Mustafa Mahmoud 12 hours ago Console, Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
For most of its history, the Monster Hunter franchise had seen support from a select and dedicated number of fans, with the series existing within its own moderately-sized niche. With Monster Hunter World exploding into popularity and becoming the best selling Capcom game of all time, all eyes were on the game’s next entry. Monster Hunter Rise has now sold over 6 million copies in just one month.
Just one month after its 26th of March release date, Monster Hunter Rise has sold 6 million copies. This is a massive achievement on many fronts. This makes Rise the 8th best selling Capcom game of all time in its 40 year history.
This is doubly impressive when considering the fact that Rise is currently only available for the Nintendo Switch, which now makes Rise the second best selling single-platform title, just 300,000 copies behind Street Fighter II on the SNES.
With its current trajectory it wouldn’t be surprising to see Monster Hunter Rise take the number 2 slot on the publisher’s best selling games of all time. Currently, Monster Hunter World sits at the top with 16.8 million copies sold. Second place meanwhile goes to Resident Evil 7 Biohazard at 8.5 million.
With Rise only having been out for a month, and with it set to come to PC some time next year, it is clear that despite being over 15 years old, the Monster Hunter franchise is just getting started.
KitGuru says: Have you picked up Monster Hunter Rise? Are you surprised by its sales success? Do you think it will outsell World? Let us know down below.
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Starfield reportedly targeting 2021 release; will be Xbox exclusive
Starfield is the next big game from Bethesda Game Studios. Teased all the way back …
Mustafa Mahmoud 13 hours ago Console, Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
Starfield is the next big game from Bethesda Game Studios. Teased all the way back in 2018, nothing else has been shown from the game, leading many fans to assume it to be a long ways away. According to one leaker however, Microsoft is hoping to get the game out of the gate by the end of this year.
According to Jez Corden (of WindowsCentral and the Xbox Two podcast), as well as Rand Al Thor 19, Microsoft is “trying their hardest to get the game out for this holiday. They really want Starfield out this holiday,” with the game currently said to be “basically sort of finished – it’s in bug squashing mode right now, very much like Halo Infinite, and it would be a big boon for Game Pass and Xbox if both Halo and Starfield could launch this fall.”
This isn’t the only statement made by the duo, with them claiming that “I’ve been told, by very reliable people, that Starfield was 100% an Xbox exclusive. I’ve even made bets about it, and I don’t bet unless I know I’m willing to bet. So I’m really, really confident that Starfield is only releasing on Xbox when it does.”
Ever since the announcement that Microsoft had acquired ZeniMax Media (and by proxy Bethesda), the future of Bethesda titles has been somewhat uncertain, especially regarding those which had already been announced prior to the acquisition (such as Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI).
If what has been reported is true, then it will be interesting to see how the perception of both PlayStation and Xbox is impacted by this decision – and whether Starfield will in fact manage to release by the end of this year.
KitGuru says: Do you think Starfield will be exclusive to Xbox (and PC)? Will future Bethesda games impact your console purchasing decision? Do you think Starfield will come out this year? Let us know down below.
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Monster Hunter Rise has outsold Street Fighter V in just one month
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Home/Software & Gaming/Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is getting upgraded for Xbox Series X/S and PS5
Matthew Wilson 15 hours ago Software & Gaming
Back in 2019, EA finally broke its Star Wars curse with the release of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, an excellent single-player adventure set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Now later this year, the game will be upgraded to take advantage of Xbox Series X/S and PS5 hardware.
Over on the official Star Wars website, we are starting to see announcements ahead of May 4th, otherwise known as Star Wars Day. One of the announcements is an early tease of Jedi Fallen Order heading to next gen consoles.
“Coming this summer, we’re excited to announce the next-gen release of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, bringing a number of technical improvements to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S console versions of the game. This will be a free cross-generation upgrade to current owners.”
We’ll have to wait a little bit longer for specific details on these technical improvements, but higher resolutions and 60 frames per second gameplay seem like natural upgrades for these new consoles. In fact, the game can already run at 60 frames per second on next-gen hardware in backwards compatibility mode, but this new update should improve graphical fidelity at this performance level to further optimise the experience.
KitGuru Says: I’ve been wanting to give this one a replay recently, so I’ll be looking forward to the next-gen upgrade. Are any of you going to be jumping back in to Jedi Fallen Order when the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 version launches?
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Monster Hunter Rise has outsold Street Fighter V in just one month
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Mustafa Mahmoud 15 hours ago Console, Featured Tech News, Online, Software & Gaming
Each month, Sony offers a number of titles for free to all of those who are subscribed to its PlayStation Plus service. For the Month of May, subscribers can get their hands on Battlefield V, the next-gen version of Wreckfest and more.
Beginning on the 4th of May, PS Plus subscribers can purchase and download:
Battlefield V (PS4)
Stranded Deep (PS4)
Wreckfest (PS5)
Battlefield V is the latest entry in the much-loved first-person shooter franchise from DICE. Taking players back to WWII, Battlefield V offers many different ways to play, from Grand Operations and the cooperative Combined Arms, to the single player War Stories, or even a battle royale mode known as Firestorm. Ahead of its next game set to launch later this year, Battlefield V offers the latest and greatest that the series is known for.
Stranded Deep is an open world survival game, which sees you brave the ocean and the land, scrounging to stay alive. Critical reception for the game was mixed, though fans of the genre may find enough unique in it to warrant a playthrough.
The final game available is Wreckfest: Drive Hard, Die Last. Only playable on PlayStation 5 – though can be purchased by all PS Plus players regardless – Wreckfest is a full-contact racer which lets you create carnage with up to 24 players using all types of vehicles. Though not the most intellectually stimulating game, Wreckfest will offer plenty of fun for you and your friends.
All three of these titles will be available to purchase for free from the 4th of May until the 31st – but will of course remain in your library for as long as you are a PlayStation Plus subscriber.
KitGuru says: What do you think of May’s line-up? Are you excited for the next Battlefield game? Do you like Sony’s current approach to PS Plus? Let us know down below.
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Monster Hunter Rise has outsold Street Fighter V in just one month
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Home/Software & Gaming/Fortnite is not on Xbox Cloud Gaming due to competition with Epic PC offerings
Matthew Wilson 16 hours ago Software & Gaming
With the Epic Games V Apple trial set to get underway in just a matter of days, court documents are starting to reveal some interesting facts about both companies. One court document reveals that Epic Games is keeping Fortnite off of Microsoft’s xCloud streaming service, as Epic views it as a competitor to its own PC offerings.
The document, which was uncovered by The Verge, goes over deposition questions directed towards Epic Games VP of business development, Joe Kreiner. When asked about why Fortnite isn’t on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Streaming service, Kreiner said: “we viewed Microsoft’s efforts with xCloud to be competitive with our PC offerings”.
As a result, Fortnite isn’t available to stream on Microsoft’s service, although it is available elsewhere, including Nvidia’s GeForce Now streaming service.
On GeForce Now, all revenue made through microtransactions and in-game subscriptions goes straight to Epic Games, while on the Xbox, Epic has to use the Xbox Store for in-game transactions. However, Kreiner does admit that Epic Games hasn’t negotiated this with Microsoft.
This line of questioning is all part of the lawsuit between Epic Games and Apple. Epic’s case against Apple is centred around iOS App Store policies, which prohibit rival app stores and payment processing methods from being used. Due to this, Fortnite was removed from the iOS platform last year.
KitGuru Says: We’re going to get some interesting looks behind the scenes of mobile, PC and console businesses during this case. The Epic V Apple trial is set to begin next week.
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Monster Hunter Rise has outsold Street Fighter V in just one month
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Mustafa Mahmoud 2 days ago Console, Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
The Last of Us is one of the PlayStation’s most prestigious first-party franchises, with both entries garnering near universal critical acclaim (despite Part II seeing more controversy from fans), and selling millions of copies. Therefore, it may come as little surprise that the team at Naughty Dog already have a third game outlined – though it is not in development.
Making an appearance on the Script Apart podcast (and as transcribed by IGN), Naughty Dog’s co-president Neil Druckmann revealed that while “I don’t know how much I want to reveal… [co-writer Halley Gross] and I did write an outline for a story, that we’re not making – but I hope one day can see the light of day – that explores a little bit what happens after this game. We’ll see.”
Without delving into any spoilers, the ending of The Last of Us Part II offers multiple different avenues with which a sequel could take. Furthermore, with the second game being titled ‘Part II’ it would be interesting to see whether a hypothetical 3rd entry would be Part III, or take a different subheading. Druckmann’s statement seems to suggest the former, but who knows.
While there is little doubt that Naughty Dog would be given the go-ahead to make a 3rd game in the franchise if they wished to do so, it is understandable that the team have put the idea on the backburner. With The Last of Us Part II only releasing last year, a multiplayer game on the way, and rumours of a remake of the first game, the team likely does not want to saturate the market with The Last of Us, instead opting to maintain its reputation as a flagship franchise.
Still, the idea of a 3rd Last of Us game is compelling, and it would be interesting to see where the team would take the universe next – but just don’t expect it any time soon.
KitGuru says: Would you like to see a 3rd entry in the franchise? What did you think of Part II? Where would you want to see the franchise go next? Let us know down below.
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Monster Hunter Rise has outsold Street Fighter V in just one month
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Mustafa Mahmoud 2 days ago Featured Tech News, PC, Software & Gaming
With Microsoft’s renewed brand focus for Xbox revolving around making games as accessible to players as possible, the console manufacturer has been putting more effort into the PC market than ever before. According to industry insider Jeff Grubb, Xbox is set to provide an update on its commitments to the PC market tomorrow.
Jeff Grubb, who has garnered a reputation over the past year for his accurate string of leaks, recently claimed that Xbox would provide an “update about its commitment to PC gaming”. Such commitments could include an increase in parity between Xbox Game Pass on console and PC – something which the latter has fallen behind on somewhat. Furthermore, Microsoft is reportedly set to give a high level update reaffirming “how important” PC gaming is to them.
Grubb stressed that this will neither be an event nor a showcase, but will most likely be in the form of a blogpost on its website. The final possible point of discussion according to Grubb is providing an update on the new Microsoft Store for PC – though this announcement is less likely than the rest.
While fans eagerly await whatever Microsoft has to announce, some fans have speculated that the console manufacturer may bring Xbox Game Pass to Steam – though there is no substantiated evidence to back this up. Regardless of what is announced tomorrow, it is clear that the PC market is important to Microsoft, and hopefully overtime they will show the platform just as much attention as they do to the Xbox. We will have to wait and see what they have planned for the future.
KitGuru says: What do you think the update will be? Do you use Game Pass on PC? Would you like to see Game Pass come to Steam? Let us know down below.
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Monster Hunter Rise has outsold Street Fighter V in just one month
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Matthew Wilson 2 days ago Console, Featured Tech News
Microsoft revealed its quarterly earnings results last night, giving us a good idea as to how well Xbox is doing right now to start off the new console generation. Microsoft unfortunately doesn’t reveal specific sales numbers, but everything appears to be on the up, with the gaming division generating $15 billion in revenue over the last year.
Gaming revenue for Microsoft has risen by 50 percent year-on-year, thanks in part to the new Xbox Series X/S consoles, as well as growth from services like Game Pass. In the last quarter alone (January 2021 to March 2021), Xbox brought in $3.53 billion for Microsoft. For the entire fiscal year, gaming revenue rose to $15 billion, which is up from $10.3 billion in the previous year.
As reported by industry analyst, Daniel Ahmad, Xbox content and services revenue rose by 34 percent year-on-year, which was driven by strong third-party releases on Xbox, the growth of Xbox Game Pass and first-party game sales. Those first-party game sales now include Bethesda’s entire catalogue, as Microsoft closed its acquisition of Zenimax Media in early March.
Finally, Xbox hardware sales rose by 232 percent year-on-year due to the Xbox Series X/S launch. Specific sales numbers were not revealed, but Microsoft will have sold several million units at this point. Unfortunately, due to supply constraints, Microsoft is expecting to see a slight decline in Xbox revenues in the third quarter.
Of course, Microsoft has many divisions bringing in revenue and doesn’t rely on Xbox all that much. As a whole, Microsoft brought in $41.7 billion in revenue, with a profit of $15.5 billion.
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KitGuru Says: Microsoft’s gaming strategy is clearly paying off and we’ll likely see another big jump in late 2021, thanks to first-party game releases like Halo Infinite.
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Monster Hunter Rise has outsold Street Fighter V in just one month
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Matthew Wilson 2 days ago Console, Featured Tech News
Sony just released its quarterly earnings report, giving us a look at how well PlayStation has sold during its first full quarter on the market. At this point, Sony has sold 7.8 million PlayStation 5 consoles, boosting gaming revenues to new heights.
By the end of 2020, Sony had sold 4.5 million PS5 consoles, meaning another 3.3 million units have been sold between January and March 2021. The numbers likely would have been much higher if supply could keep up with demand – right now, it is still very difficult to buy a next-gen console. The PS4 has also continued to sell well, with another million units sold during this quarter, bringing lifetime sales of the console up to 115.9 million.
Of course, the launch of the PS5 also brought a boost to Sony’s gaming and network divisions. PlayStation Plus has grown to 47.6 million subscribers, a 14.7 percent increase year-on-year.
Over the last fiscal year, Sony sold 58.4 million copies of first-party games. Sony expects strong sales to continue in the next financial year, as exclusives like Horizon Forbidden West and the next God of War start to release. These new games will also see an increase in costs for Sony though, as it plans to invest even more in software development.
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KitGuru Says: Sony’s gaming division is doing very well, just as expected. Are any of you hoping to pick up a PS5 soon for upcoming exclusives?
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Monster Hunter Rise has outsold Street Fighter V in just one month
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I wish I’d had this to test with Samsung’s Odyssey G9
Microsoft has something of a history of neglecting PC gaming, but it’s trying to change that in a big way — by promising its flagship HaloInfinite will feel like a native PC game when it arrives later this year. We’ve known for many months that it wouldn’t be the Xbox Series X’s killer app, but Microsoft’s trying to make PC gamers feel like first-class citizens too, with features as forward-looking as support for 32:9 super-ultrawide monitors like the Samsung Odyssey G9 I reviewed late last year.
This morning, we learned the game would support ultrawide monitors, in addition to triple-keybinds, advanced graphics options, and both crossplay and cross-progression between Xbox and Windows PCs. But this evening, the Halo Waypoint blog went way deeper, revealing what Infinite will look like at 32:9 and an array of other PC-gamer-friendly details like being able to adjust your field of view up to 120 degrees — and the ability to host your own LAN multiplayer server!
In my Samsung Odyssey G9 review, I bemoaned how even the games that do support 32:9 typically look abnormally, wildly stretched out on each side, providing over a dozen examples of how they don’t properly adjust the shape and curvature of the window they’re opening into the 3D game world. But Halo Infinite PC development lead Mike Romero says the game’s designed to support arbitrary window sizes, and can fit its HUD, menus, and even in-game cutscenes into the wider aspect ratios.
“There’s dozens of people across the studio that have had to put dedicated effort into supporting something like ultrawide throughout the entirety of the game, and I’m very excited to say I think we’ll have some of the best ultrawide support I’ve ever seen in a game,” boasts Romero.
Looking at these Halo Infinite images at 32:9, it’s not immediately clear to me that Microsoft has solved the 32:9 issue — looking at the hill on the right of this image below, for instance, it seems like the game world still might appear a little bit skewed and warped.
But it is clear that you’ll see a lot more of the game world at once this way, if you’re one of the few who’ve ascended to an ultrawide monitor — and have a PC powerful enough to drive it, of course.
Here’s a short list of all the PC-esque perks Microsoft is promising:
LAN play, hosting a local multiplayer server on PC that you can join from both PC and Xbox
Crossplay, restricting ranked matches to input type rather than console vs. PC, with server-side anti-cheat
Adjustable FOV (up to 120 degrees) on both PC and console
Mouse and keyboard support on both PC and console
Triple keyboard and mouse bindings
Visual quality settings up to ultra presets on PC, with individual settings for texture quality, depth of field, anti-aliasing etc.
High refresh rate options
21:9, 32:9 “and beyond” ultrawide monitor support on PC
Minimum and maximum framerate settings on PC
Fixed and dynamic resolution scaling options on PC
Optional borderless fullscreen on PC
FPS and ping overlay on PC
Out-of-game multiplayer invites let you join games through Xbox Live, Discord and Steam
As my colleague Tom Warren notes, there’s still more to learn, like whether the game will support GPU-dependent features on PC like Nvidia’s framerate-enhancing DLSS, ray tracing, and more.
Earlier today, Microsoft released a blog post sharing the company’s thoughts on the gaming industry and its focus for gaming in 2021 and beyond. Microsoft’s goal has changed for the Xbox team and its gaming initiatives from focusing more on a specific platform (i.e the Xbox consoles) to being focused on multiple platforms, specifically the PC.
Microsoft’s end goal is to be a ‘player first’ company, focusing more on the game rather than the platform it’s on. This means that we’ll be seeing more and more features being focused on the PC platform, and not just the Xbox consoles alone.
This is good news for PC gamers is that Microsoft is now focusing more than ever before on the PC gaming ecosystem, which hopefully means more and more gaming optimizations for the PC and more cross-play potential, which is what Microsoft also highlighted in its blog post.
For example, Microsoft shares more details on Halo Infinite which is getting a significant amount of PC development time and will fully support features such as ultrawide (21:9) and super ultrawide (32:9) screens, triple keybinds, and higher fidelity graphics which will be PC exclusive.
Plus, Halo infinite will also have cross-play capabilities with PC and the latest Xbox Series X/S consoles.
Microsoft is also expanding its cloud gaming services to allow any device to stream over 100 console games to your PC. A few days ago, Microsoft announced the beta for its cloud gaming service, and it will work with both Windows 10 devices and Apple iOS devices through web browsers such as Edge, Chrome, and Safari.
As for developers, Microsoft is adding more features to give developers an easier time making games for PCs. Currently, there’s a new DirectX12 feature called the Agility SDK, allowing developers to push the latest DirectX 12 features and updates to their games without the end user (player) requiring an operating system update.
Microsoft is also working on other features like Auto HDR technology and continuing to work on DirectStorage technology, which was an Xbox exclusive feature but is now being developed for the PC.
These are just some of the features Microsoft addressed in its blog post, but overall it’s great to see Microsoft focusing on the PC player experience just as much as on the Xbox consoles.
We’re nearly six months into the life of the current generation of game consoles, but there are still vanishingly few high-profile exclusives that show off what the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X can do. After getting through the initial wave of launch titles, I’ve spent most of 2021 using my PS5 to play Fortnite. But this week sees the launch of Returnal, a PS5 exclusive that comes with some caveats. It’s challenging and complex, making it the kind of game you’ll die in repeatedly. But it also might be the best showcase for Sony’s new console yet
Returnal puts you in the spaceboots of an astronaut experiencing the worst case of deja vu imaginable. After crash landing on a mysterious alien planet, she soon realizes she’s stuck in a loop; every time she dies, she heads back to the crash site to start all over again. Each time you explore, you learn just a little bit more about the planet and the astronaut, as well as the rules of the game. With more information and practice, you’ll (hopefully) be able to progress slightly farther each loop.
The game plays out as a third person shooter, but it’s also a mish-mash of many different inspirations and genres. Despite the perspective, Returnal often feels like a bullet hell shooter, with alien creatures spitting countless energy orbs for you to avoid. You even get bonuses for avoiding getting hit. (This aspect of the game shouldn’t be too surprising, as Returnal was developed by Housemarque, a studio best-known for games like Super Stardust and Resogun.)
The loop structure also means that the game plays out like a roguelike (think games like Hades). Each “run” is different; the planet remixes itself each time you play, and you’ll pick up different weapons and fight different enemies along the way. There are also elements of Metroid, where you’ll come across roadblocks that you can’t get around until you unlock the right item or ability. Early on, for instance, there are electrified webs that block your way, and you can’t cut them down until you get a massive laser sword.
It should also be noted that Returnal is extremely hard, combining two notoriously challenging genres — roguelikes and bullet hell shooters — into a game that does little to make itself accessible. In fact, there aren’t even any difficulty options, aside from the ability to turn up the aim assist. The result is an experience where you’ll have to get used to death and failure, and learn from your mistakes.
It can be frustrating, but it’s worth pushing through for a few reasons. For one, the action feels incredible; zipping around while shooting octopus birds and slicing at evil tree-creatures with a huge sword is a blast. But Returnal is also a game that’s just dripping with atmosphere — and it’s only enhanced by some of the PS5’s unique features.
The dark world you’ll explore feels ripped out of an Alien movie, complete with towering, crumbling ancient ruins, and lots of disturbing bio-engineered technology. This is all rendered in incredible detail, and Returnal particularly shines when it comes to special effects; there are all kinds of hypnotically beautiful explosions of light and color, and I especially love the fast travel effect, which sees your character melt away into nothingness.
But there are lots of great-looking PS5 games already. Even last-gen titles look good on the new hardware. What makes Returnal stand out in particular is its use of sound and the DualSense controller. I’ve spent most of my time with the game so far wearing Sony’s Pulse 3D headphones, and it’s the first game where I’ve really noticed the 3D audio that the company has touted so much. I could pinpoint monsters by the sounds of their screams and growls, which was extremely helpful, as there’s often so much happening on screen that it can be hard to follow. The sound design also makes the game that much creepier; the alien monsters make unsettling noises as they approach, and it always made me wary when stepping into a new, unknown space.
Meanwhile, I’d go so far as to say it’s the best DualSense game since Astro’s Playroom, which comes bundled with the console in order to show off the gamepad’s unique capabilities. The subtle vibrations mean you can feel the patter of raindrops in your palms, and the burst of each weapon has its own distinct sensation. There are also some really creepy noises that come out of the speaker (though you may miss them with headphones on). My favorite feature, though, is the way Returnal utilizes the controller’s adaptive triggers. The left trigger has two phases: push halfway and you can zoom in to aim your main weapon, but click it all the way down and you’ll unleash a special attack. It basically gives the controller an extra button in a way that feels very natural.
Returnal is definitely an acquired taste. Its looping structure and unforgiving nature means many players will end up frustrated as they struggle through nearly identical scenarios repeatedly. Death isn’t always fun. But it also blends together so many cool things, from the vibe of Alien to the thrill of a great arcade shooter, in a way that’s seamless and deliberate. And if you’re someone who actually managed to pick up a PS5, it’s the kind of game you’ll want to take out to show off what the console can do.
The PS5 will be available to buy in China on May 15th, a little over six months after its original release in the US last year, Sony announced today. The disc version of the console will retail for 3,899 yuan (around $600), while the cheaper disc-free model will cost 3,099 yuan (around $479). Preorders open today. The launch means Sony’s next-gen console will beat Microsoft’s to release in the country, although CBNC notes that Microsoft received safety approvals to release the Xbox Series X and Series S there at the end of last year.
Relative to its size and population, China isn’t considered a huge market for console gaming. Game consoles were technically illegal in the country until 2014, which meant PC and mobile gaming has become dominant. Even now, strict laws make it hard to release consoles in China simultaneously with other countries. The PS4, Xbox One, and Switch have all released in China, with Nintendo’s console reportedly being the most successful.
The PS5’s Chinese launch comes as the console faces stock issues around the world. A combination of unexpectedly high demand as well as supply chain issues including a global chip shortage, have been blamed for the problems. However, Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan recently said he expects the stock situation to improve in the second half of the year.
Sony today announced that its Game & Network Services division enjoyed record profits in fiscal year 2020 (FY2020) as consumers rushed to buy the PlayStation 5, even though supply constraints forced many people to purchase the console from scalpers instead of the retailers to whom Sony actually sells the product.
The company said in an earnings announcement that it sold 7.8 million PlayStation 5 consoles in FY2020, which is made even more impressive by the fact that it was only available for two quarters. Sure, the console almost certainly benefited from being released just before the holiday shopping season, but that’s still an impressive debut.
Note that by “impressive” we mean “record-setting”: Sony’s figures came shortly after the NPD Group‘s Executive Director & Video Game Industry Advisor, Mat Piscatella, revealed in a tweet that the PS5 was “the fastest selling hardware platform in U.S. history” based on “total dollar sales after 4 months in market.”
Consumers were not only clamouring for the PS5, though. Sony also sold 5.7 million PlayStation 4 consoles in FY2020, according to the earnings announcement, even though that console hasn’t seen a significant revision to its hardware since the PlayStation 4 Pro was released in November 2016.
Demand for PlayStation consoles seemed to line up quite nicely from FY2019 to FY2020, in fact. Sony said it sold 13.5 million PS4 consoles in FY2019, which perfectly matches the total number of units sold in FY2020, with the primary difference being that those sales were split between two console generations.
The Game & Network Services division’s record profits weren’t directly made via hardware sales, however, because of “strategic price points for PS5 hardware that were set lower than the manufacturing costs.” But that doesn’t really come as a surprise; Sony often sells PlayStation consoles at a loss when they launch.
Instead the company made its money by selling games made for its consoles, the PlayStation Plus subscription offering, and other services. Most people don’t just buy a new console—they also buy games for the platform and, in the PS5’s case, pay to have their old games upgraded to take advantage of the new console’s hardware.
Unfortunately that also means Sony expects its profits to fall in FY2021 as second- and third-party developers have to delay their games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Titles originally expected to be released in 2021 are likely to debut in 2022, at the earliest, because of the challenges posed by remote development.
Sony has sold 7.8 million PlayStation 5 consoles as of March 31st, the company says in its latest earnings report. The number of PlayStation Plus subscribers is now 47.6 million, a 14.7 percent increase year on year. The fourth-quarter figures bring the overall PlayStation business to a total operating profit of 342.2 billion yen ($3.14 billion) for the 2020 financial year — a record for Sony.
Sony’s last earnings report revealed that the company had shipped 4.5 million PS5 units worldwide through the end of 2020. That means that 3.3 million units were shipped from January to March, giving an idea of Sony’s current manufacturing capacity; it’s still very difficult to actually buy a PS5, with demand far outstripping supply. The quarter-to-quarter drop is likely explained by Sony ramping up production ahead of the system’s launch.
Earlier this month NPD said that the PS5 was the fastest selling console in US history through its first five months of availability, both in terms of units moved and total dollar spend. For the first quarter of 2021, however, Nintendo has sold more Switch units in the US than Sony has of the PS5, according to NPD. That’s not really surprising given how hard it’s been to find a PS5 since the initial launch batch.
Sony also shipped an additional million PS4 consoles in the last quarter, bringing that system’s life-to-date number to 115.9 million units. The figure is down 28.6 percent from the previous year’s 1.4 million. Sony’s report suggests PS5 is selling a little faster than the PS4 worldwide — the PS4 had shipped 7.6 million units as of March 31st, 2014.
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