Tag: Console

  • Sony PlayStation 5 breaks Console sales numbers records in the US

    The newly launched Sony PlayStation 5 is already breaking sales number records in the US. The next gen gaming console is surpassing records set by some of the most popular consoles that launched in the past.

    Sony and its PlayStation lineup has always been successful in the market, but the PlayStation 5 sales numbers suggest that the latest generation is performing quite well in comparison to the first month launches of older PlayStation models. Although, the record breaking feat does not end there, as it turns out, the the PS5 is actually beating any other video game console sales numbers in the US. This is a major achievement for the company, despite there being such a short supply for the new console.

  • Wait Till Jan 2021 But You Should Absolutely Not Import One

    The Sony PlayStation 5 was first launched on November 12 in some regions, with the console becoming available in some regions on November 19. In India, however, the latest Sony PlayStation console hasn’t officially arrived yet and Sony has not revealed any launch date for the PlayStation 5 console in the country. A report has now emerged that says that local retail stores in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai have been informing customers about the PlayStation 5 officially releasing in India in January next year.

    The report in The Mako Reactor says that stores in the four metro cities have gotten a similar confirmation. Sony India has, however, denied claims and maintains that the PlayStation 5 launch date in India is yet to be announced. “Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has not yet announced a launch date for PS5 in India. We will share an update on a launch date for India as soon as more information becomes available; meanwhile please continue to monitor the official PlayStation channels,” a Sony spokesperson was quoted by The Mako Reactor as saying.

    The report indicates that the stores have been informed unofficially by some Sony India representatives. The report even goes on to quote a retailer as saying that Sony representative weren’t willing to put the January 2021 rollout of the PlayStation 5 on email. “All we got is a verbal communication,” the retailer was quoted in the report.

    In a separate development, Sony said that the PlayStation 5 consoles that have been imported to India from overseas will not be covered in the official warranty in India.

    While initially it was believed that the Sony PlayStation 5 will launch in India alongside the November 19 regions. However, Sony announced prior to the date that there is no official launch date for the PlayStation 5 in India as of now.

  • Microsoft fixes Xbox bug as demand for new gaming consoles surge

    As the company struggles to meet to surge in demand for new Xbox Series gaming consoles, Microsoft has patched a bug in the Xbox website that could have allowed hackers to link usernames to the real email addresses.

    After users log in, the Xbox Enforcement site creates a cookie file in their browser with details about their web session, so they won’t have to re-authenticate the next time they visit the site again.

    “This portal’s cookie file contained an Xbox user ID (XUID) field that was unencrypted,” reports ZDNet quoting Joseph ‘Doc’ Harris, one of the several security researchers who reported the issue to Microsoft this year.

    Harris edited the XUID field and replaced it with the XUID of a test account he had created and had used for testing as part of the Xbox bug bounty programme. The vulnerability was reported to Microsoft through Xbox bug bounty programme.

    “Tried replacing the cookie value and refreshing, and suddenly I was able to see other [users’] emails,” Harris was quoted as saying. Microsoft has announced the release of Xbox Series X and S as its biggest Xbox launch ever, though it did not provide any specific sales figures.

    Although the company did not classify the Xbox bug for monetary rewards, it could have allowed threat actors to link any Xbox gamer tag to a gamer’s real email address.

    Owing to the huge demand, Xbox Series X and Series S consoles are projected to be in short supply until at least April next year.

  • Microsoft sets sights on Sony’s home turf in console clash

    In the battle of the next-generation gaming machines, two key players are moving in different directions. Microsoft Corp. is making a serious attempt to attract fans in Japan with its new consoles and network services. Meanwhile, Tokyo-based Sony Corp. moved its PlayStation business headquarters to California in 2016 and has built the US into its largest single market.

    New Xbox and PlayStation devices launching this week will likely face an uphill battle in Japan, where Nintendo Co.’s Switch enjoys dominance with a family-friendly lineup of games.

    But Microsoft’s targeting of the world’s third-largest video-game market — including with services that can be accessed across a variety of devices — could potentially yield strong results. As the Xbox has virtually zero presence in the country, there’s plenty of room for it to increase its share.

    “The Xbox has a chance to make Japan its second-largest market after the U.S. if it takes the right steps for years to come,” said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Research Institute in Tokyo. “Sony’s attention is drifting away and fans have started to notice that.” Sony shares rose as much as 1.2% in Tokyo trading and have gained about 24% this year.

    Sony has placed more importance on the US market after the PlayStation 4’s disappointing performance in Japan, according to employees who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters.

    Global sales of the PS4 rose to more than 113 million from the PS3’s 87 million, according to Sony data. But the console sold fewer than 10 million units in Japan, less than its predecessor, according to Famitsu, a Japanese video-game magazine. The U.S., meanwhile, accounts for 35% of the video-game unit’s revenue, compared with 10% for Japan, according to Macquarie Group Ltd. analyst Damian Thong.

    Any suggestion that Sony is shifting its focus away from Japan is incorrect and doesn’t reflect the company’s strategy, spokeswoman Natsumi Atarashi said. She noted that the PlayStation 5 is launching first in Japan and said “our home market remains of utmost importance.”

    A senior figure inside PlayStation headquarters in San Mateo, California, said the U.S. side was frustrated by the failure of the Japan marketing team to sell as many PlayStation 4 units as expected. The person asked not to be identified discussing internal matters.

    As a result, Japan has been sidelined in planning the PlayStation 5’s promotion, according to several PlayStation staff in Japan. Employees in Tokyo said they’ve been left awaiting instructions from California.

    Japan-based developer support teams have been reduced by as much as a third from their peak, and the rolling contracts of a number of game creators at PlayStation’s Japan Studio, one of the unit’s oldest in-house software ateliers, haven’t been renewed, former employees said. The US office believes the PlayStation business doesn’t need games that only do well in Japan, employees in the California headquarters said.