Hideo Kojima has revealed that John Wick 4 and Nosferatu actor Bill Skarsgård will be the lead in his upcoming Metal Gear spiritual successor Physint.

Appearing at the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 Broadcast, Hideo Kojima gives development updates on both of his upcoming titles for Xbox Game Studios. OD is "steadily taking shape" as performance capture continued this year following the SAG-AFTRA strike. As for Physint – which only last week it was announced Xbox acquired after Sony decided it wanted to cancel the game – Kojima says "the project continues to make steady progress."

Kojima calls Physint "the culmination of more than 40 years of my career: a project that will redefine 'action espionage,' unbound by any existing genres in digital entertainment." Kojima claims he realized he should make a game like Metal Gear Solid while he was sick during the Covid-19 pandemic.

While we already knew Charlee Fraser, Don Lee (also known as Ma Dong-seok) and Minami Hamabe had been cast in the game, Kojima reveals that the game's lead character will be portrayed by Skarsgård. Kojima explains, "we are both long-time fans of each others' work, and we've decided to embark on this new adventure together."

Kojima also acknowledges the game's new home, saying, "I would also like to thank our partners at Xbox for believing in our vision and walking this path toward the future alongside us." He adds, "We are incredibly excited about the road ahead and look forward to sharing much more with you in the future."

Given Kojima said last year Physint is "another five or six years" away, and things likely slowed down a bit while the game was without a publisher, we've probably still got a while to go before we get our hands on it, or even see gameplay for that matter.

Hideo Kojima says his pitch for OD sounded "crazy" to every publisher except Xbox.

PC players in the UK have noticed that a couple of major PlayStation titles have been delisted from Steam, but Sony says it's working to fix the issue.

Earlier this week, users in the UK noticed that Helldivers 2 and Horizon: Forbidden West were suddenly unavailable for purchase on Steam, and that the games' store pages had been delisted. However, given that it was only in the UK and only two games, it seemed to be an unintentional issue – especially Helldivers 2, its most successful PC game by a large margin, and a live service game, which Sony continues to release on PC despite no longer releasing single-player games on the platform.

In a statement to VGC, a Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson says, "We are aware of an issue affecting the availability of select titles on Steam in the UK," adding, "We are working with Valve to address the issue. We apologize for the inconvenience."

It's unclear how this happened, however, as the Steamworks webpage details the process for how to stop selling a game on Steam. Per Valve's guidance, the publisher would need to get in contact with it, and give context as to why the game is being delisted.

While many saw this as a likely glitch, since Sony recently announced it was no longer supporting PC with its single-player releases, it raised a few eyebrows. While it feels incredibly unlikely that PlayStation would remove already released games given its recent string of questionable decisions, it's natural some were a bit concerned.

Here's why we think PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not.

When Sony announced its plan to discontinue physical games by January 2028, players responded by orchestrating a week-long boycott. Meanwhile, I went out and bought a PS5 disc drive.

Boycotts can and do work, but this one felt futile. An analyst confirmed that the boycott made "no significant change at all" in PSN's player count numbers over the course of the blackout. In fact, Sony's stock price mostly trended upward during the period.

Players' hearts were in the right place, but it's time to accept that we're going to see the end of physical games for PlayStation. But as I move toward acceptance myself, I've decided to return to my hard copy roots in 2026 to see what I've been missing.

Physical upbringing

When we were kids, my brother and I would visit GameStop together. We had no particular games in mind that we wanted to pick up, but the promise of finding something new always drew us back. We almost exclusively played used games, emblazoned with the pre-owned GameStop price sticker. Every game we had was on a disc or cartridge, kept in well-loved cases that were popped open and clicked close so often that I could still recognize the sound from a mile away.

I grew up in the GameCube era, with physical memory cartridges you could swap out, CD-ROMs to play on the family computer, and VHS tapes that required you to be on channel three to watch. I have the majority of The Sims 3 expansions in a box with no disc drive to ever return to, original Xbox games that are no longer backwards compatible with the current generation, and a handful of Xbox One games collecting dust on a shelf. Physical media is in my DNA, but somewhere along the way, I traded it in for the convenience of digital gaming.

Nowadays, the majority of my gaming library is on Steam, and until recently, I hadn't purchased a single physical game for this current generation. I bought a PS5 Pro right after the God of War Laufey announcement; I have no intention of missing out on the next God of War instalment now that PlayStation will stop porting PS5 exclusives to PC, and was more than ready to retire my near-obsolete Xbox Series X (the big boy simply can't fit in my room alongside the PS5).

It wasn't until I was in the car, PS5 Pro buckled into the passenger seat, that I was informed of one crucial detail. My friend asked me if I had also bought a PS5 disc drive, to which I responded similarly to Jennifer Lawrence in her infamous Hot Ones meme: "What do you mean?"

I laughed, because the thought hadn't occurred to me that, even in an age where physical media is being pushed out, a current-gen console wouldn't include a disc drive. I bought one a few months later, because I still wanted to use it as a media player – I have the 10th anniversary edition of Interstellar, after all.

When I finally put in that order for a PS5 disc drive, I was excited, and not just because I could use the physical media I already owned. I had just unearthed muscle memory that had been buried in the instant gratification of digital media.

Back to my roots

So I went out and performed my years-old ritual. I found a local used games store, filled to the brim with old and new games, hardware from every generation, countless DVDs and CD-ROMs. The place was a testament to the preservation of physical media. Suddenly, I felt like a kid again.

I walked out of that store with Ghost of Tsushima for $35, as well as two more spontaneous purchases. . All said, I spent $79 on three games – just $3 more than what I spent on my pre-order copy of Marvel's Wolverine. As I got into my car, I remembered being a kid in the backseat, opening up the case of the game I'd just purchased just to stare at the disc or cartridge, look through the booklet, anything to keep me satiated until I got home and could play it.

It's a lost tradition nowadays, especially since now I'm the one driving the car and games rarely come with any sort of booklet. But holding a physical game in my hands, I experienced a level of fulfillment you just don't get when you buy digital.

We can't sway a multi-billion dollar company by pointing out that we're losing true ownership, more affordable options for games, and the age-old tradition of sharing copies of games with friends and family. Those responsible for pruning physical media don't measure it by the same values. But we can still embrace collecting and playing hard copy games while they're here. I certainly intend to make the most of the time I have left with physical games, and you should too.

Check out all the best GameCube games to pick up and play while you're reminiscing.

I can’t help but feel like the side of Sony that’s responsible for the Inzone M10S II is glad it isn’t tethered to the PlayStation brand. At least, that’s the impression I’m getting, seeing as it’s willfully falling deeper down the esports rabbit hole, catering to competitive players by raising its previous 1440p 480Hz panel bar to 540Hz while also dabbling in dual-mode 720Hz capabilities. And, for what it’s worth, I think sticking with its newfound niche is paying off, so long as you’re not a PS5 player.

Yes, the Sony Inzone M10S II is a best gaming monitor contender that’s specifically targeting high-end rig wranglers. That’s not to say you can’t hook up a PS5 to this 27-inch OLED display and have a grand old time, but at $1,099.99, you’re naturally better off checking out 4K options further down the refresh rate food chain. Or, if you’re not particularly fussed about faster speeds, the option for a 1080p 720Hz boost, elevated brightness, and a new anti-glare coating, you could fall back to the OG Sony Inzone M10S during the sales.

Sony has a bit of a habit of framing its screens as successive releases, but I’m not so sure the M10S II is actually a sequel. It’s certainly an improved panel that makes one of my favorite displays from 2024 even better, but it’s not a massive overhaul of the formula. In truth, I am slightly bummed out that the company didn’t come up with a way to make its PC display double up as the best PS5 monitor around too, especially seeing as the vastly cheaper PlayStation monitor is just a vanilla IPS display with a DualSense cradle jammed in the middle, but alas, Inzone screens have picked a separate PC lane.

Monitor minimalism manifest

The cliché of “less is more” is absolutely working in Sony’s favor with its Inzone M10S family, as it remains one of the sleekest desktop screens on the market. You could argue all modern gaming monitors are forced into a sense of minimalism since they’re effectively just black rectangles, but it’s what you choose to bolt onto the package that then adds visual identity.

In the case of the Inzone M10S II, it sticks with the exact same low-profile rotating disc pedestal, rather than pandering to whatever monitor gods decided the only options are V-shapes or big flat hexagons. Placing the pivot at the very bottom of a base, one that looks like it’s admittedly defying physics, helps provide freer-flowing 360° motion, and Sony has even added an extra 10° forward pivot, just in case you’re a competitive sicko who likes to peer down at your on-screen prey.

We’re still completely missing the option for portrait orientation, though, which could be a pain if you’re planning to give the screen a day job as a side Discord panel.

The base is still just 4mm thin, helping give a flush desk effect that makes everything look integrated. It’s not just for show; it’s practical too, since it’ll let you slide keyboards and other desk accoutrements over the top, whereas many other screens have a pretty high lip. The discrete, cantilever stand provides the exact same narrow cable management hole as before, leading to those under-lip ports that are always a pain to reach into.

Standing in the way (remote) control

As is tradition with all my monitor reviews, it’s time to dunk on Sony’s decision not to include a remote control. I find it hard to believe anyone wants to fumble around trying to use directions on a nipple hidden at the back, and while the Inzone M10S II’s OSD controls and separate power button are serviceable compared to some, I need companies to start normalizing wireless buttons.

Even in the context of an esports screen, having a remote control to quickly tweak things without reaching around a monitor is beneficial. It’s not just a luxury tied to multimedia users; it’s simply a more direct way to interact with your screen without bashing a joystick on the lines of the Inzone M10S II.

Looking at Sony’s approach specifically, placing the OSD controls off to the side means the Inzone M10S II will wobble as you toggle. You’re not going to topple the screen, but just like with the way bridges move for structural integrity, I’m not a big fan of my screens having a dance, and that could be avoided with even a simple remote in the box.

Be gone, glare!

Just like with my last Philips Evnia review, I’ve still got my monitor testing station pitched next to a very bright south-facing window. That was a nightmare scenario for a glossy display, but the Sony Inzone M10S II laughs in the face of glare.

The fact that the M10S II is a matte screen inherently helps it combat reflections, but Sony’s anti-glare coating is rivalling even the best I’ve tried. Even Samsung’s Odyssey OLED G6, a screen that prides itself on bouncing back rays, has slightly reflective shapes in these conditions; nothing pings back at you on this Inzone panel.

Of course, coating always comes with caveats, and the muckier the M10S II gets, the harder it will be to clean. You’ll want to largely avoid cleaners, instead opting to buff smudges out with a microfiber cloth, as it’s easier than you expect to mess up the film than you’d think. That’s something I’ve encountered with the Steam Deck OLED, and while you can remove any weirdness by buffing, that can reduce the anti-glare properties.

Fnatic-inspired features and thrills

I won’t lie, I’m not the type of person who’ll invest in gaming hardware based on the involvement of online personalities, celebrities, or competitive players. At the same time, I’m trying to keep in mind that Fnatic, the professional esports organization known for its VALORANT efforts, helped Sony nail down the Inzone M10S II’s specs and finer design details, while I assess its overall feature set.

That journey starts with the OSD and all the things lurking within, and while the menu almost looks the same as the 2024 model, there are some new treats in there. We’re not in single refresh rate Kansas anymore, Toto, so you’ll now find a Dual Mode 720Hz mode menu that integer scales up 720p signals so as to enhance speeds. It’s a clever trick that saves you from dealing with the caveats of just feeding sub-HD into a QHD display, and just like Fnatic, I agree that it was worth adding to the sequel screen.

Stowed away in the “gaming assist” dropdown, you’ve also got a VRR Flicker reduction option, which combats strobing symptoms when switching to darker visuals, like shadowy areas of shooters. With that on, you’ll theoretically benefit from being able to track enemies better without any visual interference, all while still embracing Variable Refresh Rate (something many of you will need when trying to boost fps on most GPUs).

The M10S II also adds dedicated Motion Blur Reduction (MBR) clarity tools, and the inclusion feels like it’s really gunning for the same crown as BenQ’s ZOWIE high refresh rate screens. Those include black frame insertion for combating ghosting, a natural boon if you’re trying to gun down combatants at speed, which works in tandem with the existing suite to really clean everything up, even at ridiculous frame rates.

Paying the 720p piper

I’ve got massive reservations about whether modern games can look good at 720p. I’m also not sure if, outside of perhaps VALORANT and Counter-Strike 2, I’d even switch from the default 1440p 540Hz, especially since my shooter of choice, Overwatch, is capped at 600fps.

That said, playing at 720Hz absolutely feels slick, and the trick with trading resolution for wild refresh rates is to not focus on the details. Not that you would be taking a stroll through any of the esports romps the M10S II caters to anyway, as you’ll be too busy twitch-reacting to your opponents and ensuring you embrace all the accuracy perks provided by the panel.

In Overwatch, I still noticed a slight difference between playing at 720Hz and 540Hz, but I’m not so sure it helped me win games. Yes, I am absolutely the bottleneck in this situation, and if I’m being real, I haven’t got the skills in VALORANT or Counter-Strike 2 to say whether it could elevate a pro player to absolute excellence. What I can do is confirm that the screen delivers blistering speeds at both 1440p and 720p with no caveats besides the obvious definition drop with the latter, and that’s exactly what you want from a screen like this.

Ultimately, though, I’m still not sold on dropping back to 720p for a refresh rate boost. Unlike with full HD dual-mode screens I’ve tested, 720p automatically sets screen space to 24.5 inches, and while that suits professionals like Fnatic, I’d prefer the whole 27-inch real estate. I reckon 1080p is my personal line in the sand, and keep in mind this is coming from a retro console expert who fully embraces lower resolutions. I’ll happily play classics on an Xbox 360 or PS3 that have always looked scrappy, but in most scenarios, there are very few “new” PC games you’ll want to do that with.

Retro gaming experiments

On that note, I am starting to put every monitor I get in for testing through some retro gaming tests in a bid to find panels suited to old setups. If you’ve already caught my guide on how to connect retro consoles to modern TVs or monitors, you’ll already know you can hook up to most screens via HDMI. But, I specifically want to weed out the displays that can deal with old resolutions and aspect ratios correctly, and I figured the M10S II’s 720p could come in handy.

The trick is that if you use something like a GBS Control, the upscaler I recommend for working out how to play PS2 games, scaling up to 1080p on a 1440p display isn’t ideal. However, since the M10S II has that aforementioned 720p mode, it could theoretically match one of the gadget’s presets. Or, it could if it didn’t only provide access to the menu when connected to a PC, and that’s not the only caveat disqualifying this screen from the classics.

While 720p looks crisper on this display than mismatched resolutions, the M10S II forces widescreen when connected to upscalers. What’s worse is that if you switch to 1280 x 960, it squeezes the 4:3 aspect ratio, and while 1080p is the right dimensions, the non-integer scaling looks blurry.

Before you raise your hand, just know that I’m aware the Inzone M10S II is for the exact opposite of retro gaming. Still, for over a grand, I reckon it could do a bit more to cater outside its niche, and while it’s not remotely the only screen that can’t handle low resolutions properly, it contributes to a wider issue.

Building upon a brilliant OLED formula

Outside of competitive tests and niche retro nonsense, the M10S II really shines as a successor to its excellent OLED predecessor. It takes the inky blacks and vibrancy of the original and ramps up brightness to really hammer home its colors and HDR abilities, and those make for a lavish experience when playing games at 1440p

That is to say that if you use the Sony Inzone M10S II as your main screen as well as an FPS portal, you won’t be disappointed. It’s going to trade blows with even the most color-rich displays out there, standing tall as one of the top WOLED options around. It does sit under QD-OLED contenders out there purely in terms of color accuracy, but if you prefer your blacks not looking slightly blue, or dealing with glossy screens, you’ll be looking at a traditional panel like this regardless.

A missed multiformat opportunity

It’s a crying shame that Sony has pigeonholed its Inzone M10S, as while its specs naturally fit competitive gaming, it could have been a great console monitor too. The counter to my petition is the fact that the Inzone M9 II is covering the 4K PC side of things, and the PlayStation brand specifically would rather you buy its 27-inch panel for the PS5.

Here’s the thing, though: I’m not sure why Sony is reserving its excellent OLED panel for a niche section of the PC market. It could have helped this sequel shine as an ultra-fast display with multiplatform provisions simply by adding some of its extra “Made for PS5” tricks and some serviceable speakers. For a grand, it could have all bases covered rather than pointing them towards IPS and mini LED alternatives, all while not neglecting the esports crowd it's clearly aiming to please.

I’m not knocking the M10S II down any point for not including console-friendly perks. However, adding some PS5 perks in there would have helped this Inzone screen inch closer to perfection. Keep in mind that this is meant to be a sequel, and while it refines what its first attempt established, it doesn’t feel like it’s truly expanding its horizons.

Should you pick up the Sony Inzone M10S II?

Those of you who are serious about first-person shooters, extreme accuracy, and blistering refresh rates really should consider the Sony Inzone M10S II. The jury is out on whether a 720p dual mode is the right call, as while 720Hz raises the bar, I almost feel like a 4K/1080p combo would be useful in more games. I know, that’s an awkward thing to say given that one of my only gripes with the original was a lack of said dual mode, but alas, using it in a way that limits its usefulness to 720fps-capable romps like VALORANT is a tad niche.

Don’t get me wrong: the Inzone M10S II is still an incredibly punchy esports monitor, one that defends the honor of its predecessor and achieves the same score as a result. The latter is really due to the fact that it retains the previous MSRP while elevating brightness and sprinkling in some new, competitive-focused features. At the same time, though, it’s placed itself within a niche that bars it from being the absolute best model out there, and yet, it could have potentially snatched that crown by simply considering other platforms outside of high refresh rate PC gaming.

How I tested the Sony Inzone M10S II

For a month, I put the Sony Inzone M10S II through its paces as my main PC monitor. During that time, I used the screen to play high refresh rate shooters like Overwatch while testing non-competitive releases like Cyberpunk 2077. I also specifically tested this screen’s anti-glare properties next to a bright, south-facing window and assessed whether it can properly handle different resolutions for retro console gaming via an HDMI upscaler.

For more information on how we test gaming monitors, swing by our full GamesRadar+ hardware policy for a full rundown.

My PS5 has been collecting more dust these days after Sony's decision to back out of the physical game market, but the newly announced PlayStation Pulse wireless and Pulse Edge wireless headsets could be the trick to drive me back.

The new era of PS5 headsets was announced yesterday on the official PlayStation Blog, by Joe Bentley, the Vice President of Engineering at Sony Interactive Entertainment. There, he revealed that they have been equipped with larger planar audio drivers than the previous Pulse pairs to create "fuller, deeper bass" while maintaining a clean sound for PS5 players. Better yet, the Edge is equipped with ANC, which is entirely new for PlayStation's Pulse headset lineup.

The PlayStation Pulse Edge is the higher-end of the two newly announced PS5 headsets, perhaps as it has the edge over the other with its extra features?

Not only has it got ANC and a planar magnetic driver in tow, but Joe Bentley iterates that it has "double the magnet" volume compared to the PlayStation Pulse. If you're wondering why that's a good thing, the drivers in question are made up of a thin diaphragm with conductive wire across its surface. Magnets sit on either side to create a magnetic field that moves the diaphragm when sound (like from the best PS5 games) travels through.

With more magnets at your disposal, like the 8 per planar driver of the Edge, the more evenly air can move, which helps produce clear and enhanced bass. The downside to this is that headsets like it can be a lot heavier as a result, but there's no indication of how weighty we can expect the upcoming cans to be just yet.

What we do know for certain is that the Edge is also set to include a detachable boom mic for voice chat, AI-enhanced noise rejection, and PlayStation Link support when it launches in "early 2027" - all features you can expect to find on the PlayStation Pulse too.

The Pulse is expected to launch "this holiday season," so you'll have less time to wait. It won't have ANC in its corner, nor a fancy carrying case, or built-in game audio and chat balance control, which you can expect from the Edge. It also only has 4 magnets per planar driver in its midst, but you'll still be able to connect it to your PS5 or PS Portal via PlayStation Link, and pick it up in a White or Midnight Black colorway when it's ready to ship.

For now, PlayStation has yet to drop the prices for the new Pulse headset line-up, but I'll be sure to let you know as soon as those details drop, which should be "soon" according to the blog post. For now, there's still time to pre-order the Pulse Elevate wireless speakers for $219.99 (via PS Direct) / £199.99 (via PS Direct) if you're after some planar magnetic driver-powered sound.

• View all Pulse PS5 headsets at PS Direct

Can't wait for the new PlayStation Pulse and Pulse Edge headsets? Our best gaming headset guide is full of the best PC headsets for gaming, which are also compatible with Sony's current-gen pixel-pusher.

Marvel's Wolverine lead actor Liam McIntyre has thanked Insomniac Games and the Wolverine fanbase as his performance finally reaches the world.

Sharing a post on Twitter from Insomniac community and marketing director James Stevenson of the team celebrating the launch of Marvel's Wolverine with the actor, McIntyre congratulated the team on the release, adding, "Insomniac, you've given this nerdy kid more than he ever dreamed of. No amount of thanks will ever express my gratitude."

McIntyre later followed this up with a video message thanking fans of the game, saying, "Thank you for all of the incredible words and all the amazing support we've had on this really awesome launch day."

The Wolverine actor adds, "we've spent years and years trying to build something that we're really proud of." He also shouts out the team at Insomniac, saying, "you guys are just the absolute best." McIntyre also spoke about his role in the game, saying, "I can't believe it. This has been the honor of a lifetime."

While Wolverine is the worst-reviewed Insomniac Games title since the studio was acquired by Sony – as far as critic ratings go – so far fan reception seems to be positive, with the PlayStation Store reviews sitting at 4.84/5 stars on launch day.

McIntyre is especially receiving praise for his role, with responses to his posts full of positive comments about his performance in the game, and some calling for him to be given more projects as the character.

Marvel's Wolverine dev Insomniac has "been cooking hard" in response to negative feedback: "We have been 100% listening"

PlayStation exclusive games like Marvel's Wolverine and Marvel's Spider-Man aren't Sony's only connection to superhero media. Sony Pictures also produces the Tom Holland-starring Spider-Man movies (and, of course, the likes of Madame Webb). That's created some creative opportunities, as Tom Holland himself has admitted that some of Brand New Day's terrific stunts and fight scenes were inspired by the trilogy of games. Considering the Spider-Man flicks are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios could do worse than taking some similar notes from Marvel's Wolverine.

While the action in Marvel's Wolverine on PS5 is certainly bombastic – expect lashings of blood and gore as Logan pops his adamantium claws to de-limb cybernetic reavers and pounce on ninja hidden in trees before ripping their chests out – high-octane action isn't unusual for the angry superhero. No, I think the most impressive aspect of Marvel's Wolverine, playing it as a long-time comic and movie fan, is how unbothered it is by the long shadow of Fox's iconic X-Men saga, many instalments of which put Wolverine himself front and center.

Suit up

With 10 core movies spanning 2000–2017 (discounting spin-offs like Deadpool), the landmark X-Men films truly define a generation of superhero cinema. Its original two films, alongside Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies, helped to put the comic book movie on the map and turned them into the audience-pleasers they are today.

Even since Marvel Studios got the mutant rights back from Fox in 2019 with Disney's acquisition of the company, they've so far been unable to resist the allure of playing with pre-existing toys. The past eight years have seen variant timeline heroes such as Professor Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and Wolverine in Deadpool and Wolverine being reprised by original actors Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman respectively. A core meta red herring twist in Wandavision even revolves around the idea that Evan Peters may be reprising his role as Quicksilver. Following Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Marvel has finally announced a proper X-Men film is on the way in 2028, starring an all-new cast – and it's vital Marvel gets it right in a post Avengers: Doomsday world.

During all this to-ing and fro-ing, Insomniac Games' own Marvel universe on PlayStation has been in its lane, thriving. The Marvel's Spider-Man games kicked off with Peter Parker already active as the web-slinger, reinventing his history with a suite of villains while also coming up with fresh origins for familiar faces to create a world for Peter Parker to inhabit that's both familiar and fresh.

Marvel's Wolverine takes this approach even further. This is also no Wolverine origin story – only a small flash of memory points towards his Weapon X backstory that saw his bones fused with adamantium metal – but this is a universe in which the X-Men don't yet exist as an institution. In fact, the game opens up with Logan effectively coming out of retirement to assist his old crew, Team X, with rescuing their founder Nathaniel Essex from Bolivar Trask's illegal mutant blacksite facility, ending up on the trail of a grander scheme that imperils mutantkind in the process.

Logan is old, but due to suffering amnesia after going feral, he can only remember the last thirty years of his life, even if his skills before then return naturally – like being able to speak several languages fluently. Even while not being an origin story, this still manages to be a tale that juggles Wolverine finding himself and defining his future rather than his past, all while a parallel journey is happening for a dispersed and diminished mutantkind being hunted down by prejudiced forces. A better future is worth fighting for.

Team X is neither quite like the black ops Team X from the comics (formed of Weapon X test subjects) nor the X-Men themselves. They're an off-the-grid group led by Nathaniel Essex, fighting for mutant rights in a world that has forced them to do so with extreme violence. Early chapters where memorials for fallen members loom large make it clear that anything less will see you snuffed out.

There's plenty of blood-spilling from Logan, but Marvel's Wolverine is also home to quieter, bleaker moments of tragedy that are heartbreaking. Especially as – like in Spider-Man – this paints a familiar world that's just different enough from the source material to leave me constantly wondering where it'll go next, and how it can possibly resolve in a way that's not completely devastating.

Jean Grey, too, is a core character (we are living in the year of Jean Grey). Unlike her recent appearances where she's much younger, it's nice to see Jean Grey here as a grown woman fully capable and comfortable with who she is, what she wants, and what she's willing to fight for.

Here, she's grown up alongside Callisto and this game's version of the Morlocks – a found family of unhoused and abused-by-society mutants with nowhere else to turn. It's even neat to see Logan's pining for Jean in other media inverted as Jean herself is clearly won over by the power of PS5 and its ability to render Logan's incredible amount of realistic body hair and big, glistening puppy dog eyes.

Both Liam McIntyre and Krizia Bajos inhabit their roles as Wolverine and Jean Grey fantastically, with direction that makes the most of the gaming medium to give them a wider gamut of emotions through its lengthy runtime than one movie would be capable of. I also have to tip my hat to Troy Baker's turn as Nathaniel Essex, whose British accent is surprisingly good for Team X's morally grey mentor.

Even with these differences, Jean Grey still feels true to aspects from the comics that define her as an enduring character, the same as Wolverine. Plenty of Wolverine easter eggs, teasers, and cameo appearances make it clear where a potential sequel would go while ensuring this version of the world still feels like one lived in by mutants – albeit still different from either of Fox's now-converged X-Men timelines. I actually think it's quite funny that the only movie tie-in suit Wolverine can unlock in the game so far is the yellow one from Deadpool and Wolverine, which is from a character who is decidedly not the one from the rest of the Fox X-Men movies.

I'd been worried elements of Fox's X-Men would be too enduring for this game to escape, and I couldn't have been more wrong. Next up, it'll be time to see the MCU's take on rebooting the X-Men, which promises a back-to-basics team composed of Professor Xavier, Rogue, Storm, Cyclops, and Emma Frost, with Nathaniel Essex also part of the picture. Still, a true back-to-basics approach feels a little obvious. After all, that's what X-Men: First Class already did so well. I want a different take, a fresh take, one that will make me reconsider what I believe the X-Men to be – just as Marvel's Wolverine has done for me in gaming with its own twists on the mutant world.

Logan's latest adventure is definitely not without problems. In our Marvel's Wolverine review, we criticized poor pacing and a choppy structure that feels like it was compiled hastily. But, even days after finishing it a second time through New Game Plus, I'm still thinking about the game's new interpretations of classic characters. I really hope this gets a sequel, purely because I hope this isn't the last time we've seen this take on Wolverine, Jean Grey, and the rest of Team X on PS5. That's exactly the feeling Marvel's X-Men movie needs to give me when I walk out of the theater in 2028. [Pulls out a chess board mimicking the Professor X / Magneto scenes in the movies] – It's your move, MCU.

Snarling for more to play? Check out our best Marvel games ranking. Or, if you'd rather chill, our best Marvel movies list has plenty of suggestions!

After Sony made its decision to end physical disc production for new games on PlayStation consoles in 2028 public earlier this summer, fans gathered to boycott the company – but it's not exactly having any impact so far, apparently.

A few weeks back, various posts were circulating the web about a "PSBlackout" – a boycott of PlayStation and all things Sony in honor of physical media, which folks feel the company is sidelining in favor of digital purchases.

As one thread on X worded it, "We want physical games to stay! A digital-only future without ownership and customer protection law is unacceptable!" The boycott then officially "started" on August 23.

Now that it's been a little while, some users are left wondering if it made any difference in engagement with Sony's media… and, well, it sounds like it didn't – in the United States, anyway, although that seems to be largely where the boycott took off, too.

Veteran analyst and Circana games lead Mat Piscatella confirms as much in response to a curious player who questions if he's noticed "any change that could be attributed to the PSBlackout."

No. There was no significant change at all in player count or engagement in our tracking.

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-09-15T10:08:00.801Z

"No," writes Piscatella. "There was no significant change at all in player count or engagement in our tracking." In other words, the blackout wasn't as fruitful as many had likely hoped.

I'm honestly not too surprised myself, though, considering the sheer scope of Sony's reach in both gaming and outside – plus, there's the fact that the company has made clear it's not budging on its decision to move away from physical releases.

In late July, Sony chief financial officer Lin Tao doubled down on the plan to end PlayStation discs despite "strong views" against it, saying, "We don't see that there will be any negative impact on our business" – and, unfortunately, it appears that she wasn't exactly wrong in believing that, judging by Piscatella's analysis.

I'm still personally hopeful that Sony will see the reaction to Microsoft's own disc-to-digital conversion plan with Xbox and take note…

But, I also do highly doubt it. At the least, I'll keep my fingers crossed that we're able to find a nice middle ground in the future that allows for both digital and physical purchases on all platforms – and better consumer rights, too, please.

Here's why we think PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not.

Insomniac Games community director James Stevenson says the team is listening to the feedback the game received ahead of its launch.

Marvel's Wolverine has picked the worst possible time to be mid – being the worst-reviewed Insomniac game in a decade. Not only is it releasing in perhaps the most packed September to date, right after the critically acclaimed Onimusha: Way of the Sword and The Blood of Dawnwalker and sure to be smash hits Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave and Control: Resonant, but it comes amid a string of bad decisions from Sony.

PS5 consoles are becoming prohibitively expensive for many, Sony abandoning physical games has been a constant in the discourse for months now, and right before Wolverine reviews dropped, it was revealed that the publisher wanted to cancel Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear spiritual successor Physint – with the game falling in Xbox's lap. Basically, Sony needed a win.

And while it doesn't seem like Wolverine is by any means a bad game, it clearly has some issues that have been picked up by players and reviewers over the last week. But in a post on Twitter, Stevenson acknowledges its shortcomings, saying, "We have been 100% listening over the last few days," adding that "the team has been cooking hard today in response to some of the feedback."

While multiplayer or live-service projects overhauling themselves and turning things around isn't too new a concept – see No Man's Sky – it's also started to become a thing in single-player games in recent times. Most notably, Crimson Desert, released earlier this year, has been constantly updating itself based on player complaints, with a full story overhaul patch being released last month. So in some cases you really are better off waiting a few years for things to get changed.

Check out the GamesRadar+ Marvel's Wolverine review to see what we thought of Insomniac's latest.

The long-awaited Last of Us Part 2 multiplayer mod won't be releasing this month after all, or ever, apparently, per Sony's request

The Last of Us Part 2 multiplayer mod, created by YouTuber Speclizer, began development at the start of this year, at which point the modder wasn't sure "if this will turn out to be anything." Its first test was "very broken," but from the beginning, the potential was clear – this could be the fan-made answer to the Factions mode that was never added to Part 2, and Naughty Dog's canceled The Last of Us Online.

But alas, after hitting a "major milestone" in July, with 4v4 matches added ahead of its planned launch this month, it turns out that fans won't be able to get their hands on the mod after all. "Hey everyone, as you all know, the TLOU 2 Multiplayer mod that has been in development since January was supposed to release this month. Unfortunately I recently received a letter on behalf of Sony Interactive Entertainment requesting for the mod not to be released," Speclizer writes in a new statement.

"Extremely sad that this never got to see the light of day but I hope you'll continue to follow me onto the next project, this time something of my own," the modder continues. "Thank you all for the incredible amount of support over the last year. I hope to bring you something bigger and better soon!"

It's disappointing news, especially since the mod could have helped fill a gap that the developer Naughty Dog wasn't able to. The Last of Us Online was canceled in late 2023, and since then, we've heard a lot of positive things about it, which makes the loss even more painful. Former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida thought the game was "great," and its director, Vinit Agarwal, recently stated that many devs who worked on it thought it was "the best multiplayer game they've ever played."

"We're not done with The Last of Us": Neil Druckmann confirms Naughty Dog has "a couple projects in the works," even if the TV show is ending.

With Sony fielding a class action lawsuit claiming its store terms suggest ownership but convey the licensing of digital games, aptly named consumer rights group Consumer Rights Wiki has seen PlayStation fans assemble an incomplete but in-depth list of PlayStation verbiage indicating that users do, in fact, "own" the games they buy.

The Consumer Rights Wiki has a freshly updated page dedicated to the "Sony PlayStation digital game ownership lawsuit," which hinges on a California law (per AB 2426) requiring digital vendors to clearly tell consumers that they are purchasing licenses, not purchasing products. Steam maker Valve seemed to adjust its own verbiage after the law's passage in 2024.

In a response to the lawsuit, Sony argued "reasonable consumers would not be misled" by its terms. This follows a serendipitous email reminder telling PlayStation users "software is licensed to you, not sold."

Sony's terms of service do clearly state this, but the PlayStation Network itself, where users actually make purchases, is filled with allusions to owning digital games. This goes for PlayStation Store product listings and myriad help pages, dozens of which have been collated by Consumer Rights Wiki contributors, with links to live versions of those pages and archived web snapshots available for each.

For example, the explainer for how to "Upgrade an eligible PS4 digital game on a PS5 console with a disc drive or PS5 Digital Edition console" specifies that you will need "an eligible digital PS4 game you already own."

On the main UK PS5 hub, now branded with a warning that PlayStation will abandon physical games in January 2028, Sony writes: "Track your PS5 journey with info on your total play time, games you own and more." This bit is tucked underneath a section showing the disc drive-equipped and all-digital PS5 consoles, but is less of an explicit reference to digital games.

A common PlayStation Store DLC blurb – here, dutifully represented by a $2 costume for Dead or Alive 5: Last Round – clarifies: "This costume was previously distributed by some retailers as a gift with purchase of DOA5LR. Be careful not to purchase content you already own."

Upgrade pages tell a similar story. The blurb for the Final Fantasy 7 Remake upgrade for PS4 version owners reads: "You are eligible to receive a free PS5™ digital version of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE at no extra cost if you already either (i) own a PS4™ digital version of the game or (ii) own a PS4™ disc version of the game and also own a PS5™ console with a disc drive (you must insert the disc each time you wish you to download or play the PS5™ digital version of the game)." This includes a "digital application or game."

It doesn't get much more digital than cloud-streamed games, yet an explainer for "how do I use PS5 Cloud Streaming" notes that "Select games that you own can be streamed direct to your PS5 console or PlayStation Portal."

The list goes on and on. By my count, there are 34 examples of PlayStation pages mentioning, in some form, how players "own" games, many of them clearly defining digital games.

This may sound incredibly clear-cut, as AB 2426 prohibits "a seller of a digital good from advertising or offering for sale a digital good, as defined, to a purchaser with the terms 'buy,' 'purchase,' or any other term which a reasonable person would understand to confer an unrestricted ownership interest in the digital good, or alongside an option for a time-limited rental."

However, the bill also spells out exceptions: "unless the seller receives at the time of each transaction an affirmative acknowledgment from the purchaser, or the seller provides to the consumer before executing each transaction a clear and conspicuous statement, as specified."

It's here that Sony may argue its agreed-upon terms cover any store purchases, and its claims thus far echo this point. Sony has also bizarrely argued that people can't own digital games because then only one non-fungible digital copy could exist. But really, Sony just wants to kick this into arbitration, which resolves cases outside courts and historically leans toward the side of big companies.

Yet the bill also states "each transaction" must see user affirmation of terms of licensing, restrictions, and the risk that a digital purchase may be "unilaterally revoked"; or "a clear and conspicuous statement" informing users "in plain language that 'buying' or 'purchasing' the digital good is a license" and in some way links or embeds more detailed terms and conditions. All this talk of ownership and "buy" buttons may actually give plaintiffs some ammunition, even if class action gaming lawsuits don't have the best track record in, or making it to, court.

Sony has topped a generational run of self-owns: abandoning Hideo Kojima's next Metal Gear right as Marvel's Wolverine falls flat.

It'd be silly of me to deny the hype for GTA 6, as like it or not, it'll likely be the game of the decade. The thing I'm struggling to process is the fact that, in the grand scheme of things, the sandbox formula hasn't really changed that much. In fact, Rockstar is gearing up to bring back some of its more realistic features, which has me wondering why I wouldn't just stick with my PS2 and the biggest GTA game from the 2000s.

I'm naturally talking about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, an open-world romp that has players scrambling for how to play PS2 games to this very day. It's easy to see why once you get a feel for what the GTA Vice City sequel is all about, as it trades the glitz and neon glimmer for the institutionally corrupt Los Santos and CJ's struggle to clear his family name and take on rival gangs.

Here's my big confession: I've never been that big into GTA as a franchise. Therefore, when it became clear that the latest entry would take us back to modern-day Vice City, I really wasn't too enthused. If anything, the fact that it's set to drop the '80s vibes that enticed me to drop into Leonida adds to that, and while my ears perked up upon hearing it will bring back a fan-favorite San Andreas mechanic, I reckon many of us should still just plug back in our PS2.

Play a GTA you actually own

Before you rush to the comments, I know full well a retro console from 26 years ago won't remotely provide the same absurd GTA experience as a new system. That is to say, if you're financially barred from playing the new sandbox, which is exclusive to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, you'll naturally want to reach for good old GTA V as a modern-day alternative.

At this stage, though, anyone who's hyped for GTA V has likely drained it for every piece of open-world novelty it can provide. It's for that reason that I reckon it's high time we pitched back up the PlayStation 2 in our living rooms, and not even just because I reckon fresher-faced players probably missed out on the third 3D entry.

Here's the thing: GTA 6 is arriving during one of the worst periods in history to buy new video games. Sony is rightfully coming under fire for choosing to end physical PS5 disc support in 2028, and Rockstar has already chosen to shove its sandbox in an empty box. This has prompted some anger from fans, with a rather unorganised collective attempting a "blackout" last month, but I reckon if you really want to make a punch via a protest, you should go completely offline just as GTA 6 lands.

I know there's no talking anyone who's got GTA 6 pre-ordered into passing it up for an offline PS2 experience. Therefore, I'm largely speaking to those of you who can't afford it or are choosing not to play, as if everyone who's not venturing into the sandbox switches back to the PS2, it could be enough to catch Sony's attention this time around.

As for how you're going to do that, there are really cheap ways to get the old PlayStation 2 up and running today. It largely becomes a question of how to connect retro consoles to modern TVs and monitors, and having spent the weekend testing a pretty cheap HDMI adapter, I can confirm it's a decent place to start.

For context, I usually use a dedicated upscaler like the GBS Control, as it takes an RGB signal via SCART, upscales things to 1080p, and deals with any funky, wobbly deinterlacing nonsense. However, I decided to give an adapter similar to the versions you see for $13.99 at Amazon a shot, and it got the job done with zero visual nonsense.

If you really want your consoles to look the part, you'll want to invest in either a GBS-C or an OSSC, as that will provide you with upscaling, retro scanline settings, and other perks that'll help things look crispier. But, I get that the whole deal here is acquiring an old GTA game to play in protest to the industry at large when you potentially don't have any gear already, so a passive HDMI adapter is a perfectly acceptable way to play.

On that note, you can pick up GTA San Andreas on PS2 for around $20 these days, and if you've not got an old console to play it on, you can grab one for under $80. Effectively, you can grab an old Grand Theft Auto and the hardware to play it on for potentially less than GTA 6 Ultimate Edition, which Sony claims you won't actually own.

You could say statements like that are fuelling my decision to revisit San Andreas rather than think about GTA 6. I get that it's completely cynical of me to say both games feature the same core mechanics of automobile theft, gunplay, and law-breaking missions, but really, Rockstar's whole shtick has remained the same for 30 years.

Old crime caper, new controller

I recently had the same conversation of "you should just re-play San Andreas on the PS2" with a friend. They initially fought me on the basis that they didn't want to use a wired DualShock 2 in the living room, so like some sort of spiv, I opened my metaphorical jacket to reveal a bunch of relevant gadgets.

I know for a fact some of you will be scrambling to say "just play the Definitive Edition on PC." Okay, yes, you can do that for a quick fix, but if you also want this project to double up as a light protest over the state of things, you should stick with an OG PS2. You can still help the old system feel nice and fresh by learning how to use new controllers with retro consoles, as if you grab an 8Bitdo Retro Receiver for $24.99, you can sync up a DualShock 4 or even the DualSense to your 26-year-old machine.

Will using a PS5 controller to play San Andreas feel authentic? Nah. Will it help cut the cord and make the setup feel discrete and slick? Absolutely. I absolutely understand that not everyone wants janky old ensembles cluttering their play spaces, and while I'll normally choose an OG pad as an enthusiast, I also test the best retro controllers made today in an effort to put together modern-feeling setups.

A bit of San Andreas inspiration

The initial reason San Andreas ended up on my mind amid GTA 6 is admittedly the mechanical links. The new sandbox is set to borrow the realistic lifestyle routine elements of the PS2 caper, with weight fluctuation and sleep requirements ready to become a part of the formula again. Both of those features were first introduced in 2004, and if it's part of the reason to buy the latest entry, then I'll choose to go backwards.

I should note that you don't have to specifically replay San Andreas to protest by playing other GTA games. Now is a pretty good time to revisit the OG romps like GTA 3, Vice City, or even some of the spin-offs like Liberty City Stories. If you get a base PS2 setup in place, you'll have access to those outings while the modern industry has its very expensive moment, and if you really have no interest in Grand Theft Auto, there are over 4,000 OG PlayStation 2 games that'll save you paying for anything new.

• PS2 adapters at Amazon
• PS2 controllers at Amazon

Swing by the best retro handhelds if you'd rather play classic GTA on the go.

Following Sony dropping Hideo Kojima's next project, analysts report that the Death Stranding series just about broke even in sales.

Despite making a massive deal out of its exclusivity when it was announced – it being the finale of a State of Play presentation – Sony reportedly wanted to cancel Kojima Productions' Metal Gear spiritual successor, Physint. Pretty soon after, Xbox announced it's now publishing both of the upcoming Hideo Kojima games, with OD still on the way, leaving many perplexed as to why Sony would drop one of its most anticipated titles amid a whirlwind few months of bad press for the PlayStation brand.

Some speculated that the Death Stranding games had underperformed, leading to Sony's decision; however, from the sounds of things, the series didn't flop, but it didn't do much more than its budget. Anilea Analytics reports that the first Death Stranding did pretty well, selling 5 million copies by the end in the same time it took Death Stranding 2 to sell around 2.5 million copies.

Death Stranding has reportedly made about $243 million, with a rumored budget of around $100 million, while Death Stranding 2 has made about $129 million on a rumored budget of somewhere between $150-200 million. Anilea reports the franchise has definitely broken even with its $413 million made across both games, "but not by much," with "an estimated return on investment of 18% to 38%."

The development of Metal Gear Solid 5 reportedly going over budget is part of what caused the rift between Konami and Hideo Kojima, so the idea of Physint development being expensive isn't too surprising to hear. And with Sony releasing a string of high-profile misses as of late, with the likes of Marathon, Saros, and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls having pretty low-profile launches, and of course Sony sinking a ton of money into failed live service projects that end up canceled mid-dev (or after release in Concord's case), the publisher being more stingy is not entirely surprising.

However, Sony built its way back from the PS3's failures by being known for its high-quality releases. The Last of Us, the Horizon series, and so on fed into the prestige-publisher look Sony maintained until it decided to chase a live-service hit and stopped releasing games as often. And even then the Wolverine reviews seem to indicate the PlayStation first-party formula may be losing its shine a bit.

I can't think of something with more prestige than Hideo Kojima doing a new Metal Gear-like game, which not only would probably sell better than Death Stranding did on that basis alone, but even if it only broke even, it's the type of game that gets people in who will eventually pick up the next game. But hey, PlayStation's loss is Xbox's gain, unless it also decides to cancel the title.

Sony has topped a generational run of self-owns: abandoning Hideo Kojima's next Metal Gear right as Marvel's Wolverine falls flat

While Sony cites "consumer preferences" for digital games as the core reason for its decision to abandon physical PlayStation releases, the numbers presented in a new report tell a different story. Games like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 are still making a ton of money on disc, according to Rhys Elliot of Alinea Analytics, and Sony's decision to end discs is much more about controlling the overall market for PlayStation games.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 earned $1.2 billion in gross revenue, according to the estimates in Elliot's latest newsletter, 35% of which was made up of physical unit sales. Ghost of Yotei made $400 million, with 37.6% physical. Astro Bot hit $275 million with 46.8% physical. Death Stranding 2 made $129 million, with 41.8% physical.

Why are these numbers so much higher than we've seen from other sources, including Sony itself? For one thing, many of the previous numbers have been counting unit sales, not revenue. For another, Alinea's numbers are about revenue generated, not units sold. And, of course, here we're talking purely about "prestige single-player" games, whose audiences are more likely to buy physical.

"Physical revenue is huge in the prestige single-player games Sony is getting more cautious about," Elliot argues, noting that "a disc dollar is worth less to Sony than a digital one, as there’s the retailer cut, manufacturing and distribution." Certainly, Sony would prefer if it were able to keep 100% of the revenue from these games, and it's betting that whatever players it loses by ditching physical releases will be offset by increased net profits.

So, Elliott argues, "the disc decision was largely about margins, control, and killing the secondhand market," rather than a recognition of consumer trends. We all likely could have guessed as much, and these factors are exactly why I've argued that PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, but there's some vindication in seeing the thought backed up by market analysis numbers. That doesn't make the prospect of an all-digital PS6 any less annoying, though.

Sony has topped a generational run of self-owns: abandoning Hideo Kojima's next Metal Gear right as Marvel's Wolverine falls flat.

Former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida has seemingly reacted to the news that Sony has dropped Hideo Kojima's highly anticipated stealth game, Physint, allowing Xbox to swoop in, and he's just as surprised as we are.

Overnight, PlayStation announced that "we have made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on its project PHYSINT." However, Kojima's own statement highlights this move as being a lot more one-sided than you might expect: "In mid-June of this year, we unexpectedly received notice from PlayStation Studios that they would cancel the PHYSINT project," he reveals, going on to say that "we have spent the last three months searching tirelessly for a new partner," leading Kojima Productions right back to Xbox, which it's also teaming up with on horror title OD.

The concept that any company would want to cancel a Kojima game is shocking, and the situation of PlayStation essentially handing it over to its main competition only makes it weirder, even though it's unclear if Sony could have known that's where the game would end up. Yoshida, former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, has responded to the news on Twitter, expressing how "surprised" he is (translated by GamesRadar+).

Although his original post isn't shared in response to anything in particular, it's obvious that this is what he's referring to – he doubles down on the sentiment in a separate reply to someone asking him about it directly.

While Yoshida might not have said much, the fact that the news has prompted him to respond like this at all speaks volumes. Sony is in desperate need of a win after its announcement that it's stopping production of physical discs for new PlayStation games in 2028 – the backlash it's prompted from folks opposed to an all-digital future has been immense, with the company's comment sections everywhere filled with cries of "no disc no buy" more than two months on.

Needless to say, deciding it doesn't want to bring Kojima's Metal Gear Solid spiritual successor to life isn't it – in fact, it looks like the opposite. Even with the company's reassurance that "we continue to have great admiration for Hideo Kojima's vision for the game," the general response across the internet is disbelief that Sony would give up on what, from the outside, looks like an easy win.

Despite the change in circumstances, Kojima is clear: "Please rest assured that development of PHYSINT, our genre-defining action-espionage title, is ongoing and will continue moving forward."

As Hideo Kojima turns 63, the Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator says "I would like to remain focused on creating games" despite the interest in movies.

Xbox has announced it's working with Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions on its Metal Gear spiritual successor, Physint, after PlayStation apparently wanted to cancel the project earlier this year.

Following Death Stranding 2's release, the list of upcoming Hideo Kojima games comprises OD, his new attempt at a horror game in partnership with Xbox following the Silent Hills debacle, and Physint, a return to the action espionage genre in the vein of Metal Gear, which Sony made a big song and dance about when announcing. The latter seems like a somewhat personal game to the director, as he says it was conceived while he was sick during the Covid-19 pandemic, realizing people wanted something like Metal Gear from him.

Earlier today, PlayStation's Twitter account posted a statement saying, "After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with Kojima Productions on its project Physint". Then, within two minutes, Xbox posted on the Xbox Wire Blog that it would be publishing Physint.

Despite Sony's messaging that it simply stepped away, Kojima himself explained "In mid-June of this year, we unexpectedly received notice from PlayStation Studios that they would cancel the Physint project."

He adds, "Physint is an important project both to me personally and to Kojima Productions. Determined to keep the project alive, we have spent the last three months searching tirelessly for a new partner."

Kojima explains, "We found in Xbox a partner with whom we share a common vision for the future, and we have decided to team up with them once again."

Kojima adds: "Please rest assured that development of Physint, our genre-defining action-espionage title, is ongoing and will continue moving forward."

The combination of this news and a litany of decisions from Sony over the last few years once again leaves me questioning PlayStation's plans for the future.

After the Concord debacle, the cancellation of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us 2 multiplayer leading to it looking like the developer is going to skip the PS5 generation, Horizon Hunter's Gathering in general, and even going back to the closures of Bluepoint and Japan Studio, Sony seems allergic to what made PlayStation so beloved over the PS4 generation.

That being said, Xbox doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence either, following its repeated string of mass layoffs and high-profile game cancellations like Perfect Dark and Everwild. Hopefully OD does well, because right now I'm not exactly confident Physint is still coming out.

Hideo Kojima is "envious" of 21-year-old Backrooms director: "I made Metal Gear at 23 – but A24 didn’t get in touch with me until I was about 59"

As rumors suggest that Sony could be working on an upcoming handheld console as well as the inevitable PS6, former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden says that handling two separate pieces of hardware at once is something the company "really struggles" with, which might not bode well.

Layden, who previously served as the chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios and the president and CEO of SIE America, gives his thoughts on the company's rumored handheld in a new chat with Reiss 'Kiwi Talkz' Reilly on YouTube (below). He acknowledges that the problem is only something he can see now, looking back on his experience, and it's this: "The company really struggles to sell two different pieces of hardware at the same time."

Layden knows that the response to this might be, "'What about PlayStation Portable? That was a real success.'" Well, his point still remains: "Yes, and while we were doing that, I was struggling selling PS3."

As the former lead explains, there are multiple factors at play here – the company's focus essentially becomes divided, and it becomes almost in competition with itself. "It's not just development resources, it's also marketing resources," he begins. "You almost have to set up two different companies to do it, where neither one is worried about what the other one is doing, they're just trying to be successful in their own right."

He continues: "When you have one company managing both, inevitably there's stealing from Peter to pay Paul for something else, and 'well, we'll move that marketing program over to this other game which is going to be more successful than that game was.' All the tradeoffs just sort of… you lose your focus on what [you're] really trying to get done here."

So then, what if we really can expect a handheld console from Sony in the next generation? Layden suggests: "If Sony were to come out with a handheld, I guess maybe they just consolidate all their gaming activities around that mid-size platform."

Sony has yet to confirm whether these rumors are true, but SIE CEO Hideaki Nishino recently hinted that the company will be "leveraging technologies that can be used in various forms and locations" when making future game consoles, which sure sounds promising for handheld enjoyers. Other rumors have suggested that the potential handheld could outpace the Xbox Series S.

If PS6 and Xbox Project Helix are $1,000, 5-year sales could be 40% worse than the PS5 generation, analyst says.

If we end up seeing Deadpool in Marvel's Spider-Man 3, it would seem we have Peter Parker actor Yuri Lowenthal to thank, at least partly.

Talking to The Movie Dweeb on Instagram, Lowenthal was asked to comment on a potential Wolverine and Spider-Man collab in Insomniac's next open-world Spider-Man game. Insomniac is currently hard at work prepping for the release of Marvel's Wolverine, out September 15, but considering the success of Spider-Man, the standalone Miles Morales game, and Spider-Man 2, another Peter Parker game seems likely to happen at some point even though nothing's been confirmed yet. And of course, a Wolverine x Spider-Man match-up seems all the more likely with Insomniac now having worked on both IPs.

Lowenthal thinks a Wolverine collab would be "terribly exciting," but he says "there is one character that I would opt for even more strongly than Wolverine, and it would be Deadpool."

In response to this, The Movie Dweeb points out a tweet apparently published at some point from Insomniac creative director Brian Horton. I tried to track down the tweet, but Horton's Twitter account has been deactivated and there's no Bluesky equivalent, so take this with a grain of salt. According to The Movie Dweeb, the tweet read "worlds collide" and included hashtags for Wolverine and Spider-Man. Lowenthal says the tweet is news to him, but confirmed he's pushed Horton repeatedly on Deadpool being in the next Spider-Man game.

"I've pushed [Horton] every time I see him with the Deadpool thing, so if I've just spoiled it for Spider-Man 3, then I would just like to believe that they got the idea from me anyway," Lowenthal says.

As much as I'm sure Wade Wilson would be flattered to have a part in Insomniac's Spider-Man series, I'm not sure it would be a tonal fit, what with Deadpool's whole thing being expletive-laden meta humor and Marvel's Spider-Man being a generally straightforward, family friendly affair. At the very least, you'd probably have to bump up that ESRB rating from Teen to Mature.

After playing 2 hours of Marvel's Wolverine, Insomniac has crushed my fears of a post-Spider-Man slump: "This is uniquely Logan"

The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann says that working on the series' HBO TV adaptation of the Naughty Dog game hasn't changed his approach to writing, but he's learned some lessons that have been brought into developing Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

Speaking to The Washington Post, Druckmann explained that for Season 3 of the HBO TV series, he "wasn't involved in shaping this season's creative direction, and Naughty Dog did not have a creative role." Druckmann was a writer and showrunner for the first and second seasons of the HBO series.

However, he stepped away from the series ahead of its third season to focus on the production of Naughty Dog's next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

Now, Druckmann says that working on the TV series hasn't changed his approach to writing in games, but explains that it has changed his approach to other aspects of creating Intergalactic. For example, a TV series needs to account for elements like lighting and makeup, which Druckmann says are lessons that have been brought into the studio's next game.

And despite the lack of an announced sequel, Druckmann says that Naughty Dog isn't "done with The Last of Us." Whether that means a full-fledged The Last of Us Part 3 or simply more multimedia projects around the franchise remains unclear. But given that it's been over six years since Naughty Dog released a game, and with the possibility that the developer skips the PS5 generation entirely, I don't think we'll see a new Last of Us game for a while.

Looking to pass the time until The Last of Us 3 releases in a decade's time? Browse through our roundup of the best new games coming this year and beyond.

The Last of Us co-lead Neil Druckmann says that Naughty Dog isn't quite finished with its beloved IP – and it sounds like he's not just referencing the HBO series, either.

Although The Last of Us TV show is ongoing, with the third season underway to "wrap up" the story from the existing two games, as Druckmann tells The Washington Post in a new interview, there might be more in the works outside of the television adaptation.

He begins by saying that he "wasn't involved in shaping this season's creative direction, and Naughty Dog did not have a creative role" in the show's progression either.

So, he "can't personally speak to how production is progressing" – but that doesn't necessarily spell the end of The Last of Us in its entirety.

"It's important for us to note that as the creator of the games, Naughty Dog is still the steward of this IP and even though this might be the end of this adaptation, we're not done with The Last of Us," he reveals.

In fact, it sounds like there's more than one Last of Us-shaped project coming from the studio.

"There's a couple projects in the works that, when the time is right, I'm very excited to talk about," as Druckmann concludes.

So, what could those projects be? Well, I'm immediately reminded of The Last of Us Online – the canceled multiplayer project that its former game director dubbed "the best multiplayer game" many Naughty Dog devs had "ever played." It never came to fruition, of course, but I can't help but think of it.

That's not to say it's happening – it was canceled, after all… but there are apparently two (or more, maybe?) things going on over at Naughty Dog that are within The Last of Us realm, so it's all exciting news nonetheless.

I've personally got my own fingers crossed for some sort of spin-off, as I'm not sure they could effectively do an official Part 3, considering everything that happens in The Last of Us 2. Who knows, though?

Anything could happen, but we'll just have to wait and see what Naughty Dog has in store. It sounds like Druckmann is gearing up to reveal it soon-ish, so, yeah.

Searching for something more solid to look forward to? Browse through our roundup of the best new games coming this year and beyond, in that case.

At the time of writing, the only shelf piece GTA 6 will receive (other than a redundant code-carrying case) is a limited edition DualSense controller. Announced as part of today's PlayStation State of Play, two DualSense controllers bearing that 'VI' stamp will be unleashed alongside the game on November 19.

Each gamepad launches at a pretty sizeable $84.99, though that's been the going rate for a special edition controller for a little while now, with pre-orders dropping on September 10 at 10am local time.

Available in either black or white, both gamepads feature a shimmery two-tone mid-section with a pop of neon purple in those icon legends and D-pad arrows. Both feature identical Vice City etchings around the main grips and controls, with palm leaves cut into the body of the gamepad itself, and replicated in the middle of that now-iconic VI stamp on the touchpad.

It's a nicely bold controller design, in the right light. Obviously Sony has positioned its shimmers and shines just so to create the classic Vice City vibe in its State of Play sizzle reel. However, if those embossed sections are as textured as they appear from press materials, your GTA allegiance should be pretty obvious in the hands.

Of course, you're still getting all the first-party features of the best PS5 controllers, with unparalleled (on the console) haptic feedback and that slick adaptive trigger system as well. Based on the GTA 6 pre-order hype and recent Xbox X25 pre-orders, these could well move fast when they hit the shelves, so I'd recommend marking September 10 on your calendar sharpish.

This marks the first special edition GTA 6 PS5 accessory we've seen so far. It's all but expected that Sony will launch its own PS5 bundles when the time comes, but a special edition console is still but a hope and a dream. Still, having something to hold in the hands is always appreciated right now. GTA's own digital-only release kickstarted a whole physical media debate earlier in the year, one Sony seems to have doubled down on in more recent announcements.

• See all PS5 controllers at Amazon

Don't care for the DualSense? We're also rounding up the best PC controllers and the best Xbox Series X controllers on the market.

Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki says selling PS5 consoles isn't as important at this point in its life; instead, monetizing the existing user base is the priority.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Totoki explains that the ongoing global RAM shortages, driven by AI companies, aren't Sony's biggest problem right now. While it has caused the company to increase prices of PS5 consoles by £90 across the board, Totoki explains, "we are in the latter half of the lifetime cycle of a PS console. That means that we do not need to aggressively sell the console today."

Totoki explains, "We are focusing on recurring revenue from the current user base," citing PS Plus and noting that among the over 95 million PS5 consoles sold, the subscription service has "more than 125 million" monthly active users. He adds, "how to monetize from that user [base] is quite important for us."

Many of us who remember the era will talk about how Sony's overconfidence off the back of the PS2's success led to the company making poor decisions, such as setting the PS3's high launch price and just expecting everyone to go along with it.

And with the PS4 and PS5 doing well, it very much feels like we're back in that era, only this time, no matter how many bad decisions Sony has made this generation – the live service focus, killing physical games, forcing PSN on PC – Microsoft is too busy tripping over its own shoelaces to take advantage like it did with the Xbox 360. Competition is healthy, but Sony is now at the point where the lead is so huge that it doesn't need to "aggressively sell the console," because where else are you playing GTA 6?

Sony lawyers argue that nobody is stupid enough to believe they actually own digital games, because then only one person could buy GTA 6

With the end of physical PlayStation games looming, the need for clear digital ownership rights is more pressing than ever. For its part, Sony believes your rights are very clear: you do not own your digital games, and it's unlikely you're stupid enough to believe otherwise. At least, that's roughly the argument the company's lawyers are presenting in response to a proposed class-action lawsuit.

Sony argues that its current customer-facing disclosures ensure that "reasonable consumers would not be misled" into believing they actually own their digital games. That's according to a Game File report (paid article link) citing an August 21 filing Sony's lawyers made in California's Northern District.

The publisher is responding to a proposed class action lawsuit, which alleges that Sony is violating a California law that requires digital stores to clearly explain that customers are purchasing licenses rather than actual products when they buy digital goods. The law requires a "clear and conspicuous" warning about the nature of the purchase.

Sony's terms of service and software product licensing agreement (SPLA) both clearly lay out that you "do not own the product" and "it is not sold for you to own." But those are statements buried deep within lengthy documents, so the idea that they meet that "clear and conspicuous" requirement is fairly suspect.

But from here, Sony's argument gets quite a bit weirder. "As Plaintiffs admit, Section 1 of the SPLA likewise explains that 'The Software is licensed to you, not sold,'" the filing says. "This makes sense. In the digital age, it is not plausible to allege that reasonable consumers believed they were obtaining 'ownership' of a digital game."

In other words, Sony's lawyers are arguing that if you truly own your digital games, only one copy of GTA 6 could ever be sold. "Were that the case, then Plaintiff Edward Heycock would not have been able to obtain the game Resident Evil Requiem on February 25, 2026 for $69.99 from the PlayStation Store after Plaintiff Jason Mendoza had obtained Resident Evil Requiem on February 14, 2026, because Mr. Mendoza, not Sony, would have owned it then," the filing says.

Notably, these arguments were filed just before PlayStation sent out email reminders to its customers reminding them that they don't own anything. Clearly, Sony wants to make its position on this matter clear.

Sony's terms of service also specifically bars users from taking part in class action lawsuits against the company, with disputes instead resolved by private arbitration – a process which tends to be preferable for big companies. But it's ultimately for a judge to decide whether that arbitration clause is actually binding. These arguments are part of an effort from Sony to ensure the case goes to arbitration – whether the judge agrees remains to be seen.

Industry lobbyists ridicule "false premise" that "consumers 'own' digital games" amid Stop Killing Games fight.

GTA 6 hype is reaching a fever pitch after yesterday's big Netflix reveal, and it's seemingly making PS5 Pro consoles pretty hard to come by. In the wake of the GTA 6 extended look, most retailers have seemingly run out of stock of Sony's high-end machine, which has left third-party retailers eagerly selling it at exorbitant markups.

As I write this, you can still get a PS5 Pro console from PlayStation Direct for $899. But that seems to be the only major retailer in the US that currently has the console in stock, and I wouldn't count on the supply lasting much longer.

PS5 Pro is in stock at Amazon, but only at $1,299 from a third-party seller. The situation is the same at Walmart. It's out of stock altogether at Best Buy and Target. There's no way of telling if people are actually buying at these prices, but recent eBay listings tell the story – new consoles have been selling for as much as $1,200 there.

It's possible – likely, even – that Sony will replenish PS5 Pro stock for retailers ahead of GTA 6's actual release, but I guess this is the power of GTA 6. People want the best possible experience for Rockstar's next game, and they're apparently willing to pay a premium for it.

GTA 6 is confirmed to feature PS5 Pro enhancements, but we don't yet know what those improvements will look like. Certainly the game looked plenty impressive on the base PS5 during the extended look, and it's apparently unlikely to hit 60fps even on the Pro.

After 13 years, GTA 6's gameplay deep dive has been so worth the wait even my 76-year-old mother has been texting me about it.

Former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida has praised the new Xbox disc-to-digital initiative, with many pointing out the irony of his classic PS4 game sharing video following Sony's decision to drop physical games.

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that physical Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S discs will soon be able to be transferred to digital games. This comes around a month after Sony confirmed it will stop producing physical games in 2028 for the PS5 and any future PlayStation console. That, funnily enough, also came shortly after GTA 6 confirmed that its 'physical' games will be codes in boxes instead of a real physical game, meaning you're buying a license that can be revoked at any time, as Sony was keen to remind players in an ill-timed email.

Over on Twitter, Yoshida tweeted Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's post announcing the initiative, calling it "A great move by team Xbox." But of course, many people's minds went straight to one of PlayStation's biggest dunks on Xbox, with the "Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video" showing Yoshida simply handing a game to Adam Boyes as a jab at Xbox One's potential no-used-games policy.

However, despite the irony, many have been praising Yoshida, asking for the former PlayStation boss to return now that Sony is consistently upsetting players due to its poor, somewhat anti-consumer, decisions, with one user saying "You've always had class praising Nintendo Microsoft and even Steam for the good they do even when you were directly working for PlayStation." adding that "PlayStation hasn't been the same without you."

Here's why we think PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not

By rights, the original PlayStation should be an icon, but I can't help but feel the PS1 lives in the shadow of the PlayStation 2. After all, the latter is the best-selling console of all time, not to mention it can run its predecessor's library thanks to backwards compatibility. However, I need everyone to stop telling new players to just "pick up a PS2", as if you're specifically looking to play those original black discs; it could end in tears.

That's not to say that if you've already sussed out how to play PS2 games on original hardware, you can't use it for PS1 discs. The sequel system has the same MIPS R3000A microprocessor as the '90s retro console, and that means it can run 98% of the OG PlayStation library. The problem is that various other hardware differences can get in the way of you playing certified classics, and the issues stem from subtle differences with the PlayStation 2 outside of backwards compatibility.

When I first got my hands on the mighty PlayStation 2, it evicted every other console from my CRT TV trolley. Luckily, I've never gotten rid of a console in my life, so upon running into various weird hiccups with PS1 games, including even Tomb Raider 2, I fetched the original and popped it on top of its successor. To this day, I still use a separate system for PlayStation discs, and if you're serious about that specific library, you probably should too.

Laser tolerance turmoil

Functionally speaking, the PS1 and PS2 perform similar tricks. Pop in a disc, close the lid, and boom, you're playing a video game. Of course, even those of you who aren't tech-savvy will know the PlayStation 2 is designed to run DVDs, whereas its predecessor deals in CDs, and while that doesn't stop the sixth-gen system from running both, it's more a secondary role.

I don't want you to think the PS2 is bad at reading CDs; that's not strictly true. It's got a dual diode laser assembly that's specifically designed to run DVDs and those black discs. Out of the box, it'll have no trouble with either, but feed it something that's perhaps been resurfaced in a shop a few times back in the day, and the game's potentially a bogey.

I actually learned this the hard ware first hand upon aquiring a commercial disc resurfacing machine. The victim was a copy of Croc 2 for the PS1 that had scratches that looked deliberately inflicted, likely out of rage since the platformer is painful thanks to its slippery mechanics. Initially, its only issue on PS2 was that it'd refuse to play cutscenes, but after a few whirls in the Disc-go-devil, it refused to work in the PlayStation 2.

Whenever you "resurface" or "polish" a disc using a commercial machine, you're taking a microscopic layer off of your CD or DVD. One instance of repair shouldn't impact anything, but keeping it in for extended periods will reduce your discs density. This is exactly what trips the PS2 up, as it's setup is specifically sensitive when you change the 780nm CD requirements of its blue laser.

On the flip side, Croc 2 still works perfectly fine in both a standard PS1 and the slim oval PSOne from the 2000s. Its single diode laser assembly has a better time powering through scratches that the PS2 simply can't tolerate, and that also applies to reduced layers.

My anecdote might sound like it won't apply to you, but reality is that you won't know how many times a game shop has ran your disc through a machine, and that could lead you to thinking your PS1 disc is busted. If you have a PS1 to hand, though, you may find that it's simply out of tolerance range for the PS2's dual-diode laser. Simply put, if you use an actual PlayStation, you chances running battered and bruised games theoretically increase.

Some PS2 consoles are PS1 emulators

The whole point of picking up a real console is arguably to avoid emulation. While many PS2 models will run PS1 games "natively" using a chipset, there are a few later systems that actually use software emulation. That means your games will be theoretically subject to worse compatibility, and from my experience, the issues can catch you off guard.

I should note that Sony's emulation software has a good track record, which makes sense given it almost ended up in a PS1 DualShock "PUGA" plug-and-play console for the Brazilian market. It also brought PlayStation classics to retro handhelds like the PSP and makes the PS3 a solid HDMI-capable option, and while it's technically a different emulation suite to that included with the SCPH-75000 models and SlimSCPH-900xx systems, it does work fairly well.

The main issue with the PS2's "Deckard" emulation is simply that it's emulation, so it's subject to all the usual quirks. Audio issues, freezing, and loading issues are all on the table, and I even encountered a system that had trouble playing Tomb Raider 2 with a third-party DualShock 2 controller. Just to be clear, the gamepad was working both with other games and consoles with the PS1 chipset, meaning there was something odd going on with the way it interfaced with the emulator via the controller port.

Even when things are running fine, PS2s that use PS1 emulation can suffer performance-wise. I specifically recall bringing my copy of Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon to my friend's house to play on a Slim system. Everything seemingly went swimmingly, but when I fired it up back home, my nine-year-old eyes could swear it was running smoother.

That's due to the fact I was still using a PS1 to play, whereas my friend had "updated" to a PS2 Slim after their fat version had an unfortunate run-in with a foot (yes, someone kicked the disc tray in a rage fit). The point is that while you might not care about frame rates when playing janky early 3D games anyway, there is a difference to be found, and that could sway whether you use a PS2 for everything or opt for an original PlayStation.

Playing PS1 games on a PS2 or PS3 has its perks

Okay, I don't want to completely dismiss the idea of playing PS1 games on a PS2 or even the PS3. Using other systems, even those that rely on emulation, can help you tap into different output types, including component and HDMI, in turn saving you from looking up how to connect retro consoles to modern TVs or monitors. I'd argue it's still worth grabbing a GBS-C upscaler to combat jittery de-interlacing in PS2 games anyway, but it'll still save some faff.

The PlayStation 2 also has some sneaky texture smoothing tricks hidden in its menu, and they're worthwhile if you hate the blocky look of some games. By hitting triangle in the main menu and selecting "PlayStation Driver", you can toggle the effects and take the harshness off early 3D capers like Metal Gear Solid, but I personally prefer the raw pixel look.

Later, the PS3 built upon these effects with "PS Smoothing", which effectively adds in anti-aliasing to properly combat jaggies. It can work well depending on the game, but you'll want to avoid using it on anything 2D or stylistically blocky, as it'll hamper definition even when using clean HDMI output.

The PS1 just hits different

Even when you place all those objective PS1 benefits aside, I still prefer the vibes when playing PlayStation games on the OG hardware. Everything from getting the full ominous Sony Computer Entertainment BIOS screen to the chirps of the original laser are a wonderful, hardware-specific experience, even if the latter spoils jump scares in horror romps.

The technical quirks when trying to play PS1 games on PS2 are really just part of my wider quest to keep Sony's first console relevant. I'll have plenty more specific words to say about the OG PlayStation for years to come, but for now, I want you to consider picking one up if you'll be largely playing '90s classics anyway.

Side note: if you're looking for something timely to play, I've been revisiting an obscure PS1 stealth game with connections to Coyote vs Acme, released 25 years before the spoof courtroom drama.

• Retro consoles at Amazon
• Retro upscalers at Amazon

Check out the best retro controllers for modern PS1 and PS2 gamepad alternatives.

I bought my PS Vita when the console was already in its death throes. Killzone: Mercenary and Tearaway had just launched, and I was eagerly playing through the Vita's backlog, not realizing Sony had zero intention of releasing anything further on the handheld. Still, it was the perfect companion for my work commute (console-like games on the go!) until Hearthstone came along and started dominating my train time.

The Vita soon went into a box under the bed, to be forgotten for a decade. But after moving house recently, I found my dusty Vita and charged it back up, intending to have a quick browse of my old trophies before throwing it on Facebook Marketplace. Instead, I've fallen in love all over again – and found myself despairing for Sony's all-digital future.

Vita-lity

The most immediately striking thing about the Vita is how good it feels in your hands; smaller and lighter than a Switch or Steam Deck, yet sturdy, sleek, and stylish (I remember it being bigger, but back then we didn't all have Pro Max XL phones in our pockets).

It has modern features, like a sleep mode that resumes your game exactly where you left off – rediscovering my PS3 put into perspective how wonderful the quick resume feature really is. And, most importantly, it has a decent selection of games I've been eagerly playing, from Resistance: Burning Skies to Uncharted: Golden Abyss and LittleBigPlanet.

However, those exclusives are only a minor part of the story. What makes the Vita really great is its back catalogue of the best PSP games and PS1 games, its handful of PS2 ports, plus the many indie games that continued to release far beyond when Sony stopped giving a shit.

I currently have Silent Hill, Monster Hunter: Freedom, Ratchet & Clank, the Sly Cooper trilogy, God of War, Rayman, and the first three Metal Gear Solids all downloaded. I know a few of these are on other modern consoles, but I can't fit a Switch in my pocket when getting the bus into town.

It is an absolute tragedy, then, that anyone who buys a second-hand Vita next year will never have access to most of these games. The majority of the PS Vita's indie releases and all of its PSP and PS1 releases are digital-only, and Sony's about to close down the digital store for good. In other words, half the reason to own a Vita is ceasing to be legally obtainable.

In fact, I would argue the Vita is losing out on more functionality than any other console would if its digital store closed down. Well, that is any other console currently on the marketplace…

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If you're reading this, you're likely aware that Sony will no longer release games on physical discs from 2028 onwards.

The likelihood is therefore that the PS6 will be digital only, which means there will be no way to lend games to your friends or sell them on the second-hand marketplace. It brings to mind a bleak hypothetical scenario: If the PS6 were to only have a single Sony-led digital store, your console would never play a new game again should Sony shut it down. You'd be left with your catalogue of purchased games, as long as the publisher continued to permit them being redownloaded. If not, anyone who might buy a PS6 in this scenario after the digital store's closure would never be able to play a game on the console at all.

Right now, I'm trying not to spend all my money on digital PSP and PS1 games for my Vita, because I know that in a few months, I'll be stuck with what I've already got. This is ignoring the thriving Vita jailbreaking scene, which should not have to be relied upon to play games. Yet, thankfully, there are physical options out there for Vita, PSP, and PS3 games on original hardware. The same will never be said about an all-digital PS6.

To not have that option – for games not to be preserved on a disc, for them not to be available to future PS6 owners after Sony stops caring and closes the digital store – should be a terrifying prospect for gamers. To paraphrase and re-frame an old PS Vita ad, the world is absolutely no longer in play.

If you think that's overdramatic, look once more to the Vita. The digital store's closure comes almost exactly 15 years after the Vita's release. Does that mean we should expect the PS6 to have a 15-year shelf life? At least PCs have open ecosystems, with older games getting support from GOG and various retro enthusiasts so they can live on.

The Vita shows that there's no guarantee Sony will keep its next console functional any longer. But at least, with the Vita, I can guarantee that in another 10 years, when I slot in my old Tearaway cartridge, I will be able to play that game – no online store required.

Check out the best PS Vita games ever if you're itching to get back to physical gaming.

Sony recently sent an email to folks with PlayStation accounts reminding them of the Terms of Service they agreed to when signing up, the lack of full rights to digital purchases, and all.

The email has arrived not even two months after Sony made its decision to end physical disc production for new games on PlayStation consoles in 2028 public, which is certainly… a choice.

If you've not received it yourself, it's quite lengthy, but it basically outlines all of the company's Terms of Service. Most notably, it gets into digital purchases, and how they can be rescinded – yes, "even those you paid for," as the email reads. "The software is licensed to you, not sold," after all.

Now, that's not to say that this will happen, but more so that it can. For example, should you lose access to your PlayStation account, you'll also lose access to your digital purchases. Or, if Sony issues a ban or the like against you, you can similarly lose access to your digital games.

It's a tough pill to swallow amid all the game preservation chatter, especially as Sony recently doubled down on its plan to axe physical discs.

Folks aren't taking the email very well, unsurprisingly, as it serves as a reminder that we'll never truly "own" our digital purchases.

That's not all, either – there are other tidbits that aren't sitting well with users, like the fact that Sony writes it "may track and record your activity on PlayStation Online Services" and that its "liability will not be more than £100." In other words, that's the most the company can pay you back, should it need to.

Over on X, one disgruntled user points out some of these eye-catching Terms of Service highlights, starting with the fact that "you don't own your digital games, you rent a license," and if an account is "closed or banned, your games are gone, even paid ones."

Comments show disappointment across the board, with many people upset by the blatant lack of consumer rights for digital purchases.

"This company are total greedy assholes right now," one response reads, "and Rockstar Games are just as guilty." They're likely referencing the fact that GTA 6 is essentially digital only – a point that allegedly spurred the recent GTA 6 leaks circulating the web.

Another adds, "Sony's executives truly represent everything that is wrong with gaming." A good few responses bring up pirating games, too.

That checks out, considering how game preservation experts recently predicted the rise in digital gaming would all just lead to more piracy – but it's important to note that this isn't a PlayStation-exclusive problem.
As a separate thread explains, Microsoft has similar Terms of Service for Xbox users. It's an issue that isn't tethered to one console or platform, but rather… well, pretty much every single one that supports digital purchases.

Here's hoping we're able to find a nice middle ground in the future that allows for both digital and physical purchases – and consumer rights, too, please.

Here's why we think PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not

Late last week, indie developer Ternox Games revealed that they wouldn't be releasing titles on PlayStation any longer as Sony had seemingly spontaneously terminated their publishing deal – but, now, all appears to be back in working order.

In case you missed the news when it dropped last Sunday, Ternox Games announced that their colorful '80s Japanese stock market simulator, STONKS-9800, wouldn't be releasing on the PlayStation 5 as "Sony unilaterally terminated my PlayStation developer and publisher agreement without giving me any reason."

The dev also explained that their existing games on the platform would "be removed from the PlayStation Store after August 23."

Well, we've got much better news today: Ternox Games' lineup is apparently good to stay on the PS5, and they'll also continue to launch games on the console's store in the future.

The dev reveals as much in a new online post – one written in response to the original thread on the publishing deal debacle. "Playstation has restored my access to the developer account and allowed me to continue working," it reads.

"My games will remain available for purchase, and I'll keep releasing games for PlayStation as well!" Ternox Games concludes by thanking fans for their support – and it's safe to say they're happy, too.

"Great news," reads one comment. "Congratulations!" Others question why Sony did what it had apparently done in the first place, although the studio doesn't seem to reveal any details on why the publishing deal fell through.

As for Ternox Games' portfolio, I can confidently report that STONKS-9800 is a banger, with "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews over on Steam and a retro-feeling aesthetic to die for. I'm sure it'll do just as well on PS5, now that it seems to finally be making its way there.

Looking to support some smaller developers yourself? Here's a roundup of the best upcoming indie games arriving this year and beyond to wishlist now.

Sony and Microsoft had better think long and hard before pricing the next generation of consoles at $1000, as one prominent industry analyst predicts that could result in a huge drop in sales compared to the current generation.

According to a new report from Ampere Analysis (via VGC), there is a specific set of circumstances which seem entirely plausible that could see combined PS6 and Xbox Project Helix sales plummet 38% over five years compared to PS5 and Xbox Series X sales over the same time period. Those circumstances are A) The next-gen consoles launch with a base price of $1000, and B) they're "conventionally designed, incrementally improved" over the current generation, which is typically the deal these days.

In that scenario, the analyst predicts Sony and Microsoft would see a massive drop in adoption rates as well as a decrease in consumer spending that could negatively impact the overall console games and services market by 12%.

With PS5 Pros going for $900, trade wars ongoing, and RAM shortages showing no signs of improving, a $1000 PS6 isn't such an outlandish prediction. And yet, another industry analyst has gone on the record to say consoles that expensive could price out buyers "quite significantly."

The folks at Ampere reckon Sony and Microsoft could avoid that problem in several ways, either by delaying the start of the next generation until component costs go down, keeping prices low through "heavier hardware subsidies, new monetisation models, more aggressive digital content strategies and optimised sales channels," or by going in another direction entirely and "substantially" innovating in a way that doesn't rely on "graphical improvement." VGC cites the Nintendo Wii as an example of this, trading raw hardware power for form factor innovation.

Considering the Xbox Series S launched for $299 less than six years ago, it's staggering to consider a successor that costs more than triple that as the cost of basic living necessities like groceries, gas, and housing remains elevated. I'm no analyst, but it's easy to see how people living in today's economy would stay out of a $1000 console generation until things settle down.

Threats of a $1,000 PS6 have ex-Sony president just as scared as you are: "How much more ray tracing can you put in there?"

It's hard to avoid leaks these days. The internet is full of sleuths, and many creators love being seen as a credible source of exclusive information. To avoid the risk of such things spoiling the game, Insomniac decided to just reveal Wolverine was happening years ahead of release, even if it meant being asked about it well before we'd get to see it.

In an interview with TheGamer, game director Mike Daly explains the logic here. "We announced Wolverine very early because we knew it would be very difficult to keep a lid on it," he says.

"We wanted to be able to cast the crew knowing that," he adds, noting the studio's slate played a part as well. "Insomniac does take on the very difficult challenge of working on multiple games at once, and we've tried to stagger our releases so that the team can help out where they're needed the most while allowing the other projects to proceed efficiently, which is one aspect of it."

Indeed, Insomniac is a large operation. Besides Wolverine, you have the Spider-Man series, for which the developer released three installments over five years, and the Ratchet and Clank games. The latter two are massive parts of Sony's PlayStation catalog, and our adamantium-clawed X-Man's new outing has become a key tentpole for the PS5 after a generation light on first-party releases.

Being so big makes being inconspicuous difficult. With a lot of employees keeping details close to their chest while a lot of people sniff around, sometimes it's best to just be clear about what you're up to, and then absorb the attention that brings.

Sure, you could end up in the uncomfortable situation of The Elder Scrolls 6 if there were unexpected delays, but clearly Insomniac was confident in its ability to get Wolverine onto shelves. The studio's history does lend itself to being a little forthcoming.

And here we are. Wolverine comes out in September. After that, we'll have to see what emerges - Insomniac's not been that forthcoming just yet.

"It's a relentless onslaught": As Marvel's Wolverine faces backlash, Insomniac community lead calls out social media algorithms for pushing "negativity"

Earlier today, a new report claimed that PlayStation is planning a substantial rework of Horizon Hunters Gathering, responding to poor playtest feedback for the multiplayer spin-off by stripping the live-service elements in order to make it more of a traditional co-op game. That report also has some bad news for fans of the traditional Horizon games: Horizon 3 is apparently still years away.

The "majority" of developers at Guerrilla Games are still working on Horizon Hunters Gathering, according to Jason Schreier at Bloomberg. That leaves a very small team planning the next single-player Horizon game, which is apparently still years away from being finished.

That's pretty much the same story that's been reported since February, when Horizon Hunters Gathering was first announced. Even then, Schreier was reporting that the majority of Guerrilla was working on the multiplayer spin-off, leaving Horizon 3 on the backburner. It seems that hasn't changed, even as the studio finds itself forced to pivot from the initial plans for Hunters Gathering.

Five years separated the launches of Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017 and Horizon Forbidden West in 2022, and it's looking like there might be an even longer wait before Horizon 3 rolls around. I'd even hazard a guess that we won't be buying Horizon 3 on a physical disc.

PlayStation has made a big push into live-service games over the past few years, and during that span we saw the launch and immediate shutdown of Concord, a middling response for Bungie's Marathon, and the death of Destiny 2. The publisher's biggest recent multiplayer hit is certainly Helldivers 2, which wasn't even developed internally. It's tough to put that context out of mind when another multiplayer experiment is dragging resources away from one PlayStation's biggest single-player franchises.

"Single-player, narrative-driven gaming is here to stay," ex-PlayStation boss says: "It's how we built this business. That's what sustains it."

Horizon Zero Dawn and sequel Horizon Forbidden West spin-off Horizon Hunters Gathering is reportedly taking on a new shape following ill-received playtests.

Horizon Hunters Gathering, a project from developer Guerrilla Games and publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment, has been in the works for a little while now. Guerrilla unveiled the game as a live service multiplayer spin-off back in February, at which point it was reported that "most of the studio" was on the new title (much to the dismay of folks hoping for a Horizon threequel, unsurprisingly).

It doesn't seem to be going all that well so far, however.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, unnamed sources familiar with the project's current state allege that PlayStation has been reworking it since June after receiving poor feedback following private playtesting – perhaps the second round of playtesting that rolled out in May.

Supposedly, the devs and publisher are transforming Horizon Hunters Gathering into a more "traditional" co-op experience with a story mode… and much smaller scope.

BREAKING: PlayStation is rebooting the online game Horizon Hunters Gathering after negative playtest feedback. New plan is smaller scope, more traditional co-op multiplayer, no more live service.Yet another entry in PlayStation's ongoing live-service struggles: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

— @jasonschreier.bsky.social (@jasonschreier.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-08-19T16:04:34.727Z

What that means precisely is unknown, but at the least, the game doesn't seem to be entirely scrapped – yet, anyway.

As per the report, Sony apparently told Guerrilla that devs would have until the end of December to change things for the better and impress higher-ups with the game. That's not all, either.

Apparently, many of Horizon Hunters Gathering's current devs will end up reassigned to a separate project (although there's no title provided here).

Bloomberg states that a representative for PlayStation has declined to comment. There's also no solid word from Guerrilla itself, but it's disheartening to read nonetheless.

It hasn't exactly been an easy time for live service games recently, with failed and axed projects from Sony popping up left, right, and center. I'm immediately reminded of the supposed live service God of War spin-off and, of course, The Last of Us Online.

As for what's next for Horizon Hunters Gathering, it's hard to tell. Here's hoping that either the dev or publisher provides a bit of information itself soon.

Horizon Steel Frontiers is coming out in 2027, publisher confirms, while we still wait for news on Forbidden West sequel.

Sony left the comments live on yesterday's Phantom Blade Zero State of Play, and the chat was pretty much exactly what you would expect.

Back in July, Sony announced it will stop making discs for new games in 2028, which naturally caused uproar within the community of fans who still want to buy physical games. This has been very much targeted, with the likes of a Marvel's Wolverine trailer being bombarded with comments demanding Sony change its mind – as is the case with most trailers on the PlayStation YouTube channel and most posts on the PlayStation social accounts, even games not published by Sony.

However, Sony seems somewhat unphased, saying that "we don't see that there will be any negative impact on our business," further evidenced by the fact it didn't bother to turn off comments for the Phantom Blade Zero State of Play.

During the 20 minute deep dive, the live chat was bombarded with chants of "no disc no buy" and a mass amount of disc emojis. And, via a clip from Twitter user thegamersjoint, it looks like the live chat was not stopping at all, hopefully sending the message to Sony.

This has also continued into the comments on the on-demand version of the video, with tongue-in-cheek comments the likes of "Phantom Disc Zero" and "I'll buy it when it comes out in physical format" flooding the section.

Unfortunately, Sony's decision is having a knock-on effect on games outside of its publishing library. Phantom Blade Zero has been looking pretty sick for years, but its biggest presentation to date has now been overshadowed by Sony's decision to cull physical discs (which has likely made the apparent lack of discs for Phantom Blade Zero a bit more controversial). However, reportedly in 2026, only seven games on PlayStation have sold more than 100,000 physical copies in the US so far, so it feels like people will need to vote with their wallets for Sony to pay attention.

PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not.

Perhaps no single object in all of video games is quite so haunted by infamy as the golf club in The Last of Us Part 2. The prop used to represent that golf has apparently remained in PlayStation's motion capture studio for all these years – until, it seems, the day Deborah Ann Woll walked on set for God of War Laufey.

First, if you haven't yet played The Last of Us Part 2 and have somehow avoided learning about its first act twist for all these years, here's a SPOILER WARNING for the rest of this article. Still here? Good. The opening hours of The Last of Us Part 2 see Joel, the protagonist of the previous game, brutally beaten to death with a golf club by the vengeful Abby.

The golf club itself instantly became something of a meme. Now, years later, it still serves both as a symbol of the game's most devastating moment and a lazy shorthand for those who didn't like the way the story went. Either way, the actual prop used in the motion capture sessions for the game is nigh unrecognizable. You can get a brief glimpse of it in the 2024 documentary on the making of The Last of Us Part 2, around the 52:50 mark: a big, purple stick shaped like an elongated baseball bat.

So you can forgive Deborah Ann Woll, who portrays the title character in God of War Laufey, for not instantly noticing the significance of the purple stick. "My very first day on set for Laufey, we were doing a scene, and they handed me a prop," she says in a San Diego Comic-Con panel. "Unbeknownst to me, this was a very famous prop that they had used on The Last of Us."

A clip of Woll's comments was recently shared on Twitter by Santa Monica Studio. With an ironic grin, she turns to game director Ariel Lawrence and asks, "Was it a hockey stick? Or a baseball bat?"

"It was a golf club," Lawrence dryly responds.

"Some sort of sporting equipment, you know," Woll continues. "They gave it to me, and I was supposed to use it like an axe. And I… broke it."

The clip also shows footage of the incident. Woll is in normal clothes – not motion capture gear – so this seems to be some sort of test footage or rehearsal session. But she's so into the scene that she absolutely smashes that stick into the ground, where it snaps in two with a loud 'thunk.' She awkwardly drops the stick, clearly afraid she's broken something important, but in the background, somebody shouts "Yeeeeaaaah! Yeah!"

"She swung it so hard, it cracked, and it echoed throughout" the motion capture studio, Lawrence says. "And we were like 'hot damn, let's go.'"

God of War Laufey is just one of many upcoming PS5 games worth keeping on your radar.

Christopher Judge, one of the most recognisable and iconic voices in video games, has clarified some recent comments he made on the God of War TV show. Although Ryan Hurst has had to abdicate the lead role, the voice of Kratos wasn't throwing in his hat to take Hurst's place, despite initial impressions.

While attending FanExpo Boston, Judge commented on what he believes is a common problem across video game adaptations. "You have this pre-existing, successful property, and the first thing you do is not hire anyone associated with it," he said.

"I have no idea why you don't take that cast, those writers, especially when you are going to do episodes that are shot-for-shot remakes of the game," he added, referencing The Last of Us. Once these quotes start travelling the internet, it was pointed out that it could be read as him vying for playing Kratos, since Hurst bowed out due to an injury.

Judge, a television veteran who had a starring role in Stargate SG-1 for years, has since clarified he isn't campaigning for the part, because, for one reason, he's probably a bit too old. "As my kids tell me I'm old as balls," he says on Twitter.

"I truly hope they find someone as great as Ryan," he adds. "I was talking more about our writers and devs. I really want them to get the love and respect they deserve. I hope that for all writers and developers of the games that we love."

He then gives a nod to Stargate as an example of "the best" writers in television and film. His broader point stands. If you look at Fallout, or Castlevania, or Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, or The Witcher, there aren't many people who were involved in the games on the production staff.

Neil Druckmann has contributed quite heavily to HBO's The Last of Us, but he's much more of an exception. It's a shame, because narrative designers seem like an untapped resource for translating a game's universe to another medium, but then, their expertise is in one area and not necessarily the other.

In any case, I hope we see Judge make a cameo in Amazon's God of War. And wherever he appears, we get a nice loud "Boy," for good measure.

God of War creator says Sony's decision to kill PlayStation discs is likely because "the needs of the many customers outweigh the needs of the fewer."

After catching flak for their opinions on Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, fighting game icon SonicFox has commented on their win in the game's first major tournament.

Marvel Tokon has been available for just over a week, and it has already had its first major tournament appearance at CEO 2026 over the weekend. The tournament had 1,057 entrants – the second-highest at the tourney behind Street Fighter 6's 1,110 – including the likes of Marvel vs Capcom legend Justin Wong, Leffen, and SonicFox, who would go on to win the tournament from Losers Top 8.

While SonicFox is best known for their domination of NetherRealm games like Mortal Kombat and Injustice, they were a big winner in Arc-Sys' previous tag-team fighter Dragon Ball FighterZ, so their win isn't too shocking, but this win also comes in the wake of their criticism of the new fighter.

Back during the beta, SonicFox said the game "needs way more work still since so many decisions don't make a lot of sense," while adding that "The characters are genuinely pretty interesting, just heavily restricted by the game itself." Naturally, this inspired a ton of comments about SonicFox disliking the game being a skill issue, or using the fact SonicFox primarily plays the generally poorer quality Mortal Kombat games as an excuse to discredit their opinion.

After the CEO win, SonicFox took to Twitter to say "this win should definitely make people actually shut the fuck up and let me voice my opinions on the game" and that it's "delusion to believe that I don’t like a game because I can’t be 'good' at it." SonicFox then adds, "This win was purely out of spite" to those reactions to their opinion on the game.

Marvel Tokon has been struggling out the gate a bit. It launched with rough PC performance (which was swiftly patched by Arc System Works after the game's first weekend), a lack of Linux support, and a requirement for a PSN account, which locks players in certain countries out of the game entirely, resulting in the game sitting at Mixed Steam reviews. This includes seasoned players, like Sajam, who called it "one of the worst fighting game launches," while Maximillian ended up uninstalling the PC version of the game live on stream to grab a PS5 copy after issues with the port.

Meanwhile, analysts reckon the game's reported 485,000 copies sold mark could've been closer to a million had the PC version not had so many issues.

Check out our Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls review to see how Arc System Works' latest stacks up.

We're coming up to the time where Sony would typically reveal the next generation of the PlayStation. But if you're eagerly anticipating the PS6, I would make sure to breathe, because the corporation doesn't have any kind of launch window for the hardware yet.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Hiroki Totoki, the CEO of Sony, said there's no release date for the follow-up to the PlayStation 5. Generally speaking, consoles tend to have about seven years before another full iteration comes along. The PS5 launched in late 2020, thus the back half of next year, 2027, is where expectations lay.

However, it looks and sounds like Sony will be missing that window. Totoki doesn't go into great detail on why, but there are some obvious issues within the game and tech industries right now – he points to the current state of energy and chip supplies, for example, as well as trade wars, noting that "we need to take some action. Otherwise, we cannot survive in this landscape."

Demand is outstripping supply on parts necessary to build consoles, thanks largely to data centers and tech surrounding generative AI. It's difficult for any manufacturer to consistently keep its products moving right now, never mind launching a system on a global scale.

On top of that, things are unsteady within game development, to say the least. Most major publishers have undergone layoffs in recent memory, and lots of releases have been canceled or delayed. It's not a strong climate for putting out a new console and stretching those teams even further.

Similarly, I've got to imagine the launch of GTA 6 plays a factor. After a number of delays, it's out this November. Sony will definitely be expecting to shift a healthy amount of consoles for Christmas, and the potential of the PS6 may slow those down a little bit, encouraging those not in any rush to simply wait for the new, shiny platform.

The same is potentially true for a few other highly anticipated games, like Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Triple-A projects are still looking incredible and running great on the PS5 anyway, so what's the rush?

Indie dev says Sony suddenly ended their publishing deal without "any reason," delisting their games and cancelling PS5 port of Steam game with 97% 'overwhelmingly positive' reviews, won't explain or respond "in any way."

It appears Sony has unilaterally cut ties with Ukrainian developer Ternox Games. The company, most notable for anime stock market sim Stonks-9800, claims there's been no explanation from the PlayStation manufacturer over the decision, which will result in its games being delisted and at least one port being canceled.

Ternox Games made the announcement on August 17, saying its deal with Sony had been unceremoniously canceled. "Sony PlayStation unilaterally terminated my PlayStation developer and publisher agreement without giving me any reason," the dev writes on Twitter.

"PlayStation Support refuses to listen to my arguments or even respond to my emails in any way," it adds.

Stonks-9800 was slated for a PlayStation 5 version, but that's off the table. A shame, because it's a fun, inventive game that could attract a whole other audience on Sony's system. Essentially, you play as a Japanese salary man who's trying to use stocks to make his way up in the world.

The visuals are heavily influenced by '80s anime, and it's largely text-based. It has over 1,380 reviews on Steam, and 97% of those are positive. Getting on the PS Store would've widened Ternox's potential audience considerably, while offering more fascinating games for the users there.

The plan was to do a PS5 disc version in 2027, just ahead of Sony ceasing production on physical games. Since that's no longer feasible, Ternox promises to "do my best" to do physical releases on PC and Nintendo Switch.

A total of 13 earlier releases from Ternox are already available on the PS Store, but you only have until August 23 to get them. These are a mix of in-house releases and from outside developers.

Sony ending PlayStation discs "was always going to happen," says analyst, as the PS6 costing $1,000 would "limit your audience quite significantly"

After the announcement of Marvel's Wolverine, I wondered how much had changed from Insomniac's excellent Spider-Man games. The best part of those previous titles was swinging down digital New York streets, exploring the open world at my own pace. My hands-on time with Marvel's Wolverine put those fears to rest. While the foundations built for those Spider-Man games are clearly present here, the action takes a bloody new form that helps Logan's story sing.

"Central to the Wolverine player fantasy is claw combat, in much the same way that web swinging is the central element of Spider-Man player fantasy," creative director Marcus Smith says. "So we developed a lot of systems for our combat that supply the fast, fluid, and lethal combat system that you would expect from Wolverine."

So Insomniac has traded a web-swinging open-world for a mostly linear roller coaster that takes Wolverine on a globe-trotting adventure. It's a game design decision, yes, but one built on the idea of being true to Logan's character – something the developers repeatedly emphasized to me in my interviews with them.

Not-so-friendly neighborhood

"We're telling a Logan story," senior project director Jess Reiner-Reed says when I ask about the decision to ditch the open world. "He's so different from Spider-Man in so many different ways. One of the ways is that Logan is not somebody who stays in the same spot for a while. He's not somebody who has a friendly neighborhood. He's not settling down in one location. He's a loner guy in a lot of ways."

"It took us a while to say 'traversal is not an important part of Wolverine as a character,'" director of technology Mike Fitzgerald says. "As we talk about those key things, it's about his claws, his healing factor, his rage and anger, his past and dealing with that. These are some of the core things. The game doesn't have to be everything and have everything. At the same time, you don't want to be frustrating or slow."

While Wolverine isn't about movement, I never found the game to be slow. In fact, in some open-ended areas, I was astounded by how fast I could move. There's a part early in the game where you have to take out some anti-mutant alarms spread out across a bunch of half-constructed buildings, and Wolverine's ability to get around, claw his way up walls, and leap between rooftops is plenty of fun in its own right.

"Some of it's subtle, though, in fun ways," Fitzgerald tells me. "Like, he can climb trees. I mean, he's a wolverine with claws that you go up. But if you walk out on the branch, the branch bends, because he's a very heavy guy. That's a whole system we had to build [...] But Spider-Man walks out on stuff and doesn't affect those things at all. He's very light and nimble. As soon as we put it so the branch was bending under the weight and the leaves were all moving the right way, it's like, 'Oh yeah, this feels like this character and not that other character,' even because of that subtle bit."

Lone wolverine

Even Logan's personality provided its own challenges to the team. As it turns out, it's a lot easier to depict somebody like Peter Parker as a character than it is to make Logan's brooding solitude compelling. "Wolverine's a very internal character," Fitzgerald explains. "Spider-Man is an external character. He quips. He talks. He says what he thinks. Logan [is] quiet, and needs to express with his face and his eyes, and interact with characters. Oftentimes, saying one thing but feeling another. How do we express that through the game? It took a lot of work and effort."

These sorts of considerations permeated the game's development from top to bottom, as the devs repeatedly emphasized in our interview. "For making Wolverine," Reiner-Reed says, "we were constantly asking the question, like, 'Okay, what would Logan do here?' Doesn't matter what another character would do. 'What would our guy do? How would he react to this situation?' I think development-wise, that was what we were always focused on."

It's paid off, at least in the two hours I've played so far. Building Wolverine on the foundation of Spider-Man makes sense, since there's a core of biff-boom-bang action at the heart of every superhero adventure. But Insomniac has smartly torn down and rethought just about every element in a way that makes sense for this new hero.

As we await the launch of Marvel's Wolverine, here are the other upcoming PS5 game you need to know about.

I don't normally consider myself a trend hopper, but when the physical media resurgence started popping off I knew I was in for a treat. With new tech surging in price, streaming brands getting greedier, and pride in ownership at an all-time low it was obvious something was about to give and I'm so glad it has. I do worry, though.

With all this rushing towards CD players, Blu-ray rippers, and retro handhelds, how many cheap plastic devices are going to make it into our carts, and eventually into landfill once the trend dies down? What if there was an ahead-of-its-time device that could scratch that itch for physical ownership without requiring the Temu factories to rev their engines? What if we could, rather than shelling out for the latest nostalgia tat, save older devices from their own e-waste fate?

Enter my one true love, the PSP.

The PlayStation Portable, first debuted in 2005 (in NA and EU), had its sights set on being more than a gaming handheld. At launch it not only promised performance closer to that of a PS2 than a PS1, but it heralded in one of Sony's most beautiful designs; the UMD. A shining beacon of creativity that faded to ash far too quickly.

The fact that this is a handheld console running disc games never quite gets the flowers it deserves in my opinion, and it's partly Sony's optimism in its format that keeps the PSP close to my heart. However, that UMD meant the PSP could stand as a portable gaming machine and media center all from your pocket. Ironically, now that Sony has become enemy number one in the fight against digitalisation, it's these little discs that are keeping that physical media itch scratched for me.

The UMD was a product of its time, Sony could never have expected to keep its games limited to the 1.8GB at hand. That doesn't mean it's not still impressive today, though. While it only really lasted about four years (after 2009, Sony was more focused on distribution via is PS Store, as evidenced by the all-digital PSP Go), current estimates put about 1,000 - 1,500 movies available on UMD, and nearly 2,000 games.

It gets even better, though.

Remember when I said the PSP had its sights set on being more than a gaming handheld? It really wanted to be a smartphone, well before ole Steve got on stage in 2007.

Thumbing through 'PSP: The Official Guide Book' on Internet Archive provides a clear look at just how Sony wanted the PSP to position itself in your pocket. The mag notes that "in November 2003, when Sony unveiled its prototype PSP to western journalists, mobile telephone functionality was mentioned among the list of possible features." (25). The spread on future applications speculates around then-rumored hardware upgrades, ranging from a USB keyboard for productivity to the then-"prototype" GPS add-on that would later become the Sony PSP-290 (still kicking around on eBay).

Unfortunately, the PSP never received its call and message functionality, though it could still tick a smartphone's other boxes; web browsing, mp3 playback, movies, photos (via the Go!Cam attachment), and of course gaming. The difference, even back then, was that it still put that physical media ownership at the center of its package. And it could well be the last device to truly be able to claim that.

So where does it stand today? Pretty tall if you ask me.

No, you won't get the latest Blu-ray releases on here (though there was a time when Sony wanted to package PSP-friendly versions of movies in with its Blu-Rays- as per Game Developer). You'll also need to rip your CDs before you can build up a song library you actually own.

But the PSP fights hard to keep your entertainment in your control in 2026. What other device can hold an entire (albeit in the case of movies and games, dated) media library in your pocket. And actually in your pocket, by the way - none of this Steam Deck bulk. It's all the physical media gadgets we've been yearning for rolled into one, and it pulls off that seemingly impossible (by 2005's standards) feat with grace and style.

If you're keen to join my PSP Appreciation club, you've only really got one option. These days, you'll find working PSP 1000s on sites like eBay and Vinted for between $50 and $120 (I generally see working devices for £40 - £100 in the UK), depending on their level of wear and how many accessories are included.

The real fun, though, starts under that 'working' price threshold. I've been hiding my second biggest reason for loving the PSP. It's a tinkerer's gateway.

The thing is remarkably easy to tear down and diagnose. It's got relatively few parts all told, and they generally hold up pretty well. Not only that, but there's a massive market for third party replacements over on AliExpress, and I would say 80% of PSPs I've polished up over the last few years have been fixable without a solder iron.

See, these things were popular and they were portable. They lived in the pockets of 00s denizens, so most of them are cracked and pretty filthy. A broken PSP for $30/£30 is pretty easy to find and, in my experience, most of them just need a good clean (obviously read descriptions carefully and be prepared to lose on this gamble if you're not experienced with more complicated fixes). The first PSP I rescued was sold at a discount due to dead face buttons and a wandering thumbstick. A new nubbin and some isopropyl alcohol later it's up and running like new.

Avoiding the inevitable rush of cheap tat when factories look to capitalize on the physical media trend while saving seemingly 'broken' tech from landfill? Count me in.

I'll go down swinging for the PSP for years to come, but if your EDC does it better, change my mind in the comments below.

We're also rounding up all the best retro controllers for other systems, or if you're looking to scratch a more modern physical media itch, Rosalie's tips and tricks for collecting Blu-Rays is also available.

Story-driven action-adventure games have a special place in my gaming time, because my wife and I have been bonding over them for years. What started as a desire to show her why I was so obsessed with Metal Gear Solid eventually became a couples' tradition, where she'd sit in and we'd enjoy the twists and turns of games like Uncharted and Yakuza together. When Insomniac announced Marvel's Wolverine, I instantly figured it'd be perfect for our gaming time together.

That thought was instantly wiped away when I saw how violent Wolverine is going to be. I can't blame Insomniac for wanting to be true to the character's violent lore, but my partner has an intense blood phobia. Even a quick glimpse of the goopy gore that permeates the game's trailers would likely be enough to push her to the edge of a panic attack.

So when Insomniac announced that it was introducing a new accessibility option for Wolverine which will allow you to toggle off blood and gore, my interest was more than academic. Alongside my hands-on time with Marvel's Wolverine, I had to get the developers' insights into implementing this option and finding new ways to cater to players – and watchers – with diverse needs.

What I do isn't very nice

While I don't have direct access to the violence options in my hands-on, creative director Marcus Smith demonstrates them ahead of my demo. "Yes, we are making a Wolverine game," he says. "Yes, it is extremely bloody. But we also understand that not everybody has the same level of squeamishness where it comes to blood. So we have settings where you can disable blood, disable gore, disable [dismemberment]."

He shows a screenshot of a character on the wrong end of Wolverine's claws. This enemy soldier is spattered with blood, with gore shooting absurdly from the spots where you'd expect. In the next screenshot, everything's the same – all the visual and emotional content is there – but the red stuff is gone. It's not a haphazard edit. It genuinely looks like a version of the game that was targeting a T for Teen rating from the start. There are other content toggles, too, like an option to turn off profanity if you simply want to make the game's dialog a bit more family friendly.

Offering these kinds of options is a big technical challenge since the gore itself is built from "a very complex set of systems," according to head of technology Mike Fitzgerald. "The way it affects characters is one thing. The way it affects environments is another thing. The way it sprays out of the characters is another thing. A lot of cinematics have custom authored blood that's independent [to what] someone very carefully painted onto a character or object. Finding all those places, making them all relate into the accessibility system the right way, took quite a bit of work, effort, and testing."

No surprises

When I first heard about these sorts of accessibility options, my instant fear was that not every edge case would be accounted for. There are, after all, cutscenes where characters get beheaded, or we see Wolverine get shredded to the bone by gunfire. In cases like those, the game simply blurs out scenes with content you don't want to see.

People like my wife have "a real reaction to that stuff," Fitzgerald acknowledges. "We don't want to surprise anyone with it when they think they have it turned off."

A part of me does wonder if these gracious nods to accessibility might undercut something of the game's bite. "The tone of this game is a bit darker, more mature than recent Insomniac games," Smith says, "and the reason for that is because we need to stay true to these characters. They have lived long and complex lives, and the only way to represent them with authenticity is to do so unflinchingly." Is a blood toggle a flinch?

"Wolverine is a brutal character," senior project director Jess Reiner-Reed acknowledges. "That's a part of the DNA of Wolverine. It is rated mature as far as topics, and as you mentioned, as far as violence, but Logan is not somebody who is ever glorifying violence. He's not cutting up people for violence' sake. He's doing it because he got into some situation. He has to defend somebody who can't defend themselves. He has to fight [against] injustice."

That distinction, I think, is why letting people play a substantially less violent version of Wolverine makes sense, even within the themes of the character. This Logan lives in a brutal world, yes, but his own brutality exists as a shield to protect others from having to endure the same hardships. And personally? I'm just glad my time playing Wolverine won't be as lonely as I feared.

We'll keep you up to date with every upcoming PS5 game worth knowing about.

The current voice of Kratos, Christopher Judge, has thrown respect towards his predecessor, TC Carson, on the back of the original God of War trilogy being remade with the first voice of the titular character in tow. To him, it signifies just how much Sony Santa Monica cares about the legacy of the series, since Carson's a large part of the reason why anyone still cares.

Judge spoke on the subject during a panel at Fan Expo Boston, per Collider. "I'm glad it worked out," he says. "And the thing I'm glad, too, is that TC isn't forgotten because where we are now is because of TC Carson and how magnificent he is."

The God of War Trilogy Remake was announced back in February, giving the first three adventures starring Kratos top-down reworks. We don't have many other details beyond Carson's involvement and that it's happening, but it's exciting as is. The original God of War and its immediate sequels haven't gotten much attention since the days of the PS3, and given how big the property is now, it's high time newer fans got a history.

"I'm so happy that they're remastering the original games, and then that will find a new audience, and I just think it's wonderful," Judge adds. I'm somewhat curious both what creative liberties the devs take, and how the games themselves land overall. These are different games to the 2018 installment and Ragnarok.

Their worlds aren't as big, Kratos is more two-dimensional, he's got no little companion around him, and there are jokes and set-pieces that haven't aged well. If you know, you know. All I'm saying is I neither expect, nor necessarily want, these to be one-to-one updates.

To finish, Judge, who's been the voice of Kratos since the 2018 game and is now very much a face of the franchise, says Sony Santa Monica's reverence for the fanbase is what's keeping the series going strong after two decades. "That is a testament to not only Cory [Balrog, creative director at Santa Monica Studio], but all of Sony Santa Monica and their investment in this," he explains.

"They actually respect the fans," Judge continues. "Like, it's not that hard of a thing to do. You ask people to pay for your product, or people invite you into their homes, the least you can do is respect what they have to say, and Sony Santa Monica actually does that."

The next God of War game is Laufey, following Kratos's wife in her journey through the underworld. It's due out next year.

God of War star Christopher Judge criticizes The Last of Us and similar adaptations for excluding people who made the games: "What are you thinking?"

It took Hollywood decades to learn the truth about superheroes: the origin stories are usually the most boring part. Insomniac Games was clued into that fact from the start with the Marvel's Spider-Man games, which deliberately avoided showing us Peter Parker's fateful meeting with a radioactive Spider. It seems they're taking a similar approach with Marvel's Wolverine.

"During our story, Logan already has adamantium infused to his bones," creative director Marcus Smith explains at a preview event for Marvel's Wolverine. "He does not remember how that happened, why it happened, and we are not really covering it because we're not doing an origin story."

During my hands-on time with Marvel's Wolverine, I saw the very start of the game, which does open with a brief flashback. There, we see Logan in the woods, seemingly feral, when he meets Nathaniel Essex – a character whose name will ring a calamitous bell for X-Men fans. The scene is just a few moments, and we quickly fast-forward apparent years to the actual action.

There's a sense of history to the characters, as they regularly reference past events and conflicts, but it's all flavor that makes the world seem bigger. If you have history with Wolverine in the comics or other media, you'll have a pretty clear picture of what these events look like – if not, it'll just be there to make the characters seem richer.

It's the exact same approach we saw Insomniac take in Marvel's Spider-Man, which references Spidey's origins and history in ways that make sense and add to the story, but never explicitly spells out that story. Perhaps the most important part is that it lets players just start being a superhero from the second they load up the game – whether we're talking about Peter Parker or James Logan Howlett, there's no need to make people wait for the fun part.

These are the upcoming PS5 games you need to have on your radar.

There's a moment in the Marvel's Wolverine story trailer released toward the end of July where we see the camera pull back behind Jean Grey as she enters a dance hall. To my eye, it seemed like an obvious tease of a playable sequence featuring Jean, but looks can be deceiving – Insomniac tells me in no uncertain terms that Wolverine himself is the game's only playable character.

When I alluded to that moment with Jean Grey in the trailer in an interview with senior project director Jess Reiner-Reed and head of technology Mike Fitzgerald, they both registered a bit of genuine confusion, before they both told me, "Wolverine is our only playable character."

That'll likely be a relief to many players of Insomniac's previous superhero games. I never hated the Mary Jane stealth sections in the Spider-Man series as much as other people seemed to, but they're unequivocally the least exciting bits of those games. Insomniac going all in on the game's central hero sounds like a good thing to me.

My hands-on time with Marvel's Wolverine was still filled with loads of side characters, and many of them do have a role to play not just in the story, but the gameplay. In my demo, there were big combat sections where Wolverine is accompanied by Sabretooth or Mystique, who'll dynamically join in with your combos for little team-up moves to knock out the bad guys.

Some similar interactions with Jean were shown in the public gameplay reveal, and "there's more of that," Fitzgerald explains. "There's definitely the team vibe in that sense. But we were really focusing on Wolverine as a playable character and making sure we nailed that."

For more, check out all our Marvel's Wolverine Big Preview coverage.

Insomniac built the adamantium skeleton for Marvel's Wolverine with its Spider-Man games. The upcoming PS5 game clearly builds on the combat, the cinematic presentation, and even the progression systems of those previous titles. But after spending two hours playing Marvel's Wolverine, touring Insomniac's Los Angeles headquarters, and speaking to some of the developers bringing the game to life, it's clear that this is more than a simple reskin of Spider-Man. James Logan Howlett's burning heart beats at the center of it all.

"One thing we're really proud about at the studio is shipping games," head of technology Mike Fitzgerald tells me. "This is our fifth title on the PlayStation 5. We're really proud of that. Part of that is knowing how to build on prior games effectively. If we'd taken a Spider-Man game and put a Wolverine character model in, that wouldn't feel right. It wouldn't be right for the character. It wouldn't be fulfilling the player fantasy for the fans. So it's about building carefully on what we have and then rethinking a whole lot of the fundamentals."

So the flippy, acrobatic combat of Spider-Man – which, itself, echoes Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham series – has slowed down, with a closer camera perspective and more tightly-packed enemies. The violence is more extreme. The story is darker. And, most obviously, we're now following a linear, globe-trotting adventure rather than exploring a singular open world.

Rage against the killing machines

"Throughout development," senior project director Jess Reiner-Reed explains, "any decision we're making, we're trying to go: 'Is this right for Wolverine? Is this telling a Logan-centric story? Is this the best way we can do this to make the player feel like they're playing as Wolverine?'"

Nowhere is this intent more obvious than with the Rage system. As you fight, striking enemies and parrying their attacks, you build up a meter representing Wolverine's bestial anger. Once it's maxed out, the color drains from the scene, Wolverine powers up, and you can launch instant-kill takedowns by pulling both triggers at once. The meter quickly drains once you reach this state, but you can keep it going longer by continuing to kill.

This system really incentivizes you to be aggressive, constantly escalating the speed with which you're taking down the bad guys, perfectly in line with your character's own overflowing rage. It's introduced with a great little moment in the game, where Logan's anger at seeing his fellow mutants mistreated boils over, and you're given control with maximum Rage to rip the perpetrators to shreds. If you've seen any of the trailers for Wolverine, you'll know just how bloody this game can get. But, importantly, Logan's violence feels like an outpouring of his desire to protect others.

"He's not bloodthirsty," Fitzgerald says. "He's not a sadist. He's not reveling in the violence that he's doing. We want the game to reflect that as well. The game itself isn't like 'look at how bloody and gross we can be.' It's more like this is a natural consequence of who this character is and what he grapples with over the course of the game."

The Rage system also accounts for Wolverine's superhuman healing. You do have a traditional health meter, but as long as you've got some Rage in the tank, you can get back up and keep fighting. Die without any Rage to keep you going, though, and you'll have to restart from a checkpoint. It may not be 100% true to the specifics of Logan's mutant ability, but it does keep the spirit of those powers intact and faithfully represents the character's relentless nature.

"You wouldn't see another character with that set of abilities or mechanics," Reiner-Reed says. "This is uniquely Logan."

This is no origin story

The start of the game shows a brief flashback to when Logan was living a seemingly feral life in the wilderness, just as he meets a mysterious figure promising a home for mutants. But this isn't Professor X talking about a home for gifted youngsters. This is Nathaniel Essex, a character with a lengthy X-Men comic history as the villain Mister Sinister.

But if Essex is going to become the villain of this story, that's going to be a late game twist. Insomniac dragged out the ultimate heel turn of Otto Octavius as Doctor Octopus in the 2018 Spider-Man game, which could be the blueprint for what's happening here. For now, though, the game flashes forward, with Wolverine rejoining Mystique, Jean Grey, and Sabretooth as part of Team X to rescue Essex from the anti-mutant extremist Bolivar Trask.

What follows is something of a superpowered D-Day invasion, where I charge up a muddy hill toward a massive fort, slicing through Trask's minions as I go. While there's plenty of action and bombast, this is very much the game's tutorial, as I'm introduced to the basics of combat. The true depths of the Rage system haven't unlocked yet, but even here the combat feels meaty and rewarding.

My favorite move is pushing triangle to leap forward and quickly close the distance with an enemy. It's not entirely dissimilar to Spider-Man's Web Strike, but at this closer combat scale, it reminds me of how Batman would automatically leap between opponents in the Arkham games. Here, it's an active ingredient in the combat soup, something to stay engaged with as the rhythm of parry, dodge, slash slash slash carries on.

I find myself surprised by how quickly I can get around the game's bigger areas. Wolverine can't use web shooters to speed through these levels, but he can still move. Logan runs quickly, can climb up walls, and leap leg-shattering distances. There's an open-ended area early on where I have to take out a series of mutant-detecting alarms guarded by patrolling soldiers. It feels like an absolute playground, thanks largely to how quickly I can move through it, and how easy it is switch between brutal, stalking stealth and full-blown combat.

I'm also introduced to each of the game's major cast members, but notably, this isn't their first meeting. Nor do I hear much about Wolverine's backstory, and that's very much by design. "Logan already has adamantium infused to his bones," says creative director Marcus Smith. "He does not remember how that happened, why it happened, and we are not really covering it because we're not doing an origin story." There are already plenty of places where you can learn of Wolverine's origins, and having the specifics shrouded in mystery here helps build gravity and intrigue around his relationships.

Later in the demo, I'm whisked forward to a part near the end of the game's first act. Here, I get the culmination of all the combat tricks I've learned up to this point as I take on a massive Sentinel prototype. It's a multi-stage boss fight where I've got to wear down its various weak points to deal big damage.

It's familiar stuff if you've, uh, ever played a video game before, but it's a great little challenge. In fact, it's the only time I die outside of a later optional challenge room – and it sneaks in a few unique mechanics, like an ability to call in a sniper shot from Mystique with a tap of the R1 button, which stuns the giant machine so I can get a few extra licks in.

Madripoor me another

Eventually, Logan ends up in Madripoor, and here the game allows me a bit of a breather. The story slows down as I wander a small bar and nearby stretch of street while Logan meets up with his allies to discuss everything that's transpired. There are fun little Easter eggs to discover here – a playing card hinting at Gambit wandering around this universe, for example – but the real treat is the character interactions.

I'm impressed by just how convincing the storytelling and character performances are. There's a wonderful little moment between Logan and Mystique where they play a round of "never have I ever," as our hero is grilled on topics like lost loves. I get to choose what parts Logan drinks to, and relish the chance to get inside the character's head and imagine his past and what's brought him to this point.

There's a haunted sense of history to how Logan and the crew refer to their past adventures and the mistakes they've made along the way, and it works in part because the story is so well-delivered. The devs say getting this right was a monumental task. "Cinematics is something where there's not, 'Hey, this is just the cinematics department, and they take care [of it],'" Reiner-Reed explains. "It takes everybody. There's lighting, there's artists, there's performance and optimization, there's animation, mocap."

This Madripoor section is also my first opportunity to properly explore, finding collectables here and there that tie into the game's various upgrade systems. I'm able to unlock a few new abilities – both passive buffs and active attacks that run on a cooldown in combat – and check out some additional suits for Wolverine, but I don't have much space to actually dive into those systems before my time with the demo ends. For now, it feels more like a teaser for the fact that, yes, there will be reasons to explore and go off the beaten path in the full game.

There are also additional challenges to take on in a sort of dreamy cabin space that will apparently appear at various points across the story. Inside, Logan can interact with various totems to take on optional timed challenges, like fighting hordes of soldiers in a snowy battlefield or racing through an abstract, nearly psychedelic collection of parkour obstacles. I certainly wasn't expecting to be reminded of Mirror's Edge during Wolverine, but the abstracted arenas for the traversal challenges put me in a similar frame of mind. These time trials are fun enough, but those that I played were pretty simple and easy. I was able to get not just a gold rating, but platinum after just a couple of tries.

The combat challenge I took on, however, really put me through the ringer. Here, I had to manage an array of goons pelting me with fists and bullets while I whittle down a big, muscular brute with parries, dodges, and strikes – then I had to do it again, with a second wave of foes, all within a strict time limit. I failed this one over and over, but I had a great time doing it, and really learning the fight made my eventual success feel pretty sweet. The solution? Rage. Building up that rage is essential.

Before playing Marvel's Wolverine, I was afraid I would miss so much from Insomniac's previous Spider-Man games. Sure, the combat and missions in those games were fun enough, but the truly excellent part was swinging through the streets of New York City at breakneck speeds and digging for little odd jobs and side missions along the way.

Going hands-on with the game completely erased those fears. Insomniac has repurposed the fundamentals of its previous games here, yes, but it's done so in a way that feels appropriate for Logan. The turn from friendly neighborhood wall-crawler to this brooding new hero makes all the difference.

More from our interviews with the Marvel's Wolverine developers and further impressions from our hands-on time are still to come. For now, here are the upcoming PS5 games you need to have on your radar.

PlayStation and Sucker Punch have announced that Ghost of Yotei is getting a major DLC expansion called Echoes of Sekigahara. It launches on October 1 alongside other new content and Ghost of Yotei: Complete Edition, which includes all previously released updates and will be available on a physical disc.

"Ghost of Yōtei: Echoes of Sekigahara is our new narrative expansion. Split between the present day and flashbacks to Atsu’s time on the mainland, you’ll meet Nagato, a figure from Atsu’s past who has arrived in Ezo," Sony explains on the PlayStation Blog.

"In the present, you’ll explore a previously unseen valley once inhabited by The Snake and his gang of loyal followers, the Vipers. In the past, you’ll experience Atsu’s time in the Battle of Sekigahara and a key moment in her life before she returned home for her quest for vengeance. You’ll meet new enemies and find new heavy weapons, new armor sets, new dyes, and more."

October 1 will also see the launch of Most Wanted, a "single-player combat survival mode" which the devs describe as "our spin on a roguelike." Each run will see you taking down enemies to earn perks and unlock new playable characters. The devs plan to announce more details on both expansions ahead of launch.

Both of these DLC add-ons are part of the $70 Ghost of Yotei: Complete Edition. If you already own the base game, you can upgrade to Complete Edition for $14.99 USD.

The Complete Edition also includes the content that was previously included in the Digital Deluxe Edition, as well as "new tracks for Watanabe Mode," alongside "new photo mode stamps, additional cosmetics for New Game+, and new Trophies for both Echoes of Sekigahara and Most Wanted."

Additionally, a free update will launch on October 1 with a transmog feature, allowing you to equip gear for its aesthetics without being stuck with its stats. This patch will also include the "Beauty of Yotei" mode, which offers what amounts to an in-game screensaver showcasing digital Japan.

The YouTube description for the trailer also confirms that the Complete Edition will have a "physical version available October 1." While Sony is seemingly fully committed to its decision to end physical discs in 2028, it appears the company is treating physical games as normal until then. I'm just hoping that the physical Complete Edition will, indeed, be complete, with all that DLC and add-on content actually included on the disc rather than a download code.

These are the upcoming PS5 games you need to know about.

Every match in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls feels like it could be ripped fresh from the pages of a comic book in how it builds a tight narrative of clashing superheroes and supervillains. While it may begin as a traditional 2v2 bout, the end of a combo at the edge of a screen smashes the opponent out of one panel and across the stage when another hero suddenly joins, turning this into a 3v2, while each subsequent loss sees another hero jumping into the fray until it culminates in an epic 4v4 showdown. These are the largest teams of any tag fighter to date, and no franchise is better suited than Marvel, which gave birth to this sub-genre back in the '90s with X-Men vs. Street Fighter – which eventually morphed into the iconic Marvel vs Capcom.

The difference, however, is that this latest Marvel fighter has changed hands to another Japanese studio, and in the hands of Arc System Works, it's a much-needed course-correct following the nadir of Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite. Without the heavy hand of the Marvel Cinematic Universe influencing story and art direction, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls instead goes back to its comic book with an anime twist that naturally fits the studio behind stylish anime fighters like Guilty Gear Strive and Dragon Ball FighterZ like an Infinity Gauntlet.

Living comics

Every frame of animation in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is just gorgeous to behold. You're so convinced that it's 2D animation of the highest caliber until you launch an opponent or execute a screen-filling super skill that shows these character models from a different camera angle. It's a style that Arc System Works has already perfected with its past titles, but also one that it wisely doesn't overly rely on.

To Sony and Marvel's credit, there's no attempt to shoehorn in a half-baked cinematic story mode with the existing assets. Instead, it leans into its origins by literally having episodes that unfold as comic books. And I don't mean the basic, visual novel-style bookends of Street Fighter 6's arcade mode.

These episodes are penned by acclaimed comic book author Kieron Gillen, each having its own visual flair and flavor thanks to a variety of artists – including Marvel veterans as well as renowned manga artists like Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima

Episodes have a dynamic presentation as comic panels tease out in a scene, changing in size and order around the page for emphasis, further bolstered by expressive voice acting and a surprising amount of DualSense haptics. It's certainly more lively than having character models standing around talking at each other with an endless amount of shot-reverse-shot (not naming any names).

The central plot of a worlds-threatening invasion that contrives a reason for our superheroes to fight one another is boilerplate stuff for a fighting game (though even the antagonists are actually deep cuts from Marvel history). But, what makes these episodes so memorable is that they are anchored in more tangible human drama, be it the fangirling Ms Marvel wanting to prove herself to reluctant mentor Spider-Man, or Storm's crisis of confidence as she tries to lead a beaten-down but still unbreakable X-Men against a backdrop of mutant prejudices at its peak.

In other words, real care has gone into the composition of each official fighting team, making for a diverse roster that strikes a balance between classic favorites and cult classics, with the addition of Robbie Reyes' Ghost Rider, Blade, and Magik almost feeling like a shout-out to the sorely underrated Marvel's Midnight Suns.

Balancing act

Of course, outside of the story mode, you're free to pick your team of four as you see fit. Yet, as intimidating as the idea of a 4v4 fighter might seem on paper, ArcSys makes it accessible through a lot of smart choices. As mentioned before, you're eased in with a traditional 2v2, as you 'assemble' the full team over the course of the match. Having another team member automatically joining the player who's lost a round feels like gaining reinforcements, always teasing the possibility of an exciting comeback rather than getting swept away in your opponent's momentum.

In the same way, you can only unleash the show-stopping, maximum-meter-draining Tokon Assemble that uses all four fighters as a last-ditch ultimate when your opponent is on match point. Having the team sharing one health bar means it avoids the prolonged bouts in other tag fighters, such as Dragon Ball FighterZ, when you swap out low-health fighters, while also making it feasible for new players to just focus on mastering one fighter and using the rest as assists.

In usual Arc System Works style, Marvel Tokon is a four-button fighter at heart, though this entry emphasizes the simplicity of control that can bring. Pared back to a light, medium, and heavy attack rather than separate punches and kicks as Street Fighter has, the final button is an assist that can call in allies to supplement a beatdown.

With gatling combos, basic chains always respect inputs so you don't have to sweat strict timing outside of really fancy chains, while each fighter's core command inputs are identical (pour one out for fans of charging fighters). Having both simpler commands for specials – one direction with a squeeze of the trigger – and traditional motion inputs – say, a quarter circle and two buttons – available at all times allows for flexibility, be it if you struggle with the traditional Shoryuken motion, or your chain of moves just makes it easier to tap one input rather than the other.

More importantly, even with these shared inputs, each fighter's playstyle feels distinct, from the projectile-based Doom to the combination of tech-powered tankiness of Peni Parker and her mech SP//dr, as are their moves. So, while Cap and Iron Man perform an anti-air with the Shoryuken input, the same move for Spidey is a stylish counter, while Ms Marvel's is a grab.

This might be Arc System Works' most successful attempt at a simple to grasp fighting system yet, but it still has plenty of depth veterans of the genre will enjoy. As fast and fun as Marvel Tokon feels to play, it's going to be for nothing if your only recourse is eating humble pie against seasoned tag fighter players who know how to exploit its mechanics to a high level. Easy combos can be blocked, assist attacks batted away, and before you know it, your opponent's knocked you across the stage multiple times and has their full team criss-crossing to keep you locked into a juggling pile-on you can barely cry, "Stop, I'm already dead."

There are fortunately a range of modes to keep you occupied, including a very robust training mode breaking down every mechanic and character moveset, with combo trials that reveal plenty of depth even with simpler inputs. While the branching arcade mode in All Star Arena is a no-brainer, the most compelling is a roguelike-ish survival mode where your team gets buffs from Soul cards that you can also upgrade if you draw a duplicate card or change out for a different buff, while also encountering regular boss fights in the form of a mega-buffed opponent.

Time will tell whether it will be as beloved as Marvel vs Capcom 3, but after the dire mis-step of Infinite threatened to undo Marvel's long fighting game heritage, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is a fantastic comeback that packs both style and substance, reminding the new wave of tag fighters like 2XKO and Invincible VS just who is the genre's champion.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls was reviewed on PS5, with a code provided by the publisher.

After another battle? Check out our best fighting games ranking!

Phantom Blade Zero, the exciting action RPG first unveiled during Sony's 2023 PlayStation Showcase, has drawn quite a lot of attention for its Sekiro-style vibes – and we'll finally get to see more of its Soulslike charm later this month.

That's right – Sony is dropping a 20-minute-long "deep dive" State of Play showcasing some of Phantom Blade Zero's gameplay on August 17, as outlined in its latest blog post on the game.

There's more, though… the studio has also revealed that pre-orders are officially live, along with a brand-new pre-order trailer for Phantom Blade Zero. That pre-order trailer? It's a whopping 11 minutes long itself, highlighting combat, story, and more.

It shows off an eye-catching face, too – that of actor and martial artist Donnie Yen, who Sony says "has served as creative consultant for Phantom Blade Zero since 2023, bringing his martial arts and action filmmaking expertise to our combat design to help deliver an authentic kung fu experience."

He has taken on the role of facial and motion capture actor for Mó Yuan, as well, who is the protagonist Soul's father.

As for glimpses of the gameplay that the trailer provides, we see what seems to be an action-packed boss fight atop of a moving cart pulled by horses (moving very fast, mind you), and other such scenes that prove just how wonderfully chaotic and, well, cool, Phantom Blade Zero appears as though it'll be.

There's also the matter of the actual pre-orders themselves, which are up for grabs over on PlayStation 5 now. The Standard Edition comes in at $59.99, while the Deluxe Edition is just 10 bucks more at $69.99.

Phantom Blade Zero will come to PC, too, but as Sony previously confirmed, it'll be at least 12 months (so, a year) after its PS5 release on October 29 this year. That's not so bad, all things considered, although it does mean that those of us craving some new Soulslike action on PC will have to wait a little while until we get it.

GTA 6 doesn't scare Phantom Blade Zero devs, who just moved their release date closer to Rockstar's: "We don't think about any of this"