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  • Real HomePod Killer? Sony’s Smart Home Speaker Now Just $50

    Real HomePod Killer? Sony’s Smart Home Speaker Now Just $50

    Sony’s LF-S50G smart home speaker has recently received a price cut down to $50. The speaker started at $200, putting it at a comparable price point to Apple’s HomePod. With its new, reduced price, though, it’s a much sweeter deal than Apple’s expensive, ecosystem locked HomePod.

    Sony LF-S50G Speaker Now $50

    The Speaker

    The LF-S50G itself has stellar sound quality. Music, podcasts and audiobooks all sound great coming from this small, sleek speaker. Included in the device is Google Assistant, ready to help organize all of your smart home needs. In short, for only $20 than the Google Home Mini or Amazon Echo Dot, you get a speaker that’s far more powerful in sound quality.

    Google Assistant

    Google Assistant is helpful in a number of ways. You can ask the system basic questions, like for weather and traffic reports. If you have other smart home devices, like smart lights, locks, thermostats or the like, you can control them from your Google Assistant-enabled speaker. Most commonly, you can call out for the speaker to play your music for you.

    The Right Price

    If you’ve been looking to break into the smart home ecosystem, this is the speaker to do it with. The smart speaker is a small $20 more than the best budget smart speakers, and it packs way bigger, better sound into its small frame. It helps that this is all wrapped into a sleek, attractive package.

    The black finish and elegant styling makes this just as appealing as a piece of eye candy as it does a piece of tech. Did we mention this speaker sports 360-degree sound, like the HomePod? Nothing makes a room feel more alive when you have guests over than huge, room-filling sound coming from all directions.

    In short, this is a hard deal to pass up. For the low price of $50, it’s hard to beat the value of this smart speaker. The huge sound, small size and low price add up to make this the best deal on the smart speaker market right now.

  • PlayStation 5 Details Come to Light: Coming Sooner Than You Think

    PlayStation 5 Details Come to Light: Coming Sooner Than You Think

    Despite lots of noise to the contrary, it appears Sony isn’t prepared to give up on hardware just yet. Conventional consoles have had a place in living rooms for the last 30 years, so it’s reassuring to hear from Mark Cerny of Sony that the next PlayStation will be a high-end gaming machine, not a streaming service.

    PlayStation 5 Details

    Loading Times

    One of the first things Cerny made clear during the showcase of the new PlayStation’s tech is that loading times will be a thing of the past. The preliminary guesses on the specs hold that the PS5 (which Sony hasn’t referred to as anything but “next-gen PlayStation”) will have a solid-state drive. Guesses hold that the SSD will have an impressive 256GB storage.

    SSDs are notoriously expensive, but they offer a lot of great benefits that hard drives don’t. SSDs have notably faster loading times, bring up textures and maps with insane speed. Unlike hard drives, SSDs don’t have moving parts, making them less likely to wear out over time than traditional discs.

    Other Specs

    While every console generation is expected to have marked increases in tech under the hood, the next-gen PlayStation is set to bring brand new architecture to the living room. The preliminary specs show impressive pieces of hardware under the hood.

    The CPU will be running eight cores of AMD’s new 7nm Zen 2 microarchitecture. The CPU itself will be of AMD’s Ryzen product line. Meanwhile, the GPU will be a custom Radeon Navi processor capable of advanced ray tracing. This will mark the first time ray tracing is available in a home console.

    Other Notes

    The next-gen PlayStation will support backward compatibility, making it a notably better investment than the PS4 or PS3 were at their launch. Neither of the prior PlayStation iterations had long-term support for backwards compatibility, largely invalidating existing game collections.

    The system isn’t expected to hit store shelves until 2020. However, that would mean a markedly faster console cycle than some people were expecting. As of yet, we don’t know how much the system will cost. However, with the high-end specs, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the system at $600.

  • PlayStation Classic Review: How Does it Stack Up?

    PlayStation Classic Review: How Does it Stack Up?

    Sony, following in Nintendo’s footsteps, has released their PlayStation Classic system. Does it live up to the hype surrounding it, or are these old games better off left forgotten? We’ll tell you in today’s PlayStation Classic review. Let’s travel back to the 90’s!

    PlayStation Classic Review

    playstationclassic
    Sony

    The Emulation

    Firstly, the emulation on display here is excellent. The games on the system are all emulated perfectly as they existed back in the mid-to-late-90’s. That’s certainly an achievement in and of itself, but it does raise a few questions. If this is exactly the ways these games should look, aren’t they all a bit ugly?

    The transition to 3D was rough for a lot of games. Ugly polygonal models and blurry backgrounds were the rule of the day. Many of these games have aged like milk, both graphically and in terms of gameplay. After twenty years or more, many of these are almost unplayable by modern standards.

    The Games

    The game selection is incredibly hit-and-miss. There are some notable (and amazing) inclusions, like Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII and Resident Evil. There are also glaring omissions, like Castelvania: Symphony of the Night and Twisted Metal II.

    Unusual inclusions like Jumping Flash, Wild Arms and Intelligent Qube make the lack of Tomb Raider and Crash Bandicoot downright puzzling. The PlayStation had an incredible roster of exclusive games, so not having them available on this love letter to the 90’s is nearly criminal.

    For every Oddworld and Tekken on the system there is another frustrating exclusion. No Silent Hill or Tony Hawk on a PlayStation throwback system? It’s hard to justify the $100 price tag with this selection of games.

    The Console

    The console itself is a perfect mini replica of the PlayStation. Likewise, the controller is exactly as you remember it. Sadly, it’s not a DualShock controller, which makes 3D games like Metal Gear Solid a pain to navigate. There are thankfully two controllers for local multiplayer, what little is available in this game selection.

    Bottom Line

    Overall, this is really a system only for diehard collectors. If you really want to play Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid again (without analog sticks) then knock yourself out. However, there are plenty of ways to do that without spending $100.

  • PlayStation Classic Mini Coming Soon

    PlayStation Classic Mini Coming Soon

    In an interesting example of history repeating itself, Sony is once again following in Nintendo’s footsteps. After the mega-successful NES Classic Mini and SNES Classic Mini, Sony is releasing their own PlayStation classic. This move makes a ton of sense, actually: the PlayStation has a deep, awesome library of games. Sony announced the console yesterday, as well as release details. Read on to find out more!

    playstationclassic
    Sony

    PlayStation Classic Release Info

    The console, which was just announced, will be released on December 3rd. When it comes out, it’ll be retailing for $100. That might sound a bit steep, but depending on the games included, it may well be worth it. For one, the system comes with two controllers! Oddly, the controllers are original PlayStation controllers, instead of DualShock. We suppose Sony is really banking on the nostalgia factor, here!

    The system will have a similar “limited release” window, much like the Nintendo Classic Systems before it. That is to say: if you have any interest in grabbing one of these, you might want to preorder it. When the first wave of NES Classics sold out, it was quite difficult to find them for a decent price.

    Announced Games

    They’ve already announced five of the games that will be included with the system. Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash, Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3 and Wild Arms will be available on the system. We’d be surprised it games like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night don’t make the cut, too.

    Given that the 25th anniversary of the PS1’s release is coming next year, this is a great time to commemorate its place in gaming history. The console was a smash hit when it launched in 1994, bringing with it a wave of great-looking, 3D games. As Sony’s entry into the gaming industry, the system has had huge impact on the face of gaming.

    For Now…

    While the system won’t launch until the end of the year, we’re pretty excited to see what other games will be included. Sony has stated that the lineup will be revealed as we get closer to the launch. In the meantime, check back with us for updates! We’ll also be running an article on which classic PlayStation games we’d like to see included with the system. Stay posted!

  • PlayStation Classic, Is It Too Soon?

    PlayStation Classic, Is It Too Soon?

    It appears Sony is looking to cash in on the retro gaming craze. In an announcement earlier, Sony revealed the brand-new PlayStation Classic. Exactly like Nintendo’s retro consoles, the PS Classic is miniature version of the original This will hit stores and online retailers December 3 for $100. Is it too soon? It has been 23 years and 4 iterations since the original system was released.

    PlayStation Classic Details

    My first thought and reactions were as follows. One, is the disc tray functional? No it is not. That answers questions number two, can I play my original PlayStation cds? No I cannot. Well now I need to know what games are included with this retro mini PlayStation. It will includes games like Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash, Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3, and Wild Arms. There’ll be 20 bundled titles in total, but those five are the only ones announced at the moment.

    So apparently we won’t be able to download additional games online. Which would have been a huge selling point. Additionally the memory card slots are just for show. Games will save with “virtual” memory cards and you’ll be able to suspend, or freeze, your progress with the system’s Reset button. The Open button will switch games.

    he PlayStation Classic costs $99, has 20 games, 2 controllers, and includes an HDMI cable and USB cable, as well as an instruction manual that’s almost a work of art in its industrial simplicity. three major retailers have opened preorders for the PlayStation Classic. You can put your hard-earned dollars down right now and reserve yourself one for when it finally comes out at Walmart, Best Buy and Gamestop. Sorry Amazon…

    The Final Thought

    Is this too soon or am I just getting old? Im just not getting excited about nostalgia for a next gen system. To me,  a classic nintendo guy,  the Playstation was the next gen. I don’t like the idea that it is only 20 game and that I have no say in those 20. I do kinda want to play Twisted Metal 1 again but everything else is still available in a best more advanced formatt. Also, and correct me if i’m mistaking, cant my PlayStation 4 play the original Playstation Disc? Why would I need a PlayStation Classic?

  • Listen Up: Sony HT-Z9F 3.1 Feature Roundup

    Listen Up: Sony HT-Z9F 3.1 Feature Roundup

    Sound bars are a great way to maximize the sound from your TV without taking up considerable real estate in your living room. While many sound bar options are out there, Sony remains a reliable and excellent maker of the technology. Their biggest strength, of course, is their processing, and the HT-Z9F 3.1 is no exception: it boasts incredible sound thanks to its processors.

    Sound Quality

    The first important consideration when reviewing a sound bar, of course, is the sound quality. This particular sound bar delivers on that front: dialogue is clear, sounds are crisp, and bass is heavy. Whether you’re listening to music or watching action movies, you’ll be impressed by how balanced and undistorted the sound is. You can clearly make out dialogue over rumbling explosions, and sounds have a certain space in between them. All of this, of course, is bolstered by the bar’s excellent surround sound. You can feel the space between events on-screen, or the shape of a room that audio was recorded in. That may all sound a bit confusing, but when you hear it you’ll understand.

    Features and Ports

    The HT-Z9F 3.1 has ARC HDMI, optical digital audio, 3.5mm and Ethernet ports all available. You can hook pretty much anything into this sound bar and play audio through it, which is excellent. It also has an IR repeater sending signals through, which is great for set-ups that have the bar blocking your TV. Wi-Fi and Chromecast are supported, which makes this feel very modern and high-end.

    HT-Z9F 3.1 Pricing and Bottom Line

    The HT-Z9F 3.1 costs between $800 and $900, making it a somewhat premium package. However, when compared to full-scale surround systems and some other high-end sound bars, that price is rather impressive. If you’re looking for big sound from a small bar, Sony’s newest entry is a great piece of technology. If you don’t mind paying a bit of money, your living room will sound like a movie theater in no time. All of that from such a little bar is a pretty big deal!

  • Sony Accidentally Uploads Entire Film Khali the Killer to YouTube

    Sony Accidentally Uploads Entire Film Khali the Killer to YouTube

    In an odd error, Sony accidentally uploaded the entirety of indie film Khali the Killer to its official YouTube channel. This move was almost certainly an accident, as such a film wouldn’t exactly be a prime target for a publicity stunt. The unusually-long “trailer” was picked up on by Reddit and a post was made there to show the blunder to the world. Incredibly, the film stayed up for several hours as the post got thousands of up-votes. A highly up-voted comment on the post made light of the blunder, stating that this is the “natural end-game” for spoiler-heavy trailers.

    Khali the Killer

    The film in question is an indie film that was actually released on DVD in 2017. Indie movies are weird, though, and the theatrical run for the film isn’t until later this year. Critical reception to the film has been mixed, and it hasn’t been highly anticipated. The movie is a crime drama, something of an homage to exploitation films of the 70’s. It follows a hit man named Khali as he attempts to leave a life of crime behind but is pulled back in when a kid hijacks his car. It carries (perhaps unintentional) echoes of John Wick, and is set in LA.

    Publicity, or Honest Accident?

    The film itself is typical indie action fare. A man tries to leave a life of crime and is drug back in, you know the tale. However, it’s not exactly hotly-anticipated, and it’s already been released on DVD. This move was likely an accident, perhaps the wrong video ID being copied and pasted to the upload bar. Sony’s film division is massive, and it’s believable that such a mistake could occur. Further, it would follow that the company would be sensitive about such errors. After all, in 2014 Sony Pictures experienced a critical hack that compromised the personal information of thousands of employees.

    However, Sony has, as of yet, made no comment on the situation, so this is only speculation. As it stands, the company doesn’t present the best image of digital supremacy. The aforementioned 2014 hack and this YouTube error are examples on the movie side. On the gaming side, the PlayStation Network has been hacked several times, notably in 2011. Recently, Sony has drawn criticism for blocking cross-console play between the PS4 and Xbox One and Switch systems. Notable, Sony doesn’t allow Fortnite accounts linked to PS4s to link to any other console. All of this adds up to point to a company struggling to keep up with its own massive size.

  • Looking for a Small but Powerful Phone? Try the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact

    Looking for a Small but Powerful Phone? Try the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact

    Most phone manufacturers tend to keep their phones as big as they can feasibly be and still fit in your pocket. Sony, however, is trying to look out for the little guy. Or, at least, the little guy’s little hands. There are few phones as small as the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact that pack the same amount of power. Here’s a quick rundown of our thoughts on Sony’s small wonder. 

    The Specs 

    The biggest issue with most phones this small—and it is small, coming in with a 5-inch screen—is that they’re not powerful. A QUALCOMM 845 processor is inside this little machine. For those unfamiliar, that’s a pretty hefty processor. For context, that’s a processor that beats the Google Pixel 2 in benchmark tests. If you like playing games or editing photos on your phone, the Xperia XZ2 Compact won’t disapoint. 

    The other powerful thing running under the hood is the camera. Sporting a 19-megapixel camera that shoots at 960 frames-per-second in HD, it’s no joke. You’re not going to be disappointed in the quality of photos or videos from the Compact. The selfie cam is only 5-megapixel, but that’s a small trade-off for this small phone. Additionally, the phone only has one rear-facing camera and one front-facing camera. As such, it has no portrait mode or other such features. This is a small complaint, but those used to high-end smartphones will notice it. 

    Design 

    On the design side, the phone is a bit bland. You could almost describe the design as boring. That said, the only other powerful phone this size is the iPhone SE. So, you’re sort of stuck with this design if you like Android. Fitting easily in a pocket or purse, it’s easily used with one hand. It has very small bezels, maximizing the screen size in spite of the incredibly small handset size.  

    A big negative to the phone, though, is the lack of a headphone jack. It seems that particular port had to be dropped to help the phone keep its slim profile. There is a conversion dongle with the phone, but using it means you can’t charge your phone and listen to music at the same time. You could opt for a set of Bluetooth headphones, but it’s a bummer in any event.  

    Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact: Bottom Line 

    If you’re in the market for a small handset and want it running Android, you’re sort of stuck with this one. That said, it’s actually a really good phone! It costs $650, which is really reasonable for how powerful it is. So, if you’re tired of putting your phone in one-hand mode or having to reach across a massive handset, this is a good choice. Those in the market for a compact phone won’t be disappointed! 

  • PS4 Fortnite Players Locked from Playing on Switch

    PS4 Fortnite Players Locked from Playing on Switch

    Sony has been a notorious opponent of cross-platform play. Most recently, Sony has slammed the door shut on cross-platform play with the mega-popular Fortnite on their system. Fortnite players on Xbox One and Switch can’t play with their friends on PS4 and vice-versa. PS4 players can, however, play with players on iOS and PC. The worst part isn’t the cross-platform play, though, it’s Sony’s absurd account lockout policy. 

    Sony Holding Fortnite Accounts Hostage 

    Against the advice of literally every industry analyst, Sony has declared outright war on the concept of playing nice with Nintendo and Microsoft. After Fortnite’s Switch launch on June 12th, a number of Switch owners were stunned to see they couldn’t link their Epic accounts to their Switch. If you’ve paired your Epic account with the PlayStation 4, you’re locked out from linking it on the Switch. Or the Xbox One, for what it’s worth, but most people hadn’t ever tried to jump from the Xbox to PS4. Gamers were understandably outraged, though, as Sony had given no indication that accounts linked to the PS4 version of the game would be locked from future ports of the game. 

    Sony’s Response to Criticism 

    Sony has been frustratingly evasive on this matter. When asked directly about it, they elected to boast about user numbers on their platform. Classy, Sony. While Epic has given no indication yet of how they will handle this issue, Nintendo was quick to apologize to their affected fans. Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, expressed how he wished Nintendo could help, but the issue is out of their hands. Sony has chosen to enter this battle unbidden, purposefully alienating PS4 owners who also have a Switch.  

    For context, Switch and Xbox owners are able to play with any system that has the game, except, of course, PS4. The only thing standing between the world’s most popular game and full cross-platform play across all systems is Sony. This is really a shame, as the company is  driving a wedge between the game’s community over stubbornness. 

    What Can Be Done? 

    Sadly, for the time being, it seems that there is nothing affected users can do. If a user were to make a new account, they could play on Switch. However, their progress and any real-world money spent on their account would be locked on the PS4.  

    Perhaps Epic could allow users to migrate their accounts as a one-time service. Perhaps allowing users to remove PlayStation markers from their account and move to Xbox or Switch. Doing so would be in direct opposition to Sony. However, it would be a reasonable act in light of Sony’s unprecedented stubborn attitude. Until more news breaks, though, PS4 Fortnite users who want to play on Switch are left with few options. That, and a great deal of frustration at Sony. 

  • 5 Game Releases From E3 That Are a Must Play

    5 Game Releases From E3 That Are a Must Play

    This was considered by most to be a week year at the E3 conference. Expectations going in where low to begin with and nothing earth shattering or even mildly interesting was revealed. What we did get is a ton of really amazing games. An endless supply of games were announced and they all look pretty great. Lets take a look at the biggest and best 5 Game Releases we will be playing all next year.

     

    1. Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

    Finally we get what we wanted from Nintendo, and may have to go purchase a switch just for this. Nintendo Switch’s first “Smash Bros. was a classic hit, but Ultimate will be enev bigger. Yes, every character that’s ever appeared in a “Smash Bros.” is here (that’s over 60, including rarities like “Metal Gear’s” Solid Snake). Nintendo has really stepped up the combat and evolved every character to have the Ultimate moves, stages and animations. This will ensure “Ultimate” is the best, visually amazing, craziest and quickest “Smash” to date. This will be the game that keeps droves of children occupied this holiday season.

    2. Spiderman

    Just titled Spiderman and set for a Sept 7th release,  Sony and Insomniac’s “Spider-Man” is exploding with excitement and hitting number 2 on our top 5 Game Releases, The WebCrawlers latest installment  is going to be fantastic in its actions, NYC renderings and non stop Spidery action. Not to mention the best activity is still just swinging around over the Manhattan skyline, which will be greatly enhanced.  Bringing an “Arkham”-like combat system, impressive voice work and ridiculously cinematic battles, and endless parade of villains. This is  shaping up to be the best superhero games we’ve ever played. It’s also wowed a certain comic company: Marvel was so impressed with Insomniac’s work, they’re including the video game version of Spidey in their official canon. Hurry up and get here Sept 7th, im seriously pondering the Eric Cartman freezing my self idea.

    3. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

    Assassin’s Creed Origins was a magnificent success for Ubisoft, so much it decided to just take the leap  and blast out the next AC into a full-blown role-playing game for our enjoyment. For us, This one will be set during the Peloponnesian War in Greece, “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey” lets players choose genders, bulk up tons of stats, collect gear and goodies and even shape the story with new branching dialogue options. This is shaping up to take Assassins Creed to the next level of immersion and action. Ill be pre-ording this one ASAP. Its hard not to have this as the number 1 game on the 5 Game Releases list.

    4. CyberPunk 2077

    After three games of high fantasy, via an adaptation of The Witcher series, CD Projekt Red is starting up a new franchise in a completely different genre. It’s full of big ideas and promises huge amounts of customisation and individuality when it comes to your character and play-style. Cyberpunk 2077 is a role-playing video game played in a first-person perspective as V, a mercenary whose sex, hairstyles, face, body type, body modifications, background, and clothing are customisable. V’s clothing alters how interactions fare with non-player characters who are also at V’s disposal for romantic and sexual relationships. This looks to be the game we never saw coming, totally innovative and set to really blow us away, like the original resident evil did many years ago. This will be the game all the cool kids will be talking about around the water cooler.

    5. Fallout 76

    number 5 on our top 5 Game Releases for 2018…Who doesnt love Fallout? Who hasent been anticipating the next Fallout installment? Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4, welcomes us all to Fallout 76, the online prequel where every surviving human is a *real person*. Work together – or not – to survive. Under the threat of nuclear annihilation, you’ll experience the largest, most dynamic world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe.