New PSVR Headset Model
If one thing’s definitely for certain in 2018, it’s that Sony’s PlayStation VR headset will be getting a new and improved model sometime towards the end of the year. Following in the footsteps of other VR devices on the market right now like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, this isn’t completely unexpected considering how rapidly the industry grows in terms of innovation every year and how Sony itself explicitly mentioned last October that it plans to “continue to promote further expansion and diffusion of PSVR.” On top of that, Sony Interactive Entertainment America President Shawn Layden has stated that “the best is yet to come” for the device.
The version available for purchase right now, eloquently named “model number CUH-ZVR2,” features an upgraded processor that enables HDR passthrough, giving users the ability to watch HDR content on their TVs without first needing to unplug their headsets. It also integrates the unit’s stereo headphone cables directly into the device, meaning there are less wires involved to complicate the process. Expect only a few slight improvements in this vein when a new model gets announced in 2018. A completely new hardware upgrade may be in store given PSVR’s success so far, though fans likely won’t see it this year.
The Last of Us Part II Official Release Window
The Last of Us Part II was revealed at Sony’s PlayStation Experience back in December 2016. Since then, fans have been treated to just one other trailer showcasing what presumably will be more characters in the game, as well as a bunch of little tidbits that the game’s Creative Director, Neil Druckmann, has shared since the reveal. That’s pretty much it.
In an interview with Argentinian radio station Vorterix, The Last of Us Part II’s composer Gustavo Santaolalla stated the title is planned to launch exclusively for PS4 in 2019. This claim hasn’t been backed up by developer Naughty Dog or publisher Sony, though a 2019 release date for the game doesn’t seem too out of the question. The developer took two years to launch Uncharted 3 after Uncharted 2 came out in (2009 to 2011), two years again to launch The Last of Us after Uncharted 3 (2011 to 2013), and three years to release Uncharted 4 after The Last of Us (2013 to 2016), after all, meaning it’s poised for a software release sometime next year.
Using this logic, it would seem that the announcement of a release window for The Last of Us Part II is imminent, though don’t expect a concrete release date to be decided upon just yet. Given how God of War’s release date was announced only three months before launch, expect Naughty Dog’s sequel to follow a similar plan of attack.
PSN Username Changes
Dreams may finally come true for many PlayStation users this year, allowing them the chance to finally change their emo PSN names from high school into monikers a little more appropriate for modern times. Sony Interactive Entertainment America President Shawn Layden hinted that name changes may finally be coming to PSN sometime between December 2017 and December 2018 back at PlayStation Experience last year, adding that it’s a “large piece of work,” but that he hopes events will arise where he won’t have to answer that question again at future PSXs.
Just this month, according to online publication Push Square, Sony was surveying a select percentage of its users on how they feel about potential PSN name changes, stating that it wanted to “understand if gamers are interested in the feature or not.” According to the outlet, the email goes so far so to even state how the feature would be integrated into PSN, as it would give users the option of changing their names for free once every six months. To return to an older PSN name, however, users would have to contact customer support.
If anything, it seems as though the momentum surrounding the implementation of this feature is picking up, which is very good news for anyone out there who still references mid-2000’s post hardcore song lyrics in their username.
Price Drop to $250 for a 500 GB PS4 Model
Given the presence of a PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro on the market right now, it seems likely that a standard 500 GB PS4 model will drop to $250 sometime in 2018. There may be a price reduction down to $200 during select holiday weeks, though it isn’t likely that this will be the permanent price of the hardware going forward, as Sony will want to make as much profit off the console as possible given its time and popularity in the industry.
A price drop is likely considering how this generation of console hardware is slated to be shorter than that of the PS3 and Xbox 360’s, too. With mid-generational upgrades already out there in the form of the aforementioned Pro and Xbox One X, fans may be getting a PS5 and next generation Xbox announcement sooner rather than later. Sony Computer Entertainment’s own UK boss, Fergal Gara, stated as much back when the PS4 launched, going so far as to say, “I think the willingness and the appetite to pick up new technology fast has probably changed quite a bit.”
Of course, the next iteration to the PlayStation brand has yet to be announced as of the time of this writing, though if Sony does indeed reduce prices to some of its hardware units, it’s a likely sign that something new is just around the corner. Just don’t expect anything official in that regard this year.
The PS4 Won’t Sell as Well as It Used To
It’s hard to tell exactly how well the console will sell in 2018, though fans should expect that it won’t be pushing the ridiculous numbers it yielded a few years back. The PS4 has another hardware unit it has to compete against in the form of the Switch, plus Microsoft’s Xbox One X is being received well by consumers. The industry is much more fragmented now than five years ago, plus Sony’s former CEO, Kazuo Hirai, stated back in April 2017 that the company expects the console’s sales to slow down a bit.
The console is still fairly on par with the PS2’s sales milestones, having just reaching 70 million units sold this past December, and it’s likely that it’ll reach the 100 million threshold that so far only the original PlayStation, PS2, Game Boy, DS, and Wii have surpassed. This year sees a ton of great first-party, exclusive releases on the platform as well, though they likely won’t push units like Call of Duty. The PS4 will undoubtedly still do well in 2018 and beyond, just don’t expect it to be making as many incredible headlines as it used to.
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