PS5 Slim might end up having “just slightly different dimensions”

Henderson claims to have seen prototypes of the revised PS5, and based on what he’s seen, he thinks the new hardware will only feature “slightly different dimensions” at best. Dev kits of the new PS5 model reportedly made their way to game developers earlier this year.

As far as a release date is concerned, Henderson stands by his report that the revised PS5 will be out in September, so a reveal is expected soon. “I’m inclined to believe it will just be called a PS5 and branded as an improved model,” Henderson wrote, doubling down on his claim that the new PS5 will completely replace the launch model.

Earlier this month, PS5 consoles were discounted across Europe and a number of countries in other regions, leading to speculations that Sony was making room for the revised model.

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Sony adds more blessed stability to PS5 and PS4 via system update

The minor updates come with the good ol’ trademark patch note:

• This system software update improves system performance

As usual, there’s a chance players will notice a change (or two) in due course, so we’ll keep our readers posted.

PS4 version 10.70 comes over four months after a major update. Version 10.50 was released in early March, allowing players to access authorized third-party apps and services via Settings. March’s update also improved the last-gen console’s compatibility with the PS App.

The PS5 hasn’t had a major update since March either, but did receive minor stability and improvement patches over the months. Sony’s VP of Product Management Hiromi Wakai said back in March that her team will continue to work on new features. “We are always thinking about the features that our fans might want to see and ways to make their gaming experiences on PS5 more fun, social, and connected,” she said.

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Does the Switch really compete with the PS5 and Xbox?

The definition of console market has been hotly debated, with some defining a “high-end” console market where only PlayStation and Xbox compete with one another. It has long been said that the Switch targets a completely different audience than PlayStation and Xbox, but Microsoft says that its Xbox Series S is priced to compete with the Switch.

“There are functionality differences between the Switch and the PlayStation and Xbox consoles – the Switch is portable, and it has its own screen and less powerful hardware,” Judge Corley acknowledged. “However, neither the FTC nor its expert consider the extent to which the Switch’s differentiated features including its price, portability, and battery are factors the customer balances when deciding which console to purchase.”

Judge Corley also acknowledged “content differences” between the Switch and PlayStation/Xbox, but noted that many of the games available on Sony and Microsoft platforms are also available on Switch.

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PS5 Game Help is currently restricted to PS Plus members

PS5’s Game Help is a PS Plus exclusive feature that isn’t supported by all games. The patent in question, spotted by SegmentNext, mentions connecting players with “experts” in real-time. Once help is summoned, both a player’s and an available expert’s consoles would establish a communication session so that the latter can assist with getting the player out of a “frustrating” situation.

“With higher processing power video games are becoming more complex and expansive,” reads the filing dated February 2023 (published July 6). “With the increasing complexity, users may find it increasingly difficult to navigate through and/or complete the video game.”

Sony claims that players sometimes end up reaching a point that is “seemingly impossible to navigate through or solve,” resulting in them becoming frustrated and quitting the game.

This isn’t the first time Sony has patented a system for PlayStation game help. The company filed an application for AI-based game help in 2021 that would guide “inexperienced” players out of tricky situations.

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Sega acknowledged PlayStation’s superior library of games

In March 1996, Kalinske sent an email in which he expressed frustration with naysayers in the U.S. who thought that the PS1 was outdoing Saturn — a successor to the popular Genesis (Mega Drive). “We are killing Sony,” he wrote after visiting numerous retail stores in Tokyo, where he apparently witnessed Saturn flying off store shelves. “In every store, Saturn is sold out and there are stacks of PlayStation,” Kalinske continued, adding that Sega has better displays, better software, and better stocking at retail than Sony.

Saturn’s initial success was short-lived, and so was Kalinske’s optimism. PS1 sales soared and Saturn spelled doom for Sega’s hardware business. In July 1996, Kalinske tendered his resignation.

The leaked docs show that Sega later acknowledged Sony’s better games library and internally lamented the lack of third-party support for Saturn. At one point, Sega thought Electronic Arts was going to cease game development for Saturn.

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What we know about PS5 Slim thus far

Over on ResetEra (via PushSquare), users reported that PS5 has been discounted in the UK, Spain, Portugal, France, and Romania, among a number of other countries. A Brazilian user reported that the PS5 has been discounted in Brazil as well. It’s widely assumed that Sony’s clearing out inventory to make room for the new model.

The PS5 Slim (or whatever it’ll officially be called) was first leaked by known insider Tom Henderson, who claims that the only major change will be a detachable disc drive, making it slimmer and lighter than the launch model. The detachable disc drive reportedly won’t be compatible with PS5 digital edition. However, this may change.

In its recent court battle with the Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft also claimed that a revised PS5 is expected to launch in 2023. However, the company is probably going by media reports.

If Henderson’s report is true, we’ll likely get a reveal soon.

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PlayStation making “significant” investments in cloud gaming

Ryan also revealed during his testimony that Sony is making “significant investments in cloud in anticipation of it becoming a very meaningful way of how gamers access game content.” For context, both the EU and UK previously expressed concerns about Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard because regulators were of the view that Microsoft would get an unfair advantage in a nascent market, with the ability to foreclose rivals.

Last month, Sony admitted that cloud gaming comes with a lot of challenges but said that the company is willing to work on overcoming those challenges. Sony Group CEO Kenichiro Yoshida specifically mentioned latency and response times in cloud gaming, two of the most common player complaints.

“There will be challenges to cloud gaming, but we want to take on those challenges,” Yoshida said.

FTC’s legal challenge to the Microsoft Activision deal will enter its fourth day today.

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Expected price of PS5 Slim and PS5 handheld Project Q

According to Microsoft, Sony is expected to release a PS5 Slim later this year for around $399.99 and Project Q for under $300. For context, Microsoft was arguing against the FTC’s definition of console market, stating that Nintendo should not be excluded because both Xbox and PlayStation offer cheaper versions of their consoles with prices on par with the Switch. The FTC argues that Microsoft and Sony are the only two players in the high-end console market.

“Xbox Series S is sold for $50 less than the Switch OLED model,” Microsoft wrote. “PlayStation likewise sells a less expensive Digital Edition for $399.99, and is expected to release a PlayStation 5 Slim later this year at the same reduced price point.” A footnote on the same page of the document then mentions Project Q’s expected price as under $300.

Microsoft may be referring to the rumored PS5 with detachable disc drive as PS5 Slim. According to known insider Tom Henderson, the revised model is scheduled for release later this year and may replace the launch model.

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What is the expected PS6 release date?

According to Microsoft, the PS6 and next-gen Xbox consoles should launch by 2028. The company is talking about the next-gen consoles’ release window because of the 10-year Call of Duty contract that Sony refuses to sign, much to Microsoft’s dismay.

“The duration of Microsoft’s commitment to Sony is a 10-year term, to take effect upon completion of the Transaction,” Microsoft says. “This term would in any case go beyond the expected starting period of the next generation of consoles (in 2028). Thus, Call of Duty will be published on successor PlayStation consoles should one be released during the term of the agreement.”

Sony, however, isn’t pleased. The company has said that the offer is inadequate and has expressed concerns that Microsoft may purposely release an inferior version of Call of Duty on the PS5.

The legal battle continues…

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Sony can’t talk about PlayStation 6 with a rival’s development studio

Microsoft has repeatedly said that it has no incentive to make Call of Duty games (or other existing Activision titles, for that matter) console exclusive to Xbox, and that doing so would incur heavy losses. Sony is concerned that if Activision Blizzard does indeed become a Microsoft studio, it would have to send over a dev kit to a rival’s development company and that would equate to spilling its technology secrets.

In a deposition dated April 2023, Ryan was quizzed if Sony had similar concerns when dealing with Minecraft maker Mojang, his response to which has been redacted except for the part where he alluded that it was a point of concern for Sony at that time, too.

Microsoft expressed similar concerns when MLB The Show went multiplatform. The company said that it had to “trust” Sony San Diego with pre-release Xbox Series X|S consoles to get the game on its platforms.

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