Tag Archives: PlayStation

PSIO protoype loads PlayStation 1 ISOs on the console, no burned CD necessary (video)

PSIO prototype brings PS1 backups to the console, no burned CDs

Project PlayStation Input Output has been trying to load PlayStation 1 game images through the game system’s parallel I/O port since 2010, and now it’s ready to show off the first prototype. If piracy is your aim, then modchips that let users play burned discs and emulators that have been available through the console’s 19-year history should suffice, but this project aims to bypass those methods. The potential benefits include easier homebrew support and playing of ripped discs on the original hardware without worrying about wearing out an aging console’s laser. Eventually the team wants to load games and saves from an SD card, but in this demo video it’s playing Klonoa: Door to Phantomile from an attached PC. As seen in the nearly ten minute video it does work, albeit slowly. As the video notes, optimizations for the USB controller and CD sectors that should speed things up have not been implemented yet. According to its FAQ, the PSIO team aims to have a final version done this year, you can check out the fruits of their labor after the break.

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Source: PSIO, PSIO (YouTube)

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Sony drops the PlayStation Mobile developer licensing fee

Sony has recently announced that they have ditched the licensing fee required for developers looking to publish games on the PlayStation Mobile platform. While this will be good for developers looking to publish games for the PlayStation Vita, this will also include those looking to publish games for Android smartphones and tablets.

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For those curious, the licensing fee was previously set at $ 99. The dropping of this fee seems like a good start towards attracting new submissions, however we cannot help but look past the limited amount of supported devices. At present the PlayStation certified Android devices are mostly from Sony. That makes some sense, however seeing expanded device support from other manufacturers would likely help in addition to the dropping of the licensing fee.

Of course, that is not to say only Sony devices are supported. The PlayStation certified device list also includes select models from HTC. The HTC handsets include the EVO 4G LTE and a variety of One models such as the S, V, X, XL and X+. For now though, Sony has dropped the fee in an effort to attract additional developers in hopes they bring additional games. Looking forward, it seems that attracting some of the more popular devices, such as the Galaxy S III or the recently launched GALAXY S 4 certainly wouldn’t hurt either.

If nothing else, additional device support could attract additional users. And in turn, those additional users could also help to bring additional games. Anyway, while the dropping of the licensing fee will likely not have an immediate effect, it may help to improve things in the future. So how about it, anyone using a PlayStation certified device?

[via Sony]

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GameStop confirms June 1 end to PlayStation 2 trade-ins, will continue selling used stock ‘for several months’

GameStop is shuttering its PlayStation 2 trade-in business as of June 1st, a company spokesperson confirmed to Engadget. “We can confirm that as of June 1st we will no longer be accepting the PS2 console or its related product for trades,” the statement reads. Several of GameStop’s retail locations confirmed to our sister site Joystiq that the June 1st date was accurate after a Reddit posting showed what appeared to be an in-store sign saying as much, and the statement today offers a bit more detail.

For instance, GameStop won’t end sales of used PlayStation 2 hardware, software and accessories — both in store and online — until “several months” after the June 1 cutoff. Those sales, of course, depend on “remaining stock from trades.” Additionally, GameStop reminded us that it’s totally pumped for the upcoming PlayStation 4. “We are very excited about the upcoming PS4 and are making room in our stores for it and other new platforms expected this fall,” the statement says. And hey, with all the extra space available in GameStop stores by “holiday 2013″ (when the PS4 is expected to land at retail), it looks like GameStop will be ready for business. For GameStop’s full statement, head below.

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Make your PlayStation 3 look that much more like a Terminator robot with a ‘Metallic Gray’ DualShock 3

Make your PlayStation 3 look that much more like a Terminator robot with 'Metallic Gray' DualShock 3

Tired of how much your PlayStation 3 doesn’t look like a Terminator robot? Us too, especially given that hilariously mechanical new top-loading disc drive cover. Thankfully, Sony sympathizes with our plight, announcing this week that its “Metallic Gray” DualShock 3 controller for the PlayStation 3 will arrive in the United States in a few months (it’s been available in Japan for some time). On June 3rd, the controller becomes available for the standard DS3 price of $ 54.99, and interested parties can pre-order right this second if they so choose. Of course, we don’t anticipate a shortage when they arrive this June, but it’s always possible that a T-800 will be sent back from the future to accessorize. In which case, you pre-order folks end up looking pretty good.

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Sony

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PlayStation Vita’s firmware update 2.10 adding folders, enhanced video playback

PlayStation Vita's firmware update 210 adding folders, enhanced video playback

Tired of all those messy icons cluttering up your PlayStation Vita’s home screen? Sony’s providing a solution in its next update, firmware version 2.10, which enables folders of up to 10 items to be organized on the screen. That means you could potentially take those 100 max applications allowed and stuff them all into folders on the home screen, effectively condensing your various home screens from 10 to one. The rest of the update isn’t so thrilling — namely, being able to identify which SD card you’ve got in the device, some email app enhancements, and video support which “allows you to play video within the browser.” There’re a few more minor tweaks, which we’ve included in the full list past the jump — the full list of updates in gritty detail will show up here when the update goes live at some point “later this evening.”

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Source: Sony (1), Sony (2)

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PlayStation 4′s Blu-ray drive is 3x as fast as PS3′s, PSN friends list cap raised, and other tidbits from Sony’s GDC panel

The PlayStation 4′s new DualShock 4 controller can be charged even while the PlayStation 4 is turned off. The PlayStation 4′s new Eye motion camera has a tilt sensor so it can tell players when its facing the wrong direction or if it’s fallen off your TV stand. The PlayStation 4′s Blu-ray disc drive is three times as fast as the PlayStation 3′s. In case it weren’t clear, Sony’s PlayStation 4 panel at this week’s Game Developers Conference wasn’t chock full of major revelations, but it was full of interesting little details about the PlayStation 4 and its various hardware companions.

For instance, the console’s “True Name” social functionality isn’t automatic — you have to opt-in to who will see your real name versus your PlayStation Network ID. That is, unless you find a friend through Facebook or another social network where your real name is already your main ID; in that instance, the console defaults to displaying your actual name. That’s not the only change coming to your friends list, either, as the standing 100 friends cap is being raised to an unknown amount.

Additionally, the Gaikai-powered Remote Play functionality between the Vita and PS4 is said to be “much better,” according to Sony senior staff engineer Chris Norden. Not only can it display your PS4 games in the Vita’s native resolution (960×544), but it can be activated at any given time rather than having to be preset. And unlike Remote Play on PS3, with PS4 the game being pushed to the Vita is mirrored on your television screen. None of this stuff is what we’d call red hot, but we’re hungry for PS4 details and this is what Sony’s delivering. Here’s hoping the company’s more forthcoming at E3.

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Sony’s PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller and Eye found at GDC 2013, we go eyes-on

Sony's PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller and Eye found at GDC 2013, we go eyeson

Sony’s next-gen console, the PlayStation 4, is getting an updated DualShock controller when it arrives at retail this holiday. It’s also getting an updated PlayStation Eye camera, which brings the camera much more in line with Microsoft’s Kinect than any previous versions. We found the PS4 peripherals trapped under a glass box on the Game Developers Conference show floor, and Sony sadly wouldn’t let us free them. We of course snapped a mess of pictures regardless, which you can see just below in the gallery. We anticipate the first hands-on opportunity with the DualShock 4 and PS4 Eye at E3 2013 in June, so hang tight for a few months!

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Used games will function on PlayStation 4, but there’s a mysterious caveat

Used games will function on PlayStation 4, but there's a mysterious caveat

Sony head of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida is a gregarious, smart, talkative interviewee. And that’s exactly why it was so weird that he fully waffled when we asked him to address whether or not the newly unveiled PlayStation 4 will play used games. “That’s my expectation, that PS4 games will work on [the] hardware. That’s my expectation,” he told us in an interview this morning. When we pushed to clarify what he meant, Yoshida stuttered. “Ummm … yeah. We have to really name our system services to explain more about it,” he added.

That’s a similar answer to what he told Eurogamer last night at Sony’s big PlayStation 4 announcement event, vagueness and all. Yes, used games “can play on PS4,” but does it require a license repurchase? Perhaps you have to belong to an as-yet-unidentified PS4 online network? It’s not entirely clear, but there seems to be a caveat to the statement, “Used games work on PS4.” Sony, however, isn’t saying what that caveat is just yet. Of course, current-gen consoles all support buying any used, physical copies of games and playing them on their corresponding game consoles

Yoshida also confirmed that games will launch at retail as well as digital, but, well, you probably already guessed that from the included Blu-ray disc drive.

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Sony promises Android ‘second screen’ app for PlayStation 4

PlayStation 4 Android apps

Sony (sorta) unveiled the PlayStation 4 last night in New York, and along with hardware, software and development details, the electronics giant talked about how the new console would tie into mobile devices. For Android and iOS, Sony said it'd bring "second screen" experiences to these devices.

Link Microsoft's "SmartGlass," the PS4 smartphone apps will allow gamers to bring relevant information to their mobile device whether they're in front of their console or not. In-game, the apps will be able to offer extra content like maps in an adventure game, Sony says. And when you're away from home, the app will tie into the PlayStation Network, allowing you to purchase games or peek in on your friends' games in real time. There's no mention of any PS Vita-style "remote play" option for smartphones just yet — if something like this is to be offered on phones, it's likely it might be tied into Sony's existing PlayStation Mobile certification program.

The PlayStation 4 is due to appear in time for the holidays, and though we got a quick peek at its smartphone and tablet apps on-stage last night, the box itself was conspicuously absent.

Source: Sony Computer Entertainment International (PDF)




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Sony details PlayStation 4 specs: 8-core AMD ‘Jaguar’ CPU, 8X Blu-ray

Sony details PlayStation 4 specs 8core AMD 'Jaguar' CPU, 8X Bluray,

So we didn’t see the actual PlayStation 4 console on stage at Sony’s press event tonight, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know what’s in it. A press release reveals that the PC-configuration touted by Sony will include an 8-core 64-bit x86 “Jaguar” CPU built by AMD, with a Radeon GPU capable of cranking out 1.84 TFLOPS.

Developing…

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