350°

PS4 Pro: Is it Really "For the Players"?

“This is for the players,” says Sony, drilling the same old marketing slogan, this time for the PS4 Pro. However, you have to ask: is it really?

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gamespew.com
UCForce3149d ago (Edited 3148d ago )

"Sigh" Really,Gamespew ? Xbox One S only play 4K media,not the game. Xbox One BC need to require a patch to play some old 360 games , so it's gonna take awhile. Xbox 360 able to play all old Xbox Games from the start without a patch. For Pro, you can still play old PS4 game on standard PS4. But if you want to upgrade, then Pro is your purchase. Yes, there will be patch on PS4 Pro. Again, Sony confirmed there is no Pro Exclusive, so it's just PS4 game.

Edit : darthv72 You are not helping, buddy.

lastking953149d ago

Why do you keep saying sign? You mean "sigh" as in 😧 lol

darthv723148d ago Show
Obscure_Observer3147d ago

@Aenea

According Digital Foundry you better not expect checkerbording rendering to be available so often. It´s a hard and complex rendering technique that even Naughty Dog avoided it on Ps4pro´s Uncharted 4 version and just use the normal upscale. No frame rate gains. No checkerbording.

And since we have no means to know what kind of upgrade devs will choose to use, checkerboarding is pretty much a luxury right now.

Yohshida3149d ago

If Xbox One s aint 4k, how is the pro? Aside from a few indies and last gen games everything is upscaling

Razrye23149d ago

Use Google. All the details on pro are on there. Or just use this site. I can't believe some people think that the xbox one S can play 4k games when ms themselves said that it can only do 4k movies lol

Aenea3149d ago

Xbox One S can't render anything above 1080p for games so has to do a complete regular old upscale.

PS4 Pro can render in higher resolutions than 1080p, if that is below 2160p then it upscales too, BUT it can also use checkerboard rendering to achieve higher RENDER resolutions. And no, you and your xbox buddies can keep shouting that it's upscaling, it's not. Go find a good technical explanation 'cos you look silly for believing it's just upscaling!

Yohshida3149d ago

Is it native 4k? No? Its not 4k

Kingthrash3603149d ago

Vid game lab..
You are uninformed and not prepared for this conversation. Clearly.

UCForce3149d ago

Did Sony said native 4K on Pro ? Yes, but some games can run native 4K. Other games will run dynamic 4k resolution on Pro.

Aenea3148d ago

Ahh, so the Scorpio won't be 4k either then, gotcha!

Alright people, you heard it here first, VideoGameLab, an fervent Xbox fan, proclaims the Scorpio will not be worth it because the Xbox One S can upscale too! Just stay with your Xbox One S, no need to upgrade!

Christopher3148d ago

You just answered your own question by admitting there are 4k games on the Pro...

Jman23148d ago

@Aenea
It kind of is an upscale if your rendering at half the pixels and useing nearest neighbour interpolation too fill in the rest of the missing pixels. It depends on yoru definition of upscale, does upscale mean going from a low resolution to a higher one with filtering or does it mean faking that your rendering 4k when your not in some cases because your rendering 4k at half pixels.

Aenea3148d ago

@jman2

Nope, it's not upscaling. What it does is divide an entire, full, frame into 2x2 rectangles, like in this image:
http://i.imgur.com/lnYHDdx....
Then it renders all the red pixels, skipping the green ones, the next frame it renders the green pixels and skips the red ones. When there is absolutely no movement in the game those 2 frames can be combined and you will have a full native 2160p frame. When there was movement the GPU uses the ID buffers which tracks objects in 3d space and uses the movement information contained therein to decide which pixels from the previous frame to use in the current frame. Then it uses the information in the ID buffers of the edges of objects to add some more AA to the edges.

This is not upscaling in the traditional sense where you just blow up an image from a lower resolution. This is the definition that has always been used.

Nearest neighbour interpolation is one of the simplest forms of actual upscaling and this is certainly not that!

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 3148d ago
ArchangelMike3149d ago (Edited 3149d ago )

Try as you might, you can't stop the juggernaut. The 'players' are willing to pay for a quality product, and that's exactly what they are doing with the Pro. It seems that the haters on the other hand are all 'green' with envy.

Neonridr3149d ago

possibly. But I will be eager to see what MS brings to the table in 12 months time. I guess we will see how many people will jump on the Pro to help push the PS4 sales. I just got mine, so I am excited to hook it up, but sadly no 4K TV so my experience with it will be much different than someone elses.

ARESWARLORD3149d ago

Same here 1080p for me. Just installed a 2TB drive in my shiny new PRO and doing the transfer as we speak. I hope they support out resolution nicely. Side note, I am also looking forward to the Scorpio and have hope for 4K projectors in the next year or so to replace mine.

Neonridr3149d ago

@ARESWARLORD - yeah I will do the transfer this evening. I have a 2TB in my current PS4 so I have to back everything up to an external drive first, then will swap the HDDs out from both machines.

Looking forward to a better VR experience (hopefully).

ArchangelMike3149d ago

We can only live in the here and now, and right now Sony are making all the right moves. Remember, not everyone will live to see 12 months time. I also don't have a 4K TV, and probably won't be able to get one for another couple of years. I do have PSVR though, and already I can see the difference in RIGS and The Playroom. There is also slight difference in resolution for Battlezone, and there's much more bloom effects. Not all games have been patched though, for example Rush of Blood and Eve:Valkyrie. I'm installing Rise of the Tomb Raider and will soon see how the Pro handles Lara's latest outing :)

Rude-ro3149d ago

I wonder if the gaming library will be as shallow and repetitive..,
What good will the Scorpio power be with the Xbox one as an anchor and play another halo, another forza etc
Power is not xboxs issue.

Death3149d ago

@rude,

Or another Uncharted or another GT? I'm not sure how you can complain about the Xbox library when the same holds true on the PlayStation. The PS2 and PS3 libraries were much more robust than what we have seen on the PS4. You are throwing rocks in a very glass house.

Ginpachi-sama3149d ago

@death
nier (coming to steam but w/e)
Gravity rush
Last guardian
Kingdom hearts remaster
Gundam
Nioh
Spiderman
Etc etc etc so yea we're still getting way more variation

Aenea3149d ago

@death

Cool! So we are getting yearly GT games and Uncharted games now too huh? Awesome news!

Wait! What? That's not the case? But you said it is the same as with Halo and Forza and the like?

darthv723148d ago

@arena. No we are not getting yearly GT games. Hell we havent even gotten this gens first GT game. On average we are supposed to get 2 GT games per gen.

Its been 3 years already PD/Sony..... im losing my patience.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 3148d ago
Maxor3149d ago

We need more Pro enhanced games and more patches for existing games. It's a damn shame that for most of my games the Pro is basically an over sized PS4.

UCForce3149d ago

Again, you want to split fan base ? Are you seriously want that ?

Stwert3149d ago

Definitely, the more the better, but they will come its early days yet. Contrary to what many people seem to believe it's not splitting the fan base at all, any PS4 Pro enhanced game will still play just as it ever would on the base PS4. The very definition of not splitting the fan base. Somewhat like arguing that some games which are optimised for Nvidia but not Ati split the fan base, no, still works on both just one gets a bit better performance.

But there's always going to be polarising opinions on hardware. I'm platform agnostic always have been, buy them all it's the only way to play all the games. What amazes me is that 40 years into playing games and I still see basically the exact same arguments time and time again. Mostly badly informed at that. Like when people can't comprehend the difference between checkerboard rendering and upscaling. And before you say it, obviously it's still not native 4K but it's a lot different than simply upscaling.

I suppose we're doomed for all time to see these same pointless arguments over and over. Even now when the two major platforms are practically interchangeable, both just little PC's in a simplified skin, we hear the same nonsense from both sides. Why so insecure about your investment?

Personally, couldn't give a toss really, I'm from a small minority who like games and don't care what platform they are on. So why am I rambling on. Easy, my morphine has kicked in and I felt like having a rant while I sit waiting on my Pro being delivered. Just as I will be this time next year when I'm waiting on my Scorpio falling into my hands (or in a few months time for the Switch) :D

Maxor3148d ago

Another problem with the Pro is that in some games, ESO for example, the checkerboard is really obvious. When I pan the camera around my character the outlines becomes really blurry in contrast with the background of the game world.

In other games, like Deus Ex, the Pro runs worst and have more drop frames than the basic PS4. That is unforgivable. Sony over reached with 4k. The console clearly lacks the horse power to deliver a superior experience.

Errorist763149d ago

Especially since the Pro is just 50 dollars more for a huge upgrade. It's ridiculously to question it's existence.

Neonridr3149d ago

The most disappointing thing for me is the whole PSVR - HDR issue. I don't have a 4K TV yet, so obviously I can't take advantage of the HDR features in the game. But I don't like the idea that I will have to constantly change around HDMI cables depending on if I am playing an HDR enabled game or a VR game. Seems like an oversight on Sony's part to not allow the Processing Unit on the PSVR to pass through HDR signals (not sure the reasoning there).

I guess my only solution will be to not have the PSVR hooked up unless I am actually going to use it that session.

Rimeskeem3149d ago

That is the most first world problem I have ever heard.

Next would be a Ferrari not having a TV in it.

TheColbertinator3149d ago

@Rimeskeem

True enough

Whine whine whine

Death3149d ago

I don't think it's expected to have a TV in a Ferrari. A more fair comparison would be like saying you have to take the seats out of your wifes minivan and put them in the Ferrari if you want to drive it. Having to swap HDMI cables or choose between PSVR and HDR is a pretty irritating thing especially when you have two products launching at the same time like this. It's a pretty big oversight or lack of planning.

Neonridr3149d ago

so you are saying that it's ok that I have to get up and constantly switch around wires behind the machines because it's only a first world problem? Yeah, way to brush off an oversight on Sony's part. There is nothing defendable about that choice at all and you making a mockery of my genuine concern is insulting.

It's ok if Sony isn't perfect Rimeskeem, the world will go on.

Aenea3149d ago

Yeah it is rather weird indeed! Really feels like the Pro and PSVR weren't designed by the same teams. Or, which might be more likely, that PSVR was done way, way earlier but they were waiting until they could produce enough AND, more importantly, have games to show on it. Adding it in when the design was already final might not have been so easy (even tho many people believe companies like Sony can just change designs on the fly or even create them in a few months).

Still, it's crazy this happened and is a massive oversight.

What I'm going to do though when I get my 4k TV next year is just grab the cheapest HDMI splitter wit

Zeke683149d ago (Edited 3149d ago )

@Aenea
I checked splitters but here it's impossible to find a true 4K splitter WITH HDR and 10Bit passthrough that supports HDMI 2.2b. Alright I found one, a professional one - but it cost around 8000 Euro, lol not for me ! :)
All the ones in the price range I think is OK, lets say up to 150 Euro or so, is downgrading my 4K TV picture in one way or the other :(
Sony failed big on this one I think. And it will cost us die-hard customers in the end...

Aenea3149d ago (Edited 3149d ago )

@Zeke

How about this one, costs $39.99: https://www.amazon.com/AV-A...

They talk about it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/PS...

Zeke683148d ago (Edited 3148d ago )

I checked it out and if you read the info text it says 4k 60hz at 8bit.. I really want 10 bit or I lose million of shades in HDR alone. And you can goggle 8 bit vs 10 bit uhd and you'll find how much it affects the picture quality.
But thanks for the tip 😊
Edit check this out:
http://www.zero-friction.ne...

Aenea3148d ago (Edited 3148d ago )

@zeke

Well, the thing is, at it's basic level the device you need for this doesn't need to support much of anything, it just has to pass through the stuff. I read somewhere from someone who knows more about this that it would be easy for him to make something for a few dollars that will actually work and pass through anything untouched which is what you basically want. After all, it's just wires, nothing more, nothing less. Sadly most of these actual, buyable devices, try to do more than just pass thru the data which is where the incompatibilities creep in.

Am sure there will be something already on the market for cheap that actually works and if there's not then someone will make it. Perhaps even Sony could...

Perhaps this one then: https://www.amazon.com/Spli...

Has a huge graphic claiming it's HDR compatible :)

Still I also believe all these do way more than you actually want...

Zeke683148d ago

@Aenea
Thanks for another great tip :) I check it out more in-depth later today.
I got my Pro yesterday and copyied (spelling?) all my 1.63 TB from my OG PS4 to my brand new Pro (wich I also upgraded to a 2TB drive.) Took me 6 hours and 12 minutes with both connected to my Asus R-TN66U Router so today I'm just gonna poke around in all the games I got that got patched up for the Pro.

On topic: The passing through is an interersting subject. My homecinema reciever claims it has an clean pass through on both audio and video with HDR. BUT when I compare picture with / w/o the reciever its like night and day ! :/ Thats the sad thing, you can't really trust any component manufacturer it seems...
It's a (digital) jungle out there hehe :)

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3148d ago
Sono4213148d ago

I am actually very upset with the ps4 pro.. so I have a 4k TV with HDCP 2.2 and 120hz refresh rate but for SOME REASON my PS4 pro will not detect my HDCP 2.2 so i'm stuck with 1.4 and right when I select 1.4 it says while using HDCP 1.4 some 4k applications will not actually be in 4k.... like ok... then what is the point of me having the PS4 pro and a 4k TV?! well I've read about it and apparently a good amount of people are having the same problems.. the PS4 Pro for some reason is having trouble detecting HDCP 2.2 on certain TV's... VERY annoying... Sony needs to get a patch out for this ASAP or I WILL be returning mine.

Also don't even try to say it's me or my TV because I have the Xbox One S and it runs all 4k content just fine, and don't call me an xbox fanboy either... go ahead check my comment history.. i'm mainly pro sony.. I just think this is bs.. i've basically wasted so much money...

Zeke683148d ago (Edited 3148d ago )

@Sono
Did you connect the Pro directly to your TV with the cable that came with your Pro ?
I did and it shows HDCP 2.2 both in PS Pro Settings and on my TV output info.
And it might be other way around, the Pro detects your TV but does your TV send the right signal to your Pro ?
Some TV's have only one 2.2 out HDMI and mine, Samsung KS8000 series, well all HDMI out are 2.2 and I can activate/deactivate them one by one in the TV menu.
I mean, connect it to exactly the same hdmi out as you got working with your Xbox S before, it should work just fine then.
Edit: (found at pocket-lint.com)

"PS4 Pro tips and tricks: How to ensure you are getting 4K and HDR
Hopefully, the PS4 Pro should automatically detect your 4K HDR TV when it first boots up, but if not you can check the settings yourself.

Head to Settings>Sound and Screen>Video Output Settings. Here you can set the resolution (2160p - RGB for 4K HDR) or leave it set at Automatic to adapt on a game by game basis. You can also set your screen size to optimise the view in 3D mode, the RGB Range (although that's best left at Automatic), HDR and Deep Colour Output. Leave the last two at Automatic.

You can also check your TVs capabilities and output format under Video Output Information."

Hope you'll sort it out. :)

Rimeskeem3149d ago (Edited 3149d ago )

It's for the devs which are for the players. Well most of them.

kevnb3149d ago ShowReplies(3)
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60°

Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition announced for Nintendo Switch 2

We have another announcement from the Little Nightmares universe as Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition was just announced for Nintendo Switch 2. It launches on October 10, 2025. According to today’s announcement, Little Nightmares Enhanced Edition will run at 4K and 60 frames per second.

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nintendoeverything.com
Terry_B1d 9h ago

..announced for every System including the Switch 2.

hiawa231d 1h ago

Definitely getting it for the Switch 2.

660°

Microsoft planning “major” Xbox layoffs next week

The cuts are expected to be announced next week.

Microsoft is also planning thousands of job cuts that will impact other parts of it businesses

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theverge.com
1d 22h ago Replies(1)
1d 22h ago Replies(1)
Obscure_Observer1d 21h ago

MFs has been beating their chests over great quarterly results and big profits to shareholders while firing people by the thousands just like Sony.

I wonder if at the top of those rumored layoffs they´ll also cancel upcoming or unannounced games while shutting down more studios as well.

1d 21h ago
pwnmaster30001d 21h ago

Always got to throw shade at Sony smh.
Yes we get it,
MS good Sony bad
MS bad Sony is also bad lmao

1d 21h ago
Obscure_Observer1d 21h ago

F* them both!

Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares.

Terry_B1d 21h ago

Yeah..its super annoying.

blacktiger1d 20h ago

He was talking about both. Why you getting offended when he's using both names

pwnmaster30001d 19h ago (Edited 1d 19h ago )

@Blacktiger

Im not offended , that’s just his formula lol
He can’t help help himself, he needs to bring Sony down when the topic involves MS.
Whether is good news for MS or bad, it some how leads to Sony doing bad lmao.
It’s actually hilarious.

InUrFoxHole1d 14h ago

He's not wrong but im tracking what youre saying. In this case is should just be MS bad. Thats a lot of people fired

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 1d 14h ago
Tacoboto1d 21h ago

"just like Sony"

Gosh you're insufferable, not everything needs to be both-sides'd. Sony's had layoffs, but nothing like what Microsoft has been doing and is continuing to do.

CrimsonWing691d 21h ago (Edited 1d 21h ago )

I mean, no offense, but this is why you’re not some corporate business person running a major corporation. Big profits don’t mean jobs are safe. Do you understand why things like this happen:

Cutting jobs to maintain or increase profitability, especially in underperforming divisions like parts of Xbox like other gaming divisions.

Corporate restructuring and relocating resources for strategic stability in ever changing markets and consumer behaviors.

Investor expectations and optimizing operations to maintain investor confidence. Whatever boosts stock prices and improves future margins.

And there’s many other factors at play. It’s never as simple as business doing well, everyone’s safe. That’s just you not understanding at all how corporations work and have been working since the beginning. This isn’t something that’s specific to Xbox, you can bet your ass Sony and Nintendo do this and if it’s not clear by now, game development is not a stable job nor has it ever been for many. A lot of developers are contractors and guess what happens when a project is done?

Ganif1d 19h ago

Nintendo said they have no plans for layoffs, and you can't seriously claim that the scale of Sony's layoffs most of which involved Bungie which is self managed as even close to the same scale as what Microsoft has done since they purchased Zenimax. And that significantly less layoffs would have happened if those publishers had stayed independent. Keep in mind that much of these layoffs have been due to redundancies specifically related to these buyouts.

CrimsonWing691d 19h ago (Edited 1d 19h ago )

@Ganif

Nintendo:

https://gamerant.com/ninten...

Sony:

https://gamerant.com/playst...

https://techxplore.com/news...

I don’t think it’s realistic to treat Sony’s layoffs as somehow outside the norm for the industry right now. Even if Bungie is self-managed, Sony’s cuts went far beyond that like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, London Studio being shut down completely, and multiple teams across the globe took hits. These weren’t just minor adjustments.

Nintendo, I had to look up and you’re right. They seem to be an outlier, but rest assured at some point it happens. And even then there’s been layoffs, albeit a smaller amount and contractors.

Would fewer layoffs have happened if studios from acquisitions stayed independent? Maybe. But even independents have been hit hard and look at what’s happened with Embracer’s fallout, or smaller devs like Digic, Roll7, or Volition. This isn’t just a “Microsoft problem” or strictly tied to acquisitions; it’s a broader correction happening across the whole industry, and unfortunately, layoffs are a big part of that process right now.

Ganif1d 18h ago

From your article:

"According to reports, Nintendo of America restructured its testing operations, leading to layoffs of about 120 contractors, part of a strategy for global integration.

Nintendo of America, publisher of iconic franchises like Mario and Zelda, is shifting some contractors to full-time roles for better development integration."

Contractors are not employees, and even if you want to count them as that, it's 120 people vs around 7500 since Microsoft purchased Zenimax.

In an era of game industry layoffs, Nintendo is hiring more people
https://automaton-media.com...

Nintendo Announces 10 Percent Pay Raise For Devs Despite Lower Profits
https://kotaku.com/nintendo...

Nintendo CEO’s refusal to layoff staff goes viral following industry-wide cuts
"Satoru Iwata took pay cuts to ensure staff didn’t have to be let go"
https://www.nme.com/news/ga...

And as for Sony you're comparing less than 1000 total jobs to an estimated7500

Has the industry faced layoffs, yes, but that still doesn't account for the mass layoffs due to redundancies that was easily predictable, or that fact that at least 1/3 of Microsoft's layoffs and studio closures happened before the industry downturn.

thorstein1d 18h ago (Edited 1d 18h ago )

Take the L, Crimson.

People hate Nintendo, but Ganif proved why they deserve support.

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-Foxtrot1d 20h ago

It's like banging your head off a wall, he just can't help himself.

Microsoft can do no wrong, Sony sucks at everything and Nintendo is bigged up because it's less hassle than trying to defend Microsoft all the time

What's going to happen when Microsoft finally turn completely third party, then what?

anast1d 20h ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts1d 20h ago

Did you know that the first n4g was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program.

Tacoboto1d 19h ago

I wouldn't be surprised at this point if anast and osbcure were both alts for the Admin.

We know how Obscure especially drums up additional comments and clicks with his spam-worthy remarks that somehow never get moderated

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LoveSpuds1d 17h ago Show
Profchaos1d 17h ago

Thats business present a strong front to your shareholders while your company burns around you.

Keep shareholders happy at all costs andnif not happy keep them numb to the reality of you organisation

Angyobangyo1d 8h ago

" Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares. "

Just for the record, you clearly you do if you have to vent this hard.

TheExecutioner1d 4h ago

Basically you think like kids when it come to choose between candy or chocolate.

Sonic18811d 3h ago (Edited 1d 3h ago )

Are you and Anast the same person?

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 1d 3h ago
1d 21h ago
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140°

Sony Faces Class Action in the Netherlands Over Allegedly Inflated PlayStation Store Prices

Mass Damage & Consumer Foundation in the Netherlands has filed a class action against Sony for inflating PlayStation Store prices.

dveio1d 20h ago (Edited 1d 20h ago )

My personal opinion:

Manufacturers and publishers have indeed inflated the industry.

From $700 million development costs for games like Call of Duty, to digital (store) prices for games and DLCs, online multiplayer fees on consoles (why can you play Helldivers 2 online for free on PC but not consoles?) or still preventing sell/lend digitally purchased games.

Sometime in the future, this bubble will collapse.

They should know better, but they just can't help themselves and suck even the last penny out of our wallets.

BeHunted1d 17h ago

Because Sony knows people will be forced to pay those prices for single player and multiplayer games, not everyone prefers PC gaming. Sony also has a monopoly on PlayStation digital games. In 2019, they stopped allowing retailers and game key sellers to sell PlayStation digital games, making them available only through the official PlayStation Store

anast1d 20h ago

The Dutch gov. wants a piece of the pie.

Eonjay1d 19h ago

They should be suing the individual publishers increasing the prices to $80 instead of suing the store. There are plenty of publishers still selling game for like $50 with much success (like E33). But this proves that the publishers are the ones setting the prices.... so again nothing changes because they aren't even going after the main offender. How is suing Sony going to make Microsoft not charge $80 for the next COD? Sony being the number one store in the market doesn't mean that publisher have to charge us an arm and a leg. Again the industry is laughing at us because consumers never get real representation. Just these fake platitudes that are meaningless.

BeHunted1d 17h ago

"How is suing Sony going to make Microsoft not charge $80 for the next COD"

Because Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly, I can purchase Call of Duty at a huge discount from CDKeys or other gaming retailers. The only way to purchase digital PlayStation games is through the PlayStation Store.

djl34851d 16h ago

Weird, I swore GoW, Stellar Blade, Horizon Zero Dawn, TLoU, etc. were on the steam store....uh.....

BeHunted1d 13h ago (Edited 1d 13h ago )

@djI3485

I'm talking about PlayStation games that you can only purchase on PlayStation. I can purchase Steam and Epic games from 3rd party retailers and key stores.

"Sony to stop selling full-game download codes at retailers"

https://www.videogamer.com/...

Killer2020UK1d 18h ago

About time. There is zero fair reason why digitally distributed products that you cannot recoup any value when you want to dispose of them, should be priced higher than that of physical copies that entail all of the costs and the benefits of owning.

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