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YouTube's PS3 app arrives (very) fashionably late to Europe
If you arrive so late to a party that your dress is now out of style, that's pushing it a bit, no? Such is the case with YouTube's PlayStation 3 app, which finally made it across the pond dressed in the same threads we saw way back in August of last year stateside. Europeans will now get the same smartphone remote control, searching functions and subscription channels we saw earlier, along with support for Swedish, Italian, German, Spanish, French, Dutch and Russian languages. That still leaves Scandinavian nations in the lurch, but Google's promised that as localized versions of YouTube have now launched there, Denmark, Norway and Finland will soon have a slice of YouTube app cake for their PS3s, too.
PlayStation Store redesign goes live in Australia, Europe and New Zealand with a rocky start
Sony vowed a long (long, long) overdue PlayStation Store remake starting this week, and it delivered just that today with launches in Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand. As promised, the PS3 shop's cleaner design scales more elegantly from standard to high definition, brings more intelligent searching and makes it easier to find everything related to a given game. We still wouldn't be too eager to dive in just yet, as there's been hiccups early on -- the sheer amount of traffic has reportedly brought the new store to a crawl, on top of teething issues with adding funds and recognizing PlayStation Plus memberships. Sony has promised fixes, but we're suddenly not feeling so bad about having to wait for that October 23rd North American launch.
PlayStation Store update hitting PAL regions on October 17th, North America on October 23rd
If you feel the current design of the PlayStation Store leaves a lot to be desired, then you'll probably be glad to hear it's being totally revamped. A new UI should do a better job of pushing fresh content at you, and its appearance will be consistent regardless of whether you're outputting in standard or high def. Searching has been improved to handle abbreviations and misspellings, and a dynamic list of suggestions will try to work out what you're looking for as you type. Also, Vita and PSP content will be separated, new filters will be available and content hubs will offer everything linked to a certain title, à la the Xbox 360 Marketplace. Sound good? Well, there's not long to wait – it'll be launching in PAL regions (Europe, Asia, Australia and others) on October 17th, while North Americans will receive it almost a week later, on October 23rd.
Tritton Kunai headset ships to chatty PS3 and PS Vita gamers
There are plenty of gaming headsets, but only so many specifically tuned to the PlayStation audience that aren't made by Sony itself. Mad Catz' Tritton label has just shipped a version of its Kunai wired headset optimized for both the PS3 and the PS Vita that might redress that (admittedly minor) deficit. About the only real customization for Vita owners is the option for a shorter 3-foot cord, but PS3 owners can plug in through USB and adjust voice volume independently from the gunshots and explosions. Regardless of which game console the Kunai links to, there's a modest 25Hz to 20KHz headphone frequency range and few frills aside from a detachable boom microphone. Tritton is mostly counting on the price to lure us in, which just might work -- at $60, berating players in-game with a Kunai will cost as much as one of the games themselves.
Nielsen says game consoles get men to use TV more: hurray, we think
We're not sure if we should always cheer figures that reflect sedentary behavior. Still, chalk one up for greater (if superficial) gender equality. Nielsen finds that, as of this past March, men who owned a modern game console like the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Wii were using their TVs almost as much as women: while males in the broader population typically spend 37 fewer minutes in front of the big screen every day than females, that gap shrank to a negligible 11 minutes when console use came into play. Unfortunately, the agency doesn't say just what's getting men to tune in for that much longer. Gaming is the most likely culprit, but a raft of streaming video options could have some of those refined couch potatoes watching Hulu or Netflix instead of playing one more round of Gears of War. If consoles have people of all genders spending more time together, we're in favor of it; given that men still spend over twice as much time on consoles as women, though, it's clear there's still a bridge to cross if we want more of a balance in the kinds of TV activity we enjoy.
Sony's 2012 PlayStation torn down, shows its evolved roots (update: another teardown)
We've looked intensely at the outside of the redesigned PlayStation 3 ever since it was unveiled in Tokyo last month. Getting a look inside has proven unusually tougher, but French YouTube member K0st3yr has volunteered to do what few gamers dare and tear down Sony's updated console. As we've quickly learned, Sony hasn't chosen to radically rework the insides like Microsoft did with the slim Xbox 360. The Cell processor and its RSX graphics companion are still separate parts, and a similar power supply capacity suggests that neither of the main chips has been built on a more efficient manufacturing process. Instead, it's everything else that has been given the shuffle: a smaller Blu-ray drive and more clever overall construction appear to be the tickets to the 20 percent volume reduction compared to the last model. While the revealed internals might be disappointments to those who were hoping the PS3's possible sendoff would involve more of a bang than a whimper, they do hint that Sony might have breathing room if it wants to advance the design any further. Just have some popcorn and a grasp of French on hand if you'd like to have a peek at the three-part video dissection found after the break. Update: Not to be outdone, iFixit has conducted its own teardown. There aren't any shockers in the mix beyond improved repairability, but you'll find many of the components given their exact names as well as more explanations of what's been changed to shrink the PS3 a second time.
Sony announces a slimmer PlayStation 3, 250GB bundle launches September 25th for $269
A few years ago, Sony pulled the curtain back on a slimmed-down version of its PlayStation 3, and yet another Japan-only version since then. Today at the company's pre-Tokyo Game Show press event, the latest rumored redesign to the PS3 was announced. The new duo gets even smaller in stature and will arrive in stores with both black and white offerings, available in 250GB and 500GB models. The "charcoal black" option has a September 25th launch date for the 250GB bundle (with Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception "Game of the Year Edition") and a $269.99 price tag, while the "classic white" model arrives on November 22 (at least in Japan -- this is a TGS presser after all). For those looking for more storage space, the 500GB, charcoal-only option will be available on October 30th in conjunction with the Assassin's Creed III release -- no word on pricing just yet, though. Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House introduced the new model, calling it 50 percent smaller than the original (rather large) PS3, and 25 percent smaller than the previous slimmed-down version. Sean Buckley and Ben Gilbert contributed to this report. %Gallery-165870% %Gallery-165860% %Gallery-165859%
DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket returns to PS3 in time for the upcoming football season
With this year's National Football League season almost ready to kick off (not taking pre-season games into consideration, of course), DirecTV's properly preparing itself on all entertainment cylinders. The satellite provider announced earlier today that the well-known Sunday Ticket package will be returning to the PlayStation 3 on September 4th via a PS Store update, allowing current subscribers to stream full-HD games directly to Sony's renowned console. As for those without any current attachments to DirecTV, however, there is an option out there -- one which costs a familiar $300 per NFL season. We've still got a few days until the madness gets started, which should be plenty of time to get approval from your better half to snag the action-packed ticket.
NPD: Xbox 360 ruled a steadily declining video game empire in July
Microsoft must sometimes feel like its lead in the game market is a Pyrrhic victory. The Xbox 360 once again topped the NPD Group's hardware charts in July, claiming a near-majority 49 percent market share of consoles -- but the 203,000 units sold were a steep drop from the 257,000 units that traded hands in June, and a far cry from the glory days that would have given a victory more meaning. Nintendo and Sony haven't shared their own figures, although the analyst group notes that only Nintendo's 3DS and DSi had any kind of increase in the month. The industry as a whole was unmistakably feeling the combined effects of the pre-holiday doldrums and a console generation that's long in the tooth: hardware revenue was down 32 percent in the month to $150.7 million, while the games in question saw revenue dip 23 percent to $260.7 million. If you need a culprit, earlier reports for the second quarter had credited similar shifts to sales of physical game copies declining faster than digital sales could replace them. Hope remains in the usual fall spike; even so, the July figures suggest the big three platforms might be living on borrowed time.
Sony drops VAIO T from free PlayStation offer, hikes real cost of entry to $970
Remember how it seemed too good to be true that Sony's back to school promo would let you buy a VAIO T and get a free PlayStation 3 or Vita worth a third of the value of the Ultrabook you just bought? Well, it was. Sony has quietly dropped the $750 laptop from the PCs that qualify for the deal, raising the real qualifying price to $970 for a 15.5-inch VAIO S. Some will cry foul at being denied such a killer bargain without warning, but it's easy to see why Sony backed out: that's a lot of gear to give away for little in return. Dreams of heading to class with an ultraportable in hand and a PS3 at the dorm will have to be postponed, then, even if it's still an ample discount. [Thanks, Gabriel]
Sony intros Pulse Wireless Stereo Headset Elite Edition, lets your non-PlayStation gear feel the bass (video)
Sony's PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset made a splash when it landed last year, but there were two inescapable quirks: a lack of bass and a lack of any wired fallback for your other devices. The brand-new Pulse Wireless Stereo Headset Elite Edition should solve both. Its earcups now carry a new trick, BassImpact, that reportedly delivers the headset's eponymous pulses and just that bit more punch at low frequencies. We also can't help but appreciate having a 3.5mm headphone jack (and cable) to plug in an Xperia S or, if you're daring, a device that goes without Sony's logo. The noise-cancelling microphones and the overall headset are considerably subtler as part of the remake, to boot. Gamers will have to go without the Pulse-upgraded headset until the fall -- not to mention pay a higher price, at $150 -- but they can get a video overview after the break to bide their time.
Microsoft Xbox turns X years old today, celebrates decade of console prowess
One decade ago today, on November 15, 2001, the Xbox gaming console was born, hitting stores across North America on the same day. That Pentium III-based black box found its way into tens of millions of living rooms around the world, and wasn't discontinued until after its successor was announced in 2005. Now, halfway through its lifecycle, the Xbox 360 is still selling strong -- perhaps spurred by the company's release of Kinect in 2010 -- with about four years left to go before Microsoft is expected to unleash its nex-gen console. An updated system may be inevitable, but regardless of what's inside, we wouldn't be surprised to see Microsoft's blockbuster game machine don its familiar Xbox handle for decennia to come.%Gallery-139419%
Gamer stuffs PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles into one case, clears shelf space for the trifecta
Sure, we've all thought about how nice it would be to have our PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles in the same enclosure. But, as many similar thoughts go, we left it at that. Not content with letting a good thought simmer, Reddit user timofend accepted the challenge and built himself a gaming mega-machine -- he stuffed the new slim model of Microsoft's console into a PC tower alongside an older 80GB PS3. Looking to save some funds in the process, the über-gamer skipped out on a liquid cooling system -- but he notes that when both machines are running simultaneously, they each hover around 100 degrees Farhenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Hey, we're not complaining... but really, timofend, can we please see a NES / Dreamcast / O.G. PlayStation combo in your next masterpiece? To take a peek under the hood, hit the gallery below. %Gallery-132729%
PS3 firmware update v3.70 adds auto-save cloud storage for subscribers, updates XMB and 3D support
As if saving your PS3 games to the cloud wasn't convenient enough, Sony's gone and automated the process for PlayStation Plus subscribers. The v3.70 software update offers an automatic sync option for trophies and game save states, giving members exclusive access to their gaming goods wherever they go. The firmware also packs a few additional features for non-paid users, adding a recommendation function to items in the PlayStation store, and a new "TV / Video Services" XMB category for Netflix, Hulu PLUS and VUDU apps. Sony's also thrown in a few 3D tweaks, with MPO format compatibility for photos, and support for Java-based special features and DTS-HD MA and DTS-HD HR audio output for 3D Bluray movie playback. Although the gaming giant hasn't announced an official date for the release, expect it to hit your home console soon. Update: Joystiq's reporting that the update has just gone live.
25 percent of Netflix users stream on the Wii, think composite cables are just fine
We all know that streaming Hoarders and other guilty pleasures via the interwebs has taken off over the past few years. No news there. However, what may be surprising is that, despite the ability to stream in HD to a number of other devices (including your computer), a quarter of all Netflix subscribers view Swamp People by way of the Wii. That's right, 1080p doesn't matter for these folks, who prefer to live the simple life... and by that we mean life in standard def. Most viewers prefer to watch instantly via PC for both Netflix and Hulu, with a whopping 89 percent of Plus customers taking this route to catch up on The Daily Show. With those looking to ditch the red envelope and, you know, with Mad Men now available, Wii viewers are sure to increase as a new console is just around the corner. Because nothing says 1960s drama like 480p, right?
Sony intros new PS3 Slim in Japan: lighter, consumes less power
Fresh from the Land of the Rising Sun comes news that Sony has updated the original PS3 Slim (CECH-3001B) with a lighter, less power-hungry model. The new Japanese PS3 CECH-3000B weighs in at 5.7 pounds -- as opposed to its 6.6 pound elder brother -- and even lowers its wattage to 200W from the previous 230W. Based on information handed to us by SCE in February, we're surmising that you'll need HDMI / HDCP in order to get 1080p video playback from Blu-ray Discs; otherwise, it'll be limited to 480i over piracy concerns. Other non-AACS content -- games included -- should be exempt from the restrictions. The unit will retail at the same ¥34,980 price point (or $435 for the Yanks) as the original Slim, and while a relatively plain 320GB flavor seems to be on tap for now, a 160GB Tales of Xillia bundle will purportedly hit this September. No announcement has been made for its North American counterpart, but with the system already in the FCC's clutches, you can bet it'll be making an intercontinental trek in short order.
Microsoft sells 55 million Xbox 360 consoles, claims that's console history
If you work for Sony you might want go watch TV right now -- there's something on Discovery about ostriches and sand. Meanwhile, Microsoft just let us know that it's sold 55 million Xbox 360s globally, which is very probably enough to maintain its lead over the PS3. Moreover, 360 sales in the US are still accelerating six years into its life-cycle, thanks largely to updates like Kinect -- and Microsoft boasts that "no other console in history can make that claim." Huzzah. Now, we're not ones to snatch the pen from the victor's hand, but remember: this claim is based on US stats, whereas the PS3 has generally been doing better in other regions. What's more, neither the Wii nor the PS3 has yet reached its sixth birthday, so the story isn't over. Nevertheless, the chart after the break does make Microsoft's performance look damn impressive. Why is it that when you're down, life just keeps on kicking?
Sony misses promised PlayStation Network and Qriocity restoration date, begs for more patience
Whoops. If you'll recall, Sony held what can only be described as an emergency press event in Japan a week ago in order to issue a number of assurances about the resumption of service as it relates to the PlayStation Network and Qriocity. Seven days later, things are still as dead as they were pre-Cinco de Mayo. This evening, the company's Senior Director of Corporate Communications Patrick Seybold punched out a quick update to let the world know that they could actually leave the house and find something else to entertain 'em -- like it or not, PSN isn't coming back online today. The reason? On May 1st, Sony was apparently "unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers," and now, it's spinning its wheels in order to restore security on the network and "ensure" that user data is safe. Mr. Seybold seems to understand that you're overly anxious about getting back into the swing of things, and he's even going so far as to ask your trust that Sony's doing "everything [it] can" to get the lights blinking once more. Oh, and if you were planning on visiting that source link just to find the new ETA... don't. Sony's planning to update you "as soon as it can." [Thanks, Alex]
OtherOS++ brings Linux back to the PS3, taunts Sony
Mourn no more PS3 owners: what Sony hath taken away, the hacker community has given right back. The team at Gitbrew.org have returned Linux to the Cell-based gaming console with OtherOS++, which boasts a number of benefits over Sony's official stab at supporting other operating systems. For one, Linux is no longer relegated to a performance-degrading virtual machine and has full access to the PS3 hardware, and two, it works on both old-school "fat" models and the newer "slim" ones. We warn you, though -- this install is not for the faint of heart, and some older models that use NAND flash instead of VFLASH aren't compatible (check against this list). If you're undeterred, hit up the source link for downloads, instructions, and (most importantly) to stick it to the man.
Sony ships 50 million PlayStation 3s, eight million Move controllers worldwide
Sony has a couple of sweet, sweet numbers to report with regard to sales of its gaming hardware. The PlayStation 3, that venerable old powerhouse of console gaming, has surpassed 50 million units shipped around the globe, while the PS Move controller introduced late last year has also kept pace and rounded its own milestone with eight million units shipped. We say "shipped" in spite of Sony calling these sales, because what Sony reports are sales to retailers, not end users (the company calls 'em "sell-in numbers"), so they're not directly comparable with retail sales of the competition. Still, numbers are numbers, and these are pretty big ones. Full PR after the break.
