Latest PlayStation 4 update now ready for download

Early on Sony announced that a major update to the PlayStation would be forthcoming, which includes HDR output capabilities. This update is now live and ready for download.

The update, codenamed “Shingen,” is by far the biggest that Sony has put out for the PlayStation console. Apart from the promised HDR output, the update also tweaks the menu screens and adds folders, reports The Verge.

Streaming in 1080p on Twitch, YouTube and remote play has also been enabled as preparation for the soon-to-be available PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro.

The UI changes were done so that the quick menu screen will no longer cover up games, videos and apps, and occupy only a portion of the TV screen. Folders will also offer more organization options for users while a new LAN connection function helps in transferring data from one console to another.

Sony also streamlined info screens for games, DLCs, videos and trending images. Lastly, users can now play songs from Spotify without needing to launch the app.  Alfred Bayle

source: technology.inquirer.net

Playstation 4 introduces ‘remote play’ feature with latest update

Sony Interactive Entertainment released the 3.50 system software for the Playstation 4 on Thursday, allowing users to stream games from the console directly to their computers through the use of an internet connection.

The new remote feature, which is applicable to Windows and Mac devices, requires PC users to run either a Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 software.

Mac users, meanwhile, will need OS X 10.10 or 10.11 to be able to avail of the services.

In addition to the prescribed operating system, gamers should also be equipped with a 2.76 GHz Intel Core i5-560M processor or better, and at least 2GB of RAM.

Once the essentials have been met, users just need to plug a DualShock 4 controller in their computer and enable the Remote Play Installer on the console.

‘Remote play’ is possible through a fast internet network, however, the PS4 will alter the resolution of the stream to match the user’s connection speed.

The feature was made available last year, but it only worked with Sony smartphones, tablets and handheld gaming devices like the PS Vita.

The 3.50 system software update will also give gamers the option to appear offline. Khristian Ibarrola, INQUIRER.net

source: technology.inquirer.net

PlayStation virtual reality gear to launch in October

SAN FRANCISCO—Sony plans to make virtual reality — long the stuff of films cast off into a distant future — mainstream with the October release of PlayStation VR headgear priced at $399.

“Virtual reality represents a new frontier for gaming, one that will forever change the way users interact with games,” Sony Computer Entertainment chief executive Andrew House said during a press event in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Sony chose October for the launch of PlayStation VR to allow time for making enough units to meet anticipated demand and to let developers get games ready for the headsets, according to House.

The headsets are designed to plug into PlayStation 4 (PS4) consoles.

Sony touted PS4 as its fastest-selling console ever with more than 36 million of them bought since they hit the market in late 2013.

But there is competition and Facebook-owned virtual reality start Oculus is set to begin shipping its Rift headsets later this month.

Oculus has been taking orders for Rift at a price of $599 and has worked with computer makers to certify machines as powerful enough to handle the technology.

Pre-orders have also been taken on bundles combining Rift with compatible gaming computers starting about $1,500.

Buying a PS4 and PlayStation VR would add up to about half that price.

“We are proud of the price point we have been able to achieve,” House said of PlayStation VR.

PlayStation VR users will still need to buy camera and controller accessories, pushing the price up slightly, but it is considerably less expensive than rival headsets that synch to gaming computers, according to Gartner analyst Brian Blau.

“The cost of ownership of PlayStation is going to be a lot more affordable than the PC (personal computer) counterparts,” Blau told AFP after attending the Sony event.

And, since millions of PS4 have already been bought, the price of adding virtual reality is comparably lower for owners of those consoles since no computer upgrade is needed.

Game makers dive in


More than 230 developers and publishers are working on games for PlayStation VR, with some 50 titles expected to be available by the end of this year, according to Sony.

The list included French video game titan Ubisoft, which is creating an “Eagle Flight” game that lets players virtually take wing, and a collaboration between Electronic Arts, DICE, and Lucasfilm on a new “Star Wars Battlefront” title for PlayStation VR.

PlayStation motion-sensing “Move” wand-shaped controllers were used to provide “hands” in some titles demonstrated at the event

Virtual reality was a hot topic at a Game Developers Conference (GDC) taking place a short distance from the Sony press briefing.

Chip makers showed off powerful processors designed to handle rendering rich, immersive graphics in virtual worlds. Games shown off at GDC included titles tailored for PlayStation VR and rivals Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Thirty-year-old GDC bills itself as the largest and longest-running event for professional game makers.

This year, GDC integrated an inaugural Virtual Reality Developers Conference focused on “making immersive virtual reality and augmented reality experiences.”

The virtual reality portion of GDC had to be moved to larger rooms to double the capacity in response to heavy demand, according to organizers.

In a sign that virtual reality is poised to extend beyond gaming, PlayStation VR boasted a Cinematic mode that can let people watch digital video on large virtual screens.

House promised more information on “entertainment content” in coming months.

“It makes sense that you should be able to see all kinds of PlayStation content inside the headset,” analyst Blau said.

“I think it will extend PlayStation into areas it has never been before.”

For example, Blau noted, PlayStation VR could expand to include sports viewing, streaming films or television shows, and even be put to work use by businesses.

source: technology.inquirer.net

#SonyPrayStation: Woman buys PS4, gets Bibles instead

A woman who bought a gaming console for her boyfriend as a Christmas surprise ended up being surprised after he opened the box and found... two Bibles.

A report on CNN said that Sandra Ortiz bought the Sony PlayStation 4 from US retail chain Target for Christmas—but when he opened the box, all he found were copies of the Good Book.

"Inside was not a console, but merely consoling words," said CNET's Chris Matyszczyk, who also wrote about the incident, tongue in cheek.

“I felt embarrassed. I felt like, you know, I just ruined Christmas for him and everybody else,” Ortiz said, though the Target store eventually gave her a PlayStation 4.

Ortiz joked that her boyfriend "didn't want the Bibles unless they were autographed by Jesus himself."

When she went to the store to explain her situation, the store "apparently explained that these things do happen."

When faith isn't enough

"As soon as the guest brought the package back, we immediately apologized for any inconvenience and exchanged it for a new one," Matyszczyk quoted a Target spokesperson as saying.

However, he also pointed out an obvious way to keep such incidents from happening in the first place:

"Just open the box in the store. It really is that simple. Sometimes, you see, faith just isn't enough," Matyszczyk quipped. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Japan gamers finally get PS4 at midnight launch

TOKYO - Diehard gamers in Japan who began queuing earlier this week finally got their hands on a new PlayStation 4 as Sony unleashed its console on home turf in a midnight launch.

The long-awaited Japanese launch comes after a stellar debut in the United States and Europe where more than 5.4 million units have been shifted since November, offering a bright ray of hope to Sony after years of gloomy sales of its key consumer electronics goods.

At midnight (1500 GMT Friday), the first 100 customers were allowed to take home a new console from Sony Building, a flagship display venue in Tokyo's bustling district of Ginza, putting the lucky few fans hours ahead of a nationwide mass release.

"Thank you for coming to this launch despite the cold," Andrew House, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, said to the first buyers.

Some of the eager fans had queued for the past two days to be among the first in Japan to own the new console.

"I want to play games with state-of-the-art technology," said Tetsuya Tamura, a 44-year-old IT engineer who arrived on Wednesday with his son, Shion, 19, to take first place in the queue.

Early adopters of the PS4 in Europe and the US have enthused over its vast computing capacity and the cinematic graphics it makes possible.

"I played on a trial one and found that its processing speed is fast and it's easy to play," said Shion, who had brought his PlayStation Portable to pass the time.

In the coveted US market, Sony boasted that video game industry sales data, reported last week by NPD Group, showed PS4 is far outselling Microsoft's Xbox One consoles, also released in November.

Analysts say sales at home are expected to widen the lead.

Sony's domestic rival, Nintendo, launched its new Wii U console in November 2012. It took more than a year for the video game giant to sell 5.86 million units.

PS4, Wii U and Xbox One are fighting to be at the heart of digital home entertainment at a time when consoles are under intense pressure to prove their worth as people increasingly turn to smartphones or tablets for games and videos.

Sony's gaming division has emerged as a potential savior for the once-mighty giant, which is struggling to reinvent itself in the digital age, having been left in the dust by its nimbler rivals like South Korea's Samsung.

Potential savior
The company, whose iconic Walkman changed the way people listened to music, has failed to repeat its earlier successes and this year warned it would book a $1.08 billion annual loss as it cuts 5,000 jobs and exits the stagnant PC market.

Moody's downgraded the firm's credit rating to junk, saying the maker of Bravia televisions had more work to do if it wanted to fix the holes in its tattered balance sheet.

It is not alone. Domestic rivals like Sharp and Panasonic have also suffered at the hands of US giant Apple and Samsung, and found themselves outplayed in the smartphone and low-margin television business.

But analysts said the PS4 might just help Sony turn the corner.

"Sony may not be able to see a sizable contribution for the current fiscal year, but is likely to harvest fruit later if the brisk sales continue," Hideki Yasuda, analyst at Ace Securities, told AFP.

"PS4 has a chance to establish a virtuous circle -- strong sales leading to popular titles," which would create more demand for the console, Yasuda said.

"It can be a potential cash cow for Sony." — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Naughty Dog reveals: Ellie returns in The Last of Us DLC, new Uncharted game for PS4

Naughty Dog has just revealed some exciting news regarding the much-anticipated downloadable content (DLC) for "The Last of Us,” and the long-awaited sequel to the mega-popular Uncharted franchise.

The announcements were made during the PlayStation 4 launch event on Spike TV, according to Arcade Sushi and Computer and Video Games.


Ellie returns in 'The Last of Us: Left Behind'

Those who fell in love with Ellie from The Last of Us will be happy to know that the indomitable Cordyceps apocalypse survivor is making a comeback in the new story DLC for the game, titled "Left Behind.”




“Ashley Johnson reprises her role as Ellie in The Last of Us: Left Behind single-player DLC,” stated Naughty Dog on the PlayStation blog. “Left Behind takes place while Ellie is attending a military boarding school in the Boston quarantine zone, prior to meeting Joel and the events in the main campaign of The Last of Us.”

Aside from Ellie herself, the video—shown during the launch event—also reveals her best friend Riley Abel, who was only briefly mentioned in the original game.

“Joining Ellie on this new adventure is Riley, her best friend and also a mentor of sorts at the military boarding school. Just as 'The Last of Us' focused on the bond between Ellie and Joel, 'Left Behind' explores the bond between Ellie and Riley through a series of events that will forever change both of their lives,” said the original game’s creative director and writer, Neil Druckmann.

Riley Abel also appeared in the comic book miniseries, “The Last of Us: American Dreams,” written by Druckmann himself, and published by Dark Horse Comics. The comics show how Ellie and Riley meet and become friends, and so serves as a canonical prequel to the events that will happen in Left Behind. Left Behind, in turn, is a prequel to The Last of Us.

Though both Ellie and Riley will play central roles in the DLC, it has yet to be announced whether only one or both of them will be playable in the game.

Druckmann also dropped some hints about a possible sequel for The Last of Us. “We’re playing with some ideas, but no direction has been set yet for the next game,” he said.

Though Sony has not yet announced an official release date, Left Behind is expected for release in early 2014.

New Uncharted game exclusive for the PS4

Fans of Naughty Dog’s other flagship title also have something to look forward to. Also revealed during the event was a teaser trailer for Sony’s seminal franchise, Uncharted.



“We have great news for all our Uncharted fans,” said Naughty Dog on the PlayStation blog. “Amy (Hennig), Justin (Richmond), and the team are hard at work on an amazing new installment of the Uncharted series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation 4 system. Our goal is to continue what we’ve done in previous console generations and once again deliver the best in storytelling, performance capture, technical innovation and graphics on the PS4.”

It is unclear from the video if Nathan Drake is coming back for the sequel, leaving some fans understandably worried that that the game will have a new protagonist. In fact the teaser shows very little about the actual game; only a voiceover and a map serve as clues as to what it will be about.

More news regarding both titles are expected to surface in the coming week. — VC, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com