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Sony's new PlayStation 5 system software update (26.06-14.00.00) turns on the 'Enhance PSSR Image Quality' setting by default for PS5 Pro owners. This applies Sony's newer, upgraded PSSR upscaling algorithm to games originally built around the first version of PSSR, without users needing to manually toggle it. The enhanced PSSR itself launched in March as an optional setting, not a new PSSR 2.0 release.
A developer working on a project to run Linux on the PlayStation 5 has dropped the effort after Sony patched the underlying exploit, which had reportedly been surfaced with the help of AI tools. The fix closed off the vulnerability the project relied on to gain low-level access to the console.
Xbox's new disc-to-digital feature, which converts physical game discs into digital copies by inserting them into a console, stems from a plan Microsoft made ahead of the Xbox One's 2013 launch to embed unique identifiers on discs. Sources say Microsoft was already exploring broader digital ownership concepts back in 2011, including gifting, recycling and swapping physical games for digital versions, though most of these ideas were shelved after backlash over the Xbox One's always-online requirement.
After a four-year effort, researcher DiscoStarslayer, working with developer Libby, successfully decapped and optically dumped the firmware of the PS2's MechaCon chip, a feat no one had achieved in the console's 26-year history. The pair used an exploit Libby discovered to extract the firmware and are now documenting metadata and hashes, with a full technical write-up promised soon.
Cloud gaming platforms from Nvidia, Microsoft, Sony and Amazon have survived a decade of tepid adoption since Google's Stadia collapsed in 2023, but rising demand for AI computing power is now driving up data center costs sharply. That surge is undermining the original pitch of cloud gaming: cheap, leased compute that let players skip expensive consoles or PCs.
Employees of Build A Rocket Boy have posted on LinkedIn that their jobs are ending, and Kotaku reports the studio is shutting down entirely. The closure follows the disastrous June 2025 launch of MindsEye, which prompted PlayStation refunds, multiple layoff rounds, and founder Leslie Benzies' claims of internal and external sabotage.
Sony has reached a preliminary $7.85 million settlement in Caccuri v. Sony Interactive Entertainment, a class-action lawsuit accusing it of eliminating competition in digital game sales by discontinuing vouchers that let PlayStation users buy games from other retailers. The case claims this forced customers to overpay by shopping only through the PlayStation Store. A final court hearing is set for Oct. 15 to approve the payout and distribution plan, though Sony denies any wrongdoing.
Sony announced a new PlayStation Pulse headset that adds active noise cancellation to its PS5 audio lineup. The company is positioning the redesign as more comfortable than the previous Pulse model, which drew complaints from users.
Some PlayStation users organized a boycott urging Sony to abandon its plan to phase out physical game discs by 2028, pledging to avoid digital features on the console. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said tracking data revealed no notable change in player engagement or activity, suggesting the protest had little practical effect.
Sony has announced two new wireless gaming headsets, the PlayStation Pulse and Pulse Edge, both using planar magnetic drivers and PlayStation Link connectivity for low-latency audio across PS5, PlayStation Portal, PC and Mac. Both include AI-based noise-rejecting microphones, while the pricier Pulse Edge adds double the magnets for deeper bass, active noise cancellation, and a detachable boom mic. Neither headset has a release date or price yet, though existing Pulse Elite and Audeze Maxwell 2 pricing suggests a range between roughly $150 and $330.
Canadian retro hardware enthusiast DiscoStarslayer has successfully reverse-engineered and dumped the CXP102064 MechaCon chip found in the original 1999 PlayStation 2 console. The process involved chemically decapping the chip to expose its die, then using microscopes and optical dumping techniques before a software exploit finally allowed extraction of its data. The entire effort took four years to complete.
id Software has permanently lowered the price of Doom: The Dark Ages to $50, alongside a re-listing of the Doom Anthology that now bundles the game's Premium edition, including the Revelations DLC. The updated Anthology is available only on PS5, Steam, and Xbox Series X/S, with no changes for older console versions. Existing owners of the previous Anthology bundle won't automatically receive The Dark Ages.