Consoles
Members of the United States Congress claim that Sony is acting unfairly against Xbox in Japan
The bizarre plot twist continues as members of Congress from both parties are pressuring the Biden administration to act on a purported PlayStation monopoly in the Japanese video game market.
This is something you should read up on because it all stems from a conversation between Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash) and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Friday. Cantwell alleged that American companies are being hurt by an imbalance in the Japanese market for high-end video games.
Axios reports that 10 more lawmakers have added their voices to the debate by penning letters voicing their concerns.
Seven of the ten lawmakers hail from Microsoft’s home state of Washington. More than $500,000 has been donated by the company over the past few decades, making it Cantwell’s single largest political donor.
The Senator who raised this and 6 of the 10 Reps are from Microsoft's home state
And MS' government affairs people have discussed this issue with members of Congress
Not hard to guess why this is coming up
More in the story, including the full letters https://t.co/spi4Sqq58Y
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) March 27, 2023
While the two letters’ political perspectives couldn’t be more different, they both make use of the same misleading “98% of the high-end video game market” statistic, which glosses over the enormous influence of PC, mobile, and, you know, Nintendo. This final point is also significant because Switch is the dominant console in the region.
Microsoft’s proposed buyout of Activision Blizzard has been given a significant boost now that the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has dropped its objections to the deal.
We doubt this is the last we’ll hear of this issue, with Democrats and Republicans alike calling for an investigation into Sony’s allegedly unfair business practices. Let me know what you think about this situation.
Consoles
Despite popular belief, PS4 sales in the UK skyrocketed last year
PS4 sales in the UK climbed by a shocking 633 percent year-over-year in 2023, so apparently the old system isn’t dead yet. The previous year’s very limited supply of the system is likely a major factor in this figure, since the console’s lifespan was drastically reduced because of chip shortages caused by the pandemic. Still, it’s proof that PlayStation’s original platform has unmet demand.
With the very low prices of PS4 software (both in-store and online at the PS Store), this strategy makes a lot of sense. Plus, it’s future-proof, so there’s no harm in stocking up on PS4s while new-gen pricing is still high, since if you decide to switch to a PS5 in the future, you can transfer all of your purchases across. Not to mention that the majority of new releases still come out on the PS4, with several offering free PS5 upgrades.
While the percentage rise may seem huge, real PS4 sales will probably be much lower. It’s a sign that the gadget, which is now a decade old, isn’t completely dead yet, and we expect it to keep receiving maintenance for a while longer. Of course, this is great news for Sony, because the company would rather have PS4 players playing on its last-gen gadget than none at all, even if it would love to have them upgrade to PS5.
Consoles
New PS5 firmware is available for download!
A PS5 firmware update on a cold winter morning is unmatched. The latest PS5 system software update is 23.02–08.40.00 from Sony. Does this one add useful features or just boost system performance?
Though closer to the latter, it’s more than Sony’s favorite patch note. It fixes security issues, improves messages and usability, and boosts system software performance. Official patch notes for this 1.185GB update:
- We updated system software security
- We improved system software stability and performance
- Some screens now have better messages and usability
That’s it. PS5 gets another win to recover from its midweek slump. Do you share our enthusiasm for this firmware update? Comment below. To spice things up, make your comment rhyme.
Consoles
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Xbox Version Will Help PS5
Belgian developer Larian Studios’ work on Baldur’s Gate 3’s Xbox Series S version will improve performance on all platforms, including PS5. The game’s fifth major patch, expected to launch this week, will include upgrades and new features. More details will be revealed later today.
Director of Publishing Michael Douse says PS5 performance improvements may be the “least exciting thing” in the title’s next update, so it sounds like a big one. Larian Studios employees are proud of “finally” implementing tweaks, fixes, and changes, Douse says. Later today, we’ll bring you all the Baldur’s Gate 3 update details.
Those who reached the RPG’s third act have reported technical issues during the narrative’s conclusion, especially in co-op, so today’s update should fix them. New features like a permadeath mode are expected, along with Xbox Series S optimization fixes. What else should be added to the game?
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