A slower year for games, but a faster PS5

Could an updated version of the PlayStation 5 arrive later this year? More documents signify that Sony may be working on an upgraded version of their flagship hardware. Also, how low could game sales go in 2024? All this and more this week. Let’s go!

Is the PlayStation 5 Pro more than a rumor?

A recent leak from the YouTube channel Moore's Law is Dead and confirmed by Insider Gaming speculate that Sony will release a new version of the PlayStation 5 later this year. 

The PlayStation 5 Pro would increase the speed and graphics of the original PlayStation 5, originally released in 2020. Some of the highlights of the leak include:

• Game rendering would be 45% faster than the original PS5
• Ray-tracking improvements 2-4 times better
• Support for resolutions up to 8K
• Something called “Spectral Super Resolution”

While we aren't sure the rumors are true until they are confirmed by Sony, the more info that comes to light increases the likelihood that the PlayStation 5 Pro is real. Would you purchase one if it came out this fall? Let us know in the comments. 

Will game sales slide?

2024 could be a much worse year for video games than its predecessor, with sales dipping up to 10 percent. 

Circana analyst Mat Piscatella tracks US consumer spending on video games. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Piscatella says 2024’s gaming landscape is looking a lot more sparse than last year:

Right now my most optimistic outlook is down about 2%...If you start looking a little bit on the more pessimistic side, you're looking at down about 10%. If things really go sideways, you're looking at a little bit more.

There's so much uncertainty when you look at the sales data or look to project this year. There's uncertainty around the hardware. There's uncertainty about the content. Who the hell's making the games?

Piscatella says games like Helldivers 2 and Palworld give him hope for 2024, but neither compare to a game like Hogwarts Legacy, which came out early in 2023.

Side quests (more stories worth reading)

🏢 LinkedIn plans to add gaming to its platform.

🌞 Summer Game Fest takes place June 7, 2024. The PR event streams live on Twitch, YouTube and other sites. 

🏆 The Strong National Museum of Play announced its 12 finalists for the Video Game Hall of Fame, which include Guitar Hero, Resident Evil, Ultima, Metroid and more. 

🎤 A Nielsen survey of gamers found that minors and young adults believe safety in gaming spaces is crucial.

🦆 The creator of the multiplayer shooter Duck Game says he will continue developing the game, even if Warner Brothers delists it from Steam. 

💸 Turtle Beach announced it is buying gamepad maker PDP.

🃏 The roguelike Poker game Balatro is coming to iPhone and Android. 

🕹️ After its recent sale from Embracer Group, Saber Interactive confirms development status of three games. 

🆕 Former developers from Id Software and Naughty Dog have announced a new triple-A development studio called Emptyvessel.

🆕 Also, former Respawn veteran and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order director Stig Asmussen created a new studio called Giant Skull to build AAA single player games.

📉 Super Dungeon Explore publisher Ninja Division files for bankruptcy.

🐉 Valve posted their list of most played games on Steam Deck for 2023. The most-played game? Baldur’s Gate 3.

💻 We talked last week about Nintendo taking down Yuzu. How is this affecting the world of emulators? 

🤬 Epic CEO Tim Sweeney had some choice words for Valve’s Gabe Newel over Steam’s policies.

📉 The CEO of Payday 3 maker Starbreeze is out after the game’s failure. 

👻 Ghostbusters cosmetics are coming to Destiny 2, because synergies. 

🎮 Discord has a new SDK that will allow developers to create games for the platform. 

🤑 Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is reportedly interested in acquiring TikTok.

🎶 Final Fantasy X's theme song “To Zanarkand” wasn’t originally intended for the game. 

New Releases this week:

Check out 10 New Games to Play in March

3/19: Lightyear Frontier (Xbox and PC)
3/19: MLB The Show 24 (PlayStation, Xbox and Switch)
3/20: Alone in the Dark (PlayStation, Xbox and PC)
3/22: Bears In Space (PC)
3/22: Dragon's Dogma 2 (PlayStation, Xbox and PC)
3/22: Princess Peach: Showtime! (Switch)
3/22: Rise of the Rōnin (PlayStation)

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