Articles about Sony

What do you get after taking out the cellular prowess from a very, very large smartphone? The answer would be a tablet, albeit one that falls on the smaller side. It is exactly what Japanese maker Sony has done with its Xperia Z Ultra, which will be available in a Wi-Fi only version this week.

For those unfamiliar with the Xperia Z Ultra, the device was announced in the first half of 2013 with a 6.44-inch display, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and 4G LTE/HSPA+ cellular connectivity, as the main selling points.

Continue reading →

The PlayStation 4 might be outselling the Xbox One globally, but last month in the US Microsoft was the undisputed king of the games console.

Research firm NPD Group released sales figures for consoles in December (which Microsoft shared), that showed the Xbox One sold 908,000 units during December, making it the number ones games console in the US. And that’s not the only good news for Microsoft.

Continue reading →

Yesterday, I reported that the PlayStation 4 is massively outselling the Xbox One. Inevitably, this sparked a debate in the comments. Is the PS4 really outselling the Xbox One? Yes, unquestionably -- the numbers speak for themselves. But at the same time there are lots of factors that should be taken into account which I didn’t cover in my original post.

Price (which I did mention) is a big factor in these uncertain financial times, and the PS4 is $100 cheaper than its rival. But the number of markets and supply chain issues all also have a huge part to play.

Continue reading →

A couple of days ago, Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President of Marketing, Strategy and Business, Xbox, announced that Microsoft had sold over three million Xbox One consoles to date, across 13 countries. "It’s been incredible to see Xbox One selling at a record-setting pace for Xbox, and we were honored to see Xbox One become the fastest-selling console in the US during our launch month in November", he said. A million consoles were purchased on 22 November -- launch day -- and the second million was racked up 18 days later.

However, while Microsoft still has plenty to celebrate, Sony’s just dropped a rather large bombshell at CES. Its rival console is not only selling slightly better -- it’s selling an awful lot better.

Continue reading →

Sony’s VAIO | Flip range of convertible laptop/tablet hybrids launched back in October last year. This week the company uses CES to release a new, smaller 11-inch model for users who want maximum portability.

The Flip uses a clever three-way design which means it can be used as a laptop, a tablet or in 'Viewer Mode' which basically props the screen up on a stand that's built into the chassis.

Continue reading →

Yay! The PlayStation 4 is out in the wild! Yippee! Oh…. It's broken. Boo! Sound familiar? Think back to the Xbox 360 and Microsoft was blighted by the infamous RRoD (Red Ring of Death) that signified cooked hardware. It's looking as though the much anticipated launch of the PS4 is suffering a similar fate as more and more users complain about consoles that will not turn on, and exhibit nothing more exciting than a pulsing blue light -- the imaginatively name Blue Light of Death, or BLoD.

Sony may have been rubbing its hands with glee as more than a million consoles flew off the shelves in the first day on sale, but things very quickly took a turn for the worse. Take a look at the PlayStation 4 support forums and you'll find a large number of complaints from disgruntled gamers annoyed at the fact their console is not working. The hashtag #PS4broken has been trending on Twitter on and off as users take to the web to voice their annoyance.

Continue reading →

When I preordered the PlayStation 4 from Amazon in June, it felt like an eternity before I would actually receive the next-generation console. Like many people these days, I crave instant gratification and patience is not a character trait that I posses. However, the long wait definitely trumps being a sucker in a line on launch day.

As a kudos to Amazon, the entire process was painless. This is in stark contrast to my horrible experience pre-ordering the Xbox One from the Microsoft Store (which I ultimately did not do). The online bookstore-turned-everything-store made the process orderly and I received the PlayStation 4 yesterday evening. While I was tempted to rip into the box immediately, I used self control and instead waited until after dinner so the entire experience would be uninterrupted. After getting home from my favorite Thai restaurant, I took the enormous brown Amazon box to my mancave-slash-office and magic happened.

Continue reading →

As the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launch days approach, the news and rumors about the consoles have been coming fast and furious. In the BetaNews newsroom, some of us are very divided as to which console is better which has lead to heated debates. While I ordered Sony's console, my colleague Alan Buckingham ordered Microsoft's. Expect in-depth first impressions and reviews in the coming weeks.

Today, Sony announces something that will once again tip the scales in its favor -- free stuff. Yes, the company will be rewarding initial PlayStation 4 buyers with vouchers for free access to digital entertainment. Let's be honest, who doesn't love free things?

Continue reading →

Redbox Instant by Verizon debuted its streaming video service back in January of this year, taking a successful DVD rental model and putting it into direct competition with the likes of Netflix and Amazon. The service was originally exclusive to Microsoft's Xbox, at least as far as game consoles go, but has since been confirmed for Sony's next-generation PS4 console as well.

Now customers who own Sony's current console will also get the opportunity to choose Redbox Instant as their streaming movie service. "Later today, Redbox Instant by Verizon will be available on PS3, giving you access to thousands of streaming movies. You’ll also be able to find and reserve new releases on DVD and Blu-ray at more than 43,000 Redbox kiosks right from your console", announces Sean Bordenave, product manager for Redbox.

Continue reading →

When Microsoft backpedaled on some of the features of the Xbox One, it signaled a lack of direction and leadership for some consumers. The used game and always-on fiasco, left a blemish on the manufacturer's reputation. While the Xbox One will still sell like gangbusters, Sony definitely benefited from Microsoft's missteps. For the most part, Sony came out smelling like roses and certainly gained pre-orders as a result (myself included).

Today, Sony joins Microsoft in the misstep-category and announces the delay of the important racing launch title, DRIVECLUB. "SCE Worldwide Studios and the team at Evolution Studios have made the difficult decision to delay the release of DRIVECLUB and DRIVECLUB PlayStation Plus Edition until early 2014. DRIVECLUB will be a truly innovative, socially connected racing game, but the team requires more time in order to deliver on their vision", says Shuhei Yoshida, President, SCE Worldwide Studios.

Continue reading →

The Xbox One that’s currently available for pre-order is a very different beast from the system Microsoft originally announced back in May. Despite the changes that have been made to the games console/set top box, I think it’s a very promising product and one I’ll likely purchase at some point in the future.

But it’s Sony’s rival PlayStation 4 that’s going to be the big hit console this holiday season, pushing the Xbox One into a distant second place -- at least according to the findings of a new survey.

Continue reading →

Guinness World Records, home to facts and figures such as who is the fattest, tallest, strongest and hairiest person on the planet, confirms that GTA V is the holder of numerous records. We already know that the game franchise is extremely successful, but it is interesting to see just how successful it is.

It is less than a month since the latest installment in the Grand Theft Auto series was released, and it has already grossed over $1 billion -- hardly surprising when you consider that 11.21 million units were sold in the first 24 hours. In all, the game has broken seven world records, and while the first six relate to sales figures, GTA V also has the "most viewed trailer for an action-adventure videogame".

Continue reading →

In 1994, Nintendo released the Super Game Boy; a special SNES cartridge that allowed Game Boy games to be played on the SNES (and in turn, a TV). Basically, the device turned mobile games into home console games. At the time, it was revolutionary; not everyone could afford both a Game Boy and a SNES. Not only did it expand the game library for SNES owners, it also gave Nintendo a new channel to monetize Game Boy Games -- a win for both the company and its users.

Today, Sony announces a device that follows in the footsteps of the Super Game Boy, called PlayStation Vita TV. The company describes it as "a new entertainment system within the PlayStation family that will allow users to easily access video services, games and various content on their TV at home".

Continue reading →

Crackle, the online streaming service from Sony, remains one of the competitors in today's growing and increasingly competitive market. Today the entertainment arm of Sony announced a new strategy. The company will partner with tech giant Microsoft for what both hope will be mutual benefit.

"Sony’s Crackle is the latest digital network to start producing its own original feature-length films, with next Thursday’s premiere of the martial arts flick Extraction. But antsy Windows Phone action junkies don’t have to wait: Crackle is giving us an exclusive early pass" reports Microsoft's Michael Stroh. Windows Phone customers are not the only one who will get this exclusive content -- Xbox Live and Windows 8 users will also benefit from the deal.

Continue reading →

Jelly Bean continues its dominance streak in the green droid distribution charts, with Android 4.1 alone surpassing the former ruler, Gingerbread, based on the number of devices visiting Google Play during the 14 days ending August 1.

In the latest charts, combined, the first two Jelly Bean iterations, Android 4.1 (34 percent) and Android 4.2 (6.5 percent), reached a 40.5 percent distribution level, which represents a 2.6 percentage points increase (from 37.9 percent) over the previous data set from early-July. By contrast, Gingerbread (versions 2.3 to 2.3.7), accounted for a lesser 33.1 percent share, which is one percent lower compared to the numbers -- 34.1 percent -- released a month ago.

Continue reading →