Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima was a big hit when it launched for PS4 in 2020 and PS5 the following year. A primarily single-player game won’t expect to see a huge resurgence four years on, but the Ghost of Tsushima PC port has given it a new lease on life. According to market research company Circana, the Steam release helped it become May’s best-selling full-priced game in the US.

How well did the Ghost of Tsushima PC port do?

The announcement of Ghost of Tsushima’s PC success comes from Circana Executive Director Mat Piscatella, who shared some stats on Twitter. The open-world action game was number one in dollar sales, edging out Nintendo’s Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake. He didn’t provide an exact dollar amount or number of units sold. However, the website PlayTracker estimates that around 612,000 players own the game on Steam. The same source reports that the PC port saw an all-time peak of over 53,000 players, with Steam DB reporting a peak of over 77,000.

As stated above, the newly released Thousand-Year Door remake came in second behind Ghost of Tsushima. They were followed by Modern Warfare III, Helldivers II, and MLB the Show 24, rounding out the top five.

Circana’s complete list of the top 20 best-selling premium games in the US is below. Note that states for Paper Mario, MLB: The Show, and Mario Kart 8 do not include digital sales on Xbox and Switch.

1. Ghost of Tsushima
2. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
4. Helldivers II
5. MLB: The Show 24
6. Sea of Thieves
7. Minecraft
8. Elden Ring
9. Hogwarts Legacy
10. Stellar Blade
11. Fallout 4
12. EA Sports FC 24
13. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
14. Homeworld 3
15. Mario Kart 8
16. Madden NFL 24
17. Rise of the Ronin
18. F1 24
19. Mortal Kombat 1
20. Dragon’s Dogma II

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Team Asobi launched a new Astro’s Playroom update, with the second of four new Bots available now. Players who unlock these new bots can bring them into the upcoming Astro Bot, which releases on September 6.

What’s in the new Astro’s Playroom update?

Team Asobi’s studio head, Nicolas Doucet, reiterated in Monday’s PlayStation Blog post that the upcoming Astro Bot game sees players rescuing 300 bots scattered across multiple galaxies. Half of them are cameo Bots referencing other PlayStation games. These include Bloodborne and Returnal, from which Astro’s Playroom got the first two new Special Bots. Players have been able to unlock Lady Maria since last month, with the Bot version of Returnal protagonist Selene arriving in the second update.

As with the previous Astro’s Playroom update, the studio tasked the player with finding Selene somewhere in the game and then completing a puzzle to rescue her. According to Team Asobi’s Studio Head, Nicolas Doucet, players found and freed Lady Maria in under three hours. The next new Bot arrives in August, with the fourth coming in September. Based on the trophy names and teasers, they will be based on Gran Turismo and Ape Escape.

How to unlock Lady Maria and Selene

To unlock Lady Maria, Astro’s Playroom players need to head to the Render Forest area in the CPU jungle. Maria’s capsule will appear when players climb to the top of a large plant behind the Bloodborne Hunter Bot. They then need to search the trees above for a clock symbol matching the one on the pod. Standing near the clock and pressing the Options button brings up a screen where players must enter the date 24/11/2015, the release date for Bloodborne’s The Old Hunters DLC. Doing so unlocks Lady Maria and the Hunted Down trophy.

Meanwhile, the Selene Bot is in the Deep Dataspace of Astro’s Playroom’s SSD Speedway. To the left of the buried Ball Shooter chest is a swirling vortex. Players must jump toward the vortex to land on the hidden platform to reveal Selene’s pod. Then, they must proceed through the shooting section, stopping in the room with the low-hanging lights. They will find a small astronaut doll on the walkways above. This being a Returnal reference, players then need to die and respawn to free Selene.

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Sony has teamed up with Spin Master to launch a new range of collectible figures based on PlayStation Studios franchises. Dubbed the PlayStation Shapes collection, the figures include Aloy and Varl from Horizon: Forbidden West, Kratos and Atreus from God of War, and Jin Sakai from Ghost of Tsushima.

When will the Shapes Collection figures be released?

The figures from the Shapes Collection will start shipping from the PlayStation Gear store on August 15, 2024, in Europe. The PlayStation Gear store for the United States currently has a placeholder shipping date of January 1, 2025; however, Sony’s Vice President of Network Advertising, Loyalty & Licensed Merchandise, Grace Chen, has said the figures will ship in August. All of the figures are available to pre-order now.

All five of the 6-inch adjustable figures have been created in collaboration with developers who worked on the games. Each has interchangeable accessories and can be posed in many different ways thanks to dozens of points of articulation.

Horizon’s Aloy is the most expensive of the five at $49.99. She has 42 points of articulation and 15 accessories that include interchangeable face plates, hands, a precision bow, spear, arrow, and quiver. Her companion Varl is priced at $29.99. He has 32 points of articulation and an unspecified number of accessories that include his axe and two sets of hands for various grips.

Kratos and Atreus from God of War are also $29.99 each. The former has 31 points of articulation and accessories like the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos. Meanwhile, Atreus has 33 points of articulation and comes with a bow, arrow, and interchangeable hands.

Completing the collection is Ghost of Tsushima’s Jin Sakai. Also priced at $29.99, he has 32 points of articulation. His collection of accessories include his katana, tanto, mempo mask, and an additional sword.

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If certain statements are to be believed, Black Myth Wukong may have a PS5 timed-exclusivity deal after all.

The game was delayed on Xbox Series X|S earlier this month, and the official reason given by developer Game Science was optimization issues. However, a recent statement from Microsoft makes it seem like that might not be the complete truth.

Microsoft hints at another reason for the Black Myth Wukong Xbox delay

At Summer Game Fest earlier this month, the latest Black Myth Wukong trailer showed the game was only launching for PS5 and PC on August 20. The previously-mentioned Xbox Series X|S version was delayed. Despite the official reason that Game Science was “currently optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version to meet our quality standards“, rumors started spreading about a timed-exclusivity deal for Sony. Now Microsoft has further fueled the fire with its own statement given to Windows Central:

“We’re excited for the launch of Black Myth Wukong on Xbox Series X|S and are working with Game Science to bring the game to our platforms,” Microsoft said. “We can’t comment on the deals made by our partners with other platform holders, but we remain focused on making Xbox the best platform for gamers, and great games are at the center of that.”

On the surface, the statement implies that Game Science does indeed have a deal to make Black Myth Wukong a console launch exclusive for PS5. However, the exact question posed to Microsoft wasn’t mentioned and we’re not exactly sure what the statement was addressing. It could just be a strangely worded stock answer that clarifies Microsoft is working to bring Black Myth Wukong to Xbox while not being able to comment on the rumors of exclusivity deals with other companies.

If there is a deal, for how long it will last is a mystery as the Xbox Series X|S version of the game doesn’t have a firm release date right now. Game Science stated it would “announce the release date as soon as [the game] meets our quality standards.” Any delay less than six months, though, would imply the rumors of an exclusivity deal were unfounded after all.

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Helldivers 2 players are experiencing problems with one of the Stratagems crashing their game. Arrowhead Game Studios is working on the issue. However, some fans are unhappy with the developer’s use of Discord as its preferred communication method and wonder if there are better ways to inform the community.

Why are some Helldivers 2 fans unhappy?

As N4G reported, Helldivers 2 reported crashes when trying to use the FAF-14 Spear missile launcher. Players asked about the problem on Arrowhead Game Studios’ official Discord channel, with Community Manager Twinbeard responding. “Yeah,” he wrote, “there are crashes affiliated with the Spear right now. We’re looking into it. Seems the Spear is cursed.”

There is nothing wrong with Twinbeard’s comment itself, though it begs the question of why Arrowhead couldn’t disable the Spear temporarily. However, the fact that players must go to Discord to see it ruffled some feathers. “Discord needs to stop being the main source of Helldivers 2 news and updates,” a user called Sandwichgod wrote on Reddit. They argue that most players will never see the Discord comments and thus miss out on important information. They want Arrived to post these announcements somewhere in the game itself instead. Another user suggested Arrowhead repurpose a non-functional terminal for community updates.

Several Helldivers 2 players agreed with Sandwichgod’s complaint. Some commenters noted that many Helldivers 2 players probably don’t even know who Twinbeard is. Multiple users also disliked the game’s Discord community or the platform itself, which is good for direct communication and not ideal for finding specific information.

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Sony Interactive Entertainment launched the PlayStation VR2 last year, bringing virtual reality capabilities to the PlayStation 5. However, the platform has been struggling for some time, and it appears that Sony is losing faith. A recent report indicates that the publisher is scaling back support for new PSVR 2 games.

Is Sony giving up on PSVR 2?

According to Android Central, their sources indicate that Sony was cutting funding for PSVR 2 games. There are reportedly only two first-party games in development for that platform, and there will be few opportunities for more going forward. Sony has yet to comment on that report, though it’s a concerning sign for the future of the PS5’s VR system.

This is by no means the first indication that the $550 peripheral might be in trouble. News broke in March that Sony had paused production of the PSVR 2 due to the high number of unsold headsets. While many praise the system’s features and technical performance, its high price was cited as the primary factor in its poor sales.

The lack of games also isn’t a new problem for PSVR 2. Sony has only released a handful of first-party games for the platform and none in 2024. The publisher also shut down two of its VR studios, shuttering Blood & Truth developer London Studio and Firewall developer First Contact Entertainment.

Sony is releasing a PSVR 2 PC adapter next month, which could help sales by opening it to a larger market. However, with Sony reportedly scaling back its investment in new VR games, some might wonder how much longer it will take before Sony stops supporting it.

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Sony has announced that its rewards program, which allows PlayStation credit card users to earn points, is coming to an end this year. As of today, June 20, new members will not be accepted into the program.

When does the Sony rewards program end and what happens to PlayStation credit cards?

Existing Sony Rewards members and PlayStation cardholders can continue to earn points but they have to be redeemed by December 31, 2024, which is when the program will end. Following this date, the rewards website and app will no longer be available and you won’t be able to access your account or use your unspent points.

Current PlayStation Visa or Sony Visa cardholders will be contacted by Comenity Bank in due course with regards to changes in their credit card programs. However, they will be able to continue using their credit cards as normal until their expiration.

“There’s always something new on the horizon,” Sony teased.

The Sony Rewards program and PlayStation credit cards are only available in the United States. It was only recently that Sony offered players 12 months of PS Plus Premium for free with the use of PlayStation Visa card. This specific offer ends in September.

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Developer Shift Up Corporation announced the latest Stellar Blade update on Tuesday. The patch adds two new outfits for Eve, easier hair customization, and more.

What’s in the new Stellar Blade update?

Shift Up shared an outline of Stellar Balde’s new update on Twitter. While not quite full patch notes, it gives a general overview of new content. The update does the following:

• Two new outfits have been added.
  • FourSeconds Destroyed Denim
  • Cyber Illusionist
• Added a hair slot to the menu so you can change your hairstyle at any time
• You can toggle ON/OFF the “skip” UI for cutscenes.
• Improved jump direction when swinging on the rope.
• Holding the button during the end credits will speed up scrolling.
• Boss challenges will now keep the costume you changed.
• Various other bug fixes.

After downloading the new Stellar Blade update, players can purchase FourSeconds Destroyed Denim from Roxanne’s shop in Xion. The form-fitting jeans are split down the sides and held together with ribbon. More ribbons crisscross between the large gashes in the shirt, revealing the off-white tube top below. Gloves and high heels complete the ensemble.

Meanwhile, Stellar Blade players can unlock Eve’s new Cyber Illusionist outfit by beating the Raven Boss challenge on hard mode. However, while Destroyed Denim is an entirely new design, Cyber Illusionist is a variant of Eve’s Cyber Magician outfit. Still, the Cyber Illusionist’s green coat and yellow definitely pop in a way the mostly black original doesn’t.

Stellar Blade fans will likely also appreciate being able to change Eve’s hair on the fly rather than trek to the salon. Until now, hairstyles were the only cosmetic options with such a requirement. While one could argue the old way is more immersive, the new method should be a bit less tedious.  

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Sony announced the next update for the PlayStation Portal. Launching tomorrow, it introduces a handful of major quality-of-life features. Among them is the often-requested ability to use it with public Wi-Fi connections that require browser authentication.

What does the PS Portal update do?

As noted in the PlayStation Blog post, Sony still recommends players use the PS Portal with home Wi-Fi connections. However, the company knows that many players use it on the go. Unfortunately, the lack of a web browser has left users unable to log into public networks with a dedicated sign-in screen.

After the new update, if the PS Portal detects that the network requires additional verification, it will generate a QR code. Users can then scan the code with their phone and complete any additional steps in their phone’s browser. Note that the PS Portal still requires a Wi-Fi connection of 5Mbps or faster, with Sony recommending 15Mbps or faster for the best experience.

Wednesday’s PS Portal update also adds two other major quality-of-life features. The first is improved visual feedback on the handheld’s simulated PS5 touchpad. The update adds new visual effects, leaving a trail for where the player taps and swipes.

Additionally, users can now choose to display the PS Portal’s battery percentage as a percentage. To access the feature, users must open the Quick Menu, navigate to Settings > System > Battery, and select “Show Battery Percentage.”

Sony Interactive Entertainment also used the update announcement to talk about the device’s success. “Since the initial launch of PS Portal last November, we’ve been overwhelmed with the enthusiastic reactions and the variety of ways our community has been enjoying gaming on PS Portal…We’re excited to see that PS Portal has introduced many more gamers to the Remote Play feature on PS5, with over 60 percent of PS Portal owners using the feature for the first time.”

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Sony’s Screen Gems and PlayStation Studios are in the process of adapting Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn to the silver screen. The studios recently revealed part of the cast of the upcoming film, announcing four of its principal actors.

Who’s a part of the Until Dawn cast?

On Friday, Deadline reported that Ella Rubin, Odessa A’zion, Ji-young Yoo, and Michael Cimino have all been tapped to appear in Sony’s film adaptation of Until Dawn. However, the studios haven’t announced the actors’ roles.

Fans may recognize Rubin as the actress who played Izzy in Amazon Prime’s The Idea of You, starring Anne Hathaway. Prime watchers may also recognize A’zion as Corinne from the romantic comedy film Sitting in Bars with Cake. Yoo, meanwhile, was nominated for a Gotham TV Award for her portrayal of Mercy Cho in Amazon’s Expats. Finally, Cimino is best known as the title character in Hulu’s teen drama series Love, Victor.

“At PlayStation Productions, we are always looking to find creative and authentic ways to adapt our beloved games that our fans will enjoy,” PlayStation’s Asad Qizilbash said of the Until Dawn film. “Alongside Screen Gems, we’ve assembled a fantastic cast of new characters that builds upon our already stellar filmmaking team and their vision for the adaptation. We’re excited to reveal more about the movie soon.”

Sony’s film adaptation of Until Dawn is being directed by David F. Sandberg. His filmography includes horror movies like Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation and the DC Cinematic Universe’s Shazam! movies. Until Dawn’s screenplay is written by Gary Dauberman, who replaced Blair Butler.

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