As we’ve recently learned, the developers at Mojang Studio are preparing a native version of their game Minecraft for the PlayStation 5. However, we have learned that its development is nearing completion and will be released on October 22 this year.
Features of the Native PlayStation 5 Version
And what will the native version of the current PlayStation console offer? First, it has enhanced visuals and supports 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. The good news is that if you’d like to purchase the game in a physical edition, that will be an option. Distributor Cenega will launch this edition.
Interestingly, Minecraft doesn’t yet have a native Xbox X/S version, even though Microsoft owns the Mojang studio. These consoles have only received an update, allowing the game to run in 4K with other improvements. However, it remains an Xbox One version via backward compatibility, not a fully native edition.
Free Upgrade for PlayStation 4 Users
The question is how different the native PlayStation 5 version will be. It’s entirely possible that the developers couldn’t simply release a big update for the PlayStation 4 version, which will be free to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version, prompting them to take this new development route.
EA finally talked more about the next Battlefield this week, though we still don’t have much concrete information, as we have ambitions and statements. Brand boss Vince Zampella spoke about the new title and unveiled the first concept art. It was later complemented by two more in an investor presentation. From the first one, fans could deduce that the game would be set in Gibraltar, which was “confirmed” by well-known insider Tom Henderson. He followed this up with more behind-the-scenes information he managed to get on the upcoming Battlefield. It’s not the first time for this game – he reported exclusively on it back in 2022, with some essential elements regarding a return to older games already confirmed by Zampella. Still, later on, it was expected to be released this year, and earlier this year, he wrote about an upcoming battle royale mode and a release around October 2025.
Insider Information and Campaign Setting
According to Tom Henderson’s sources and Insider Gaming magazine, the new, still officially unnamed, Battlefield is set between 2027 and 2030, and its story campaign is set to focus on a giant private army taking on NATO. The game isn’t just to be put in Gibraltar, as the first released image suggested, but also to take place in other locations worldwide, including the United States. That’s where the additional battle royale mode would also be set, specifically in a tropical region.
After that, Henderson turned his attention to the multiplayer portion, which targets 45 different weapons for starters, double the number in Battlefield 2042 at launch. There should be around ten maps, similar to what was in Battlefields 3, 4, and 1. There had already been talk of an emphasis on destruction, which came straight from official job postings, and now Henderson is also mentioning a significant overhaul. It’s unclear whether this marks the return of “evolution” or Destruction 4.0, an improved version of the Frostbite 3 engine feature nicknamed as such in Battlefield 4. Still, sources have described caliber-based destruction similar to that in Rainbow Six: Siege, such that different calibers cause different levels of destruction.
The movement was also set to see changes, with talk of picking up and moving prone players, although this is more something that will be utilized in battle royale. At the same time, however, there is to be an initiative called “Battlefield Moments,” which is supposed to bring back the elements that made Battlefield Battlefield.
Community Testing and Involvement
Extensive community testing is currently underway, and this has been made official, with a program for further community involvement to be announced next year. According to Henderson, this will be the launch of an open or closed beta and the return of Battlefield CTE or Community Test Environment. This feature, included in BF Heroes, Battlefield Play4Free, BF 4, Battlefield Hardline, and Battlefield 1, allowed players to test new game features before they made it into the game. Specifically for Battlefields 1 and 4, Henderson mentions that CTE helped them immensely. The name is also reportedly still under consideration, which led to extensive polling over the past year, with participants deciding between Battlefield 6 and simply Battlefield. However, the outcome is not yet known.
Electronic Arts has confirmed the development of the sequel to last year’s action-adventure Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. It will be the final chapter in the story of Jedi Cal Kestis and the crew of the Stinger Mantis. With which the Star Wars Jedi Series will be complete. More than 40 million players have played the previous two installments. Our recent review and gallery can be found here.
Respawn Entertainment and the Final Installment
“Respawn is working hard to bring players the final chapter of this thrilling story,” said Laura Miele, president of entertainment and technology at EA. The third installment isn’t surprising; it was previously confirmed by Cameron Monaghan, who plays Cal Kestis. He’s also been hinted at before by job offers.
Concerns about Director’s Departure
Fans are worried because director Stig Asmussen is no longer working at Respawn Studio. He left the team last September and has formed a new independent AAA studio, Giant Skull, where he is creating a new story-driven action-adventure set in an immersive world. He has brought several of his colleagues into the new company.
In June 2021, 20 million were reported for the first installment, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, while we don’t know those numbers for its sequel. However, EA executives have been crowing that sales are above expectations. The game is available on EA Play, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and PC Game Pass, and it has also been newly released on PS4 and Xbox One.
Beware of Spoilers in the Latest Trailer
A short launch trailer was released in conjunction with the last-gen port of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. However, its creators didn’t exactly worry about spoilers. Though the trailer is only a minute long, it reveals key scenes related to the bad guys and other moments best experienced during gameplay. If you’ve already played Survivor, it can remind you of the game’s story.
Some investors of French publisher Ubisoft openly criticize its management and are unhappy with the company’s strategic direction. The anticipated hit Star Wars Outlaws is not selling as well as expected, and they are calling for the head of CEO Yves Guillemot, whose family founded the company nearly 40 years ago. The shareholders of Ubisoft have seen their shares halve in value over the last year, with stock prices hitting a ten-year low and no signs of improvement.
Struggling Sales and Discontent
The eagerly awaited Star Wars Outlaws isn’t meeting sales expectations, while Assassin’s Creed: Shadows generates negative buzz. Aside from these titles, no other significant releases have hit the market this year. Slovakian investor Juraj Krúpa has grown frustrated with the company’s direction and has called for leadership changes in an open letter.
Ubisoft is still primarily controlled by the Guillemot family, who founded the company in the mid-1980s. However, Krúpa argues they are out of touch with the current gaming landscape and should step down, allowing fresh leadership to take over. He has openly criticized the management for focusing on short-term gains while neglecting long-term success and innovation.
Krúpa sees a potential solution in reviving neglected franchises like Rayman, Splinter Cell, For Honor, and Watch Dogs. With a history of success in the gaming industry, including selling Activision-Blizzard to Microsoft, Krúpa is rallying other minority shareholders to his side to oust Guillemot and eventually sell Ubisoft to a new owner. While the Guillemots have weathered crises in the past, this challenge may prove different.
Following the PlayStation 5 Pro unveiling, Sony has promised that around 40 to 50 titles will receive an upgrade to the more powerful console model when it launches. This follows an interview with console architect Mark Cerny for CNET magazine. We know the names of thirteen of them so far: Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Demon’s Souls, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, The Crew Motorfest, The First Descendant, and The Last of Us: Part II Remastered. CNET then added F1 24 to the list officially released by Sony.
Key Performance Improvements
The updates should take full advantage of the increased performance of the half-generation refresh, most notably by increasing the optimal framerate from 30 FPS to 60 FPS, and we’ll see other graphical improvements for select titles. For example, Gran Turismo 7 on PlayStation 5 Pro will still target 60 FPS and get ray-tracing. Horizon Forbidden West will get better lighting and visual effects, including more realistic hair, skin, and fur. Absent from the list so far are PSVR 2 titles, but Cerny at least mentions in the interview that the virtual reality headset will benefit from the new model’s higher performance as well. Eventually, the AI-powered upscaling technology is said to work in all VR games.
The PlayStation 5 Pro without a drive or vertical stand launches on November 7 for 799 euros. It includes a 2TB SSD, a DualSense controller, and the pre-installed game Astro’s Playroom. The stand will be sold separately for 30 euros, and an external disc drive is available for 115 euros. Despite the higher price than
the base PS5, analysts expect similar sales trends to the last generation. The PS4 Pro sold 1.7 million units at launch, while Piers Harding-Rolls from Ampere Analysis estimates 1.3 million PS5 Pro sales by year-end. The PS5 Pro will launch with upgrades for 40-50 games, including Alan Wake 2 and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. With better framerates, enhanced visuals, and more powerful hardware, the console aims to elevate gaming experiences. Due to limited competition, Sony can afford higher prices, as Microsoft has yet to reveal its mid-generation model.
With 14.5 million units sold, the PS4 Pro accounted for 12% of all PS4 sales. Harding-Rolls predicts a similar trend for the PS5 Pro, estimating 13 million units sold by 2029. Emerging markets, like Saudi Arabia and China, could further boost sales, as their console markets grew significantly in the last generation.
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