Final Fantasy XVI Launching As Limited PS5 Exclusive On 22 June 2023

Square-Enix has shared the latest trailer for Final Fantasy XVI earlier during The Game Awards 2022. Apart from showcasing new in-game sequences, the video also included the much anticipated release date reveal for the latest installment of the publisher’s long-running role playing game series, which is now confirmed to be on 22 June 2023.

While the game itself has previously been confirmed to be available on multiple platforms, users on PC as well as Xbox Series X and S may have to wait a while longer before they’re able to sink their teeth in Final Fantasy XVI. As seen from the trailer, the game will first be released as a limited exclusive on the PlayStation 5, at least until 31 December 2023. In other words, gamers not on Sony’s current generation video game console will only get to play the game sometime in 2024, if not on the very last day of next year.

As for the latest trailer itself, shown are even more of Final Fantasy XVI’s fast-paced combat gameplay, with heavy emphasis on special moves, dodging, and summoning. While some scenes that were showcased are new, a majority of the video are things that we’ve already seen from the game’s past trailers from months back. And in case you missed our previous coverage, the 16th major installment of the series will also iinclude kaiju-scaled showdowns between summonable titans known, which are dubbed as “Eikons” in this particular entry’s lore.

Another interesting detail to highlight is that this is the third Final Fantasy title to receive an MSRB rating of M (Mature), and it is also the first numbered release to be classified as such. According to the game’s rating in Brazil, XVI’s mature direction will include explicit scenes and plenty of violence. Other games from franchise to score the same rating includes Final Fantasy Type-0 from 2011, and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin that was released back in March this year.

Sony Now Allows Horizon Forbidden West PS4 To PS5 Version Upgrade

Previously, Sony Interactive Entertainment made the baffling announcement of not allowing the upgrade from PS4 to PS5 versions of Horizon Forbidden West. It’s a strange announcement as many other titles allowed for free upgrades, or for a small fee. The company has since reversed its decision, allowing for the upgrade from PS4 to PS5 versions of the game.

SIE President and CEO Jim Ryan announced the change in an update to the initial announcement post of Horizon Forbidden West. In essence, the company now says that players who choose to get the PS4 version of the game will be able to upgrade to the PS5 version for free. Which should have been the case to begin with, since Ryan himself announced back in 2020 that this would be among the games that will get the free upgrade treatment.

But on the flip side, Ryan also said that “moving forward, PlayStation first-party exclusive cross-gen titles will offer a US$10 digital upgrade option from PS4 to PS5”. Which simply means that you will have to pay for the upgrade for all future PS exclusives. This includes the upcoming sequel to God of War, and Gran Turismo 7.

In the larger scheme of things, having to pay for an upgrade is better than having to buy a game twice. On one hand, it makes sense that only games that launch close to the new console’s own launch like Horizon Forbidden West gets the free upgrade. But on the other, with the PS5 still being so difficult to obtain, it feels very hasty of SIE to already announce that future games’ upgrades will come at a cost.

Updated PS5 Has A Smaller Heatsink According To Teardown

We’ve seen a new variant of the PS5, a first revision, if you will, go through SIRIM. In Australia, one of the markets that it is already available in, we can see that it also has a new screw, and weighs about 300g less. There is a new teardown video, which shows that the weight difference manifests in the form of a smaller heatsink.

Austin Evans on his YouTube channel got his hands on the new revision PS5 from Japan, which confirms the new, tool-free friendly screw for the stand. The wireless module is very slightly different, which also confirms that what was noted in the documentation we saw before this. But most significantly, the heat sink is significantly smaller. And it explains the 300g weight reduction.

The argument here is that the smaller heat sink leads to less effective cooling, especially over time once dust starts building up inside the PS5. That being said, the temperature test in Evans’ video only takes into account the exhaust temperature – rather than that of the components – of the two versions of the console. And it’s a difference of about three degrees Celsius, with the newer model being the warmer one.

Evans argues that the original PS5 model was “over-engineered”, and that the newer revision means a production cost reduction while not impacting performance. But that remains to be seen, especially with long term use and the actual internal components’ temperature.

Death Stranding Director’s Cut Comes To The PS5 On 24 September

You’ve probably seen the E3 trailer for Death Stranding Director’s Cut. Yes, the trailer with all the Metal Gear Solid references. Kojima Productions and Sony Interactive Entertainment has released a new trailer. It’s not only more grounded, but it also comes with a release date.

So what can you actually expect from Death Stranding Director’s Cut? A lot of the same things from the Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, actually. To start things off, there are additional story missions weaved into the game. And as you’d expect from a PS5 title, you get all the magic that the DualSense controller is capable of. This ranges from haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to 3D audio. There’s also the usual choice of Performance Mode for upscaled 4K and 60fps, or Fidelity Mode for true 4K and HDR, at the cost of frames.

Then there are the other stuff like new enemies, combat mechanics, tools and weapons. There’s even a firing range for you to test the latter category of new additions. And finally, there’s the Fragile Circuit series of races, the oddest of the bunch.

Death Stranding Director’s Cut will be out on 24 September with a price of RM209. If you want the Digital Deluxe Edition, then this goes up to RM249. Upgrading from the base PS4 version will set you back RM50. Unlike Ghost of Tsushima though, there’s no PS4 version of this Director’s Cut. You’ll have to transfer your save to the new console to experience the new stuff.

Sony Product Registration Documents References New PS5 Model

Earlier in the month we saw reports of the PS5 getting a small hardware redesign. Now, official documents referring to something of that nature have appeared. But these documents note a different change to what we heard before.

Business analyst Roberto Serrano shared on Twitter documents registered by Sony to the Peruvian Audits and Sanctions in Communications site. In the documents, the company mentions a new model name for the PS5, the CFI-1115A. And it will be sporting a new wireless module, the AW-XM501. Overall, this means slightly better WiFi coverage by the console on the 5GHz band, but slightly lower for the 2.4GHz band.

New #PS5 model CFI-1115A spotted in the latest Wireless communication module M20DAL1 registered by Sony Group Corp. at https://t.co/pLg44umht0 on Apr 26, 2021

This suggests a revision of PS5 is coming sooner or later, already registered on May 23, 2021 https://t.co/KVORHFGAb9 pic.twitter.com/KuyshUAba1

— Roberto Serrano' (@geronimo_73) May 27, 2021

Of course, this is an even smaller change than what we first heard. The report from earlier in the month noted a change in CPU in the PS5 instead. This is not it, and the change in WiFi reception is miniscule, so much so that it may not even be noticeable.

So if you’re waiting for the release of a new PS5 model before buying, this isn’t what you’re waiting for. You’ll probably be better off continuing the hunt for one. It’s either that or waiting for more news on the CPU updated model. But if so, you’ll be waiting for a very long time, as previous reports pegged that model to only enter production next year.

PS5 To Get Hardware Redesign; Production To Start In 2022

It looks like the PS5 may be getting a slight upgrade in a year or two. But so far, it looks like it’s not as major as going from the PS4 to the PS4 Pro. Instead, it may be something like the new, improved battery life version of the Nintendo Switch instead.

Taiwanese website DigiTimes reports that the PS5 will be getting a hardware redesign. Emphasis on the hardware part, going from a 7nm CPU to a 6nm one. The company may have preferred to use 5nm, but ultimately decided against it because it’s too expensive to do so.

This supposed hardware redesign will enter production in 2022. Which may mean that the improved PS5 consoles will only see the light of day very late that year at its earliest, or in 2023. It’s unknown what sort of performance increase that can be expected from this redesign. But the usual suspects are a slight performance increase, and maybe better power efficiency.

Though on the outside, the console is not expected to get any significant cosmetic makeover. Overall, it’s probably safe to expect the same minimal fanfare that the improved Switch saw. Which is to say none at all besides maybe a way to identify which one you’re getting if you haven’t already gotten a PS5.

PS5 Update Lets You Store Games On External USB Drives

The PS5 has had an update or two since launch, but they were on the smaller side of things. Now, Sony Interactive Entertainment has released what it calls the console’s first major update. And this one lets you store games on external USB drives.

That being said, the limitations of external storage remains, that is you can’t play PS5 games from them. You’ll still have to move them to the internal SSD for that. This is definitely a faster process than having to download them. That being said, you’ll have to be careful about chewing through its total read/write life cycle.

Other things being added in this update include features that extend across two console generations. For one, there’s cross-generation Share Play. This means you can let a friend try out your PS5 game on their PS4, and vice versa. Then there’s the Request to Join Game Session option. This allows others to join in your game without you sending out the invite yourself, and you just need to approve their request.

The PS5 is also getting more personalisation options with this update. This includes things like shortcuts to disabling in-game voice chat and adjusting the volumes of individual voice chats. A more interesting one is what SIE calls Game Update Pre-download. It basically allows you to download updates early, if it’s enabled by a game’s dev team.

The PlayStation blog post also mentions new features coming to the PS app in the future, including joining a PS5 game via the app. For a more detailed breakdown of each feature, you can tread them yourself.

Someone Gave The PS5 A Brass Makeover

We have seen two companies making gold PS5 consoles already. But gold is prohibitively expensive. If you wanted a similar-looking console, brass makes for a much more affordable alternative. And that’s exactly what the YouTube channel DIY Perks has done.

Brass is also chosen because in addition to affordability, it is also relatively easy to handle. That being said, it’s definitely no simple process. You’ll obviously need to know what you’re doing on the DIY front. And the PS5 comes with a lot of curves. And the plates are especially tricky, since they curve in different directions from one end to another. But at any rate, DIY Perks shows the entire process in recording.

The end result, plus some polish, is a very fancy looking PS5 console that isn’t too dissimilar to the gold ones. And it works just like the regular version, with one important exception. And that’s the WiFi, as brass, like most other metals, don’t work very well with wireless tech. The workaround here is to leave one of the WiFi antennas outside the console at the back.

Of course, DIY projects are hard work, and require a lot of skill. Making this custom PS5 out of brass, especially so. All that being said, the most difficult part is probably getting an actual PS5 in the first place, since you still need the electronics inside.

Resident Evil Village Total File Size On PS5 and Xbox Series X Consoles Reportedly 50GB

Information pertaining to the install file size of Capcom’s upcoming horror title, Resident Evil Village – also known as Resident Evil 8 or its acronyms “REVillage” and “RE8” – recently made its way online. According to multiple sources, the game’s final file size could exceed the 50GB limit, and that’s for both the PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X.

The first sign of Village’s hefty size was spotted via a listing on the game’s official Microsoft store page. However, we should make clear that number is inclusive of Village’s single-player campaign and multiplayer mode, Re:Verse. As for the PS5, a tweet by PlayStation Game Size (@PlaystationSize) said that the PS5 version of the game would only take up 27.325GB, which is considerably less.

Mind you, that number could simply be what the PS5 can download when the console is allowed to preload the game on 5 May; alone, the single-player portion of the game is expected to be approximately 35GB, while the multiplayer segment of the game is rated at just 15GB.

In fairness, 50GB may seem large, but it is far from being the largest. That coveted honour belongs to Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops Cold War titles; updates for both games have consistently surpassed the 10GB mark, with the most recent update for Warzone being a 17GB patch, and that is on top of the base game’s already massive girth.

Then, as if to rub salt into an already gaping wound, Activision Blizzard says its two titles could ultimately surpass the 500GB file limit, leaving 500GB console owners capacity with little choice than to increase their current storage limit physically.

Denuvo Anti-Cheat Now Available As Middleware For PS5 Game Devs

Denuvo is probably a name that elicits very specific reactions from PC gamers who have been negatively affected by it. Now, its parent company, Irdeto, has announced that its anti-cheat tech is now available for devs making games for the PS5.

This may sound like a cause for concern, considering the way Denuvo impacted certain games on PC. But the company claims that some games on the PS5 are already making use of the Denuco anti-cheat system. The company stopped short of identifying said games. But on the bright side, so far there hasn’t been any word of a PS5 game’s performance being severely hampered.

At the same time, it’s probably important to highlight that PS5 games have the Denuvo anti-cheat tech implemented. This works to, as the name suggests, prevent cheating rather than piracy. That latter one is the more infamous anti-tamper, or DRM, tech of the brand, which can cause severe slowdowns when it doesn’t work quite as intended.

Beyond that, it’s also quite redundant these days for console games to come with anti-tamper. It’s not something that’s commonly done anymore, unlike the days of the first two PlayStation consoles. It would make little sense to play to protect against something less used, especially when it’s far from affordable to do so.

Rachet & Clank Now Free On PS4 And PS5; PlayStation Plus Subscription Not Required

PlayStation (PS) owners will have plenty of games to keep them occupied in the month of March, completely free of charge – including titles such as the Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Farpoint, among others. Well, prepare to add one more to that list as Sony recently made the 2016 remake of Ratchet & Clank available for free on the PS4 and PS5.

The best part? You don’t need a PS Plus subscription in order to get the title. Simply hop on the PlayStation Store via web or on your PS4/PS5 console and claim it.

The game’s free distribution is part of Sony’s Play at Home Initiative, which encourages PlayStation gamers to, well, stay at home during the ongoing pandemic. If this sounds all too familiar, that’s because the company had also kicked off the same initiative last year in April – where it offered two PS-exclusive titles, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey, at no charge and no PS Plus subscription required.

If you’re craving for more free games, worry not as Sony has got you covered. The company is planning to offer more titles as part of its Play at Home Initiative through June. However, like any good surprise, it will only announce them when the time comes. Chances are, they’re likely going to be other PS-exclusive titles such as Infamous or Killzone.

Sony previously included the Ratchet & Clank remake as part of its PlayStation Plus Collection to celebrate the launch of the PS5 back in November. With no subscription needed to claim the game for free this time around, this is the best opportunity for fans and newcomers alike to experience a reworked version of Insomniac’s PS1 classic – especially a couple of months before its sequel, Rift Apart, is released for the PS5 on 11 June 2021.

PS5 SSD Storage Expansion May Be Accessible Following Future Firmware Upgrade

Back in November last year, Sony Interactive Entertainment said that the SSD expansion slot in the PS5 is “reserved for a future update”. Which is a complicated way of saying that it’s not available for use right now. That may change come summer, or some time between late June and late September.

Bloomberg reports that SIE will be pushing out a firmware update within that summer time frame. The update will come with optimised fans speeds for the PS5. But more importantly, it will also unlock the SSD slot inside the console. A Sony spokesperson says instead that “the timing has not been announced and details will be shared later”.

On one hand, this is great news. As spacious as 660GB sounds like, it’s ultimately not a lot. Especially not when two games in a single series can take up the bulk of it. But on the other, it’s not know yet if SIE has made significant progress with the certification of third-party SSDs.

Well, that and the fact that the PS5 isn’t exactly an easy console to get a hand of at the moment. But if you’re one of the lucky ones to own the console, then this may be the good news you’ve been waiting for.

Sony Confirms Next-Gen PlayStation VR For PS5; Will Feature A New Controller

Sony has confirmed via its official PlayStation (PS) blog that the next generation PS Virtual Reality (VR) system will be coming to its recently launched console, the PlayStation 5. According to senior vice president of platform planning and management Hideaki Nishino, the new iteration will offer players “dramatic leaps in performance and interactivity”, which would offer them a “greater sense of presence” and immersion.

Nishino did not provide any specific details of the upcoming VR headset, but mentioned that it will connect to the PS5 via a single cord to improve ease-of-use. This suggests that Sony will finally ditch the multi-cable and splitter setup that is featured on the device’s predecessor, which – in all honesty – is a hassle to get up and running.

The company also confirmed that the next-gen PSVR will come with a new VR-specific controller, which would finally replace the 11-year-old PlayStation Move remote. Nishino added that the controller will come with better ergonomics and incorporate some of the key features found in the PS5’s DualSense. If we were to guess, it is possible that it may come with the controller’s excellent adaptive trigger and haptic feedback features. Hopefully, Sony would remove the ugly “sphere light” module from its predecessor as well.

Just like the headset, Sony did not provide any images of the upcoming controller either. Those hoping to see the new PlayStation VR soon will be disappointed, as Nishino confirmed that it will not launch in 2021 and no expected release date was mentioned. “There’s still a lot of development underway for our new VR system,” he added.

Sony Malaysia Taking Another Batch Of PS5 Pre-Orders On 19 February

It’s been a little over a month since the last one, but Sony Malaysia is opening up its third batch of PS5 pre-orders. Though this time, with the MCO still in effect, it will only be doing so via online means.

More specifically, this time you’ll have to place your pre-order on the Sony Malaysia Official Store on Lazada. The pre-order window opens at 12:01AM on 19 February.

While not mentioned outright, it’s probably safe to say that stocks of the PS5 are limited this time around too. Previous condition of only one accessory per console from the last time still applies. On the Facebook post, Sony Malaysia also mentions that WhatsApp-to-buy will temporarily not be available for pre-orders.

On one hand, making the pre-order online only means that there’s no need to queue up in front of an outlet at unearthly hours for the PS5. But on the other, this opens up opportunities for bots to ruin the fun for everyone. Even without them, you can probably expect traffic to be really heavy, and the website’s response to be really sluggish.

At any rate, if you’re looking to secure a PS5 this time around, all the best to you. Since this is an official outlet, you can expect the official prices of RM2299 and RM1869 for the standard and digital editions, respectively.

Law Firm Currently Investigating Potential Lawsuit Over PS5 DualSense Drifting Issues

Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP (CSK&D), the firm that filed a lawsuit against Nintendo and its drifting Joy-Con controller, recently announced that the law firm is looking into a potential class-action lawsuit against Sony. More specifically, the lawsuit is aimed directly at a drifting issue involving the PlayStation 5’s (PS5) DualSense controller.

The firm is currently reaching out to affected PS5 customers who have or are currently experiencing said drifting issues via an online form on its page. Several complaints indicate that the DualSense controller either suffer from joystick drifting issues or just fail prematurely.

In regards to the former issue, some PS5 owners are reporting their DualSense controllers automatically registering movement, even when the joystick is not being controlled. Naturally, this can lead to some form of hindrance and interference in while gaming and as such, it’s unsurprising that these individuals would want to air out their grievances to Sony.

As mentioned earlier, this isn’t the first time CSK&D has handled a case involving faulty controllers. Back in 2019, the firm filed a lawsuit against Nintendo of America over drifting Joy-Con controllers. Ultimately, the court decided to put the case into arbitration, although, at the time of writing, CSK&D says that it is still looking for someone to help them settle the dispute.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales: The PS4 VS PS5 Experience

The screenshot you see above was taken during a loading screen of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Specifically, the PS4 version of the game. As is pretty common on loading screens, the game displays tips on playing the game, mostly reminding you of commands that are available at your disposal.

And as far as features go, it may as well be an exclusive to the PS4 version of the game. This is because the PS5 version of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales does not have a loading screen. And this is because the load times are so short, it’s not practical to expect anyone to be able to read them in that time.

Such is the promise of the new generation consoles. Specifically, their use of SSDs as their storage medium promises to virtually eliminate load times. And it’s one promise that’s definitely delivered in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. With the game having both PS4 and PS5 versions, it’s quite easily compared.

Now, going as far as to say that there are no load times at all would be me fanboying over Sony Interactive Entertainment’s latest console. Because it’s not exactly true, and you’ll still have to do some waiting. That being said, the longest you’ll ever need to wait as far as loading is concerned is two seconds. At least for this game on the PS5.

Things are a little different on the PS4. The average wait time every time you do something that requires loading is about 17 seconds. This ranges from restarting from checkpoints to fast traveling. Do the former, and you’ll be greeted with the screen you see at the start of this article. The latter will see Miles entertain Spider-Man fans in the subway while you wait.

Improvements in more than just load times

Of course, the difference in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales between console generations is more than just the load times. One other improvement is the contextual controller rumble. This is naturally a hardware limitation, as the mechanics of the rumble motor in the DualShock 4 is not as complex as the haptic feedback hardware in the DualSense.

That being said, the game does try to have a comparable experience on the controller rumble front for both console generations. While there’s no beating the DualSense’s better rumble frequency range, at least you’re not missing out completely on the contextual rumble with the DualShock 4. It’s not a night-and-day difference in the heat of combat either, but you’ll definitely feel the difference in rumble quality while you’re casually swinging around between the buildings of New York.

The same can’t be said about the adaptive triggers, since there’s nothing like it on the DualShock 4. And it really adds to the web-swinging experience as the tension on the R2 button changes depending on your swing. It’s definitely a missing element on the PS4 version of the game.

Graphics too, naturally

Above is a screenshot from the PS4 version of the game. Below is one from the PS5.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a new console generation without better graphics. But believe it or not, this is probably the least noticeable improvement there is in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The game is very well done in this department even on the PS4. As a result, you probably won’t notice the difference on the PS5 version, unless you’re standing around and taking the scene in. Then you’ll probably notice that scene looks flatter on the previous generation console.

When you’re swinging around, you’ll notice better reflections on the PS5 version, even in performance mode. You’ll probably notice a greater difference between the PS4 version and the fidelity mode on the PS5. But the difference is so minor, it’s not really worth sacrificing that sweet 60fps for it. Speaking of 60fps, this is also not something that’s available on the PS4, version, as it’s stuck at 30fps.

PS4 (above) and PS5 (below).

In conclusion, the difference between the PS4 and PS5 versions of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is pretty massive. The graphics are probably the smallest part of the improvements. If you’ve played the game on the PS4, it’s definitely worth the revisit once you get a PS5. And it also serves to show us what’s to come in the rest of this console generation.

4.5 Million PS5 Consoles Were Sold In Q4 2020

Scaplers aside, the fact that it’s so difficult to get a PS5 is a sign that it sold very well. And according to Sony’s earnings report, the company said that it sold 4.5 million units of the console.

That many consoles being sold, among other things, brought JPY883.2 billion (~RM34.04 billion) in revenue for the company. Other sales that contributed to the figure ranges from 1.4 million PS4 consoles being sold, despite many versions of it recently getting discontinued.

Though despite the strong numbers, actual profit figures went downwards instead. This is because the company sold the PS5 at “strategic price points” that were lower than manufacturing costs. No real surprise there, as reports prior to the console’s launch already pointed that the company is either making a very slim margin or outright lose money for each console it sells, at least in the early days.

That being said, Sony expects to sell slightly better in the current quarter. The company predicts a one-percent increase in revenue by 31 March. This naturally means that the company intends to make more PS5 consoles. But beyond that, hopefully the company also has steps in place to ensure that the consoles actually get to consumers.