The latest CFI-1202 series hardware revisions of the Sony PlayStation 5 entertainment system receive new "Oberon Plus" SoCs built on the TSMC N6 (6 nm) silicon fabrication node, and could include several new power-management features of the kind seen in AMD Ryzen 6000 mobile-processors, which could bring down the overall weight of the console as it could shed anywhere between 200-300 grams (6.25-6.5 percent) compared to older 2021 models. The CFI-1202B is the Digital-only variant that lacks an optical drive; while the CFI-1202A is the slightly heavier model that comes with a Blu-ray ROM drive. The 6% reduction in weight may not seem like much to the end-user, but has a cumulative effect for Sony to ship them by the thousands.

An upcoming hardware revision of the Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) that's slated for 2024, reportedly unifies the two current models that the console comes in—one with a Blu-ray drive, and one without. The PS5 currently comes in a model with an optical drive that's popular in markets with slow Internet connections, and targets those who prefer physical copies of their games; while another model completely lacks an optical drive, and is available in markets with fast Internet access, and for those who keep digital libraries of the games they bought.

The 2024 revision would unify the two designs, and feature a modular form-factor, where the optical drive can be optionally purchased (or is part of bundles). This drive slots into the console's body, and connects to it via a 5 Gbps USB-C connection. This way, Sony saves on costs from having to do separate production runs for the two models, and earn some revenue on the ODD. The current digital-only PS5 model comes with a firmware-level restriction that prevents you from plugging in aftermarket USB Blu-ray drives, or even connecting one to its mainboard's SATA interface.

Today, we announced that we have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Savage Game Studios, a hugely talented team of creatives with many years of experience making some of the most popular mobile games enjoyed by players around the world. They were founded a few years ago with the goal of fearlessly exploring bold new ideas. We share their tireless ambition to innovate, along with a continued drive to expand our audience and bring PlayStation to more people than ever before, making them a perfect fit to join PlayStation Studios.

Considering Sony's recently announced price hike for the PS5 (in whatever soil lies outside the U.S.), the question remained whether Microsoft would follow suit. Sony's claimed reasons for the price hike, stemming from rising inflation and increased production costs, are certainly general and actual enough that they could be true for any business. Yet it seems that Microsoft is either not operating in the same global landscape as Sony - or perhaps the company is merely more willing to shoulder the additional costs so as not to increase pricing.

Speaking with Windows Central, Microsoft clarified that "We are constantly evaluating our business to offer our fans great gaming options. Our Xbox Series S suggested retail price remains at $299 (£250, €300) the Xbox Series X is $499 (£450, €500)." Which is actually a great thing, especially considering that gamers around the world are still underserved in the amount of available PS5 and Xbox consoles that have been made available to buy. The Xbox stock situation has improved faster than that of the PS5, but there are still millions of gamers who haven't been able to get their hands on one or the other - and those still waiting for a PS5 console for no fault of their own are now dealing with increased pricing on an almost 2-year-old console.

Prices of the Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) entertainment system are on the boil globally. The Verge tabulated prices across 7 key regions for the console, and found that they've been adjusted by anywhere between 3% to 24%, with the worst hikes hitting SCE's home market of Japan. The PS5 is available in two variants—the standard one with a Blu-ray drive, and a Digital Edition variant that lacks it, and relies on the Internet to download and play new games. The latter is significantly cheaper.

Canada sees the mildest price hikes, ranging between +3% for the standard version, and +4% for the Digital-only version. Australia, Mexico, and the United Kingdom are next, with price-hikes ranging between 7% to 9%, depending on the model. China and Europe (the Eurozone) see exactly 10% to 12% hikes. The worst hit, as we mentioned, is Japan, with 21% to 24% hikes. The specific MSRPs for the two variants are tabulated below. Interestingly, Interestingly, SCE hasn't finalized a price-hike for the US, but you can bet that they're coming.

Today, we are thrilled to unveil the DualSense Edge wireless controller for PlayStation 5, the first-ever high-performance, ultra-customizable controller developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Designed to give you an edge in gameplay by allowing you to create custom controls, the DualSense Edge wireless controller invites you to craft your own unique gaming experience tailored to your playstyle.

You can make the DualSense Edge wireless controller uniquely yours by remapping or deactivating specific button inputs and fine-tuning your aim by adjusting stick sensitivity and dead zones (the distance your analog stick moves before it's recognized in a game). In addition, each trigger is adjustable with options to tailor travel distance and dead zones to your preference. For example, you can manually reduce travel distance of the triggers for faster inputs in competitive FPS games or reduce the dead zone for precise throttle control in racing games.

The look and feel of the Backbone One - PlayStation Edition was brought to life by our design team in collaboration with the brilliant minds at PlayStation. The elegant colors, materials, and finishes are all inspired by the design of the PS5 console's DualSense wireless controller, all the way down to the transparent face buttons and its visually distinctive, floating appearance. It feels right at home with the other products in the PS5 lineup, like the Pulse 3D headset, which you can connect directly to the Backbone One - PlayStation Edition.

Backbone One is the gaming essential for PlayStation on iPhone. If you have access to broadband internet and a PS5 or PS4 console, plug an iPhone into the Backbone One and instantly start playing your PS5 and PS4 games with the power of the PS Remote Play app—whether that's out and about or even elsewhere in the home.

Western Digital Corp. and Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC ("SIE") teamed up to deliver the industry's first official PlayStation -licensed M.2 SSD for PlayStation 5 (PS5) to gamers across the globe. The WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD for PS5 Consoles enables players to expand the high-speed storage capacity of their PS5 console and gives them peace of mind knowing that their new and favorite titles are stored on a drive that's been battletested to take on the most intensive PS5 gameplay.

Optimized for the newest-generation console, Western Digital validated drive performance through multiple scenarios to ensure the drive has been fully tested for the PS5. This process included hundreds of hours spent rigorously testing some of the most graphic-rich titles across various genres to ensure that with games stored on the drive, gameplay is fast, smooth and visually immersive.

Sony Electronics Inc. today added to its impressive portable speaker range with three new models - the SRS-XG300 with powerful and high-quality sound, and SRS-XE300 and SRS-XE200 with wider listening area from the Line-Shape Diffuser. All three models are easy to carry so users can enjoy them anywhere. Listeners need a speaker that can deliver big sound wherever they go. Thanks to Sony's unique X-Balanced Speaker Unit and Dual Passive Radiators in all three new models, these speakers do just that. They produce punchier bass with less distortion bringing high-quality sound and powerful sound pressure that will keep the energy going all night long.

The SRS-XG300 delivers deep, club-like bass and clear high frequency audio thanks to the integrated Front Tweeter and MEGA BASS features. If the listener wants to move from the club to the concert, thanks to LIVE SOUND, the SRS-XG300 can recreate that unique atmosphere and let them relive their favorite live performances over and over. For those that prefer their party with some added color, listeners can switch on the SRS-XG300's ambient illumination that synchronizes the speaker's lighting to the beat of the music.

Sony Electronics Inc. today announced INZONE a new gaming gear brand for PC gamers that sharpens the senses and enhances gaming ability. INZONE monitors feature incredible, high-resolution and high-dynamic range picture, while INZONE headsets include superior sound and 360 Spatial Sound for gaming. This new brand embraces Sony's expertise as a pioneer in audio-visual technology, delivering features that will immerse gamers into the action with total focus. Designed for extraordinary experiences, INZONE offers a path to dive into an immersive zone, leading to a victorious ending.

"The market has been expanding with a higher interest in gaming with the spread of esports tournaments and the advancement of gaming entertainment. With Sony's strong history of high-end audio and visual technology products, we believe this new line will offer even more options for those looking to upgrade their current gaming systems. We are committed to contributing to the growth of gaming culture by providing PC and PlayStation gamers with a wider range of options to enrich lives through gaming. Also, Sony is proud to have a sponsorship with leading global esports leagues, Evolution Championship Series (Evo) 2022 and 2023, PGL DOTA2 Arlington Major 2022 and the VALORANT Champions Tour with our wish for further advancement of gaming culture." said Yukihiro Kitajima, Head of Game Business and Marketing Office, Sony Corporation.

There's no shortage of gaming headsets in the market, but for some reason it seems like Sony has decided that it can offer a range of competitive products in an already crowded segment. The company is said to be launching its INZONE brand of gaming headsets in the near future and there will be a total of three different models at launch. Common among all three models is support for Sony's proprietary 360 spatial sound, something many of its higher-end headphones already feature, as well as a fixed microphone on an arm, as well as integrated volume control.

The base model is the H3, which is a wired version that has a 3.5 mm jack, but also appears to ship with a USB sound card. Interestingly the H3 model has a switch for NC/AMB which suggests it has some kind of noise cancelling feature, where AMB stands for ambient sound mode. The next step up is the H7 which is the mid-range model and the first wireless option in the series. The design changes here as well, with only one point of attachment between the headband and the earcups, where the H3 has a more traditional two-point attachment. The H7 as well as the higher-end H9 comes with a USB dongle for wireless use, but also appears to have support for Bluetooth audio. Both models have a game/chat button, which may be for adjusting the volume separately between two different inputs.

Sony Electronics Inc. today introduced two new premium music players, the NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2, raising the bar to new heights in high-resolution audio listening, to satisfy the most demanding audiophiles. Designed to immerse the listener in sublime, nuanced sound, the NW-WM1ZM2 has been fine-tuned from years of audio mastery and crafted from the very best materials. This new addition sets a new benchmark for Sony's award-winning signature series, offering an exquisite listening experience in an ultra-premium design.

The NW-WM1AM2 allows music lovers to completely lose themselves in high-quality audio with a richer, smoother and more expansive sound field compared to its predecessor. Both music players let the user download and stream from endless catalogues of music with Wi-Fi compatibility, taking the listening enjoyment to the next level.

Sony's onslaught on PC-centric gamers' wallets through the release of its critically-acclaimed exclusives shows no signs of slowing down. After porting God of War and announcing the release of the Spider Man series of video games, the company at the Summer Games Fest shared details on the upcoming PS5 remake of the original The Last of Us Part 1. With over 200 game of the year awards, it remains one of the single-player, story-driven masterpieces of gaming history. But the announcement came with its own twist: the company also confirmed a PC version is in development.

The modernized version of Last of Us Part 1 will be coming to PS5 first, with a release date set for September 2nd 2022. Development on both the PS5 and PC version being done by Naughty Dog itself. According to Sony, the modernized version will be "a total overhaul" of the original, "faithfully reproduced but incorporating modernized gameplay, improved controls and expanded accessibility options," while also offering "improved effects and enhanced exploration and combat."

Sony has announced yet another step on its work to bring its typically console-exclusive games towards the PC platform. After launching critically and consumer-acclaimed titles such as Guerrilla's Horizon Zero Dawn and Sony Santa Monica's God of War (which recently even saw the addition of PC-centric technologies such as AMD's FSR 2.0), Sony seems to be willing to forego its walled-garden approach to exclusives as it extends its player base towards the PC platform. Spider Man: Remastered will come out first, in August 12th, while Spider Man: Miles Morales has been given a tentative "Fall" release window.

Having collectively sold more than 33 million copies, Marvel's Spider Man and Spider Man: Miles Morales stand as one of Sony's most successful exclusives, despite their platform exclusivity. The Spider Man: Remastered and Spider Man: Miles Morales titles will be ported to PC by Nixxes Software, who already carry ports for Crystal Dynamics' rebooted Tomb Raider franchise and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided under their belt.

Sony Electronics Inc. today announced their newest addition to the LinkBuds series: LinkBuds S. The latest model empowers a new sound experience through Sony's sensing technology and partner collaboration, while retaining a "Never Off" wearing experience perfect for staying connected to online and offline worlds due to their ultra-small and lightweight design with natural ambient sound. By leveraging sensor and spatial sound technology, they deliver new and immersive sound for AR games such as Niantic's game Ingress. for consumers looking for new options for entertainment beyond music and calls. The model also makes music listening easier than ever with a new and unique "Auto Play" feature. By detecting the listener's environment, such as wearing LinkBuds S, the feature enables their music to play automatically, delivered accordingly to their activity.

LinkBuds S are perfect for streaming content all day long. Consumers can enjoy music, video, or social media content just as the creator intended with Sony's highly acclaimed noise canceling technology and high-resolution capability. Sony Electronics has engineered these remarkably small and lightweight truly wireless headphones with comfort in mind. LinkBuds S combine a shape that matches the human ear with an ergonomic design for a more stable fit to avoid discomfort in the ear that gets in the way of entertainment.

Sony revealed during a recent earnings call that they had shipped 19.3 million PlayStation 5 consoles worldwide since release which is 3.3 million units less then they had expected. This shortfall can be attributed to the difficulties Sony faced in acquiring all the necessary components however the company expects shipments to increase next financial year with a target of 18 million units. Sony also noted that game sales for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 reached 14.5 million in the last quarter compared to 7.9 million the previous year. The companies PlayStation Plus service saw a loss of 200,000 subscribers down to 47.4 million in March 2022 from 47.6 million in March 2021 while active monthly users also dropped from 109 million to 106 million.

Today, we're excited to announce that Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support will start rolling out globally to PS5 players this week. On HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible TVs and PC monitors, VRR dynamically syncs the refresh rate of the display to the PS5 console's graphical output. This enhances visual performance for PS5 games by minimizing or eliminating visual artifacts, such as frame pacing issues and screen tearing. Gameplay in many PS5 titles feels smoother as scenes render seamlessly, graphics look crisper, and input lag is reduced. Previously released PS5 games can be fully optimized for VRR through a game patch and future games may include VRR support at launch.

VRR will arrive globally through a PS5 console update over the next few days (make sure you are connected to the internet to receive the update). Once you've received the update, VRR will automatically be enabled for supported games if your PS5 console is connected to an HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible TV or PC monitor. You can also turn it off under "Screen and Video" in system settings.

When it comes to Bluetooth headphones with ANC, Sony is one of the best in the business and the company appears to be preparing to launch a couple of new products, if the most recent leaks are anything to go by. First up is the WH-1000XM5, which is an entirely revamped product and doesn't resemble its predecessors in the WH-1000XM series. The LinkBuds S on the other hand is something of a budget version of the WF-1000XM4s, rather than another peculiar design like the LinkBuds.

The WH-1000XM5 aren't as big of a move in a different design direction as Bose's 700-series was compared to the QuietComfort, but they're still different enough to make it obvious that we're looking at a new generation of product here. Sony has slimmed down the headband, but at the same time increased the area of the headband that's covered by soft materials, even though it might not actually touch your head. The earcups have a new design, but it looks like the touch control remains, since the only physical controls that are noticeable in the pictures consist of a power/Bluetooth slider and an NC/AMB button for switching between noise cancelling and ambient mode, as well as presumably turning off noise cancelling.

Today Epic Games announced a $2 billion round of funding to advance the company's vision to build the metaverse and support its continued growth. This round includes investments from existing investor Sony Group Corporation as well as KIRKBI, the family-owned holding and investment company behind The LEGO Group, with each party investing $1 billion respectively. All three companies highly value both creators and players, and aim to create new social entertainment exploring the connection between digital and physical worlds. Epic continues to have only a single class of common stock outstanding and remains controlled by its CEO and founder, Tim Sweeney.

"As a creative entertainment company, we are thrilled to invest in Epic to deepen our relationship in the metaverse field, a space where creators and users share their time." said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation. "We are also confident that Epic's expertise, including their powerful game engine, combined with Sony's technologies, will accelerate our various efforts such as the development of new digital fan experiences in sports and our virtual production initiatives."

You'd be forgiven if you're not familiar with Airoha, as although the company has been around since 2001, it's been a company that has mostly been flying under the radar. Back in 2007, Mediatek became a majority shareholder by buying out Benq's stake in Airoha and a decade later, MediaTek merged some of its business units into Airoha, which is the opposite way to how it normally goes. MediaTek is getting ready to list Airoha on the Taiwanese stock market and this comes with several benefits to the company. Airoha's main product line is Bluetooth chips, but it also makes various solutions for GPS/GNSS, WiFi, DVB-S and xPON internet gateways and routers. Sony is one of its major customers, after the company switched from Qualcomm to MediaTek/Airoha a few years ago. Other customers are said to be Beats by Apple, JBL by Harman (which in turn is owned by Samsung), Skullcandy and Xiaomio.

The company is said to first be listed on Taiwan's Emerging Stock Market for at least six months—a requirement by Taiwanese law—before the company will be making a full IPO. The company is said to be valued at US$3.3 billion, so despite being a mostly unheard of company, we're not talking about some little startup here. MediaTek is expecting Airoha to see a revenue growth of around 30 percent in 2022, from 2021 revenues of around US$562 million. As these things go, it would appear that the main reason for listing Airoha isn't directly to make money, but rather to try and appeal to current and future employees. This is because of the peculiar bonus structure in most companies in Taiwan, where all employees are given a share of the profits, largely regardless of their personal and departments performance. With Airoha going public, its employees will no longer have to share their bonuses with MediaTek employees, which could in theory lead to better bonuses for their employees.

Nextorage Corporation will launch a PCIe Gen 4.0 x4 ("PCIe 4.0") M.2 2280 NVMe SSD "NEM-PA series" for the USA market from March. The products are initially sold on Amazon. Nextorage was established on October 1, 2019, as a company specializing in the memory storage solutions business led by engineers and staff who built on 20 years of history in memory storage at Sony.

The NEM-PA series is an M.2 2280 SSD equipped with a PCIe 4.0 / NVMe 1.4 controller and a 3D TLC NAND, and comes with a heatsink for heat dissipation. The drive achieves sequential read up to 7,300 MB/s, sequential write up to 6,900 MB/s, and random read/write up to 1,000 K IOPS (in a PC environment). The NEM-PA series delivers both high-speed loading and smooth gaming experience.

After a long wait, Sony has finally released the first pictures of its upcoming PlayStation VR2 headset and it clearly follows the design of the original, but looks sleeker, possibly due to the use of a lot more white plastic. The most obvious change is the inclusion of four cameras in the headset itself, much like what we've seen in VR headsets from other manufacturers, which are used for tracking. The PS VR2 should also feature eye tracking, although it seems like Sony is still negotiating with it suppliers as to which technology will be used. It still connects via a cable to the PS5 console, but it seems like Sony has upgraded the displays significantly, as the company claims 4K HDR support, without going into any further details.

Sony talked a lot about the design of the hardware and about how the new headset and controllers were designed to "become an attractive part of your living room decor" while also keeping the gamer immersed in the VR games they're playing, "to the point where you almost forget you are using a headset or controller". As such, ergonomics have apparently played a key role in developing the PlayStation VR2, to make sure it's comfortable to use, no matter the shape or size of the player's head. The only new hardware features mentioned include a lens adjustment dial and a new motor for haptic feedback. For those in hotter climates, Sony has also added a new air vent, which might also be handy for those wearing glasses. Unlike HTC, it doesn't seem like Sony has gone for a fan assisted vent. Sony also announced that PS VR2 headsets are already with game developers and that the company will be sharing more details about the hardware in the future.

Things are apparently anything but smooth for TSMC when it comes to its US expansion in Arizona, as reports claim that the construction of its new fab in Arizona is going to be late. This is largely due to labour shortages caused by the pandemic, which in turn is set to delay the entire project. As such, it's being suggested that the installation of manufacturing equipment will be delayed from late Q3 this year until Q1 next year. The knock on effect of this is that production is unlikely to start in Q1 2024 and will most likely be delayed to sometime in the second half of 2024. As a comparison, TSMC normally spends two years to build and configure their fabs in Asia, whereas their first expansion outside of Asia is set to take at least two and a half years.

Another issue is said to be related to finding the right staff, since not only TSMC, but also Intel is looking for competent staff in Arizona. Intel might be the winner here, as TSMC is said to already have complaints from some of its employees, especially from western countries. The main complaint is about excessively long meetings that can add several hours to their workdays. Other complaints revolve around long working hours, as the company employs 12 hour shifts for its engineers and they are often on call over weekends. The company has apparently become increasingly demanding when it comes to its workforce, although TSMC has apparently improved in some ways, based on changes to the Taiwanese labour laws.

Sony introduces a new way to enjoy your favourite music and the important moments in life, all at once, with the brand-new truly wireless LinkBuds. You can stay connected and aware at all times, with the help of an open ring design with audio transparency, ultra-small super fit and crystal-clear sound and call quality. By leveraging LinkBuds' unique design and its sensor and spatial sound technologies, Sony is creating new sound experiences together with their partners, such as AR gaming, new work from home experiences, sound AR navigation, and quick access to music.

LinkBuds have been created with a unique open ring design and allow you to tune into the outside world whenever you want, without compromising your listening experience. The newly-developed ring driver unit, has the centre of the diaphragm open for audio transparency, allowing you to clearly hear the sounds around, so you'll always know when someone calls your name whilst on a call, or easily chat with friends while listening to your favourite songs. Their new design makes LinkBuds the perfect companion for a range of uses, including working from home, gaming, listening to music, and more.

AR/VR device shipments revised up to 14.19 million units in 2022, with an annual growth rate of 43.9%, according to TrendForce research. Growth momentum will come from increased demand for remote interactivity stemming from the pandemic, as well as Oculus Quest 2's price reduction strategy. Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Oculus Quest 2 are first in market share for AR and VR, respectively.

According to TrendForce, the topic of the Metaverse has driven brands to actively plan for and stimulate product shipment performance. However, the AR/VR device market has yet to experienced explosive growth due to two factors: component shortages and the difficulty of developing new technologies. In addition, cosmetic and size considerations have made the more optically and technically difficult Pancake design the first choice for new high-end products. Furthermore, various embedded tracking feedback technologies key to enhancing the user's immersive experience such as eye tracking and 6DoF further affect the development progress of a new product as a whole. Since there are no new foreboding products on the horizon, TrendForce believes, no other branded products have a chance at supplanting the current mainstream status of Oculus or Microsoft until at least 2023.