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PlayStation

Sony quietly removes PC sale restrictions in dozens of countries for four huge PlayStation games

by admin June 14, 2025

Sony has seemingly loosened regional restrictions on a number of its PC games, including God of War Ragnarök, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2.

As spotted by Wario64, the changelogs for all aforementioned games listed on SteamDB show that a number of sale restrictions were quietly lifted yesterday, 13th June.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered’s Roguelike No Return Mode Explained: TLOU2 No Return Gameplay PS5.Watch on YouTube

Although Sony made no public comment concerning the furore about sales restrictions invoked in countries where PSN isn’t available or shared any plans to address it, check SteamDB and you’ll see that the games have indeed trimmed down the number of countries where they’re unavailable (thanks, PC Gamer). Just one region was added to the restricted sale list: Russian Federation.

Sony appears to be removing regional restrictions on their Steam/PC games

God of War Ragnarok steamdb.info/sub/833972/h…

The Last of Us Part II Remastered steamdb.info/sub/1219787/…

Spider-Man 2 steamdb.info/sub/1219797/…

Helldivers 2 steamdb.info/sub/137730/h…

[image or embed]

— Wario64 (@wario64.bsky.social) June 13, 2025 at 7:38 PM

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This all started, of course, when Helldivers 2 was review-bombed last year following a PSN requirement which led to the game being pulled from sale in 177 countries. The company quickly u-turned its decision following the backlash but not before several Sony-published games were caught up in the controversy. Most recently Stellar Blade found itself at the centre of the backlash even though developer Shift Up had stated a PSN account was only optional and not a formal requirement.

On the subject of Sony, president Hideaki Nishino recently stated the company is open to adjusting the price of PlayStation Plus in the future, as the company aims to “maximise profitability”.

The comments came as part of a discussion between Sony CEO Hermen Hulst and president Hideaki Nishino on PS Plus and the company’s future. Discussing Sony’s subscription service, Nishino stated: “We will continue to add more value and adjust our pricing strategy in a dynamic way to maximise profitability.”

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June 14, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Stellar Blade PC debut welcomes record numbers for a PlayStation published single player release

by admin June 14, 2025

UPDATE 13/6/25: Stellar Blade really has got off to a stellar start on PC, and has now reached a concurrent player peak of 183,830 over on Steam.

The original story continues below.

ORIGINAL 12/6/25: The PlayStation published Stellar Blade made its way onto PC last night, and has got off to a very good start indeed.

According to SteamDB, Stellar Blade has already welcomed a peak player count of 99,980, less than 24 hours since its release on PC. This means it currently has the highest peak concurrent player count for a PlayStation published single player game on the platform.

To compare, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered has a peak player count of 66,436, while Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition has a peak of 56,557. Meanwhile, The Last of Us Part 1 has a peak of 36,496 and its sequel – The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered – has a peak of 30,690.

Stellar Blade PC features trailer. Watch on YouTube

As for what players are saying, right now Stellar Blade is sitting quite happily with an “overwhelmingly positive” Steam review average. “In a world full of unoptimised slop it really is great to see a game run so smoothly,” reads one such review.

So, yes, things are going well for Stellar Blade’s PC release. Back in February of this year, Shift Up stated in a financial report it expects the PC version to exceed console sales.

“In the AAA game market, PC devices have a higher market share than consoles, so we expect the performance of the PC version to exceed that of the console version,” the company said at the time. “We are particularly observing trends such as the significant expansion of the single-player action game market in the Asian gaming industry.”

Image credit: SteamDB/Eurogamer

Not sure if the game is for you? In Eurogamer’s original Stellar Blade review we noted it “has a fair bit of weirdness”, but ” its killer tunes and vibey, flow-state combat – plus a transformative hard mode – are enough to leave you entranced”.

If you are popping into Stellar Blade for the first time now that the game is available on PC, but need a little helping hand here or there, be sure to check out our guides. Here’s one on all Stellar Blade can locations to get you started.

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June 14, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

PlayStation remaining “thoughtful” about “how and if” it brings games to additional platforms

by admin June 14, 2025

PlayStation will remain “thoughtful” with which of its games it brings to other platforms.

During a recent fireside chat, Sony Interactive Entertainment president Hideaki Nishino and Studio Business Group head Hermen Hulst were asked about how they would “protect the value” of the PlayStation console, when there is a move towards multiplatform gaming.

The Death of Console Exclusives Is Inevitable and I Don’t Know How I Feel About It. Watch on YouTube

Nishino noted that for over 30 years PlayStation has been “committed to being the best place to play and publish”, adding the PlayStation console experience is designed for “immediate gameplay in an immersive and accessible way”. That said, the team is always looking for “new and innovative ways to broaden [its] reach”.

Hulst then affirmed that PlayStation is “continuously exploring new ways for players to interact with their franchises”, before adding: “It’s important to realise that we’re really thoughtful about bringing our franchises off console to reach new audiences and that we’re taking a very measured, a very deliberate approach in doing that.

“Particularly on the single-player side, our tentpole titles, they’re such a point of differentiation for the PlayStation console. They are real showcases of the performance, of the quality of the hardware, so we want to ensure that players get the best experience from these titles.”

Continuing, Hulst said PlayStation is very “thoughtful” about the “how and if we bring these titles to other platforms”.

“We need to constantly understand the players’ patterns and behaviours,” Nishino further explained. “We need to be sure we serve them appropriately. [Hulst] and myself are very, very focused on this, and investing as needed to evolve the PlayStation experience.”

When further asked about Microsoft’s multiplatform push, which has seen games such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Sea of Thieves and more arrive on non-Xbox consoles, Nishino said “competition in the business is healthy” and helps drive innovation.

“There are multiple participants who together drive the overall gaming industry, and while there are new engagement models being explored, we ultimately think this is a good thing,” he said.

“However, as I mentioned earlier, we are confident and committed on our current strategy. There isn’t an urgent need for us to pivot, but we will continue to monitor play patterns appropriately as required.”

PlayStation has been steadily adding many of its titles to PC over the past few years, with the likes of Uncharted, The Last of Us and Spider-Man now all available on that additional platform. In February of this year, former PlayStation exec Shuhei Yoshida said porting PlayStation-exclusive games to PC was “almost like printing money”, and provides an opportunity to invest in further games.

Earlier this week, the PlayStation published Stellar Blade released on PC, becoming the company’s first single player game to pass 100,000 concurrent players on Steam.

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June 14, 2025 0 comments

Tachy, with her face lit by fire in the background

Product Reviews

Stellar Blade is doing better numbers than almost every other PlayStation port on Steam, and it’s probably not just because of the nude mods

by admin June 13, 2025

It’s great that so many PlayStation games have come to PC in the last few years, letting me stack a heap of extra big-budget videogame junk food on my pile of shame. Welcome to the backlog, Horizon Zero Dawn. These games haven’t always set the Steam top sellers list on fire, however, sometimes thanks to a marketing budget you’d have to squint to see. How many people even knew Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 came out on PC at the end of January? No wonder it only managed a peak player count of 28,189.

Meanwhile, the newly released Stellar Blade is currently number one on the global top sellers list and hit a peak of 183,380 concurrent players. As far as PS5 ports go, that puts it behind only Helldivers 2, which made it to 458,709 players at release. In the number three spot? Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, with 77,154 concurrents.

For the sake of completeness, here’s a bunch of other PlayStation games Stellar Blade is doing better than on Steam: God of War (73,529), Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered (66,436), and The Last of Us Part 1 (36,496). In the case of the last one especially, Stellar Blade has the advantage of being a much better port. You’ll still want a controller because it’s that kind of game, but testing out the demo I found it ran smoothly and looked great, with no slowdown even when things were exploding all around me.

If you don’t know much about it, Stellar Blade is the kind of third-person hack-and-slash where perfectly timed parries and dodges are essential, with explorable open sections between the on-rails bits, and a plot that’s like every sci-fi anime you’ve ever seen thrown in a blender until it’s reduced to the purest Trope Juice. It’s basically Nier Automata for dummies, with even more fanservice.

While Stellar Blade comes with an impressive list of PC-specific features, like ultrawide resolutions, DLSS 4 and FSR 3 support, unlocked framerates and so on, there’s another reason the PC version might appeal that won’t get listed on the Steam page: mods. Stellar Blade’s protagonist Eve already boobs her way breastily through the game, but modders have wasted no time adding nudity, a variety of saucy outfits, pornographic backgrounds for the menu screen, and more. Nexus Mods already has dozens of adult mods and the game’s brand new.

(Image credit: PlayStation Publishing)

There’s certainly overlap in the Venn diagram of “horny weebs” and “people who want a sequel to Nier Automata already”, but Stellar Blade does seem to have hit big with both groups of players. There are plenty of user reviews praising its optimization, combat, and exploration, as well as ones that are shamelessly thirsty. I quote: “The camera angles? Designed by the devil himself. Someone on that dev team was NOT okay.”

In both the user reviews and comments on Nexus Mods, there are an unusually high number of messages in Chinese, which provides the final piece in the “why is this fairly mid action game so popular” puzzle. Good thing Stellar Blade’s developers pushed back against region-locking.

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June 13, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Here’re your PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium games for June

by admin June 12, 2025

In case you hadn’t noticed, what with Switch 2’s launch and the annual Summer Geoffs causing all sorts of distractions, June is well and truly upon us. And Sony is marking the occasion – much as it does every month – with a fresh batch of additions to its PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium catalogue, which this time include Control spin-off FBC: Firebreak, Battlefield 2042, and more.

Sony’s latest catalogue refresh takes place next Tuesday, 17th June, bringing a total of eight new games for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers, alongside one further addition exclusive to the latter tier. You’ll find the full list of June’s titles below:

PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra:

FBC: Firebreak (PS5)
Battlefield 2042 (PS4, PS5)
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 (PS5)
theHunter: Call of the Wild (PS4)
We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie (PS4, PS5)
Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes (PS4, PS5)
Train Sim World 5 (PS4, PS5)
Endless Dungeon (PS4, PS5)

PlayStation Plus Premium:

Deus Ex: The Conspiracy (PS4, PS5)

So there’re some decent arrivals, then, with highlights including Alan Wake developer Remedy Entertainment’s promising co-op Control spin-off FBC: Firebreak, and the ever-delightful We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie. RPG fans, meanwhile, might get a kick out of Suikoden spiritual successor Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes, and Amplitude’s tower defence roguelike Endless Dungeon is also a good old time.

As for those forking out for Sony’s top-tier membership, June’s retro addition comes in the form of Deus Ex: The Conspiracy – the PlayStation 2 adaptation of developer Ion Storm’s cyberpunk immersive sim classic Deux Ex, which first hit the console back in 2002.

And that’s your lot! All the above don’t arrive until next Tuesday, 17th June, meaning you’ve still got some time to focus on last month’s PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra additions before your attention is yanked elsewhere.

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June 12, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Dataminer Finds Evidence Of Halo Game On The PlayStation Store

by admin June 11, 2025

A Halo dataminer has spotted something on the PlayStation Network API that appears to indicate that a new Halo game might soon be listed on the platform’s PSN store. And it might be announced at a rumored Nintendo Direct later this month.

Long-Lost Halo Demo Comes To Life

Okay, before we continue, I need you all to get your salt out. All of the info in here is based on rumors, dataminer claims, speculation, and reports about possible future games. None of this is confirmed. All of this could be inaccurate. Plans change, server backends are messy, and reports can get details wrong, etc. With all that said, it’s looking like a previously reported Halo remake might soon be officially revealed as a multiplatform title.

On June 9, Grunt API, a Halo community member dedicated to finding and sharing info on the franchise, reported that they have found evidence of a Halo game on Sony’s PSN retail back end.

“I honestly didn’t expect to come across this today… But I can now OFFICIALLY CONFIRM: A Halo game is coming (very soon) to PlayStation,” posted Grunt API on Twitter.

In a follow-up tweet, the dataminer claimed the Halo game isn’t marked as the Master Chief Collection or Halo Infinite. Instead, it’s something new. Many, myself included, are assuming this is the previously reported Halo Combat Evolved remake. Whatever this mystery Halo game is, it currently exists on a specific branch of the PSN backend for retail products. That would seem to imply that a public store page for this new Halo game will be going live very soon. And that then seems to indicate that Microsoft is about to announce whatever this new Halo game is in the near future. You usually don’t get a store page ready to go live on a platform unless you are going to announce it in the near future.

Will the Halo remake be announced at a Nintendo Direct?

That’s led to some speculation that the Halo remake or whatever this game ends up being, might be announced during a heavily expected Nintendo Direct this month. Historically, Nintendo has always done a Direct in June. And it just launched a new console and needs to start talking about upcoming games like Donkey Kong Bananza and future releases for Switch 2. During Summer Game Fest, many games that you would expect to have Switch 2 ports didn’t announce that. This has led to some theorizing that Nintendo wants those ports revealed during its own big Direct, which could be happening later this month. (That might explain why this remake didn’t show up during the Xbox showcase during SGF.)

Keep in mind, we know that Xbox is planning to bring more of its library to other consoles. Forza Horizon 5 and Sea of Thieves are already on PlayStation 5. And the remastered Gears of War is coming to PS5 and Xbox in August. Microsoft has even confirmed that there is no “red line” and that, yes, Halo could come to PlayStation one day.

Of course, the dataminer might be wrong or just trolling. Or the backend project he found is a dummy placeholder. We don’t know yet. Kotaku has contacted Xbox and Sony about the mystery Halo game, but I doubt we’ll hear back from either. For now, we have to wait and see if all the puzzle pieces, rumors, reports, and bread crumbs add up to anything.

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June 11, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

If You Own a PS5, the PlayStation DualSense Controller Costs Peanuts on Amazon

by admin June 11, 2025

If you own a PS5, having multiple controllers is almost a necessity as there’s nothing better than sharing your favorite PlayStation games with friends or family in the same room. While it’s always wise to have a spare controller ready for multiplayer sessions or simply as a backup for you, genuine discounts on the PlayStation DualSense wireless controller are rare.

Even during Black Friday, major promotions were hard to find which makes this moment the perfect opportunity to add another controller to your setup. Right now, the PlayStation DualSense controller is available on Amazon for just $54 which is a substantial 27% off its usual $74 price. This limited-time deal marks an all-time low, so it’s an ideal time to buy, especially if you missed out on previous sales.

See at Amazon

Why We Love It

The biggest feature of the DualSense controler is haptic feedback which puts the feel of in-game action and environments right in your hands. Whether you’re racing down rough roads, wielding guns or feeling the crash of a collision, the controller’s next-gen vibration motors plunge you further into the game.

Aside from the haptic feedback, adaptive triggers provide varying levels of force and tension so that you can feel the distinction between drawing back a bowstring or slamming on the brakes in a racing title. They work together to create a feeling of realism and immersion that was not achievable on previous PlayStation controllers.

The built-in microphone allows you to chat online without a headset and the 3.5mm audio jack allows you to plug in your favorite headphones for individual use. The create button is convenient to use to capture and stream your most excellent gaming moments in case you’re playing with buddies or capturing highlights to playback later. The controller’s iconic appearance has been fine-tuned for comfort with enhanced sticks and an intuitive layout that feels great in your hand even after long gaming sessions.

DualSense isn’t only for PlayStation 5 gamers: With its USB Type-C and Bluetooth connectivity, you can easily play it on Windows desktops and Macs too which gives you even more gaming possibilities outside of the console. Most high-end PC games currently support advanced features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, which lets you experience the same immersive experience playing from your computer.

With over 33,000 reviews and a lovely 4.6 out of 5-star rating, the PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller is a proven winner among gamers. Don’t hesitate too much: These sales don’t come around often, and the stock may not be here.

See at Amazon

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June 11, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Nioh 3 Revealed At PlayStation State Of Play, Demo Out Today

by admin June 6, 2025

Nioh, the intense action RPG from Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo, is getting a third entry. Unlike the last two games, this one includes a split combat style, allowing you to swap between samurai and ninja styles. You can get a look for yourself with the trailer below.

The ninja style looks to be more fluid and acrobatic than the game’s standard style, and in one shot, we can even see the player swap mid-battle. Stages have also expanded into open fields, which general producer Fumihiko Yasuda says will significantly increase player freedom and exploration in the game.

The trailer shows off lots of what we’ve come to expect from the series, including flashy attacks, elaborate boss designs, and a whole lot of swords. If it looks interesting, you’re in luck – there’s a demo for the game’s alpha out today on the PlayStation store, complete with a character creator, but it will only be available until June 18, according to the PS Blog. Otherwise, you can play the game when it comes out early next year for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.

For more from today’s State of Play, you can check out the reveal of the new Lumines game from the Tetris Effect developers or our first look at gameplay of Pragmata, Capcom’s new IP.

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June 6, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Forget about Switch 2, this PlayStation 5 Pro deal is the best gaming choice

by admin June 5, 2025

Today marks the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, but if Nintendo consoles and games aren’t to your tastes, how about getting your hands on the current most powerful games console on the market? Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro is the current console king with its mid-life refresh. Everything has been upgraded, from the graphical power to the base amount of available storage. Unfortunately, the price was also upgraded, so it’s nice to see a discount on Sony’s latest console.

Available at Amazon, you can pick up the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro for just £636. This is a tasty discount from the £699 list price and almost matches the all-time lowest price seen for the PlayStation 5 Pro of £635. This offer is for the console and a single DualSense controller. The console is a “digital-only” version, but you can upgrade with a separate disk-drive addon like in this bundle deal from John Lewis, where the PlayStation 5 Pro, DualSense controller, and Digital disk drive are on offer for £709.

The PlayStation 5 Pro is the refreshed version of the PS5, sporting more storage (2TB) as standard, and using new PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution or PSSR tech to upgrade and enhance image quality and framerates of PlayStation games from the PS5 and PS4 era. The PS5 Pro even has upgraded tech for ray tracing capabilities, for more immersive lighting effects in your games.

As I briefly touched upon, this deal only includes the console tower and a controller. If you want to upgrade the PlayStation 5 Pro tower to include a disk drive, you need to purchase a separate Sony PlayStation 5 Disk Drive like this one from Very for £69, reduced from £100. This will allow you to play PlayStation 5 games from physical disk media, where you might be able to pick up games cheaper second-hand, or use collectors’ edition disks.

Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.

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June 5, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Amazon Is Going All In, This PlayStation VR Bundle With Horizon Call of the Mountain Now Costs Peanuts

by admin June 5, 2025

No need to hold out until Black Friday this year, though, because the current offer from Amazon on the PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle is better than anything we saw last year with holiday sales. If you don’t want to shell out more than $3,000 for an Apple VR headset, this one from PlayStation is a much better value entry to the world of virtual reality without sacrificing realism and immersion. With the all-time low price of $349, down from $399, this bundle is a great deal if you’re looking to enjoy VR.

See at Amazon

Best in Class VR Headset

The PlayStation VR2 has quickly become a consumer VR favorite thanks to its combination of state-of-the-art technology, comfort and growing library of proprietary content. With this bundle, you’re getting the very popular Horizon Call of the Mountain included which is one of the most visually impressive and immersive VR games available today. The $349 price tag is a 13% savings but more importantly, it puts high-quality virtual reality within reach of a much wider audience. Considering the hardware and the included game, this is easily the best value we’ve seen for a VR headset.

You will be impressed by the Sense technology which brings a new level of interactivity and realism to virtual experiences. Eye tracking allows the system to follow your gaze, which makes interactions more natural and intuitive. Headset feedback introduces a sense of physicality to what you see and hear with soft vibrational feedback that makes in-game action come alive. The 3D audio engine surrounds you with immersive and space-filling sound, so you can pick up on all the crunching of leaves or distant echoes as if you were actually present within the game world. The controllers are matched and haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and finger touch detection all contribute to the fact that your actions and movements in VR will feel highly responsive and accurate.

Graphically, PlayStation VR2 is an enormous leap forward compared to its predecessor (and much of the competition). The headset boasts incredible 4K HDR graphics and this offers sharp images that help to bring virtual worlds alive. The 110-degree field of view ensures you’re completely immersed, with your peripheral vision filled by the game world rather than the edges of the display. Advanced graphical rendering means smoother frame rates and more detailed environments, so whether you’re scaling mountains or exploring lush forests in Horizon Call of the Mountain, the experience is breathtakingly realistic.

Another big advantage is the ease of setup and use: In contrast to the majority of PC-based VR headsets that require complicated setups and regular updates, the PlayStation VR2 is designed to be completely compatible with the PlayStation 5. Plug it in, follow a couple of simple steps, and you’re ready to go. The headset is comfortable enough for extended game time, with an adjustable fit and slender build that won’t leave you exhausted after an hour of game time.

If you ever wanted to try virtual reality but scared of high costs or complex equipment, this package is the greatest opportunity to take the plunge.

See at Amazon

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June 5, 2025 0 comments