “worse”. So just what’s the deal with the lighter PS5 that’s gone on sale in countries like Australia and even the UK over the past month or so? Well, in addition to the new thumb...
News PS5's Lighter, Revised Hardware Model Has Already Gone on Sale
Stock hits UK and Australia
Update: Eurogamer.net notes that the new PS5 model has quietly rolled out in the UK as well. The website published photographs sent in by a reader, showcasing the updated model's infamous new screw. The console was purchased from Smyth's Toys over the weekend, confirming that Sony is now distributing this lighter model in...
