As we all could feel in our guts, Star Wars Outlaws isn’t gonna be the blockbuster Ubisoft was banking on. Shit’s getting real, folks. Insider Gaming’s spilling the tea, saying Ubisoft only pushed a measly 1 million copies! That ain’t gonna cover the rent, let alone turn a profit. Financially speaking, this is a proper kick in the nuts for Ubisoft, and it’s gonna leave ’em limping for months to come.
Meanwhile, Black Myth Wukong’s over there flexing with its estimated 20 million copies sold in a month after 10 million in just 3 days. Ken Kutaragi confirmed on Tokyo Games Slow. Talk about salt in the wound, right? You just know the suits at Ubisoft HQ are green with envy, probably drowning their sorrows in overpriced lattes.
Don’t get me wrong, Star Wars Outlaws ain’t a total dumpster fire. It’s still worth a shot if you’re into that whole star-warsy cowboy vibe ways… If they actually bother to polish it up, it might even go down in history as a decent game. But let’s face it, being “decent” ain’t gonna save Ubisoft’s ass from the financial shitstorm they’re brewing.
The game industry’s a cruel mistress, and right now, she’s giving Ubisoft the cold shoulder. Let’s see if they can pull a Jedi mind trick and turn this mess around, or if they’ll end up as another cautionary tale in the ever-growing graveyard of overhyped flops.
KUNOS Simulazioni has confirmed Assetto Corsa EVO will launch in Early Access for PC on January 16, 2025. Along with this announcement, today, September 30, they’ve just dropped a brand-new official trailer, giving fans their first real glimpse of what’s to come. For sim racing fans, this date and trailer together signal the next evolution in realistic racing, building on the success of Assetto Corsa and Assetto Corsa Competizione.
Kunos Simulazioni Youtube Channel – New Assetto Corsa EVO Announcement Trailer
Marco Massarutto’s statement was clear: KUNOS is focused on delivering high quality. They’ve taken their time to ensure EVO meets the high standards set by the community, as seen with their past titles. The new trailer showcases the attention to detail and the leap forward in technology we’ve come to expect.
The standout feature of Assetto Corsa EVO is its diverse range of cars, from road and race cars to hypercars and classics, all modeled with precision. Like Assetto Corsa, this new game pushes realism even further. The new proprietary engine enhances accuracy, refining the mechanical and aerodynamic performance.
With this trailer, it’s clear EVO continues the competitive spirit seen in Assetto Corsa Competizione. The variety of vehicles, each with unique handling, ensures an immersive racing experience for all, just wait a bit till January to feel it on our own wheels.
So, let’s talk about the PlayStation 5 Pro, the newly announced version from Mark Cerny. This reveal has already stirred up some waves in the gaming community, and I’ve got to say, the expectations were maybe a bit higher than what we got. But hey, at least the console seems to be quite expensive – ha, of course, that’s irony for you.
A Hardware Upgrade with Familiar Twists
What do we know so far about the PS5 Pro? In general, it’ll be faster, as you’d expect after four years of technological advancements. It’s got a bigger hard drive, better ray tracing technology, and overall performance should be more stable. Sounds like a bunch of boring, expected stuff, right? Well, let’s dive a bit deeper.
First off, that 2TB hard drive is actually a pretty handy addition. As a gamer, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to delete some of my games just to make room for new ones. It’s a real pain, and plenty of gamers have resorted to swapping out their drives for 4TB ones just to keep up. So yeah, 2TB is quite a good addition, but here’s the kicker – you’re losing the drive to read disks. Now you have to buy it separately, along with the stand. Come on, Sony! You’d expect these little handy gadgets to be included in the pack for a premium console, but nope. It’s another little rip-off from PlayStation, but let’s be honest, we kind of know this game by now, don’t we?
Strategy and the Portal’s Influence
Now, let’s talk strategy. Sony’s being pretty smart about this whole thing. They know the power of the PlayStation brand, the infrastructure, and the community they’ve built. We saw it with the Portal – it’s just a remote handheld without its own processing power, but it was quite successful. People like it, and with a good internet connection, it’s actually quite playable and enjoyable. I’ve got to admit, after spending some time with it, it’s grown on me.
When you look at the price, the PS5 Pro is actually pretty close to an Nvidia 4070 Ti graphics card. Some experts are saying the PS5 Pro’s performance is roughly on par with the 4070. So, if you wanted to build a comparable PC, you’d be looking at maybe $200 more. Sony knows they can’t go much higher than this price point, but they’re still pushing it.
Here’s the thing, though – the approachability of a console compared to a PC is another asset Sony’s counting on. Not everybody has the time or inclination to tune up a computer. They just want to plug and play, get into their games without the hassle. Sony knows this, and they know they’ll likely be successful with the PS5 Pro, just like they were with the PS4 Pro, which is still an amazing console that plays titles very well.
Looking at the games situation, Sony’s only saying that 50 games at launch will have enhanced features for the Pro. Yeah we can imagine that even the resource-hungry games will run a little smoother. We can expect better ray tracing and all that jazz. But here’s where it gets interesting – this allows Sony to bring some remakes of their recent games. They can recycle their own stuff, giving us some luxury, super remastered, remade versions of their successful brands like The Last of Us. It’s a smart move, even if it feels a bit like double-dipping.
Now, let’s talk timeline. I think we shouldn’t be looking at a PlayStation 6 hitting shelves before 2027, or even 2028. The PS5 Pro should be enough to keep good gaming going for a while. Another thing to consider is how this will help PlayStation VR. The future will tell us how much of a boost PS VR games will get from this hardware upgrade.
As for the market reaction, we’re definitely monitoring the situation. While we’re not exactly thrilled for consumers who have to shell out this much money, we shouldn’t worry about demand. There will be plenty of it, and it wouldn’t surprise me if shelves are empty pretty soon after launch. We might see another wave of online shopping mayhem, with scalpers trying to make a quick profit.
The Design: Subtle Yet Significant
Let’s not forget about the design. There are two new stripes on the top of the console. It’s a small detail, but it does help differentiate it from the base PS5. Whether that justifies the price hike is another question entirely.
The Long Game: Future-Proofing the PlayStation Ecosystem
Now, I know some of you might be thinking, “Is this really necessary? My PS5 still works great!” And you’re not wrong. The base PS5 is still a powerful machine, and most games run beautifully on it. But Sony’s playing the long game here. They’re looking at the next few years of game development and trying to future-proof their platform.
One thing that’s got me a bit concerned is the potential for fragmentation in the PlayStation ecosystem. We saw this a bit with the PS4 Pro, where some games had “Pro Enhanced” features. It wasn’t a huge deal then, but as the performance gap widens, we might see more significant differences between base PS5 and PS5 Pro versions of games. This could lead to some frustration for base PS5 owners who feel like they’re getting a subpar experience.
Developers’ Playground: Pushing Boundaries with Power
On the flip side, this could push developers to really push the boundaries of what’s possible in console gaming. With more power to play with, we might see some truly spectacular games in the coming years. Just imagine what studios like Naughty Dog or Santa Monica could do with this extra horsepower.
The Price Debate: Worth the Cost?
But let’s be real for a second – the price is going to be a sticking point for a lot of people. $699.99 is a lot of money, especially when you consider that many people struggled to get their hands on a base PS5 not too long ago. It feels a bit soon for such an expensive upgrade. And in the current economic climate, with inflation and financial uncertainty, it’s a tough ask for many gamers.
That said, there will always be enthusiasts who want the best of the best. For them, the PS5 Pro will be a day-one purchase. And hey, if you’ve got the cash and want the best possible PlayStation experience, more power to you.
In the end, the PS5 Pro is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s an impressive piece of hardware that will undoubtedly deliver some fantastic gaming experiences. But it also feels like a product of its time – a time when companies are trying to squeeze every last drop of profit from their existing platforms. It’s not quite the revolutionary leap some might have hoped for, but it’s a solid iterative improvement that will keep the PlayStation platform competitive for years to come.
The Console Wars Continue: Will Xbox Respond?
As we look to the future, it’ll be interesting to see how Microsoft responds. The console wars are far from over, and this move from Sony is sure to elicit a response. Could we see an Xbox Series X Pro in the near future? Only time will tell.
For now, we’ll keep our eyes on the PS5 Pro as we get closer to its release. There’s still a lot we don’t know, and I’m sure Sony has a few surprises up their sleeve. Whether it’s worth the upgrade will ultimately come down to individual gamers and their priorities. But one thing’s for sure – the next few years of PlayStation gaming are going to be interesting.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to drop $700 on a PS5 Pro, or are you happy sticking with your current setup? Whatever your take, it’s an exciting time to be a gamer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some games to play… and maybe some pennies to start saving. Stay tuned, fellow gamers – the future of PlayStation is looking mighty interesting.
In a surprise livestream 10 minutes short event, Sony’s lead system architect, Mark Cerny pulled back the curtain on the highly anticipated PlayStation 5 Pro, revealing a powerhouse console that aims to bridge the gap between visual fidelity and performance in modern gaming.
PlayStation Youtube Channel : PS 5 Technical Presentation hosted by Mark Cerny
The “Big Three” Upgrades
Cerny outlined three critical areas of improvement for the PS5 Pro, which he dubbed “the big three”:
Enhanced GPU and Memory: The PS5 Pro boasts a significantly larger GPU paired with faster memory, rendering up to 45% faster than the base PS5.
Ray Tracing Revolution: Major upgrades to ray tracing capabilities allow for calculations at double or even triple the speeds of the original PS5, promising more realistic lighting, reflections, and shadows.
AI-Powered Upscaling: Introducing custom machine learning hardware and a proprietary AI library called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) enables pixel-by-pixel image analysis to dramatically boost effective resolution.
The End of the Graphics Mode Dilemma?
A central theme of Cerny’s presentation was addressing the increasingly common “graphics mode” choice in modern games. Players often face a tough decision between 30 fps “Fidelity” modes that prioritize visual quality and 60 fps “Performance” modes that sacrifice some graphical elements for smoother gameplay.
Cerny revealed that when given the choice, about 75% of players opt for Performance mode, highlighting a clear preference for higher frame rates. The PS5 Pro aims to deliver the best of both worlds, targeting what Cerny described as “almost Fidelity-like graphics at performance frame rates.”
Games Showcased
Several titles were used to demonstrate the PS5 Pro’s capabilities:
The Last of Us Part II: Shown running at 60 fps with significantly more detail compared to the base PS5’s 30 fps Fidelity mode.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: Demonstrated sharper visuals and higher resolution, particularly noticeable in distant objects and procedurally generated elements like traffic.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart: A parade scene highlighted the PS5 Pro’s ability to render distant details with much greater clarity.
Horizon Forbidden West: Improvements extend beyond resolution, with enhanced lighting, visual effects, and more detailed character models in cinematics.
Gran Turismo 7: Now features ray-traced reflections between cars during gameplay while maintaining 60 fps.
Hogwarts Legacy: Showcased improved reflections, a greater variety of reflective surfaces, and more realistic shadow casting.
Technical Deep Dive
Cerny provided insights into how developers are leveraging the PS5 Pro’s new capabilities:
PSSR AI Upscaling: This machine learning technology is widely adopted to add pixel detail and boost frame rates across various game engines.
Raw GPU Power: The increased graphics processing capability enables games like Horizon Forbidden West to improve lighting, visual effects, and character detail in gameplay and cutscenes.
Enhanced Ray Tracing: The faster ray tracing hardware allows developers to implement more advanced lighting techniques while maintaining higher frame rates.
“The Most Powerful Console We’ve Ever Built”
Cerny called the PS5 Pro “the most powerful console we’ve ever built,” positioning it as a significant leap forward in the PlayStation ecosystem. The presentation emphasized that the PS5 Pro is designed to give developers the tools to realize their most ambitious visions while delivering the high frame rates that players prefer.
What We Still Don’t Know
Despite the wealth of technical information provided, several key details about the PS5 Pro remain unclear:
Release Date: No specific launch window was announced.
Pricing: The cost of the new console should have been discussed.
Backward Compatibility: While implied, there was no explicit confirmation of full compatibility with the existing PS5 library.
Storage Capacity: Details on the internal SSD were not provided.
Physical Design: The appearance of the PS5 Pro was not revealed.
Industry Implications
The unveiling of the PS5 Pro raises questions about the future of console generations. With mid-cycle upgrades becoming more common, the line between console generations blurs. This move by Sony could pressure competitors to respond, potentially accelerating the arms race in console hardware.
For developers, the PS5 Pro presents both opportunities and challenges. While the additional power allows for more ambitious projects, it also introduces another hardware target to optimize for in the PlayStation ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
As the gaming industry digests the details of the PS5 Pro, all eyes will be on Sony for more information about the console’s release plans and pricing strategy. Additionally, gamers and analysts alike will be keen to see how developers leverage these new capabilities in upcoming titles and updates to existing games.
The PS5 Pro represents Sony’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of console gaming. By aiming to deliver high-fidelity visuals at the frame rates players demand, Sony is betting that this mid-generation upgrade will keep the PlayStation platform at the forefront of the gaming industry for years.
Right from the start, the buzz around the PlayStation 5 Pro has been relentless, and for good reason. According to billbil-kun, one of the most reliable sources for gaming leaks, the PS5 Pro is set to make its grand entrance in September 2024. This isn’t just another mid-gen refresh—it’s a serious upgrade.
Imagine a PS5 Slim beefed up and given a sleek new design with three bold black bands cutting across the familiar white exterior. The design isn’t just about looks either; it signifies the significant internal enhancements that make this console a true step forward.
Inside the Machine: Performance Upgrades and Tech Innovations
The heart of the PlayStation 5 Pro lies in its impressive 45% power boost over the original PS5. But the real game-changer here is PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), Sony’s new upscaling technology designed to make ray tracing smoother and more immersive than ever before.
Developers who got an early peek, like one anonymous dev at Gamescom, were reportedly blown away by how Unreal Engine 5 performs on the Pro, describing it as a whole new level of smoothness and visual fidelity.
Digital-Only Future? Sony’s Risky Bet
Perhaps the most controversial rumor is that Sony might be going all-digital with the PS5 Pro, potentially ditching the disc drive entirely. This move would reflect a significant shift in how Sony views the future of gaming, pushing more towards a digital-only ecosystem. While this might seem like a bold move, it’s not without its risks—particularly for gamers who still value physical media.
DualSense Stays: If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
Despite all the upgrades, Sony appears to be sticking with the tried-and-true DualSense controller for the PS5 Pro. This might disappoint those hoping for a completely new experience, but it’s hard to argue with the DualSense’s success. The question is whether Sony has some special editions or minor tweaks up its sleeve to complement the Pro’s new capabilities.
The Strategic Release: Timing and Market Impact
Sony’s timing with the PS5 Pro seems meticulously planned. According to Lorenzo Fazio, a respected Italian journalist, some developers are already delaying their game releases to coincide with the Pro’s launch, aiming to take full advantage of its enhanced features. With a launch window around late 2024 or early 2025, and with major events like Tokyo Game Show 2024 on the horizon, all signs point to a carefully orchestrated reveal that could shake up the market.
What’s Next for Gamers: Expectations and Realities
As we approach the PS5 Pro’s expected release, the gaming community is filled with both anticipation and questions. Will the PS5 Pro live up to the hype? Can it deliver the 4K60fps or even the 4K120fps experience gamers have dreamed of? While it’s too early to say for sure, one thing is clear: Sony is once again positioning itself as a leader in the console wars, and the PS5 Pro could be the weapon that keeps it on top.
