The PlayStation VR demo disc has 17 games in North America
Last week Sony outlined the eight demos that will be bundled with PlayStation VR for European customers. Now, the company has revealed a bigger lineup of free games that’ll be included on the VR demo disc in the US and Canada.
Like the European bundle, there are demos for Battlezone, Driveclub VR, RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, EVE: Valkyrie, Tumble VR, Wayward Sky, Headmaster. PlayStation VR Worlds is also part of the package, and that includes a few full games, like London Heist.
Additional demos exclusive to the North American bundle are Job Simulator, Harmonix Music VR, Rez Infinite, Within, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, Thumper, Here They Lie, Resident Evil 7, Gnog, and Allumette, an animated VR film.
The big difference between both bundles is strange, and it seems Europe is getting stiffed. But if you are angry with the discrepancies remember: Everyone will still be able try out several free VR experiences.
Source: PS Blog
The PS4’s HDR-friendly update arrives September 13th
Sony has been talking about the PlayStation 4’s big version 4 update for weeks on end, and now it’s (almost) here. The company has confirmed that the new software will reach existing consoles on September 13th, and it’ll have even more than first promised. You know about headliners like high dynamic range video support, home screen folders and a revamped Quick Menu. However, there are a few perks, some of which are hardware-dependent. If you snag a PS4 Pro, you’ll get 1080p Remote Play and Share Play streaming, 1080p Twitch live broadcasts and 1080p YouTube broadcasts at 60 frames per second. It’s also easier to transfer data to a new PS4 thanks to support for shuffling data over a local wired network — you won’t have to re-download content from the internet just to pick up where you left off.
Some of the previously unmentioned tweaks will run on any system. That new Quick Menu has an upgraded music section that helps you control Spotify music without launching Spotify’s app. You’ll likewise see improvements to the What’s New and content information screens, both of which should have simpler interfaces and better at-a-glance views of what’s going on. In short: between new PS4 hardware and the version 4 update, Sony is determined to keep the PS4 fresh amidst competition that isn’t standing still.
Source: PlayStation Blog
‘The Last Guardian’ is delayed until December
The long-awaited PS4 exclusive The Last Guardian has been pushed back to December 6th. The game was originally scheduled for October 25th, but apparently has more bugs than anticipated. “To ensure that The Last Guardian delivers on the experience that the game’s creators have envisioned, we need to take the extra time to work on those issues,” President of Sony’s Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida told fans through a blog post.
The Last Guardian is the latest adventure game by Fumito Ueda, the visionary behind Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. It’s been in development for a decade at Ueda’s genDESIGN studio, famously all-but disappearing for several years, before re-emerging at E3 2015. In it, you play a young boy who befriends a giant “Guardian” called Trico, and set off on a journey together.
When we played The Last Guardian at E3, we suggested it was “an incomplete opus.” During a 45-minute play session, we encountered some severe camera problems, graphical glitches, collision issues and a physics bug that propelled the protagonist 20 feet into the air. Hopefully the extra six weeks is enough time for Ueda and the rest of his team to get the game up to standards.
Source: PlayStation Blog
After Math: Los dos
This week has been a one-two punch of tech news. Sony and Apple both debuted a pair of new devices, Microsoft teased the next iteration of its 2-for-1 Surface laptop-tablet and GE dropped big bucks on two 3D printing firms, to name a few. Numbers, because how else will you identify the dichotomies?
ICYMI: NASA is going to colonize a space rock
Today on In Case You Missed It: Nasa launched the OSIRIS-Rex craft this week to begin its long and lonely mission to visit the Bennu asteroid. It’ll return to Earth in seven years full of space rocks and hopefully nothing else. Meanwhile, Harvard Medical School has devised a way to see how bacteria evolves to become resistant to antibiotics.
Plus, we check out the coolest fan-made Daft Punk helmet ever. We also rounded up the biggest headlines of the week in TL;DR. Apple introduced its headphone jack-less iPhone 7. Sony unveiled two new PlayStations. The Whitehouse appointed the very first federal cyber security chief. Chipotle will start testing delivery burritos via drone and scientists built a laser using human blood. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Sony isn’t allowing Bethesda to support mods for PS4 players
Bethesda has announced that there will no longer be mod support for its PlayStation 4 titles. Unfortunately, it seems Sony has informed the company that they will not be approving user mods in the way they “should work,” where users have free reign over what they can create for Fallout 4 or Skyrim Special Edition.
Previously, Bethesda had promised mod support for the console and all of the niceties that came with it: flying Randy Savage dragons, ridiculous mods where everything looks like pizza a la some other very talented modders and more. Bethesda is “very disappointed” in Sony’s decision, but didn’t offer an explanation as to why it had been made in the first place, only lamenting the “considerable time and effort” that went into making the project come to fruition.
Bethesda still considers it an important and integral part of its plans for Fallout 4 and Skyrim on PlayStation 4, but states that it cannot move forward until Sony “allows” it to offer mod support. Unfortunately until then players won’t be able to sift through the gobs and gobs of mods out there for either game. The situation could possibly change, as the end of Bethesda’s blog attests, and there are plans to update fans if it does.
It’s a strange turn of events, especially since mod support was a large part of the marketing surrounding Fallout 4. Previously, Bethesda had only announced a series of delays with the update for PlayStation 4 users, having issues with file size limits for mods imposed by Sony.
Sony has not yet offered further comment on the matter.
Source: Bethesda
The best in-ear headphones around $100
By Lauren Dragan
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. Read the full article here.
If we wanted to buy in-ear headphones for under $100, we’d get the Marshall Mode. After researching a few hundred headphones in this price range and testing 54 with our expert audio panel, we’re confident that the Marshall Mode is your best bet in this price range and a serious upgrade from the earbuds that came with your phone. Not only did the headphones fit everyone (many others didn’t), they cost less and sound better than much of their competition. Just be sure to choose the remote option that matches your device when you add them to your cart.
Who should buy this
With a focus on higher build and sound quality than cheap earbuds, the picks in this guide are for someone who loves listening to music on a portable device and wants to improve audio detail and sense of sonic space, but doesn’t want to spend a fortune. Perfect for commuting, the Marshall Mode headphones have a remote and mic to take calls and are compact enough to stuff in a shirt pocket. The sealed in-ear design will help to block out some external noise, too. Please note: These headphones are not sweat-resistant or meant for the gym. If you’re looking for exercise headphones, check out our wired and wireless reviews.
How we chose what to test
We decided that at this price we would test only models that offered a remote and mic, along with improved sound quality. Photo: Lauren Dragan
We researched new headphones released in the time since we did our panel for the previous version of this guide and noted anything we hadn’t yet heard, before weeding out anything without a remote or mic, because—at this price—we felt they should have cellphone capabilities. We then read reviews on CNET, InnerFidelity, What HiFi?, and other sites, to see how the headphones fared. We also scanned the reviews on Amazon to see if any large-scale manufacturing defects had cropped up and called in the ones that didn’t have any for testing. That meant 25 new pairs of headphones.
After a super-fun night of burning all 25 pairs in (unbox, plug in, start playlist, set egg timer, repeat), we had our panel to listen to each pair using the panelists’ own playlists. They took notes and ranked their top three. We then factored in price, fit, and build quality.
Our pick
With understated style reminiscent of their amps, Marshall’s Mode headphones rocked our panel with their price-defying sound. Photo: Michael Hession
The Marshall Mode headphones are the best choice if you want an in-ear pair for around $100. All of our panelists love them, and these headphones have a balanced sound profile that can handle any style of music you throw at them. The bass is slightly boosted, but it’s very well represented; there is no bloat or blurriness, even on already bass-forward songs. The highs are clear and don’t have the harsh, piercing quality that so many in this category do.
As for the fit, all of our panelists got a good seal with one of the four included pairs of silicone tips. The earbuds are low-profile and lightweight, and the build quality feels substantial, with a rubberized cord that transfers very little noise.
The single-button remote answers calls, handles music playback functions, and activates voice commands. The microphone is separate from the remote and sits up higher on the cable, closer to your mouth, which we liked as well. The Mode headphones also come in an Android version, so make sure you select the correct option when purchasing.
Runner-up
If you want a universal three-button remote, the 1More headphones are a great-sounding choice with a luxury look. Photo: Michael Hession
Though they didn’t snag first place, the 1More Triple Driver headphones have a lot going for them: a three-button remote/mic that 1More claims will work with Apple and most Android products, a fabric-wrapped cable, rose-gold-tone metal accents, nine sets of tips (six silicone and three memory foam), an airplane audio adapter, and a hard-sided carrying case.
They also sounded great. The mids and lows are balanced and very even-sounding, and acoustic instruments are really well-served. It’s in high frequencies where the Triple Driver pair fell a little short. We felt the highs were peaked in an irregular way that caused consonants on words and cymbal hits to sound tizzy, or harsh. That was enough for the Marshall to eke out a victory.
A big upgrade for a little more money
The Sony XBA-H1 had the best sound quality we’ve heard under $200, with great detail and accuracy, though without a mic or remote.
If you’re looking for a musical experience superior to what you’ll hear in this price range and are willing to spend more money, consider the Sony XBA-H1, our pick for the $200 in-ear headphone category. This Sony pair sounds truly fantastic. No one frequency is overly peaked. The highs are clear and delicate with tremendous detail. The lows are full and pack a punch without muddying up or overpowering anything else. The mids sound authentic and precise. In fact, in our last panel, they beat headphones that cost twice as much. The only catch: They don’t have a remote and mic, so this would be an investment where sound quality is your top priority.
A budget pick
The AKG Y20U has everything you need in budget headphones without cash-wasting “extras” you don’t. Photo: Michael Hession
If you lose your headphones a lot, or aren’t quite ready to commit to this price range, the AKG Y20U headphones are a solid budget option. They’re our pick for best cheap in-ear headphones. Though you’ll lose some of the detail and sonic depth that you’d find in our $100 pick, these AKG headphones are still a great choice for the price. They have a single-button mic and high frequencies that are clear but a bit more mellow than others in their range, though our $100 pick sounds better and is more sturdily built.
This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.
Transferring data between PS4s will soon be a snap
PlayStation 4 is receiving an upgrade in the form of the 4.0 software update, which is bringing a ton of new features along with it.
Among said new features is the ability to transfer data between the multiple systems you’ll probably have in the future when the PlayStation 4 Slim and PlayStation 4 Pro make their debut. It’s as easy as using an Ethernet cable, which makes it seem like far less of a headache than you probably thought.
Sony has detailed the transfer process at the official PlayStation Blog, highlighting it as a way for buyers who make the jump from the base PS4 to the PS4 Pro. You’ll be able to copy all the pertinent data you need, like games, saves, videos, system settings and more utilizing just an Ethernet cord, and it won’t matter what model of PS4 you’re using. It should, in theory, just work.
Right now, the process is far more complicated. You have to back up your entire system to an external hard drive and then move it to the other system you want it to exist on going forward. You could also just log in with your PlayStation Network account and download all of your content again, but either way is a right pain.
There’s no launch date for the software update just yet, but there will be a firmware update coming next week along with the new PlayStation 4 Slim on September 15th. It’s meant to augment current PlayStation 4 systems with high dynamic range (HDR) support.
Via: Polygon
Source: PlayStation Blog
High-profile Kickstarter games see delays, port cancellations
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, was crowdfunded to the tune of $5.5 million last year, with an ETA of March 2017. It promises to be a spiritual successor to the Castlevania series, but this week, project lead Koji Igarashi (known colloquially as IGA) personally announced via Kickstarter that the game will now be pushed back to “the first half of 2018.” The delay, IGA says, is because the game is currently at risk of not “meeting [his] quality standards.” To that end, he’s adding additional developers to the team, who will hopefully be able to put the project back on track. He also offered his apologies to anyone affected by the delay.
Separately, Hyper Light Drifter developer Heart Machine updated its Kickstarter, informing backers that the planned Wii U and Vita ports of the game are canceled. Speaking directly to backers, Heart Machine-founder (and director of the game) Alex Preston spoke about a need to prioritize his own health — he has a congenital heart disease which served in part as inspiration for the game — after several years of solid development. Despite his best efforts to complete both ports, the task proved impossible, he said, and after missing many treatments, he’s making the call to cancel development. “I’m sorry,” he told backers, “[but] I have to prioritize my own health right now.”
Explaining why these ports were so problematic, Preston said the Wii U port was down to issues with the game’s engine, GameMaker: Studio. Despite promises made, GameMaker owners YoYo Games and Nintendo couldn’t come to an agreement that would allow a native port on the system. The Vita version, meanwhile, was not performing to an adequate level despite “months” of work attempting to optimize it. The team will continue to push ahead with updates and fulfilling other rewards, with a large update planned in the coming weeks. Backers who requested a Wii U or a Vita copy of the game will be able to choose between other supported platforms or a refund.
Hyper Light Drifter backers’ responses to the news have been varied. There were many delays leading up to the original release earlier this year, with quality issues and Preston’s health largely to blame. The cancellation of the two ports after a three-year wait has provoked anger from some backers, and that’s understandable. But for every angry response, many more encouraging comments can be found.
For Bloodstained, backers have made comparisons to another high-profile not-a-reboot, Mighty No. 9. A spiritual successor to Mega Man, it was plagued by multiple delays. The original “Spring 2015” date was only pushed back in April 2015, then the “September 2015” release date got switched in August 2015. The final insult came when a February 2016 release date was only scrapped on January 25th, 2016. But while Mighty No. 9’s developers were slammed hard for missing their targets, backers of Bloodstained have so far been more understanding. That’s partly down to this being the first delay, but also due to IGA revealing the news six months in advance, and a generally being better at communicating the development process in general.
Bloodstained and Hyper Light Drifter are but two examples of a wider trend: troubled Kickstarters. For every successful project, like Republique, there’s a game that never materialized or failed to deliver on all of its promises. Mighty No. 9 was one such game. The 2D platformer was supposed to be a retro-modern fantasy, bringing the Mega Man series back to life. But the game was near-universally panned, and fans’ disappointment was compounded by the fact it had been delayed so much.
High-profile failures have tarnished Kickstarter’s reputation, and made it harder for games to get funded. But there’s a lesson consumers are beginning to learn. It should be clearer than ever that you’re not buying a game when you’re backing a project like Bloodstained. You’re giving money to a person or a team that wants to try and make something, because you want them to make it. If they’re successful, you’ll get what you asked for. If they’re not, you might get nothing. Head into every Kickstarter with that attitude, and only part with your money if you’re willing to accept the risks.
Sony’s flagship Action Cam arrives in the US later this month
Sony introduced its new Action Cam, the FDR-X300R, last week at IFA 2016. Back then, though, the company only shared details about pricing and availability for Europe. But now we know when it will come to the US. As a refresher, compared to the previous generation, the main highlight of this shooter is the addition of optical image stabilization. Sony says that was the most requested feature by users of its Action Cam line, noting that it’s the same technology found on its Handycam camcorders.
In addition to this, the FDR-X300R features a redesigned Zeiss Tessar wide-angle lens and 1/2.5-type 8.2M Exmor R CMOS sensor, along with a Bionz X processor that promises to handle your media with ease. As far as movie-recording goes, you can shoot 4K at up to 30 fps, as well as 1080p at a max of 120 fps — that’s going to come in handy when you want to slow down footage. Of course, the action camera is also waterproof up to 60 meters (roughly 197 feet), but that’s only if you have the housing on it.
Sony’s X300R is $400 body-only or $100 more with the Live-View remote, which lets you control the camera directly from your wrist. It is scheduled to arrive in the US “late” September.
AIVAnet 