Tag Archives: Playstation

PlayStation Announces Controller For PS5 Launches Globally December 6

Gaming,

Vice President, Brand, Hardware and Peripherals, SIE, Isabelle Tomatis, posted information about PlayStation’s highly customizable accessibility controller kit available to preorder starting on July 21. From the PlayStation blog:

For the past five years, we’ve been on a journey with accessibility organizations and experts to create a versatile controller kit that enables games with disabilities to play more comfortably and for longer periods, empowering more players to share in the joy of gaming. Today, I’m thrilled to announce that Access controller for PS5 will be available globally on December 6, with preorders kicking off on Friday, July 21.

Available for a suggested retail price of $89.99 USD / $119.99 CAD / ¥12,980 JPY/€89.99/£79.99 (MSRP), the Access controller lets you customize your layout with different button and stick caps in various shapes and designs, operate the controller from any 360° orientation, and connect third-party accessibility accessories using its four industry-standard 3.5mm expansion ports.

On your PS5 console, there are many settings for the Access controller that you can configure to meet your needs. You can map buttons to create up to 30 control profiles, adjust stick settings, toggle commands on/off, or disable buttons altogether to stop accidentally pressing. You can even pair up to two Access controllers and one DualSense wireless controller together and use them collaboratively.

Preorders kick off on July 21

Starting Friday, July 21 at 10am local time, players in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Portugal will be able to preorder the Access controller directly from PlayStation through direct.playstation.com as well as from select retailers. Preorders will also be available through select retailers in other global markets on the same day. The Access controller will launch globally on December 6.

Gizmodo reported that the fully customizable “Access” controller will cost $90, is AMPS mount compatible, and can include additional pluggable buttons and joysticks.

According to Gizmodo, Sony’s gaming arm has long been fascinated by shapes. The face that everybody else labeled their buttons with “A” or “B” meant nothing to the legacy tech brand, as the first PlayStation controller included “X” or “O” buttons instead. Now, the gaming company finally has a release date and price for one of the most intriguing designs out there for a controller – a large, flat circle with swappable keys engineered to be one of the most accessible interfaces on the console market.

Gizmodo also reported that the Access controller is meant to be an accessibility-first option for gamers who have long struggled with your average twin-stick control design. This new device is meant to be truly customizable, with eight slots that can fit 19 different key caps that come in the box.
Many of the caps are designed for specific accessible use, such as the wide flat button caps and the other overhanging button caps. One cap that comes with the controller, for example, can cover up two button sockets. You can mix and match different tags to mark the inputs based on your in-game controller mapping.

Personally, as a gamer who has a neurological issue that can cause my hands to hurt while playing a video game on console, I think PlayStation’s Access controller is a good idea. The customizable controller could give other gamers like me the ability to play longer.

The Frustration of Parental Controls on PlayStation 5

Gaming, Information, Sony,

Parents….if you are thinking about buying a PS5 and setting it up with a child account for your under-18, then I’ve some advice for you. Don’t. It’s a total nightmare that I bitterly regret because of the endless disappointment, wasted time and Sony’s poor information. If you want a child-friendly gaming console, buy a Nintendo Switch.

Last Christmas, Santa Claus brought my son a PlayStation 5 – he’s a lucky boy. As a good parent, I set up the PS5 in my name and added him as a family member. What a mistake! Sony makes parental controls an exercise in frustration. The main problem is that when you come up against a problem, you simply don’t know whether you are doing something wrong or whether it’s a parental control that you can (or can’t) tweak.

The basic parental controls on the PS5 are pretty straightforward. If my son wants to play a game within his age rating, he can go ahead and play the game straightaway. If the age rating is above his age, he can ask for approval to play. That request comes to me and I can accept or reject it.  Most of the time that works but it’s not frictionless – there’s too much mucking about with logging in or using the PlayStation app with 2FA.

On top of that, some game manufacturers seem to put on their own age limit, and prevent anyone from playing under their age guidance and there’s no option to request parental permission. But you don’t know that when you buy the game and it’s not made clear even in-game when you come up against the problem. Is it a setting that I have to tweak or is it a hard limit? Sony’s instructions suggest that he should be able ask for permission but Crew 2 doesn’t offer an option, even though he’s in their suggested age window. I currently have a call logged with Ubisoft for this one.

The biggest issue over the past while has been with in-game voice chat in Fortnite – every time you tried to enable the feature it gave an error, but there was no indication whether this was a technical fault or conflict with PS5 parental controls. It turns out it was a technical issue that Epic has finally fixed.

But here’s another example with Fortnite. On the Nintendo Switch, if my son wants to buy V-bucks in Fortnite, all I need to do is use my credit or debit card details to get the V-bucks. Once that’s done, the V-bucks are in his account and he can spend them as he likes. Compare this with the PS5, where we see this super helpful message on the V-bucks purchasing page.

The way around it for the PlayStation 5 is for me to buy V-bucks in Fortnite, then purchase the in-game items he wants and gift them to him but it’s a total waste of my time. You have to go through the same process if he gets a V-bucks card as a gift. Surely a V-bucks gift card is the ideal way to control a child’s spending?

Next in the bad books was Spotify. We have a family subscription and there are profiles for everyone. The PS5 had a new native app, replacing the PS4 version. I downloaded the app, logged in as myself and played my tunes – everything was working. When my son tried to start the app, an error appeared saying that Spotify couldn’t start while he was logged in. And that’s it. No explanation as to what parental control was preventing the app from running, no opportunity for him to request access. It’s a complete joke. Eventually, it was fixed without explanation.

And Sony is almost impossible to get hold of for any queries. The Playstation Support pages are about as useful as a chocolate teapot, although there’s an online assistant that will connect you with community experts. TBH, they’re not much use. Any time I’ve used them, it’s “I think you can’t do that” or “Have you checked the online help?”

There is nothing worse that the disappointment of your child when he rushes home with a new game only to find it doesn’t work and Dad has to spend hours on-line trying to sort it out. Santa won’t be buying a PS6.

PlayStation Store In Germany Is Removing Purchased Movies

Movies

PlayStation Store Germany has announced in a recent legal notice that Studiocanal content won’t be available to seen soon, exputer.com reported. According to exputer.com, From August 31, 2022, users can’t view any of the production and distribution company’s related content that they have in their library and have paid for. This is most probably due to a license agreement with the parent company coming to an end.

Exputer wrote: Hence, it doesn’t matter if you have purchased the movie or television show, you won’t be able to view it from September. No Studiocanal asset will be present on the PlayStation Store Germany and everything will be removed. We see only the harm of digital purchases in this situation, as you can’t permanently keep your purchases.

Variety reported: The move comes a year after Sony’s PlayStation group stopped offering movie and TV show purchases and rentals, as of Aug. 31, 2021, citing the rise of streaming-video services. At the time, Sony assured customers that they “can still access movie and TV content they have purchased through PlayStation Store for on-demand playback on their PS4, PS5 and mobile devices.” But clearly, that didn’t mean forever.

According to Variety, PlayStation posted notices about the impending removal of the Studiocanal content for German and Austrian customers on its website:

“As of August 31, 2022, due to our evolving licensing agreements with content providers, you will no longer be able to view your previously purchased Studio Canal content and it will be removed from your studio library,” the notices read. “We greatly appreciate your continued support.”

The list of Studiocanal-distributed titles that will be removed include 314 in Germany and 137 in Austria.

PCGamer wrote about this subject and included a paragraph that I think is especially astute:

The move is the nightmare scenario for digital libraries, and it’s surprising to see from such a high-profile established company. As GamesHub pointed out in its coverage, Sony previously stated that users would be able to access media purchased on the PlayStation Store, even as the company halted new sales of licensed movies and TV shows through the platform.

Personally, I’ve seen this sort of idea talked about on social media. It sometimes starts with a question: Do you really own your digital media? If PlayStation can take away movies and TV shows that German and Austrian consumers had paid for – other companies might consider doing that as well.

Sony Suspends PlayStation Sales in Russia

Sony,

Sony has joined a growing number of gaming companies that have made the decision to stop selling their games and consoles in Russia. Those companies include Epic Games and Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and CD PROJEKT Red. I suspect that more gaming companies will join them and suspend their sales in Russia.

On March 9, 2021, @PlayStation tweeted: an image full of text and the PlayStation logo. It said:

“Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) joins the global community in calling for peace in Ukraine. We have suspended all software and hardware shipments, the launch of Gran Turismo 7, and operations of the PlayStation Store in Russia.

“To support humanitarian aid, Sony Group Corporation announced a US$2 million donation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the international NGO, Save the Children, to support the victims of this tragedy.”

Previously, Eurogamer reported that Sony had quietly pulled PlayStation’s new blockbuster racing game Gran Turismo 7 from sale in Russia. Today, Sony officially announced they have suspended not only Gran Turismo 7, but also all software and hardware shipments in Russia. The tweet from @PlayStation makes it official.

The Washington Post reported that the announcement by Sony proceeded its scheduled State of Play broadcast, which contained few new reveals.

According to The Washington Post, Sony hedged in its initial show announcement not to expect any updates about its next-gen virtual reality headset, PlayStation VR2, or games for that hardware; instead, the 20-minute broadcast stuck to PlayStation titles slotted for the 2022 and 2023 release calendars, most of which had been previously shown.

CNBC reported: Sony’s decision is one of the industry’s most significant moves yet. The company has the biggest presence in Russia of any console maker, according to industry insiders.

According to CNBC, “PlayStation has the largest installed base, so if a company on the console side has a particularly hard choice from a financial angle, it’s Sony,” Lewis Ward, head of gaming at research firm IDC, recently told CNBC.

PlayStation Reveals a First Look at the PlayStation VR2

Gaming

PlayStation revealed a look at the inspiration behind their latest VR hardware design. The post was written on the PlayStation Blog by Senior Vice President, Platform Experience, Hideaki Nishino. Here is some information from the blog:

The PS VR2 headset has a similar shape as the PS VR2 Sense controller, taking on a matching “orb” look. The circular orb shape represents the 360-degree view that players feel when they enter the virtual reality world.

The design of the PS VR2 headset was inspired by the look of the PS5 family of products. According to Hideaki Nishino, when the design team created the PS5 console, they also had the next generation VR headset in mind, so there are similarities in the look and feel. The PS5 console has flat edges as it is meant to be displayed on a flat surface, while there was more emphasis on adding roundness to the design of PS VR2 headset since it is meant to have constant human contact.

PlayStation’s goal is to create a headset that will not only become an attractive part of your living room decor, but will also keep you immersed in your game world, to the point where you almost forgot you are using a headset controller. This is why the team paid very close attention to the ergonomics of the headset and conducted extensive testing to ensure a comfortable feel for a variety of head sizes.

Senior Art Director at SIE, Yujin Morisawa, led the headset design for PS VR2. One area he focused on was the idea of creating a vent in the headset to let air our, similar to vents on the PS5 console that allows airflow. Their engineers came up with this idea as a good way to allow ventilation and avoid having the lens fog up while players are immersed in their VR games.

The PlayStation blog does not mention when the PS VR2 will launch. However, it points out that the PS VR2 development kits are already in the hands of game creators. There is absolutely no mention of what the PS VR2 will cost.

The Verge reported that those who want to use the PS VR2 with the PS5 can do that, but it requires a special adapter and “the experience is decidedly last-gen”. According to The Verge, Sony now has to compete with headsets like the computer-free Oculus Quest 2, the finger-tracking Valve Index, and the high-resolution HP Reverb G2.

Personally, VR headsets are not for me because I tend to feel sick after watching movies or games that include what I call “shakey-cam”. My concern is that VR headsets will also make me feel ill.

That said, the PlayStation Blog got several comments from people who desperately want to purchase the PS VR2, and also comments from people who want it to be backwards compatible. If Sony can make the price of the PS VR2 seem reasonable to consumers, it might have a fighting chance against other VR devices.

Xbox and PlayStation are Evaluating Relationship with Activision Blizzard

Gaming, ,

Bloomberg reported that Microsoft’s head of Xbox said he’s “evaluating all aspects of our relationship with Activision Blizzard and making ongoing proactive adjustments,” in light of the recent revelations at the video game publishing company.

This is in reference to an article posted by the Wall Street Journal alleging that CEO of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, knew for years about sexual-misconduct allegations at the company he leads. The same article stated that Bobby Kotick also did not inform the board of directors about everything he knew.

IGN reported that Microsoft has confirmed the statement from Phil Spencer. That statement said “I personally have strong values for a welcoming and inclusive environment for all of our employees at Xbox. This is not a destination but a journey that we will always be on. The leadership at Xbox and Microsoft stand by our teams and support them in building a safer environment for all.”

The Verge reported that PlayStation leadership has asked Activision Blizzard how it will address the allegations that were in the Wall Street Journal article. PlayStation boss Jim Ryan reportedly informed employees of the action in an email.

According to The Verge, this is the statement that PlayStation boss Jim Ryan gave to Bloomberg: “We outreached to Activision immediately after the article was published to express our deep concern and to ask how they plan to address the claims made in the article. We do not believe their statements of response properly address the situation.”

If both PlayStation and Xbox decide to remove Activision Blizzard’s games from their platforms, this could potentially be a big problem for the company. For example, Blizzard released Diablo II: Resurrected not only on its Battle:Net platform, but also on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, PS5 and PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

If Xbox and PlayStation decide to remove games from Activision Blizzard – it means that players who access the game through those platforms will no longer be able to play it on those platforms. If they don’t have a PC, then they won’t be able to play at all.

Sony PlayStation Store will Discontinue Movie and TV Purchases

Sony,

The ability to purchase movies and TV shows on PlayStation is coming to an end, according to a post made on the PlayStation Blog. This change will not happen immediately, but you may want to prioritize the TV show or movie you had been considering buying and watching on your PlayStation.

The post on the PlayStation Blog was written by Head of Video Business, SIE, Vanessa Lee:

At SIE, we strive to provide the best entertainment experience for PlayStation fans, and that means evolving our offerings as customer needs change. We’ve seen tremendous growth from PlayStation fans using subscription-based and ad-based entertainment streaming services on our consoles. With this shift in customer behavior, we have decided to no longer offer movie and TV purchases and rentals through PlayStation Store as of August 31, 2021.

When this change goes into effect, users can still access movies and TV content they have purchased through PlayStation Store for on-demand playback on their PS4, PS5 and mobile devices. We thank our fans for their continued support, and we look forward to further enhancing the entertainment experience on PlayStation.

Variety reported that Sony first launched video rentals and sales in the PlayStation Store in July of 2008, having inked distribution pacts with major studios. According to Variety, Sony is shutting down its digital video store after double-digit growth in the sector in 2020 amid the pandemic. Variety stated that Sony said it is exiting the transactional VOD (video-on-demand) business because it sees more PlayStation users adopting free and subscription streaming-services.

To me, that makes sense. It will be hard for Sony to compete with Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, The Criterion Channel, IMDB TV and more. In my opinion, Sony will do well to stick to video games – especially ones that are exclusive to PS4 or PS5. Diablo II Resurrected will be playable on both of those consoles, and has plenty of fans of the series anxiously awaiting its release.