Sony officially unveils the PlayStation 4 Pro and the PlayStation 4 Slim

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After months of speculating, it is finally here. Sony has finally announced the console formally known as Neo called the PlayStation 4 Pro, as well as the updated slim version of the PlayStation 4.

Before we get into the PlayStation 4 Pro, let’s briefly touch on the PlayStation 4 Slim. As shown on the numerous leaks, the PS4 Slim will be replacing the current fat PS4 from this point forward. Slimmer though it may be, the PS4 Slim will still sport the same hardware that is found on its heftier sibling. The PS4 Slim will start shipping on the 15th of September, and will retail for USD299 (RM1,210)

Now, for the main event: the PlayStation 4 Pro. The PlayStation 4 Pro is pretty much what the leaks implies it to be, which is a much more powerful version of the standard PS4 console that will support 4K resolution as well as HDR. For hardware, the PS4 Pro will come with an upgrade GPU, a processor with a boosted clock rate, as well as a 1TB hard drive.

For the games part, Sony has also confirmed rumours that games developed for the PS4 from this point forward will be able to take advantage of the PS4 Pro’s higher specced hardware. Some of the games that will be coming to the PS4 such as Horizon Zero Dawn, Mass Effect: Andromeda, For Honor and Spider-Man, will be available in 4K resolution. As for PlayStation VR, Chief Architect for the PS4 Mark Cerny mentions that the improved hardware on the PS4 Pro will translate to better graphics, higher framerates, and much more. On the videos side of things, Sony has confirmed that both Netflix and Youtube will be developing new apps for the PS4 Pro, giving these apps the ability to playback content in 4K resolution.

Just in case you feel that the old PS4s are getting shafted in favour of the PS4 Pro, don’t fret as Sony has revealed that the PS4 will be getting a firmware update next week that will grant the PS4 HDR support.

The PlayStation 4 Pro will be hitting store shelves on the 10th of November, and will have a retail price of USD399 (RM1,619). Nothing was said about a trade-up program for current-gen PS4 owners, so unfortunately, you’re going to have to buy another console if you want that 4K goodness.

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Sony partners up wth startup to create self-learning intelligent systems

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Tech companies such as Google, IBM and Microsoft have been busy tinkering with artificial intelligence for the past few years or so. Today, yet another company will be entering the AI space as Sony has partnered up with a startup to create the next generation of AIs.

According to a report by Reuters, Sony has made an investment into a U.S. start-up by the name of Cogitai. This year-old California-based firm, founded by three researchers, focuses on technology that allows machines to learn continually and autonomously from interaction in the real world. “It builds on everything that has come before. There’s supervised deep learning to distinguish objects and then there’s reinforcement learning because AI needs to act in the world and learned from consequences. But the new part is the ability to learn and build on those previous things,” says Dr. Sainder Singh, co-founder of Cogitai.

Sony isn’t exactly new to the AI business of course as the company has had experience with this sector of the industry thanks to both the AIBO and the QRIO robots that were developed in the early 2000s. The Japanese’s company’s partnership with a relatively inexperienced startup could be potentially beneficial to both parties as Cogitai could put their applications to practice while Sony can aid the startup in developing their next generation AI.

“From an objective perspective, we are lagging ehind. But there are still unexplored areas – some in cyberspace but vastly more in the physical world. And we have a number of products in the physical world. We make hardware. That’s our strength,” says Hiroaki Kitano, Chief Executive of Sony Computer Science Laboratories.

Source:
Reuters
,
Engadget

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Sony PCM-D100 First Look: A Hi-Res audio recorder with dual zoom mics

340

When
Sony
 launches a new product locally, the company never cease to take that opportunity to introduce us to a few rare products on top of its major product announcement and this is what I’ve personally think is a really nice product to take a first look, meet the PCM-D100, a Hi-Res audio voice recorder that records brilliant audio with its two position
microphones
.

On first impressions, the PCM-D100 looks like one of those handy zoom mics that you’ll find on the market, the PCM-D100 clearly isn’t just meant for recording interviews but also meant for film making voiceovers and digital music recording. The PCM-D100’s two position
microphones
 remind us of those on its MV1, which is a pair of high performance condensed
microphones
that has staggering maximum input of 128dB SPL and frequency response of 2oHZ-20KHz, which will mean it is sensitive enough to pickup sound like a needle dropping on to the floor faraway,

if you think that pair of
microphones
 aren’t good enough,
Sony
 does let you connect an external microphone with its 3.5mm microphone port, there’s also a Line-In and Audio-Out port, which will let you record external audio sources and monitor recording sound respectively.

The PCM-D100 isn’t powered by a lithium battery but instead, it uses 4 standard AA battery which
Sony
 doesn’t include rechargeable ones out of the box, the company estimates 12 hours of battery life on continuous recording. While the Hi-Res Audio moniker may sound gimmicky to most, the PCM-D100 does record file formats that not every handy recorder could support, those file formats include FLAC, PCM Linear, DSD and the usual MP3, WMA, WAV and AAC-LC file formats.

As a not so advanced recording guy, I have to say that
Sony
 has made the user interface of the PCM-D100 pretty easy to navigate, its dot matrix
LCD display shows
 all the details that you’ll need to know, its menus and settings are also easy to navigate around that I don’t even need to read the manual to know how to use it, there’s a dial on the side that also lets you control the Microphone’s sensitivity. While this remains as first impressions, we’ve requested a review unit from Sony Malaysia and will be trying out on our upcoming videos as soon as we receive it.

Since the product comes with the Hi-Res Audio moniker, you are not going to expect an affordable price tag, the PCM-D100 retails at RM2,499 which is a huge premium over some other flagship handy recorders such as the Zoom H6n, however when you consider the recording capabilities and a line-in audio port for recording sound from other audio devices, the price is no longer a big deal if you are serious about sound. Stay tuned for a review soon.


Sony plans to announce the PS4K before the release of the PSVR

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We’ve reported that Sony is possibly working on the
PlayStation 4K
 but it was just rumours then. Today though, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sony is aiming to announce the PS4K before the PlayStation VR launches in October, so it seems that the rumours are true.

According to people that are familiar with the matter, Sony will be selling the PS4K as a higher-end PlayStation 4 machine that can handle high-end game experiences like virtual reality. As for the standard PlayStation 4, Sony intends to continue manufacturing the base PS4 console as well.

If you’ve already own a PlayStation 4, barring any surprise announcements from Sony, you’re going to have to purchase the PS4K console if you want to take advantage of the enhanced graphics and power. One of the Wall Street Journal’s sources say that the software between the standard PS4 and the PS4K would likely share the same catalogue, but seeing as the keyword here is ‘likely’, it remains to be seen if Sony would eventually be publishing PS4K-only games.

Source:
Wall Street Journal

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PlayStation 5 is now the fastest-selling console in Sony’s history; over 10 million units sold

1.2K

Since Sony launched the PlayStation 5, the console has been selling out globally at rapid rates. This makes it the fastest-selling PlayStation console in Sony’s history — over 10 million units in just 8 months.

But it doesn’t stop there; despite the huge amount of units sold, many fans are still waiting for their turns to get their hands on the PS5. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us as demand for PS5 continues to outstrip supply,”
said
 Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Shortage of PS5 causes disappointment in Malaysian fans

Sadly for Malaysian fans, many are frustrated with the company because they can never seem to get the PS5, even when it comes to pre-orders.
Sony Malaysia
 has been opening up pre-order batches at a monthly basis, but the consoles always sell out within the first few minutes.

Users who are unable to get the console are getting more impatient as they fail to purchase the console and witness more scalpers on the internet selling the PS5 with a ridiculously high price tag. Some will even sell the console up to RM3,900 — in comparison, the digital edition is originally priced at RM1,869 and the disc edition is priced at RM2,299.

Game titles to look forward to if you’re a proud PlayStation 5 owner

On the other hand, if you
already own a PS5
, Sony has confirmed some titles that will be released in the future. This includes the new God of War, Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Forbidden West and more.

“Without your support and confidence, this early success would not have been possible. We are making steady progress with available global supply and can’t wait for the day when everyone who wants a PS5 can easily get one,”
said
 Veronica Rogers, Sony’s SVP of Global Sales and Business Operations.

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Sony PlayStation 5 confirmed to arrive in 2020, no more rumble controllers this time

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Sony has confirmed that the successor to the PlayStation 4 will be arriving “holiday 2020” which could mean by the end of the year, when Santa comes a-calling. The console will be called the PlayStation 5 – shocking, we know.

To be fair, there were talks previously of breaking the naming tradition at Sony, but it looks like they’re not fixing what isn’t broken. What
is
changing however, is the new controller design – Sony has said in a blog post that the new pads will now replace the old rumble tech with haptic vibrations. They say it’ll offer a wider range of feedback depending on the type of game you’re playing.

Also new will be “adaptive triggers” which will be incorporated into the L2 and R2 buttons – apparently these can be programmed by developers to output a tactile response to certain in-game actions like drawing a bow and accelerating a vehicle. What’s great is that this opens up a whole new avenue for game creators to get creative and surprise gamers with different sensations.

Meanwhile, the console itself is said to sport an SSD, an eight-core AMD Ryzen CPU, a Navi architecture-based GPU and 24GB of GDDR6 RAM with 4GB DDR4 memory dedicated to the OS. The systems can also support 8K gaming. These specs haven’t been set in stone just yet, the PlayStation 5 is shaping up to be quite an interesting machine.

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Sony PlayStation 5 design finally revealed; new game titles confirmed

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This is the new Sony PlayStation 5, and what a looker Sony’s latest gaming console is. The reveal event took place earlier this morning, where two consoles were introduced – the regular PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition.

Digital Edition?

The latter doesn’t have a disk drive – as its name suggests, the machine only runs digital copies of video games. With that said, the PlayStation 5 is said to have “
best-in-class
” storage speeds, along with ample
storage
 space for games – so an all-digital version of the console sounds like it’ll sell.

Futuristic aesthetics

Image credit: Sony

The design of the machine itself boasts the same black and white aesthetics of the accompanying
DualSense
 controller, which was introduced much earlier this year. Also like the controller, a blue LED accents the device – it could also act as a visual cue for when the console is in different states (on/off/rest).

Standing tall

Like
its
 competitor, the
Microsoft Xbox Series X
, the PS5 looks like it’s built to be placed vertically – this orientation should eat up less space around your house; however, you can also choose to place it down horizontally if you’re a traditionalist.

PlayStation 5 games

The PlayStation 5 will be available this Christmas, while its official pricing has yet to be announced – what
has
been announced are the list of PS5
games
 that are in the works – there’s
Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales
,
Gran Turismo 7,

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
, and
Resident Evil 8: Village
.

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Sony unlocks the PlayStation 5’s extra storage slot with beta update

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Whether or not you own a PlayStation 5 (lucky you), or are planning to get one when there’s actually enough of it
to go around
 – you’ll be glad to know that the storage expansion feature on the console will soon be available to use.

The feature was touted prior to its launch as a way for owners to increase their storage by way of a high-speed SSD; the caveat was that this feature was locked upon release, leaving users with 678GB of the 825GB of console’s internal storage.

That’s all about to change as Sony starts rolling out beta updates for selected users to be able to install an additional M.2 drive – and this means that if everything goes swimmingly, the officially update will roll out to the masses soon.

Sony has even published a guide on how users can go about installing their own SSDs. It’s not all peachy however, because in order to work, PlayStation 5 will require a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD that has a sequential read speed of 5,500MB/s.

On top of that, Sony says that you’ll also need to provide adequate cooling for your SSD because of hard it’ll be working round the clock to run your games; you can achieve this by getting an SSD that comes with a heatsink, or add one by yourself.

If the beta testing goes without a hitch, then we can likely expect the proper update to roll out very soon. Visit PlayStation’s website
here
 to read up on the guide.

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Sony PlayStation 5 is given an estimated price by market analyst, and it’s surprisingly cheap

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You’ve likely seen reports of Sony PlayStation 5’s potential specs online a week ago, and like us, you’re likely to be impressed too.

To recap, the will supposedly come with a 1TB SSD, an AMD Ryzen CPU, it supports up to 8K gaming as well as ray tracing; these sort of specs on a PC would cost you quite a but of moolah so many figured that the PS5 will be pricy too.

Image credit: T3

That’s apparently not the case however, as Pelham Smithers, MD of market research has given his assessment of what the console will most likely cost. Taking into account that all spec rumours for the console are true, Smithers say that the PS5 could cost only $399 (about RM1,646) – a far cry from the ball park RM3,000 price tags people were guessing.

Smithers’ hasn’t gone into details as to how he’s crunched the numbers, but he says that Sony will be eager to make the price appealing to the masses, as for the longest time, fierce rivals Microsoft Xbox has been the more affordable option.

We’re still a little skeptical of the $399 price tag, but we’ll keep an open mind since the console’s specs haven’t officially been announced. In any case, you can expect the PS5 to be announced sometime next year and should hit the shelves soon after.

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Sony PlayStation 5 to arrive this November 19: Priced from below RM2,200

579

The arrival of the
Sony PlayStation 5
 is nigh as its much-anticipated official pricing has been announced as its launch is set for November 19 worldwide.
Its pricing is also surprisingly affordable – the PS5 Digital Edition will cost $399.99 (RM1,649), while the standard edition will cost $499 (RM2,063); the latter priced the same as its main rival, the Xbox Series X.

On top of that, you can look forward to playing launch-day titles such as Demon’s Soul, Marvel’s
Spirder
-Man: Miles Morales, Destruction All Stars, and more.

The pricing for the PS5’s accessories
have
 also been announced:

DualSense
 Wireless Controller
 – $69.99

Dual Sense Charging Station – $29.99

Media Remote – $29.99

PULSE 3D wireless headset – $99.99

Image credit: Sony

To recap, this are the specs of the PS5:

CPU

x86-64-AMD Ryzen™ “Zen 2”

8 Cores / 16 Threads

Variable frequency, up to 3.5 GHz

GPU

AMD Radeon™ RDNA 2-based graphics engine

Ray Tracing Acceleration

Variable frequency, up to 2.23 GHz (10.3 TFLOPS)

System Memory

GDDR6 16GB

SSD

825GB

5.5GB/s Read

Optical Drive

Ultra HD Blu-ray (66G/100G) ~10xCAVBD-ROM

(No optical drive for Digital Edition)

Video Out

HDMI™ OUT port

Support of 4K 120Hz TVs, 8K TVs, VRR (specified by HDMI ver.2.1)

Audio

“Tempest” 3D AudioTech

Dimensions

PS5: Approx. 390mm x 104mm x 260mm (w x h x d) (excludes largest projection, excludes Base)

PS5 Digital Edition: Approx. 390mm x 92mm x 260mm (width x height x
depth)(
excludes largest projection, excludes Base)

Weight

PS5: 4.5kg PS5 Digital Edition: 3.9kg

Power

PS5: 350W PS5 Digital Edition: 340W

Input/Output

USB Type-A port (Hi-Speed USB)USB Type-A port (Super-Speed USB 10Gbps) x2

USB Type-C® port (Super-Speed USB 10Gbps)

Networking

Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/axBluetooth® 5.1

Taken from PlayStation Official website

So with both the Xbox Series X and PS5 costing the same, which team are you on this console generation?
 Visit PlayStation’s website
here
 to learn more.

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Sony PlayStation 5 patent leaked – shows off gaming PC-like design

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The current console cycle is coming to an end – we have another year or so before we usher in the next devices from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. One console in particular have been the talk of the town of late amongst gamers – the PlayStation 5, mostly due to the confirmed specs of the machine by Sony themselves.

In a recent report of a supposed leak of the PS5’s patented design drafted by Sony’s technical director Yusuhiro Ootori, who was credited in the PS4’s patents last time around. Based on the draft of the developer’s kit version of the console, we an overall bulky build – with almost a football stadium-like design.

The machine looks to have massive upward-facing vents on its sides, while a sizeable dent in the middle looks to be either more vents or heat sinks. Over on the front of the console looks to be an optical drive along with five USB ports, a power button and possibly a mini display port.

This reaffirms the beefy specs we already know – an AMD Ryzen 8-Core CPU, a Radeon Navi GPU, and an SSD. The machine is said to be able to support up to 8K resolution too. The PS5 has PC-like internals so it makes sense that the console itself looks like a PC too.

Now, this is said to be just a developer’s kit – and as usual, they always looks bulkier than the consumer product, which is more streamlined. For reference, here’s what the PS4 dev kit looks like:

Image credit: Reddit

So take this news with a punch of salt, because the final product could look vastly different – if anything, this is a sign of how powerful the PS5 could be.

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Sony PlayStation 5 specs announced with backwards compatibility with PS4 games

445

Just a day after Microsoft revealed the specs for their upcoming Xbox Series X console, Sony quickly follow suit.

The Sony packs an eight-core AMD Zen 2-based CPU clocked at 3.5GHz – what’s interesting is that the processor will function more like PC chips where it can be utilized by developers in single-threaded mode or multithreaded mode. On top of that, the CPU can boost itself should the conditions allow it – in single-threaded mode, the CPU boosts up to 3.8GHz, while in multi-threaded mode, it boosts up to 3.6GHz.

The AM RDNA 2-based GPU here pushes 10.3 Teraflops of performance, which is lower than the Xbox’s 12 Teraflops – the Sony’s GPU however is clocked higher at 2.23GHz compared to 1.8GHz on the Xbox. The Sony also has less compute units at 36 compared to 52 – so it will really be interesting to see how the PS5 runs games, especially at 4K resolution or with RTX turned. The Xbox claims to be able to run that high at 60 frames, so if the PS5 can achieve that, then the difference in specs is inconsequential in the end.

For storage, the PS5 packs a custom 825GB SSD that has a bandwidth of 5.5GB/s – Sony claims that it’ll run games 100 times faster than its predecessor. You can also expand storage with a
NVMe
 SSD, unlike the Xbox’s proprietary expansion card. Plus, you can connect
a
 HDD externally via USB too. The PS5 packs 16GB of GDDR6 RAM to top it off.

That’s really all there is to talk about right now since Sony didn’t reveal the device itself – but in some areas, the PS5 does look to lack behind the Xbox; at the same time, the Sony will most likely be cheaper too by $100 as usual. It doesn’t matter to us because the Xbox has never really been officially available to us;
plus
 people would argue that Sony has the better exclusives. At the end of the day, if the Sony can perform as well as the Xbox, we might see another top seller on our hands again.
 On top of that, the PS5 will be backwards compatible with PS4 games, adding to the appeal to those who want to revisit older games on a more powerful machine.

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Sony PlayStation 5 could cost over RM3,000 according to leaked Amazon listing

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We don’t know about you guys, but we’re definitely excited about the
Sony PlayStation 5
 – its
imminent
 arrival drew closer after Sony unveiled the console’s
design
 last Friday.

How much exactly?

But one thing Sony didn’t show was how the PlayStation 5’s price tag – but the internet always finds out; according to reports, information on the prices came courtesy of Amazon UK suggesting that the PS5 will be priced at
£599.99 (RM3,232) for the 2TB model.

That is very expensive for a console, but at the same time, we can’t say it’s not expected. Considering the
hardware
 the PS5 packs, it almost justifies the price tag. But as usual, we try not to base the price of a device based on Euro/Pound conversions as Europe
abides
 by high VAT tax rates that push the retail price much higher.

There’s hope

Image credit: Sony

The UK imposes a standard 20%
VAT rate
 on goods and services, so when it arrives in Malaysia it should cost a lot less.

The listing has since been removed and Amazon has been cited as saying that the removal was due to an
“error”.
 If there really was an error, we’re now left guessing as to what the error is – perhaps in the pricing, console variant, or just the timing of the listing itself.

In any case, based on this we can expect the PlayStation 5 to arrive in Malaysia for at least RM2,500 and that’s fair for what a beast of a machine the console is.

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Sony PlayStation 5 ad reveals immersive features

402

In Sony’s latest
PlayStation 5
 video, the company revealed a list of features that’ll come with the console including haptic feedback, 3D Audio support and adaptive triggers.

3D Audio

The video titled “Play Has No Limits” promotes an immersive experience via the DualSense wireless controller. With 3D audio support, players can sense the directions of sound accurately through the controllers, heightening the gaming experience.

Adaptive triggers & Haptic feedback

Game developers are also collaborating with Sony to create games that make use of adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. “One I like is blocking the triggers when your weapon jams,” said Dinga Bakaba, Game Director of Deathloop.

PlayStation 5 still has no price tag

Unfortunately, the video did not reveal upcoming PS5 games nor the
price tag
, so we’ll have to wait till the end of the year for the official price.

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Sony PlayStation 5’s new DualSense controller is here!

463

Sony has always taken a ‘don’t fix what
ain’t
 broken’ approach when it comes to the controller designs for their PlayStation consoles – with the incoming cycle along with the introduction of their latest PlayStation 5, this is tradition is about to change.

The company has announced a completely new look for their latest gamepad and it’s called the Sony
DualSense
 – it breaks from the DualShock naming
convention
 that’s been present for 20 years.

Image credit: Sony

This is due to Sony’s new approach with the current controller where ‘sense’ is at the forefront of its design – users will use their sense of sound to hear through the speakers on the controller through PS5’s new Tempest 3D
AudioTech
 surround sound feature; engage their sense of touch with a new haptic feedback which replaces the old rumble tech allowing for more accurate vibrations that reflect what happens in the game; the controller will also have adaptive triggers in the L2 and R2 buttons that lets you feel tension in your actions, like when you draw a bow.

Aesthetically, Sony has also made drastic changes with a more squarish body – it looks larger than its predecessors. Sony says in their blogpost that this is due to the rearrangement of the light bars which are now placed on the sides of the touch pad instead of above it – this apparently makes the controller look larger.

Image credit: Sony

The controller shown by Sony here is white with black accents at the bottom and on the shoulder triggers – the first time Sony has made a two-tone PlayStation controller; we can only assume that the black variant will have white accents too. On top of that, the ‘Share’ button is now replaced with a ‘Create’ button, which essentially does the same thing.

With so many changes now made to both the console and controller, it begs the question if the upcoming PlayStation 5 will have a significant price bump over its predecessors – traditionally, launch prices have stayed below RM2,000; but with so many hardware changes this time around, it isn’t likely for the PS5 to break the RM2,000 threshold. Regardless, the console is set to be launched late this year, so we’ll just have to wait till then for the official local pricing.

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Sony PlayStation Days of Play is coming soon and will offer a limited-edition steel PS4, and discounts on exclusive titles

352

With the Sony PlayStation 5 in our midst, some of you who were contemplating getting a PS4 may have put off the thought until its successor arrives – but you might want to reconsider.

Sony’s Day of Plays is back and with it a plethora of sweet deals for the PlayStation 4! Happening this June until June 17, you can look forward to discounts on exclusive PS4 titles such as Days Gone (RM189), God of War (RM79), Marvel’s Spider-Man (RM79) and more.

Image credit: PlayStation Asia

There’s also a limited-edition PS4 1TB console that gets a refreshed look – steel black chassis with silver embossed PlayStation shapes on the front with what looks to be iridescent finishes to the build material. The accompanying controller also gets the same steel treatment. The console set is priced at RM1,349 – that’s about the price of a PS4 PRO 1TB!

If you’re looking to play online, Sony is also offering PlayStation Plus discounts too. Visit the official PlayStation
website
 for more updates on Days of Play.

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Sony PlayStation 5’s actual dev kit looks crazy

415

As we slowly wind down the current console cycle and usher in the new, gamers far and wide have their eyes peeled for a glimpse of the latest consoles to mark the beginning of said new cycle.

This time around, the Sony PlayStation 5 is the talk of the town again as leaks of the actual developer console appears on Twitter. Up until now, we’ve only seen
renders
 and patents for the device, and although the developer console isn’t meant for the mass
market ,
 it does give as an insight to what the final consumer product will be.

PS5 anyone?
pic.twitter.com/cBggZTIty4

— The Drunk Cat™ (@Alcoholikaust)
November 30, 2019

Previous reports of the console’s patent look to be true as Twitter user @
Alcoholikaust
 shows two machines that look identical to the patents. The consoles look like a football stadium crossed with a space ship and we see vents on the sides as well as inside a divot in the middle of the machine.

What’s also interesting is that the console sports a small display off to the far right displaying text to whoever is working on the console. The devices are connected to what looks like DualShock 4 controllers, but if
rumours
 are true – those could very well be early versions of the DualShock 5 controllers instead.

Based on a previous
report
, the upcoming DualShock 5 will look very similar to the current gen joysticks but most improvements can be found within the controller. Stuff like replacing rumble shock vibrations for haptic vibrations, adaptive triggers for a more tactile feedback, and more.

The dev kit’s size alone should be an indication of the power that the final product could hold – and it’s getting us excited.

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Sony PlayStation Store to impose 6% digital tax next year, but surprisingly not PlayStation Plus service

396

The government is implementing a 6-percent digital tax starting January 1 next year – and it applies to all services and purchasable digital items over the internet. So far, we already know that Google will be adding the tax to their G Suit service, while the likes of Netflix and Spotify will also be affected.

Because the items do cover digital goods, that would include video games. So, joining the list of services to implement the tax is Sony with its PlayStation Store. The price change will take effect on January 1 itself, but the price updates might not show up until 4-6 January.

So
 the prices you see may vary when you get to the checkout page. Also mentioned on the PlayStation announcement, is that the PlayStation Plus service will not have updated prices at the moment.
So
 you can still sign up from anywhere between RM29 for a one-month membership to a RM125 one-year membership. We doubt this will remain once the tax is in effect however.

So
 we recommend you renew your subscription and purchase your PS4 games before the
 extra 6 percent is imposed.

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Sony announces pre-order for the Xperia 10 III; priced at RM1,999

571

The new Sony Xperia 10 III is now available in Malaysia; you can get the device via pre-order, but the delivery will on start from September 24.

Xperia 10 III specs

The Xperia 10 III comes with a 6-inch screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio. Its screen pushes FHD+ resolution, supports 60Hz refresh rate, and is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 6.

Under the hood, this phone is powered by a Snapdragon 690 chip and comes with 6GB of RAM paired with 128GB of storage. It has a 4,500mAh battery and supports 30W fast charging — that’s an upgrade compare to the predecessor that supports up to 18W charging only.

While you’re still getting a 12MP main lens accompanied by two 8MP lenses, Sony did upgrade the camera system. The main lens now come with an f/1.8 aperture and has a focal length of 27mm, while the telephoto lens gets a slight bump from 52mm to 54mm in focal length. The front camera remains the same at 8MP with an f/2.0 aperture.

The Xperia 10 III is available in two colours — blue and black. It can be pre-ordered at RM1,999 from
Sony’s official store
; you’ll even get free gifts like a casing, a screen protector and a WI-C310 wireless in-ear headphone.

Xperia 10 III


Sony subtly confirmed a massive PS5 leak

393

You have every reason to be excited for Sony’s PS5 because if this huge 4chan leak is true, then the console will be unveiled at a PlayStation meeting even on February 5.

Although the original post on the 4chan board has been removed, the information has been reposted on reddit, revealing information such as buzz words for the features of the PS5, backward compatibility up to PS1, forward compatibility for DualShock 4 controllers and more.

While not all information may be true, the last item of the list sounds legit. The leaker stated that “It’s time to play” will be PlayStation’s new PS5 and brand slogan and we would’ve brushed it off but it was spotted on PlayStation Europe’s Twitter handle.

Though the leaker seems to be telling the truth, his/her second last info stating that Sony will return to E3 this year has contradicted what we’ve heard so far. Just a week ago,
GameIndustry.biz
 was told by a Sony spokesperson that the company will be skipping E3 2020. This contradicts the current information provided by the leaker, so it’s best not to believe everything that was revealed in his/her post.

However, if the 4chan leaker is right about the dates and price, then the PS5 will be unveiled in February and launched worldwide in October at the price of $499.

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Sony refreshes PlayStation Plus with access to old games

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If you own a modern PlayStation, chances are you might have received an e-mail from Sony informing about changes to your upcoming PlayStation Plus subscription in a very vague way, the company has in fact added two new tiers to the subscription plan, while existing subscription will be migrated to a tier called PlayStation Plus Essential, which gamers continue to enjoy benefits such as cloud saves, online multiplayer access and two monthly downloadable games, there are two more expensive tiers called PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Deluxe being offered to PlayStation users in the Malaysian market.

The new Extra and Deluxe plans are obviously competing with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass and Nintendo’s Switch Online service, which both allow access to a number of games and classic games that the original PS Plus subscription lacks, the PS Plus Extra tier will offer gamers up to 400 PS5 and PS4 titles from PlayStation Studio and other developers, it will cost users RM44 monthly, RM114 quarterly and RM269 yearly.

The Deluxe plan ups that amount of games to an additional 240 games including those from PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP, it is stripped of cloud game streaming from the more expensive Premium plan, which isn’t being offered for the Malaysian market, gamers will also get time-limited game trials under this plan before buying, the plan will cost RM30 monthly, RM130 quarterly and RM309 yearly, a slight increase from the Extra plan that makes sense if you really want to play classic PlayStation games.

These new tiered plans will be available for sign up starting June 2022 onwards, what do you guys think about these new PS Plus subscriptions?

Source:
PlayStation

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Sony releases full frame FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA lens

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Sony has introduced a new full frame 50mm prime lens to its E-mount camera system today, the SEL50F14Z features a large f/1.4 maximum aperture that offers impressive contrast and outstanding resolution with the inclusion of ZEISS glass, its optical structure includes high-precision AA (Advanced Aspherical) and ED (Extra-low dispersion) glass elements that reduce spherical and chromatic aberration, the ZEISS T* coating will also ensure flare and ghosting are minimized to capture images with superb clarity, while the len’s Planar design ensures minimal distortion.

With the f/1.4 aperture, this 50mm prime lens is able to provide levels of brightness and speed that are advantageous for dimly lit indoor shots, night scenes and portraits, its 11-bladed circular aperture allows for stunning “bokeh” in images as well. The lens will also has an aperture ring with an adjustable on/off switch, an AF/MF focus mode switch, and a dust and moistrue resistant design. For videographers, you’ll be happy to know that this lens will perform focusing silently as it is equipped with a ring drive SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) system. The FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA lens is now available for purchase at Sony authorized dealers and has an asking price of RM6,999, a typical price you will have to pay for a ZEISS glass.

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Sony releases two soundbars perfect for your living room

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Sony has just announced a new entry into the soundbar market with the HT-MT300 and HT-MT500 soundbar, made to produce high-quality sound and at the same time looks good to be placed anywhere in the house. The MT500 can upscale and enhance all sounds that it plays and comes with a slim wireless subwoofer that is small enough to blend in your living room or placed under your sofa to really feel the bass.

The soundbars were designed specifically so it does not block the IR sensor of your tv, giving you a better freedom of placement even if your tv cabinet is small. Sounds are enhanced thanks to the S-Force Pro Front Surround, giving a cinema-style surround sound and for added experience, Sofa Mode can be enabled to feel the low-frequency effects when the subwoofer is positioned horizontally under the sofa or place the subwoofer vertically next to another piece of furniture.

Music is also easily played on both devices with the MT300 supporting smart connections via Bluetooth and NFC while the MT500 will come with Chromecast built-in to support Spotify Connect, it also comes with a Music Service button for quick access to the last song played from Spotify without your mobile phone or tablet.

The HT-MT500 and HT-MT300 are now available at all Sony Stories and selected Sony Centers nationwide and retails for RM2,699 and RM1,199 respectively. For more information on these products visit the
MT500 product page
 and the
MT300 product page.

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Sony removes Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store and issues refund

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You may have heard of how unpolished Cyberpunk is on previous-gen consoles with players complaining about poor optimization, dodgy graphics, and wonky physics, plaguing the otherwise enjoyable game.

The issue got so bad that the game’s developers CD Projekt Red (CDPR) encouraged unsatisfied players to request for
refunds
. In the same vein, Sony has today announced that they will be issuing refunds for the game, and even crazier, is also pulling the game from the PlayStation Store.

SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, and we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store and want a refund. Please visit the following link to initiate the refund:
https://t.co/DEZlC0LmUG
.

— Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation)
December 18, 2020

If you’re want a refund for your PS4 copy of the game, visit Sony’s website here and sign into your account to submit a request.

There’s no word on when Sony will return the game back to the PlayStation Store, and we’ll have to wait until CDPR provides adequate patches before we can hope for its return onto the digital store. For now, the game is best played on a capable PC, but even then, bugs are rife – but they’re mostly not game-breaking…mostly.

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Sony reveals a ton of new games at the PlayStation Experience event

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At the PlayStation Experience (PSX) event held earlier today, Sony revealed a slew of new games that will be available in 2017. For the most part, most of the new titles announced at the event are sequels that many have been waiting for. Without further ado, here are the new titles that were announced at the event.

Knack 2

Knack, one of the PlayStation 4’s launch titles, is getting a sequel in the form of Knack 2. The original Knack was widely considered to be…rather average at best, so it is rather surprising that the game will be getting a sequel. From the trailer, Knack 2 will be the same platformer that the first game was, but with co-op support. Here’s hoping Knack 2 will be a better game than its predecessors.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Just because Nathan Drake’s story is over doesn’t mean that the Uncharted franchise as a whole is finished. Uncharted 4 will be getting a DLC in the form of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. This standalone story will put players in the shoes of a Drake’s ex, Chloe Frazier, and she will be teaming up with one of Uncharted 4’s bad guys, Nadine Ross.

Perhaps the best part about The Lost Legacy is that it will be a standalone title, meaning that you’ll be able to play this title even if you’ve never owned, or have already sold, your own copy of Uncharted 4.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

Capcom has been trying hard to deny rumours that a new Marvel vs. Capcom game was in development. At PSX, we finally found out that a new MvC game isn’t just a rumour, it is a real. Coming sometime in 2017, the trailer revealed that Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite will include Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Ryu and Mega Man as playable characters. Also, it seems that the Infinity Stones will be part of the gameplay mechanics, presumably replacing the current X-Factor system. The game will be available on Xbox One and Steam too, so you don’t have to worry about the game being multiplatform.

In addition to MvC:I, Capcom has also announced that an updated version of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will also be making its way to the PS4, Xbox One and Steam. Those who’ve yet to try out UMvC3 can now do so on their new consoles.

The Last of Us: Part II

The long-awaited sequel to one of the best games ever made in recent years is finally in development as Naughty Dogs confirmed that The Last of Us: Part II will be a thing. No timeframe was given to when the game will be released, but the trailer confirms that the story will be focused on both Joel and Ellie. Expect a late 2017 or even a 2018 release for this game.

Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

Ni No Kuni, more popularily known as that one JRPG that Studio Ghibli has a hand in, will be getting a sequel by way of Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom. Made by Level-5 studios, the game will retain the cartoony artwork that the first one has. Unfortunately, Studio Ghibli won’t be involved in this game at all.

Ace Combat 7

It’s been almost a year since Bandai Namco revealed anything about Ace Combat 7. Indeed, many were wondering if the title was shelved for other games. Come the PSX event, we finally a new trailer for Ace Combat 7, and it is looking good. The cheesy dialogue is back, along with fighter planes that houses missiles, guns and what may even be a railgun. No release date was given, but at least we know that AC7 has not been abandoned…yet.

The Remasters

Rounding up the list, we have a bunch of remakes that will be coming over the next year or so. The first of these remakes is the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane trilogy. This is very much a HD remake of the original three Crash Bandicoot games: Crash Bandicoot, Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Bandicoot: Warped. Sure, it’s not the new Bandicoot game that many wanted, but if it does well, a new Crash Bandicoot game could very well be real.

The next remake on the list is WipEout. WipEout Omega Collection is a remastering of the WipEout HD, Fury and 2048 for the PlayStation 4. Expect this game to be available in Summer 2017.

Remember PaRappa The Rapper? Well, what’s considered to be one of the first ever rhythm games will be getting a remaster for the PS4, bringing with it 4K support while retaining the whole Simon Says-style gameplay. While the game will be available next year, a special PaRappa The Rapper 20th Anniversary Demo is available for download today. Incidentally, both Patapon and Loco Roco will also be remastered.

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Sony reveals Xperia X smartphones at MWC 2016

279

For MWC 2016, Sony revealed that they will be launching a new line of Xperia phones, the Xperia X.

Unlike the Xperia Z series, the Xperia X will be focusing on the design and camera instead of raw performance. As such the two of the three Xperia X smartphones that were revealed at Barcelona sits on the mid-range market. That said, Sony’s mobile division has worked closely with its camera division, resulting in a smartphone camera that focuses rapidly and accurately by predicting subject motion to eliminate any blur. Sony has also worked on the battery of the Xperia X series as it now comes with Qnovo’s adaptive charging technology. This tech supposedly tracks battery usage, allowing the smartphone to last for two whole days.

The Xperia XA is the lower end of the two devices, sporting a 64-bit MediaTek MT6755 processor and 2GB of RAM. It features a 5-inch 720 display, a 13MP Exmore RS, 1/3″ rear camera and an 8MP front camera. It will also come with an expandable MicroSD storage.

Moving on, the Xperia X is the middle child in Sony’s new Xperia series. The phone features a 5″ Full HD curved screen and is powered by a Snapdragon 650 and 3GB of RAM. The camera on the Xperia X is also a step up from the XA as it has a 23MP rear camera with Predictive Hybrid Auto Focus and a 13MP front camera.

Lastly, the “flagship” of the Xperia X series is the Xperia X Performance. The specifications of the Xperia X Performance is largely the same as the Xperia X, but instead of a Snapdragon 650, it comes with a Snapdragon 820 instead. The camera on the Xperia X Performance is identical to the one available on the Xperia X.

All three phones will be made available in four colours – White, Graphite Black, Lime Gold and Rose Gold – and is currently scheduled for a Summer 2016 release.

Source :
Engadget
,
Phone Arena

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Sony rolls out Android 5.1 Lollipop for Xperia devices

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Sony
 announces that they will start to roll out the latest Android 5.1, Lollipop upgrade from today for Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z2
Tablet
. The company also mentions that after they mix Google’s latest lollipop release with the
Sony
 software, there is a lot of improvement.

The new updates feature more customization options so you can have better control over the way volume, silent modes and your alerts function. Sony also includes LinkedIn integration to allow you be more productive with intuitive contact synchronization in your calendar. As you know Sony takes camera functionality very seriously, therefore they improve the camera with better photo taking experience and more accurate with Superior Auto Mode focus for great images by ignoring the conditions nearby.

For users that own Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1 Compact and Xperia Z ultra you will receive the update starting over the coming weeks, then followed shortly thereafter by Xperia T2 Ultra and Xperia C3, then the original Xperia Z series with Xperia M2 and Xperia M2 Aqua.

This update was a promised that
Sony
 made a few months ago that they will release the latest software update and it has been a long ride to wait for the officially released but fortunately,
Sony
 did it and released the newest Android 5.1 .

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Sony rumored to launch Xperia Z5 Ultra with SD820 next year

293

Although the new
Sony
 Xperia Z5 is just announced during IFA 2015 in Berlin, the Z5 premium is the world’s first smartphone with a 4K display, is not the only ultra high-res smartphone that
Sony
 is preparing. However, the new rumor suggests that
Sony
did not give up on releasing a large-screened phablet under the “Ultra” moniker.

If this new rumor is true, the Sony Xperia Z5 Ultra will come with 6.44-inch display running a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels (4K), the same 23MP primary camera that Sony has fitted inside the standard Xperia Z5, the
Xperia
 Z5 Compact, and the Z5 Premium with a large 4000mAh battery to keep the lights on for as long as possible.

Furthermore, the handset is said to come with Qualcomm’s upcoming high-end mobile SoC, the Snapdragon 820 will pair with 4GB of RAM and it will be able to handle virtually any task that an Android smartphone can perform. Besides that, there is another rumor stated that the
Sony
 Xperia Z5 Ultra will be unveiled in March 2016 which is after the 2016 edition of Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress.

Since the rumors is a few weeks earlier before the actual thing happen, so take this rumor with a proverbial grain of salt.

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The Sony RX0 Action Camera goes official in Malaysia for RM3199

426

At Sony’s IFA event this year, the company has unveiled its first action camera for its RX line up, the RX0 is an ultra-compact, strong and waterproof action camera that will take stunning images with its 1.0-type stacked 15.3-megapixel Exmor RS image sensor, those who are looking forward to it will be happy to know that Sony Malaysia has finally launched the product here and will be available starting this month for the price of RM3,199.

The Sony RX0 has the largest sensor size of any action cameras in the market, the lens system is a ZEISS Tessar T* 24mm f/4 lens with a 7.7m focal length, which sports an anti-distortion shutter speed of up to 1/32000 and shoots up to 16 fps, which means you are able to capture fast moving subjects with detail, together with such a small body size and its rugged body, the RX0 is designed to take on any challenging conditions given.

Sony camera users will find the RX0 to be quite easy to operate, as it uses the standard user interface found on existing Alpha and RX cameras, the 1.5-inch 230,400 dots display is actually quite decent for viewing purposes, however you can also output clear 4K video with the MicroHDMI port for the better footage monitoring. For videographers, the RX0 will take videos up to 1080p60 with support for the XAVC S codec and slow motion videos up to 1080p250, it will also support shooting in flat S-Log colors as well.

The RX0 is waterproof for up to 10 meters and when paired with the MPK-HSR1 housing, it extends the ability to be used 100 meters, Sony has even gone further to make the camera shockproof up to 2 meters and crush proof up to 200kgf/2000N, making it the strongest action camera that we have ever seen till date. Apart form that, the RX0 also has a lot of accessories to be purchased after that, saving a lot of trouble to hunt for accessories.

To celebrate the launch of the RX0, Sony Malaysia is offering a free VCT-RBM2 Roll Mount, VCT-AMP1 Monopod and 32GB MicroSD card when you purchase the camera. In addition, Sony Malaysia has also launched the RX10 IV for RM7,999 and the all new HandyCam FDR-AX700 video camera. Head on over to your nearest Sony stores to check them out.

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Sony RX100 Mark IV: Refined and speedy

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Sony did a great move when they released the DSC-RX100 series. This compact camera is not just a hit with mass market consumers but even with professionals, as this is a lighter alternative to all the heavy gear and still produces good quality photos and videos.

So, the most recent model to this compact series is the Cyber Shot DSC-RX100 Mark IV.  At a glance it looks similar to the Mark III however, Sony did quite a number of significant changes. For one, the Mark IV now sports a 20.1MP 1”-type stacked CMOS sensor that allows you to take continuous shots even faster than before and videos with higher frame rates, as well as the ability to shoot 4K videos.

If you’re looking at upgrading from a Mark III to a Mark IV, one thing to take note of; because this camera outputs in higher resolutions, it gulps storage space and hence, you can only use all its features if you use specific types of SD cards. It doesn’t really matter if your card is a Class 10 or not, if you don’t use a SDHC UHS-I or II with speed class U3, you are not able to record a high frame rate video, up to 60-Mbps X AVCS video, and 100Mbps X AVCS video.

Design & Build

Being a compact camera, the RX100 IV is slim and sits comfortably in your hand, unless you have large hands then you might find the controls a little too tiny. Basically, the Mark IV looks identical to the Mark III including the body except for some words printed on the top, tilting 3-inch LCD, 24-70mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lens, WiFi connection and ND filter, just to name a few.

The focus ring is slightly different too as the etching is of crisscrossed hatching compared to the Mark III vertical lines, which provides a better grip if you like to go Manual.

Sony also retained the electronic viewfinder and pop-up flash, and the mode dial is almost the same except that in the Mark IV, there is only one Auto stop, and we see a new mode which is the High Frame Rate feature. If you’re unfamiliar with the previous iterations of the RX100, let’s just say that Sony put a lot of thought into making this compact.

The pop-up flash is unique in a sense that you can even tilt it back so you can bounce the light. However, not everything is great. The rear controls that consists of buttons and a dial is quite cluttered and having to navigate them can be a pain, even more so if you have large fingers.

Another thing that irked me is that the tripod mount is placed off-center, which means you can’t open the battery/SDcard compartment door when it is mounted. This mount also makes it hard to use a regular gimbal stabilizer since not all stabilizers have a lot of customization options.

Software & Navigation

Navigating through the menus and functions of the Mark IV can be overwhelming, since compared to many other compact cameras, the RX100 IV has a lot of customizable features. This will take some time to get used to, and thankfully the default settings work just fine so until you’ve figured out how to use every feature of the camera, you won’t be at a disadvantage. I found the pop up error messages really annoying though. It just gives you an error message without letting you know how to solve it, or give any detail on why did it pop up.

There are several downloadable applications for the RX100 and a total of 15 that can be used for the Mark IV. These applications may or may not be useful to you, but personally, I’m usually not bothered to do post processing on the camera itself. However, applications such as Sync to Smartphone and Direct Upload can be quite useful as it syncs photos from the camera to your phone, or directly uploaded to Facebook.

Upgrades & Experience

Since customization is quite an important feature for the RX100, there are a few things you can do with the Mark IV. For one, you can customize 4 buttons on the camera: the C button, and the left, right and center button of the four-way controller on the rear dial. This is quite handy since you can map out the functions you use most often to be easily accessible.

So what is new exactly? Well, the main selling point would be its speed, with the capability to record 4K video. It is quite hard to explain the effect of the speed as a user, but one thing that was a welcome change despite the lack of hardware changes is the speed of the Auto ISO feature. You can even set the auto speed to 5 different speed levels, which are Slower, Slow, Standard, Fast, and Faster; making this a programmable auto-ISO.

Autofocus has also improved in terms of speed, allowing the Mark IV to access a scene faster than the Mark III. Focus feels more accurate and somehow feels similar to Sony’s “Lock-on AF” found on its higher end cameras. Autofocus has had a definite improvement, but not perfected yet; hopefully Sony will continue to work on it so it isn’t as unpredictable as Lock-on AF.

This camera has also included a fully electronic shutter, which means there is literally no noise when you hit the shutter button. Due to this electronic shutter, you can also shoot continuously at 5fps all while using autofocus. The good thing about this silent shutter is that there is no additional noise on your output which was a common thing in previous models.

One thing though; if you like shooting macros or closeups of food and stills, then you will be a tad disappointed with the MFD value of this camera as it isn’t able to shoot closeups very well, or even focus on the subject.

Here are some photo samples using the Sony RX100 Mark IV.

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Sony RX100 VI will arrive in Malaysia on July 2018

332

The RX100 is Sony’s most capable compact camera, and the company is finally introducing the latest member of the RX100 to the Malaysian market, the RX100 VI brings significant upgrade from its predecessor, it features an all new 1-inch 20.1MP ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 24-200mm lens with an aperture range of F2.8-F4.5.

Like previous RX100 cameras, the RX100 VI continues to boast incredibly fast focusing speeds and burst shots, it sports Sony’s Fast Hybrid AF system that locks in focus in 0.03 seconds and has 315-point focal-plane phase-detection AF points, covering 65% of the sensor and contrast-detection AF. The RX100 VI also features a high speed Anti-Distortion Shutter that can perform as fast as 1/32000 second, when this electronic shutter is engaged, it is able to capture extremely fast moving objects with great clarity.

The RX100 VI has upgraded video recording capabilities, it now supports capturing 4K HDR footage, and videographers can take advantage of the S-Log3/S-Gamut3 to capture their footage in flat colors for advanced color grading in post production. The camera’s Fast Hybrid AF system also compliments it’s video recording capabilities, as it ensures accurate focusing and tracking performance. In 4K video recording, the RX100 VI utilizes full pixel readout to ensure all details in the frame are captured with minimal moire and ‘jaggies’. Finally, the RX100 VI is able to capture slow-mo videos at either 240fps, 480fps or 960fps.

For the first time ever on a RX100 series, the RX100 VI features a touch display and a high-contrast 2.35 million dot XGA OLED Tru-Finder, photographers can take advantage of the touch shutter by tapping on the LCD screen, the latter can be rotated 180 degrees upward or 90 degrees downward to achieve the desired shooting angle.

No price has been announced for the Sony RX100 VI, but do keep your eyes on Sony Stores when Sony Malaysia makes this available starting July 2018 onwards. Also, Sony is also introducing the VCT-SGR1 shooting grip accessory compatible with the RX100 and RX0, which will be available on August 2018 onwards.

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Sony seeking to trademark "Let's Play"

247

“Let’s Plays”, videos that show other people playing video games, are a popular staple on Youtube. It is so popular that Sony is apparently attempting to trademark it.

According to the trademark filing
 discovered by users on
NeoGaf
, “Let’s Play” is described as a service focusing on the “electronic transmission and streaming of video games via global and local computer networks.”

Thus far, speculations surrounding this trademark is that Sony wants to use the term for its ad campaigns or perhaps even to re-brand the PlayStation 4’s Twitch streaming capabilities. Of course, there is the possibility that Sony wants to trademark “Let’s Play” as a whole, including the action of recording and publishing gameplay videos done by an individual, although successfully trademarking the act itself would be foolish on Sony’s part as they stand to lose a bunch of good will if it happens.

For now though, the trademark is in “non-final action” status, which usually means that the application was sent back due to errors in the application.

Source :
Engadget

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Sony Smartwatch 3 confirmed to not support Android Wear 2.0

253

Android Wear 2.0 was officially launched just a week ago to the joy of Android wearable users, but existing users won’t be able to enjoy Android Wear 2.0 just yet unless they opt for the newly released LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style in partnership with Google. Google has listed out Android Wear smartwatches that are compatible with the new version of Android Wear 2.0. The Sony Smartwatch 3 was not included in the list, but despite of that, there are still a couple of hopeful’s suggesting otherwise, till now.

The Sony Smartwatch 3, which was unveiled more than two years ago at IFA 2014 has been confirmed to not support the latest version of Android Wear, according to the product’s web page on Sony Mobile’s official site. Under the specifications tab you’ll discover a few lines of fine print below the list of specifications, with the last line stating:

“SmartWatch 3 SWR50 supports up to Android Wear 1.5. Android Wear 2.0 and onwards are not supported.”

If that’s not a solid confirmation of the bad news, I don’t know what is. The Sony Smartwatch 3 is one of the most affordable Android Wear devices in the market right now, but its aging technology won’t allow it to support Android Wear 2.0. If you happen to be a Sony Smartwatch 3 user, it is probably time for an upgrade, that is if you still find Android Wear practical enough for daily use.

Source:
Sony Mobil
e

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Sony SmartWatch 3 finally gets Marshmallow

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While many of us whine over the time taken for Android Marshmallow to arrive to our smartphones, it is a different game when it comes to wearables. Marshmallow’s arrival to the Sony SmartWatch 3 seemed like a fairy tale for quite some time, stalling the wearable in neverland. The fairy tale has finally came true, making the Sony SmartWatch 3 the last Android Wear device to receive Marshmallow.

We’re not sure about the reason behind the delay but we’re glad that its finally here. This news comes from Google Developer Advocate Wayne Piekarski, who made the announcement on Google Plus:

“The OTA for the Sony Smartwatch 3 (tetra) has started today, and within a week or so, it should be available for all users. When all Android Wear devices have the update, I will make another announcement so that developers know when they can remove API 22 support from their apps. We are almost there with the API 23 rollout. Follow me on G+ for further updates!”

With that update, Google finally has Marshmallow running on all known Android Wear devices. The Marshmallow update, or as Google prefers calling it version 1.4 for Android Wear to the Sony SmartWatch marks approximately one and a half years since its release back in October 2014. For more updates, stay tuned with us at KL Gadget Guy!

Source:
 Wayne Piekarski (Google Plus)

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Sony SRS-NS7 wireless neckband speakers launched: Supports Dolby Atmos, and 12-hour battery life

1K

Sony has
introduced

their iteration of a wireless neckband speaker in the
SRS-NS7
 and the brand claims that it is the first of its kind to support Dolby Atmos.

The SRS-NS7 will need a WLA-NS7 wireless transmitter to work – the device is supplied in the box; however, to properly make use of its Dolby Atmos feature, Sony says you’ll need for a BRAVIA XR TV as well.

To use it, simply connect the transmitter to the TV via an optical and USB cable, then pair the SRS-NS7 with the transmitter via Bluetooth.

You can personalize your audio experience via the Sound Personalizer app on your smartphone too.

Under the hood are a set of X-Balanced Speaker Unit audio drivers that help increase sound pressure and reduces distortion for clearer audio output. The device uses upward-firing speakers and passive radiators to deliver audio right to your ear.

In terms of battery life, the SRS-NS7 is able to provide 12 hours of listening time, or up to 5 hours with the volume set at maximum. On top of that, the device charges via USB-C and can give you one hour of listening time with a short, 10-minute charge.

In terms of design, the speakers have a fabric surface finish, and a silicone neckband, along with IPX4 splash-proof rating.

The Sony SRS-NS7 is priced at USD300 (about RM1,255), and will be available in the region this November. Stay tuned on our website for more updates regarding the product’s availability and local pricing.

neckband speaker
sony
srs-ns7


Sony states that they are open to cross-network partnership

274

On Monday, Microsoft announced that they will be bringing cross-network play capabilities to the Xbox One. With that feature coming to Microsoft’s own console soon, the company has since stated that they wish various other gaming networks would join them to make cross-network play a reality. Yesterday, Sony said that they are open to this partnership, although they did not explicitly mention Microsoft nor Xbox Live.

In a statement issued to Gamespot, Sony said that they are open minded about cross-console play. “PlayStation has been supporting cross-platform play between PC on several software titles starting with Final Fantasy 11 on PS2 and PC back in 2002. We would be happy to have the conversation with any publisher or developer who are interested in cross platform play,” says the statement.

Currently, the PlayStation 4 does have on game that supports cross-platform play: Rocket League. The PS4 version of Rocket League allows PS4 players to play against Steam players. In the future, Rocket League will also be able to support cross-platform play between the PC and the Xbox One.

While nothing concrete has been worked out between Microsoft and Sony just yet, Sony’s statement could potentially mean that Xbox vs PlayStation matches may be a reality sooner than expected.

Source:
Gamespot

crossplatform
microsoft
playstation4
sony
xboxone


Sony to hold a PlayStation VR event for Asia; release date expected to be announced at said event

345

Those of you who have been highly anticipating the PlayStation VR, listen up. PlayStation Asia will be holding a special press conference on the 28th of July to reveal more details about the VR headset’s release in the Asia region.

Up until now, Sony has only confirmed that the PSVR will be arriving in both the U.S. and Japan sometime in October. Outside of those two countries, Sony has remained tight-lipped as to the availbility of the company’s own VR headset. With this event happening in two weeks time, Sony has promised that they will be announcing the release date of the PSVR in the Asian region.

Aside from the PSVR’s release date, we also expect other details about the PSVR to be released, mainly the price, bundles and other limited edition goodies. If you’re as hyped up as we are about the PSVR, the event will be livestreamed
right here
.

Source:
PlayStation Asia Facebook

event
playstation
playstationvr
releasedate
sony


Sony to hold a PlayStation VR roadshow this week

404

With the PlayStation VR due to launch in three weeks’ time, it’s understandable that some of you would like to test the device out before deciding to drop money. Well, we have some good news for you. Sony will be hosting a PlayStation VR roadshow this week, allowing you to try out the company’s own take on the virtual reality headset for free.

This roadshow will be held at two locations: One Utama and Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall. While the Sunway Pyramid roadshow dates have yet to be confirmed, the One Utama roadshow will be held from the 21st of September (Wednesday) until the 25th of September (Sunday). Some of the titles that will be showcased during the roadshow includes Batman Arkham VR, EVE GunJack, The Deep and London Heist.

Just in case you won’t be in Malaysia this week, do note that the PlayStation VR roadshow will also be held in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines as well.

Soirce:
PlayStation Asia

batmanarkhamvr
evegunjack
londonheist
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roadshow
sony
thedeep
virtualreality


Sony to include a demo disc alongside the PlayStation VR

332

Good news for those who will be purchasing the PlayStation VR, you won’t need to buy games for it when you finally get your hands on the headset. Sony understands that the PlayStation VR isn’t exactly an affordable purchase, so they’re throwing in a demo disc, allowing you to sample some of the games that will be available for the VR headset.

Inside this demo disc, you will find that Sony has included eight titles. While some of the titles on the disc are more tech demos than full on games, such as PlayStation VR Worlds, the other titles in this disc are proper games that you can have a taste of. Aside from PlayStation VR Worlds, the other games in this disc includes Battlezone, Driveclub VR, EVE: Valkyrie, RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, Tumble VR, Wayward Sky, and Headmaster.

Just in case you get too ahead of yourself, do remember that all the games in the disc are demos. If you want the full experience, you’re still going to have to buy the games showcased in the disc. That said, the demo disc is a great way to showcase the potential of PSVR.

Source:
PlayStation Blog

demodisc
headset
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Sony to pay millions to settle the PlayStation 3 Other OS removal

280

Remember how Sony once advertised that the PlayStation 3 will have Linux support back when the console was first launched? Remember when Sony then released a patch that would remove said Linux support? Remember how Sony was hit with a class action lawsuit in California over that patch? Well, if you remembered those actions, then you probably would like to know that Sony has finally agreed to settle the lawsuit.

After six years of litigation, Sony and lawyers representing as many as 10 million console owners have finally reached a deal on Friday. This deal would see “all persons in the United States who purchased a Fat PS3 model in the United States between November 1, 2006 and April 1, 2010” be eligible to receive USD 55 should they have used Linux on the console. Gamers who bought a PS3 based on Sony’s claims about ‘Other OS’ functionality would also be able to claim USD 9.

In order to get the USD 55 payout though, the PS3 owner must submit proof that they have utilised the Linux feature on the PS3 as well as the proof of their purchase or serial number and PlayStation Network ID. Those who are looking at the USD 9 payout must submit a claim that they “knew about the Other OS, relied upon the Other OS functionality, and intended to use the Other OS functionality.” Alternatively, gamers can also get the USD 9 payout by attesting that “he or she lost value and/or desired functionality or was otherwise injured as a consequence of Firmware Update 3.21 issued on April 1, 2010.”

Just as a reminder, this settlement applies only to those who purchased a Fat PS3 during the duration stated above in the United States. This ruling does not apply outside the U.S..

Source:
Ars Technica

legal
linux
otheros
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sony


Sony to release Xperia Z6 next year

275

We have just seen the Sony Xperia Z5 and its entire lineup not too long ago here in Malaysia, and now there have been rumors that the Japanese company is planning to reveal two Sony Xperia Z6 in 2016. There’s still no confirmed news on when exactly will the new devices be introduced. Prior to this, there have also been rumors that there will be
5 different variants
 to its flagship devices, but Sony probably realised that five flagship devices might be a bit too much.

We are expecting one device to be a standard Xperia Z6, but so far there have not been any rumors of which variant the other device will be; whether Ultra, Mini, Plus, or Compact type. However, there have been rumors that both smartphones will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, and will feature a metal body design.

As for now, we just have to wait and see when Sony will break the news. Don’t expect it to be revealed during CES 2016 as there have not been any signs of it so far.

SOURCE:
SlashGear

rumors
sonymobile
sonyxperia
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Sony unveils the new WS623 Sports Walkman now with Bluetooth

292

Sony unveiled the WS623 Walkman, an all-new waterproof and dustproof wearable now with Bluetooth Wireless Technology to endure extreme outdoor conditions or any sporting activity, becoming the ultimate sports companion. The device features an ergonomic, slim and light design that stays in place no matter the movement and with Bluetooth, you have the option of streaming music from your smartphone using NFC or store your music in its 16GB internal storage

The Walkman is also sea friendly, as it comes with salt waterproof allowing you to swim to a depth of 2 meters with up to 30 minutes of submerge time and it is also dustproof, making it perfect for a casual run on the beach. In addition, it comes with standard earbuds and specially designed earbuds that is covered with a thin film to prevent water damage to the Walkman and optimize sound levels for underwater listening, it can withstand extreme temperatures ranging from -5 Celsius to 45 Celsius.

The device also comes with a in-built microphone that can pick up external voices by enabling the Ambient Sound Mode, allowing you to communicate with people around you without taking of the Walkman. The quick charge feature will give you 60 minutes of audio time with a just three-minute power-up and a full charge will give you 12 hours of battery life

The WS623 Walkman is now available at all Sony Stores and selected Sony Centers nationwide, with a retail price of RM599. For more information on the product and other Sony devices visit the link
here
.

dustproof
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Sony unveils the PlayStation Ultimate Holiday Pack

279

With Final Fantasy XV now out and Christmas just around the corner, it seems that now is the right time to get a PlayStation 4 console. Well, you’re in luck as Sony has unveiled the PlayStation Ultimate Holiday Pack.

Available at various PlayStation Authorized Dealers starting from today, the PlayStation Ultimate Holiday Pack is perfect for those who’ve yet to own a PlayStation 4. The pack itself contains a PlayStation 4 500GB console, three months of PlayStation Plus membership, and a one-year extended warranty for the console. On top of the console itself, the Ultimate Holiday Pack also comes with two kid-friendly games in the form  of Little Big Planet 3 and Dragon Quest Builders.

Still not convinced? Well, the PlayStation Ultimate Holiday Pack will retail for RM1,499. For comparison’s sake, a stand-alone PlayStation 4 will run you RM1,349. In short, the PlayStation Ultimate Holiday Pack is a value for money bundle that you should take advantage of while it’s still available.

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sony


Sony unveils the WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds

3.1K

Sony officially unveiled the WF-1000XM5 earbuds, succeeding the WF-1000XM4 that was launched back in 2021.

The new WF-1000XM5 mirrors its predecessor in design with only a few subtle changes. The earbuds feature memory foam tips that seem slimmer yet stronger. Moreover, a glossy finish now graces the base of the earbuds.

Sony has pulled out all the stops when it comes to the internal workings of the WF-1000XM5. Each earbud is equipped with an array of advanced technology including a new Dynamic Driver X, an upgraded 2nd generation HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN2e, and a fresh Integrated Processor V2. These features collectively enable the earbuds to deliver 24-bit audio processing and amplification.

The ear tips of the WF-1000XM5 continues to use the same polyurethane material that debuted with the WF-1000XM4. In addition, these earbuds also feature the brand’s top-tier Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) function.

Being a Sony audio product, the WF-1000XM5 includes the brand’s array of sound enhancements like LDAC, DSEE Extreme, 360 Reality Audio, and Hi-Res Audio. Not to forget, they also feature a Speak-to-Chat function that pauses media playback whenever the earbuds detect the wearer’s voice.

In terms of battery life, Sony claims that the WF-1000XM5 can run for up to eight hours on a single charge, with the charging case holding two additional charges or 16 extra hours. Furthermore, the case can offer an hour of playtime from just three minutes of charging and is compatible with Qi wireless charging, much like its predecessor.

The WF-1000XM5 will hit the shelves starting from August 2023 and will retail for RM1,399.

sony
sony malaysia
wf1000xm5


Sony unveils the Xperia XA2 Plus, comes with a 23MP rear camera and Hi-Res Audio

399

Sony has unveiled their mid-range Sony Xperia XA2 Plus, which comes with Hi-Res Audio technology and equally premium looking design as the XZ2. This is also the first time that the company is offering their Hi-Res technology in a mid-range phone.

The phone comes equipped with a 6-inch FHD+ 18:9 display with an anodized aluminium frame. On the back, there is the fingerprint sensor alongside a 23MP rear camera with an ISO rating of 12800. Sony has said that the rear-camera will be great for low-light photography and supports 120FPS slow-motion recording.

 On the front is an 8MP camera with a 120-degrees wide-angle lens that was specially made for selfies. Other than that, it comes with a Snapdragon 630 processor, 3,580mAh battery which supports QuickCharge 3.0.

The XA2 Plus will come with Android Oreo out of the box and is available with a leather cover stand in silver or black colour and the phone will come in four colours of Silver, Black, Gold and Green. Lastly, Sony has mentioned that the phone will be available in August but they did not reveal the price yet.

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Sony unveils the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 compact, comes with Snapdragon 845 and 18:9 aspect ratio display

336

Sony has just shown off their first flagship phone of 2018 and as expected it is the Xperia ZX2. The phone comes in two variants, the XZ2 and XZ2 Compact both coming with an 18:9 aspect ratio, ditching the large bezeless on the top and bottom of their previous phones.

The Xperia XZ2 comes equipped with a 5.7-inch TRILUMINOS FHD+ LCD HDR display with a full body display as mentioned from the aspect ratio they are going for. The phones come with Sony’s Advance X-Reality engine and combining with the display HDR support, will convert non-HDR content into HDR quality which is something very unique but we will be testing that out when we get our hands on it.

 The phone comes with an aluminium frame, 3D Corning Gorilla Glass and has a dedicated shutter key position below the power button and volume rocker on the right. On the back, there is a single 19MP 1/2.3-inch sensor size with a f/2.0 aperture camera and a fingerprint sensor below that. Other than that, it also comes with phase detection, laser focus, LED flash, predictive hybrid autofocus and 5-axis stabilization. It can also capture HDR videos in 4K, and 720P or 1080p videos at 960 frames per second.

On the front, is a 5MP f/2.2 aperture camera that supports 3D Creator, allowing you to record Animoji, AR Emoji-like feature of your face. It applies post-processing to improve quality and allows you to share it directly on Facebook.

Specs wise, it comes with the latest Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD slot. In addition to that, Sony has also included a Hi-Fi audio DAC and improved S Force stereo speakers that makes it 20 percent louder than its predecessor. It also comes with what Sony is calling a Dynamic Vibration System that allows you to “feel” the content that you are consuming such as music, games and apps with synchronized vibrations.

The Xperia XZ2 comes with an IP68 dust and water resistant and a rather small 3,180mAh battery which supports wireless charging. It will ship with Android Oreo out of the box alongside accessories like a new Style Cover Touch and Style Cover Stand, Sony’s Wireless Charging Dock, a Quick Charger and a 2-way Style USB Audi & Bluetooth Headset with USB Type-C connector that charges the phone while plugged in.

The Xperia XZ2 Compact is very similar to the standard model expect it comes with a smaller 5-inch display, and a 2,870mAh battery.

The phones will come in four colours, Liquid Silver, Liquid Black, Deep Green and Ash Pink.

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Sony Walkman NWZ-A15 Review: A Hi-Res audio player for audiophiles on a budget

668

Remember many years back when
Sony
 Ericsson launched the Walkman phone, everybody went crazy over its sound quality and the Walkman brand continues to live up its name, Sony has even made sure that the original cassette player Walkman appeared in Guardian of the Galaxies to remind us of the brand’s existence. Fast forward today,
Sony
 sells XPERIA smartphones that offers one of the best multimedia experiences, indirectly affecting sales of its Walkman music players, however there’s one thing that audiophiles will always agree – a smartphone will never be the ultimate music playing device.

Design and Feature Overview

Sony’s recent aggressiveness in promoting Hi-Res audio has got my interest into revisiting dedicated music players, the Walkman NWZ-A15 is Sony’s smallest and lightest Hi-Res Audio in the world or at least the company claims so. True enough, the device isn’t going to weigh down your pockets like a huge
phablet
, its aluminum build quality also tries to tell you that this isn’t some crappy device that the company has made, despite having all that beauty and simplicity, the device is susceptible to scratches and dents so be very careful of it.

The NWZ-A15 sports 16GB of internal memory and a 2.2-inch QVGA (320×240) display with no touch capabilities, therefore you get a five way navigational button and two buttons for Back and Options to control the device, on the right you’ll find a volume rocker, Hold switch, and a MicroSD card slot that takes a 128GB memory card. On the bottom, you’ll find Sony’s proprietary Walkman port for charging and file transfer and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Connectivity wise you’ll get Bluetooth 2.1+EDR with aptX and NFC for easy pairing with Bluetooth devices.

It’s not difficult to use the device and you don’t need to be an expert to use it, there’s no need to sign in to any online accounts, nor do you need to plug in to a PC to get the Walkman working, everything works out of the box. Apart from being able to play music, the device sports an extremely sensitive FM Radio feature that will be able to receive signals in rooms and a video player that plays AIFF, H.264 and WMV9 videos, don’t expect it to play Full HD videos of course.

Simple User Interface and Awesome Sound Quality

Sony
 has kept the user interface fairly straightforward and simple, since it doesn’t run on Android or any common operating system, you don’t need to be worried by lags and freezes, the user is basically presented with a 4×3 icon user interface and you will move around as if you are using a feature phone.

The
music player
 interface isn’t much different from Sony’s previous Walkman products, which allows you to play your songs by tracks, artists, genre and etc, the playback screen is simple and beautiful and it even lets you skip tracks in a fluid album art flow. Options and settings can be easily accessed by pressing the player’s option buttton.

Apart from the usual five band equalizer and ClearAudio+ feature in the sound department,
Sony
 has added DSEE HX to complement the Hi Res audio experience which upscales MP3 files to sound like lossless music, in our tests the audio quality of our 320kbps MP3 does get a little better, however it isn’t going to give you the true lossleess audio experience.

The NWZ-A15 is truly made to enjoy a Hi-Res audio experience, Sony has literally created that moniker as a nicer name to lossless audio, the device will accept FLAC, DSD and WAV files however omitting APE file formats, which leaves us confused as it isn’t an uncommon codec, you’ll also be able to play 24bit/192KHz bitrate audio that only a rare amount of people can notice that sound quality difference, therefore if you have manage to find a VBR (variable bit rate) lossless audio file, you are already in for a great listening audio experience.

Our playlist genre mainly include songs from Michael Jackson, Jay Chou, T-Ara and orchestra performances that will have lots of background instruments in the playback, we also have Sony’s MDR-1A and the Mi Piston Earphones for the test. With the MDR-1A, the device managed to demonstrate audio performance that will definitely surpass a smartphone music listening experience, every detail and instrument sounded natural without overwhelming bass. With DSEE HX enabled, MP3 songs are said to be up-scaled to Hi-Res audio and it is perceivable if you have sensitive ears. On the Mi Piston Earphones, you will be expecting extremely bright sound and a little bass, which is the attribute of the earphone itself, while it isn’t really an audiophile grade earphone, listening to lossless audio on the A15 is still decent.

Bluetooth audio streaming is also great on the A15 when connected to an aptX compatible device and in addition, you’ll be able to send and receive audio files wirelessly. The device isn’t a complicated device when it comes to file transfer as you simply drag and drop audio files on to the player when connected to your PC, while the only complain that we have here is the lack of a standard MicroUSB port, which means you’ll have to keep one extra cable in the bag if you need to transfer data to and from the device.

When it comes to battery life, the NWZ-A15 is an excellent performer, Sony rates the playback time at 50 hours on MP3 and 30 hours on Hi-Res audio, there are times that we forgot to pause the track, leaving the player looping songs the whole day, we simply can’t kill the battery easily.

Verdict

The Sony NWZ-A15 is a dedicated
music player
 made for audiophiles on a budget, while it may not sport fancy features like a smartphone, you certainly won’t resist its great audio quality and capabilities of playing lossless audio files. Despite of that, the device isn’t really affordable at the price of RM699, which most users could have opted to trade off sound quality for a fully featured smartphone that will still be able to play lossless files using a 3rd party app, but there are less chances that you’ll be able to experience that great sound quality on smartphones with that price range, hence the need for a dedicated
music player
 is still required.

The Good:
+ Simple user interface
+ Great audio enhancement features
+ Amazing battery life
+ Sensitive FM Radio receiver
+
MicroSD expansion

The Not So Good:
– Proprietary charging and data port
– Non scratch resistant display
– No support for APE music files
– Expensive


Sony Walkman NWZ-WS615 Review: A sports music player that comes packed with features

1.3K

Sony
 has a good track of making great fitness devices for every of its product family, in fact they are probably the only electronics company that really offers fitness devices from smartphones to music players. In particular, the Walkman brand has gotten pretty aggressive in highlighting Hi-Res audio playback recently except for this time,
Sony
 has introduced a pretty complete sports music player, so complete that you won’t believe that this is actually a product from Sony.

Active and Sporty Design

The Walkman WS-615 isn’t too different from its older W273
music player
, this new sports
music player
 from Sony has a more refined and solid design on its ear piece and looks less plasticky this time. The device has the same wear over design, which you’ll be able to wear it over your head or leave it hanging on your neck when not using it, which makes it a really attractive gadget to carry on if you are the active type of person.

As we’ve mentioned initially, this is Sony’s most fully featured sports
music player
 ever, it features 16GB of internal memory that’s 4 times more than the previous model, Bluetooth with aptX and NFC connectivity, yet maintaining the same 8 hour battery life and IPX8-certified waterproof design.
Sony
 has also included the remote commander, a bulky, nice and welcoming hardware that lets you wear it on your finger like a ring that lets you control the music player without reaching your hands up to your head when you’re busy working out.
In short,
Sony
 hasn’t made a big fuss on changing the design of its new sports Walkman player, however it definitely looks more handsome and packed with full of features this time.

Features and Usability

Forget about storing FLAC and DSD on the
music player
, despite Sony’s recent strong efforts of promoting Hi-Res audio, you don’t need to listen to Hi-Fi audio during your workouts as you definitely won’t be able to hear those audiophile grade sound quality. Therefore, 16GB of internal memory is definitely sufficient for storing all of your high quality MP3 and WMA files.

The Walkman will be able to charge and sync via its provided proprietary
USB cradle
, which also serves as a pretty good storage option if you’re not using it. Transferring files can be done easily via Drag and Drop on a PC or via iTunes on a Mac, no fussy business here.

Functions are clearly marked on each of its buttons which one can simply experiment on to get familiar with it, the button placements are reasonably well placed, one side turns on the player and controls music playback while the other activates Bluetooth and adjusts the volume, switching between Walkman and Bluetooth modes are effortless by simply pressing the “Mode” button, thanks to Voice Commands you’ll be able to know the player’s response with every buttons pressed.

The Walkman’s Bluetooth connectivity not only just streams wireless music from your Bluetooth devices, once connected to your smartphone, hit up Google Play or App Store to download the Songpal app and you’ll be able to control your Walkman’s current playlist and even adjust the player’s sound effects, this is definitely a win and not many sports music player can do.

Sound Quality

Without applying any sound effects on the WS615, audio quality is balanced across all high and low frequencies which is great for work outs. Sony does provide three pairs of normal and waterproof
earbuds
 respectively for fitting different ear sizes.

Despite having Bluetooth aptX support, the Walkman doesn’t sound great even when connected to an aptX enabled device and we actually face intermittent connectivity issues if we merely leave the playback device a short distance away, for instance our pockets, which can be pretty annoying at times.

On the other hand, I tried switching the waterproof earbuds and experience a softer but reasonable volume, swimming with the Walkman player on is rather a pleasure and better than what I expected to be frank, just make sure you have the proper
earbuds
fit in snuggly into your ear as you don’t want it to slip off your ears.

Of course, if you want to achieve deeper bass or more detailed vocals in your music, the Songpal app on your smartphone is the way to go.

Verdict

Sony has just made a better sports Walkman music player, the NWZ-WS615 has one of the most complete set of features that we’ve ever seen on a
Bluetooth earphones
, it definitely had us surprised the most on the SongPal app which we are able to do so much more with the device. As a Sony product, its retail price isn’t the most affordable out there at RM699, however considering that you are not just buying a pair of sports Bluetooth earphones but also a dedicated music player, the price tag is definitely worth paying over a pair of expensive wired earphones.

The Good:
+ Decent and adjustable sound quality
+ Ample amount of storage
+ IPX5/8 waterproof certified
+ Active and refined hardware design
+ Accurate battery life

The Not so Good:
– Poor Bluetooth connection coverage
– Sound quality isn’t great over Bluetooth aptX
– Not the most affordable music player

The Sony Walkman NWZ-WS615 gets a score of 8.6/10


Sony will be expanding the PlayStation Now catalog to include PS4 games

333

Ever wanted to play Uncharted 4 on your PC instead of the PlayStation 4? Well, if you have a subscription to PlayStation Now, you’ll soon be able to do so as Sony has announced that the service will be receiving some PlayStation 4 titles very soon.

In an announcement posted on the PlayStation Blog, Senior Marketing Manager for PlayStation Now Brian Dunn has confirmed that games that originate on the PlayStation 4 will be added to the PlayStation Now catalog soon. These PS4 games will be abailable under a single PS Now subscription, meaning those who are already subscribed to the service will be able to play these games on their PC if they choose to do so.

Little information is given as to which titles will be made available for PlayStation Now, although the post did mention that more information will be available as the launch date approaches. In the meantime, Sony will be holding a private test session for the PS4 games on PS Now, so those with active PS Now subscriptions may want to check their inboxes just in case they’ve received an invite to said test.

Source:
PlayStation Blog

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Sony will be introducing two-factor authentication to PlayStation Network soon

234

Five years since the PlayStation Network was on the receiving end of a major hack, Sony has confirmed that it will be adding two-factor authentication to its online service.

According to Polygon, a Sony representative has stated that the company is preparing to offer a two-factor authentication feature to further safeguard its users and their accounts. While no time frame was given as to when we can expect this feature, the representitive said that more details will be shared at a later date.

While no time frame has been given as to when two-factor authentication will be coming to PSN, we assume that it shouldn’t be long now as the PS3’s 4.80 firmware has an error dialog box that mentions two-factor authentication should you enter incorrect information.

This isn’t the first time a gaming network has had two-factor authentication as both Steam and Xbox One has had this feature for a long time. But as they say, it’s better late than never.

Source:
Polygon


Sony will focus its smartphone business on four markets only

369

Sony hasn’t been the go-to brand when it comes to smartphones especially when there are many other strong competitors in the market. The company has already been shutting down stores in different regions, and it’s not stopping.

Sony has announced that the company will only focus on four countries — Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Europe while places like Australia, Africa, India and Middle East are the few that will be defocused. It is assumed that this strategy is to prevent the business from operating at a loss, so that the smartphone segment of the company will actually turn into a profitable business.

That doesn’t mean Sony has lost its faith in smartphones though. In fact, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida believes that smartphones are “necessary to make our hardware brand sustainable”. We won’t know if the current strategy will work, but it is a risk Sony will have to take.

In the meantime, Slashgear reported that those who are not in the countries Sony focuses on can still purchase their Sony smartphone. The only downside is that the phone might not come with warranty and might face some compatibility issues.

sony


Sony will halt production of the PlayStation 3 within the coming weeks

426

The PlayStation 3’s lifespan is about to come to an end as it appears that Sony intends to end production and distribution of the console in Japan soon.

According to Gematsu, the official Japanese website for the 500GB model of the PlayStation 3 indicates that shipments of the console are scheduled to end soon. One important thing to note about this announcement is that the 500GB PS3 Slim model is the only PlayStation 3 model in production in Japan. Should the production of this model end, that would mean that Sony has completely halted production of the PlayStation 3.

てんちょうです。
2017年3月。つまり今月をもってPS3の出荷が完了となるそうです。つまり生産終了という事ですね。
2006年の11月11日に発売されてから10年ちょっと。まさかこんなに長い間現役で頑張るとは当時は思いもしませんでした。
何はともあれお疲れ様ですね！

— ゲームショップVITA久留米店 (@VITA_Kurume)
March 16, 2017

While Sony itself has yet to reveal a proper cutoff date for the PlayStation 3, a game shop located in Kurume, Fukuoka has mentioned in a tweet that the production of the console will end in March. Assuming this is true, this would mean that Sony would stop producing the PlayStation 3 within the next two weeks.

Source:
Gematsu
,
Sony

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playstation3
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sony


Sony will launch Bronze Pink Xperia XZ Premium in June

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When Sony announced the Xperia XZ Premium at MWC 2017, it turned out to be the first ever Snapdragon 835 powered handset. The phone will definitely not be in the popular list, but it has its own charms. It isn’t a new trend whereby a manufacturer launches a smartphone in an array of colors, before adding a new color option or two after a couple of months. That’s exactly what Sony is going to do as it will debut the Bronze Pink version of the Xperia XZ Premium.

The Bronze Pink Xperia XZ Premium model looks a tad similar to Rose Gold colored phones in the market right now, with a more bronze tone to it, hence the Bronze in Bronze Pink. Xperia Colour Designer, Satoshi Aoyagi explains that “bronze metallic finish adds a feeling of depth to the glass on the front and back”. Apart from the new color, the rest still remains in business when you look at the spec sheet of the phone.

Sony’s STH32 stereo headset will also be available in the Bronze Pink color option in the future. As for the Bronze Pink Xperia XZ Premium, it will launch at select markets from the end of June.

Source:
Sony

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sony xperia xz premium