Update:PSN is down on Sunday, and the problems with playing some online games are now being reported by users. Here's what we know about the outage.
PSN is down with a major outage right now, according to Sony's official PlayStation Network status page – and the fact that we can't log in to some online games today. It's affecting all consoles, including PS5, PS4, PS3 and the PlayStation Vita.
"You might have difficulty launching games, apps, or network features," confirms Sony's official PSN status page. The company is trying to fix PSN, saying, "We're working to resolve the issue as soon as possible."
Is PSN down for you? I'm seeing a PlayStation Network outage on PS4 (for some online games) – maybe it's the sudden surge of lucky PS5 buyers who got their console this weekend? My fault đhttps://t.co/qvQZU4GXcZFebruary 28, 2021
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Good news: only certain PSN games won't function online. PlayStation Plus and other online games run seamlessly. Bad news, you can't do anything but wait for Sony to resolve problems with PSN and the PlayStation Store if it's affecting the games you're looking to play online.
When did PSN go down? Days ago, say some users
Sunday's ongoing PSN outage actually started a few days ago, according to the company's status page. There's a timestamp attached to the posting, suggesting PSN went down on Friday, February 26. However, user complaints on Twitter seem to predate Sony's official timestamp by at least 24 hours.
It's not clear how many online games are down right now due to the PSN outage, judging from Sony's language and our own experiences. Xbox Live went down last week and Microsoft disclosed much more granular information on its status page.
PSN is down and the outage now spans at least three days, but this isn't the first or longest downtime for Sony's online gaming network.
Famously, PSN went down in 2011 for 24 days, plus an additional 42 days for the then-budding PlayStation Store. In that much more dire case, it was later confirmed that hackers had exploited PSN and exposed users' information, according to Sony. Today's PSN outage seems to be unfortunate weekend downtime.
The Sony FX3 has just officially landed – and on paper, it's one of the best compact cinema cameras you can buy.
But the FX3 is also potentially confusing for anyone in the market for a small, pro video camera. After all, Sony already makes one of its closest rivals, the excellent Sony A7S III. So what's the difference between the two cameras, and which should you buy?
The FX3 is effectively a redesigned version of the A7S III, so there are actually more similarities than differences between the two cameras. The FX3 is also the first camera to straddle the line between Sony's Cinema and Alpha camera lines, which traditionally separate its video and stills-focused cameras.
But even though the Sony FX3 has an Alpha badge, it is a more filmmaking-focused camera than the A7S III. So we've rounded up the six key ways its differs from the A7S III to help you split the two highly capable cameras and decide which one suits your shooting style the best.
Yes, the Sony FX3 and A7S III share the 12.1MP full-frame same sensor and Bionz XR processor, but they also differ in a few key ways...
Sony FX3 vs A7S III: the 6 key differences
1. The FX3 is smaller, but lacks a viewfinder
The main clue that the Sony FX3 is even more video-focused than the A7S III is its design. The Sony A7S III is mainly renowned for its video skills, but its body is based on the traditional Alpha style that's grown from Sony's still cameras. This means it has a viewfinder hump and that signature black finish.
The FX3 drops the electronic viewfinder, a decision that may also put off some filmmakers, in favor of a smaller body that's designed for run-and-gun filmmaking, particularly using its detachable handle.
(Image credit: Sony)
The FX3 is still beefier and heavier than a mirrorless camera like the Sony A6600, but not by much – and it looks small compared to DSLR-sized rivals like the Canon EOS C70.
In practice, the size difference between the FX3 and A7S III will be negligible, with the cameras respectively weighing in at 715g and 699g (including batteries). Instead, the design differences are simply tailored towards different shooting styles...
2. The FX3 comes with a handle that has XLR ports
While it's possible to add a cage to the Sony A7S III, it's mainly designed to be used handheld in a similar style to a stills camera – and that's where it differs from the FX3.
The FX3 comes bundled with a detachable handle, which isn't just for holding the camera steadily from above. This handle also includes twin XLR/TRS terminals, which are the standard for pro audio – and are something that the A7S III lacks out of the box.
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony does sell an XLR adapter kit, which lets you add two XLR jacks to A7S III, but it's expensive and arguably a little more clunky than the handle that comes with the FX3. Out of the box, there's no doubt the FX3 is the more advanced camera for those who need high-quality audio to go with their 4K video.
3. The FX3 has a tally lamp and zoom lever
A couple of other potential advantages for filmmakers on the FX3 are its inclusion of a tally lamp and zoom lever, which are both lacking on the Sony A7S III.
A tally lamp is a small light that lets both the camera operator and subjects know that the camera's recording. The Sony A7S III doesn't have this, though there is an alternative in the form of its 'Emph display during rec' option in the menus, which puts a red frame around the screen when you're recording.
(Image credit: Sony)
Slightly more curious is the FX3's inclusion of a zoom lever. We say curious because only two Sony lenses – the FE PZ 28-135mm f/4 and FE C 16-35mm T3.1 – currently have a built-in power zoom motors that will work with this lever.
But Sony says that its electronic Clear Image Zoom function – which lets you get 2x zoom with any lens by intelligently creating pixels, rather than simply cropping – is very popular with pro filmmakers, and this function will also work with the FX3's zoom lever.
4. The FX3 has cooling fans for longer record times
The Sony A7S III impressed us with its ability to handle the heat generated from recording long 4K clips – in fact, we were able to shoot continuous 4K video for well in excess of 30 minutes and didn't once see an over-heating warning.
But the Sony FX3 promises to take this even further thanks to its inclusion of an active cooling fan. It's not the only small, full-frame camera with a fan like this – the Panasonic Lumix S1H also has a fan chamber to help it shoot video for longer periods. And like the S1H, the FX3's fan doesn't affect its resistance to moisture or dust, either.
What specs do the Sony FX3 and Sony A7S III share?
(Image credit: Sony)
12.1MP BSI full-frame sensor
Bionz XR processor
Shoot 4K/120p or FHD/240p video
Record in 10-bit 4:2:2 internally
Expanded ISO range of 80-409,600
15-stop dynamic range
Have S-Cinetone, S-Log3/2 profiles
5-axis image stabilization
Same Hybrid AF autofocus system
16-bit raw video via HDMI port
Twin CFexpress Type A / SD slots
Same NP-FZ100 battery
Dust and moisture-resistant
Same touchscreen menu system
But it does mean that the FX3 is promising completely 'uninterrupted' 4K/60p shooting, which might push it ahead of the A7S III for those who regularly shoot long clips like one-shots or interviews.
The FX3 also has the same 13-hour maximum continuous recording time as the A7S III. All of which means that card capacities and battery life are likely to be more of a limiting factor than overheating.
5. The FX3 has built-in thread holes for accessories
Another useful, filmmaker-friendly design feature on the FX3 are its thread holes, which effectively mean it has a built-in cage to help you turn it into a mobile video rig.
You get five of these 1/4-20 UNC thread holes on the body, and a further three on the bundled handle. Unlike the Sony A7S III, this means you're unlikely to need to add a cage in order to add accessories like a cold-shoe mount for adding, for example, a wireless microphone to your setup.
(Image credit: Sony)
It's possible to get a similar setup on the A7S III with an additional cage, but it's another example of how much more pro video-oriented the Sony FX3 is out of the box compared to its Alpha counterpart.
6. The Sony FX3 is pricier than the A7S III
The Sony A7S III is more affordable than the FX3, and not just because it's a little older, having arrived in July 2020.
The A7S III's recommended retail price back then was $3,499 / £3,800 / AU$5,999 and it hasn't really shifted from that yet. The FX3 is a fair chunk pricier at $3,899 / £4,200(around AU$7,485).
But when you factor in the price of an XLR adapter for the A7S III, which comes bundled with the FX3, then the two costs around the same. This makes sense, as the FX3 lacks a viewfinder, but compensates with features like active cooling. Which means your choice between the two is likely more down to your shooting style than your budget.
(Image credit: Sony)
Takeaway
The Sony FX3 and Sony A7S III are variants on the same concept – they're both small, 4K full-frame cameras that are particularly strong in low-light and offer highly compact setups for solo shooters.
But while the FX3 is capable of shooting stills, there's no doubt it's the more video-oriented cinema camera. It has the bundled handle, XLR audio jacks and active cooling that make it, on paper, a more complete camera for filmmakers out of the box.
While those who splashed out the A7S III might feel slightly aggrieved that the FX3 has arrived just six months on, they will largely be hybrid shooters with slightly different needs.
Sony says the A7S II remains targeted at those who need a mix of video and stills, like wedding photographers who don't need to make large prints, concert photographers and astrophotographers. For those kind of shooters, the A7S III's 4K video powers are important, but the FX3 is a camera that's really built around them.
So, maybe Sony don't realise that Japan Studio's games are the ones that should be most urgently ported to PC?
When I think of the iconic Sony games, it's not Horizon: Zero Dawn (which came to PC last year) or Days Gone (which is coming this spring). Those are third-person action adventures of the sort I can already play on PC. It's not even the better games of that genre that I think of, the Gods Of War, Lasts Of Us, or Bloodbornes.
No, I think of the sing-song revelry of Loco Roco and Patapon. I think of Pomeranian survival sim Tokyo Jungle and DualShock pioneer Ape Escape. I think, of course, of prestigous (somewhat overrated) classics like Ico, Shadow Of The Colossus, and The Last Obstinate Bird Dog.
Many of these games were co-developed with other teams, either internal as in the case of Team Ico, or external companies like Pyramid on Patapon. A lot of the specific developers responsible for those games have also already left Sony Japan Studio, as in the case of Gravity Rush developers Team Gravity. Maybe the name Japan Studio therefore doesn't mean much anymore - and maybe it never did.
But the games mean a lot. They're strange, ambitious, often wildly upbeat, videogame-ass videogames. There's not too many of those, and those few that do get made tend to happen on PC, now. Indie platformer Pikuniku, for example, seems so clearly inspired by some of Japan Studio's games. To my mind, this makes Japan Studio's work worth making more widely available, and makes the PC their perfect home.
Porting them to PC doesn't seem like it's a pipe dream, either. A lot of these games - Colossus, Patapon, Parappa The Rapper, Loco Roco - have already received Remasters in the past few years, including some that brought previously PSP-exclusive games to the PlayStation 4. Perhaps there is already a plan in place to do exactly what I'm suggesting.
But if we reach the end of 2021 and Sony have announced that the game coming after Days Gone is Sad Dad Reboot or Dog Murder: A Cautionary Tale, then it will feel to me like a missed opportunity.
Without a PS5 launch to look forward to, Sony State of Play is considerably more boring. Throughout last year we waited with bated breath for a morsel, a crumb of news on the PS5 at each and every State of Play. On many occasions, we were left disappointed, though we should have known better as Sony kept its biggest announcements for specific events like Future of Gaming and The Road to PS5. Regardless, like moths to a flame, we kept coming back for more.
But the disappointment was part of the whirlwind that surrounded the upcoming PS5 launch. We speculated and we hoped, knowing that at some point Sony would have to share more details on its upcoming console - so we tuned in thinking “it might happen this time”.
Fast forward to 2021 and the PS5 is out in the wild. As I awaited February 2021’s Sony State of Play, the memories of dismay from the previous State of Plays faded away and I let my mind wander to the endless possibilities of what Sony could showcase at the event.
“Maybe a new God of War Ragnarok trailer (I really hope it’s not delayed)? Perhaps we’ll get a release date for Horizon Forbidden West (it’ll definitely be November, right?)? Will Kena: Bridge of Spirits be on PS Plus this March (I need that wholesome in my life)?” All this, despite Sony explicitly saying it would focus on third-party and indie games - we’re creatures of wishful thinking, after all.
So when State of Play didn’t give us as many big announcements we were hoping for, it stung more than before.
Wishful thinking
(Image credit: Sony)
As I’ve said before, Sony was pretty straight-shooting with what the most recent State of Play would offer: focus on indies and third-party titles. We got an update on Crash Bandicoot 4 (which we already knew about), another new trailer for Deathloop, a closer look at gameplay for Solar Ash, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach and Returnal, plus a release date (finally) for Oddworld: Soulstorm and Kena: Bridge of Spirits - with the latter unfortunately seeing a delay from March until August.
The biggest news of the evening was that Final Fantasy 7 Remake is getting a PS5 upgrade called Intergrade, which has already been rumored, and a couple of mobile games. But even then, all these reveals and announcements felt a bit lackluster. It left me wanting more.
Where were the big PlayStation releases that we’re waiting for? While the focus on third-party and indie games was expected, I thought Sony would pull something big out of the bag at the end - like it did with the PS5 design reveal In fairness, perhaps the Final Fantasy 7 Remake news would have fired us up more if there hadn’t been a leak beforehand.
What we want to see next
(Image credit: Sony)
Of course, nothing is going to be as big as the launch of a new console, but rough roadmaps (or even some more gameplay trailers and details) for big hitters like Horizon Forbidden West and God of War would help to build a brand new hype train, and it would go a long way in helping potential PS5 adopters know whether they need a console amongst the current chaos, or if they can afford to wait.
"Right now, it feels like we know very little about some of Sony’s biggest upcoming releases and hardware plans outside of those in the next couple of months and, as a result, my anticipation for them has waned. Out of sight, out of mind."
Right now, it feels like we know very little about some of Sony’s biggest upcoming releases and hardware plans outside of those in the next couple of months and, as a result, my anticipation for them has waned. Out of sight, out of mind.
I would love to see Sony gradually ramping up the anticipation for both its upcoming big hitters and PSVR 2 as it did for PS5: a little blog post here, a cryptic tweet there. Always keeping these products in the forefront of fans’ heads. Then, by the time the next State of Play arrives, fans will be frothing at the mouth for confirmed juicy details.
With the PS5 release marred by stock issues, a lack of details on expandable internal storage at launch and a lackluster game offering, PS5 owners have the right to ask a bit more of Sony when it comes to transparency. Sony should be doing its utmost to encourage PlayStation fans that they should sit in virtual queues for hours to get a PS5. That the next year of PS5 is something that they do want to be part of, even if the process of getting there is painful.
After all, Sony’s newest console is a big investment. But amidst a pandemic, maybe I’m asking a lot. Who knows, maybe I’m just trying to ride that PS5 hype wave again...
An outage of Sony’s PlayStation Network that began Friday afternoon appeared to be persisting on Saturday morning. According to an update on the status page timestamped 6:33PM (not clear what time zone that is) on February 26th, the affected platforms are PS Vita, PS3, PS4, and PS5.
“You might have difficulty launching games, apps, or network features. We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience,” the update reads.
Engadget reported that the outage may be affecting some games but not others; Fortnite appeared to be accessible but Minecraft and Call of Duty: Warzone were not.
We’ve reached out to Sony for details about what’s causing the outage, how widespread it is, and when it may be resolved, and will update when we learn more.
We've seen a flurry of high-end cameras this year, from the Sony A1 and Fujifilm GFX100S, but the big one that most of us would actually buy is the rumored Sony A7 IV, which is expected to be the successor to the classic Sony A7 III.
When it launched back in April 2018, the Sony A7 III was a landmark camera for a few different reasons. Firstly, it put Sony firmly on the map as a pro camera brand to be reckoned with. But it also changed what we could expect from a $2,000 / £2,000 full-frame camera. It was, frankly, unmatched by any of its rivals and remains one of the best cameras you can buy today.
But given its age, the A7 III is also lagging behind the increasingly hot full-frame competition in some areas. Which is why we've been glad to see growing rumors of a Sony A7 IV. These rumors haven’t fully filled in the Sony Alpha a7 IV’s vitals yet, but we can already paint a reasonable picture of what the camera will likely offer. And this picture is a pretty coherent one, too.
Like its predecessor, the Sony A7 IV is likely to be a camera that focuses on the quality of the images and videos it produces, leaving parts like the EVF and LCD screen with less than ultra-high-end components, in order to keep the price sensible. But we're also expecting to see significant upgrades across the board, including a new sensor.
Here's everything we know about the Sony A7 IV so far, plus our early thoughts on how it's shaping up next to rivals like the Canon EOS R6 and Nikon Z6 II...
Sony A7 IV release date and price
Expected to launch in the second half of the year
Rumors suggest a price tag of around $2,500 / £2,500 / AU$3,900
This would put in the ballpark of rivals like the Canon EOS R6
If the latest rumors are correct, we're expecting to see the Sony A7 IV arrive in the second half of 2021. According to the pretty reliable Sony Alpha Rumors, the A7 IV will arrive "in Q2 at the earliest" with "Q3 more likely", which means it could land anywhere between June and September.
This would be three-and-a-half years after the announcement of the Sony A7 III, which is a significant gap in mirrorless camera terms, but would make sense given the relatively recent arrival of the Sony A7C, Sony A1 and Sony FX3.
Several commentators have predicted that the Sony A7 IV will have a body-only cost of around $2,500 (which will likely equate to around £2,500 / AU$3,900). This would be up from the A7 III's $2,000 price tag, but still in the ballpark of its closest rivals.
Price increases always cause a groan or two, but this one would be largely in line with what we see across Sony’s full-frame range. The Sony A7R IV launched for $3,500 / £3,500 / AU$5,699, which was $300 up from the a7R III, and we are edging towards two years since that step-up camera was announced.
This price also keeps Sony sensibly placed next to the competition. The Canon EOS R6 costs $2,500, and already has the 4K/60p video capture that we’re likely to see in the Sony A7 IV.
Sony A7 IV rumors and features we want to see
So far, there haven't been any major Sony A7 IV leaks, but the rumors from traditionally reliable sources have been growing in early 2021. Here's everything they've claimed so far about the A7 IV, plus our analysis on what's most likely to be under the rumored camera's hood.
Sensor
Rumors suggest the Sony A7 IV will have a new 30-32MP sensor
The biggest Sony A7 IV rumors suggest that it will use a new sensor, one that's higher-resolution than the Sony A7 III’s.
Multiple sources have suggested this sensor will be the Sony IMX 554, with Sony publishing this sensor’s documentation back in 2019. If this is true, we already have a stack of information about the central piece of hardware in the Sony a7 IV.
It is, of course, a full-frame sensor, with an effective resolution of 30.65MP, and the read-out allows for up to 36.6 frames per second.
(Image credit: Sony)
So does this mean that 36fps burst mode is all but confirmed? Not quite. A camera won’t necessarily get close to the theoretical limits of the sensor hardware, and this would beat the top-end 30fps Sony A1.
There’s plenty of scope for the Sony A7 IV to offer a great burst mode improvement at sub-30fps, though, as the Sony A7 III’s burst shooting power maxes out at just 10fps. We'll dig deeper into this later.
Viewfinder and screen
Expected to have a 3.69-million dot electronic viewfinder
Fully articulating screen is possible, but not yet rumored
LCD will likely be "on the cheap side" to keep price down
The vanilla 'A' model is the most accessible camera line in Sony’s full-frame family. It doesn’t get every piece of new top-end tech, so the price can stay somewhat reasonable.
We’ll see this in action in the Sony A7 IV’s electronic viewfinder (EVF), just like in the previous generation. Sony Alpha Rumors says that a "very good source" has revealed that the camera will have a 3.69-million dot resolution electronic viewfinder. That’s below the lovely 5.76-million dot panel of the A7R IV, but is crucially still a bump up from the A7 III’s 2.3-million-dot EVF.
Want to talk pixels? The Alpha A7R IV's EVF has a 1600 x 1200 resolution, with the A7 III's resolution coming in at 1024 x 768. The rumored A7 IV, meanwhile, would be in between the two at 1280 x 960 pixels.
While there is a huge gulf in dot count, we’re actually looking at EVFs close in pixel count to the 4:3 aspect ratio equivalent of Full HD and what we used to call 'HD Ready' (720p).
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony Alpha Rumors also thinks “most probably the LCD will also be on the cheap side, but the image quality and AF will be top notch.”
This completes the picture of what the Sony A7 IV is actually about. You won’t get an incredibly advanced rear LCD or EVF, but the image quality and autofocus have at least a chance of being class-leading.
The A7 III has a simple, hinged LCD screen. It’s 3 inches across and has resolution of 921,000 dots (640 x 480 pixels).
If the A7 IV has the same display specs, though, we’ll be disappointed. The inch count can stay the same, but the Sony A7 IV could do with higher peak brightness for shooting on sunny days. And a step up to 1.4-million-dot (800 x 600) resolution.
The Sony A7 IV also begs for a more flexible display hinge. Sony’s pronounced EVF hump all-but rules out a 180-degree flip-up screen, so we’d need a fully articulated hinge system. But it would be a big benefit for YouTubers looking for a quality upgrade.
Some have suggested this will happen, but it seems at odds with the notion that the A7 IV won’t have a notable rear display.
Video
Highly likely to shoot 4K/60p video, but not 4K/120p
One of the most likely Sony A7 IV features is pretty obvious – it will probably offer 4K video capture at 60 frames per second, lifting the 4K 30fps cap of 2018’s A7 III.
However, this introduces an awkward family dynamic. The Sony A7R IV is still stuck with maximum 4K/30p capture, and is a more expensive camera.
This can be explained away without ruining the Sony family’s Christmas, though. The high-res Sony A7R IV is predominantly a stills camera, while the A7 IV is out to cover all needs without providing the best Sony can do in every single area.
After all, the video-focused Sony A7S III can also shoot 4K at 120fps, which the A7 IV almost certainly won’t offer.
(Image credit: Sony)
Autofocus
May inherit the autofocus system seen on the Sony A7S III and A1
A good change that it'll get Bird Eye AF, seen on the A1
We can’t yet make any solid, tech-informed conclusions about the Sony A7 IV’s autofocus specs. There hasn’t been a camera with its particular sensor yet, and AF points are linked to the sensor, because mirrorless cameras like this use on-sensor phase detect pixels.
The older A7 III has an impressive 693 phase-detect points, backed up by 425 contrast detect points, and it more-or-less inherited its autofocus system from the once-top-end Sony A9.
(Image credit: Sony)
If we see the same happen again in the Sony A7 IV, it will likely have 759 phase points, once more supported by 425 contrast detect points to fill out frame coverage. These are the stats of the Sony A7S III and A1.
Once again, this would beat the A7R IV on paper, which has 567 phase detect points. However, in most cases the speed and reliability of Eye AF and subject-tracking are what tend to stand out in real-world testing.
The Sony A7 IV may also get some of the tweaks Sony made in the Sony A1. The latter gained 'bird tracking', which is very handy for nature photographers. Generalized animal tracking is already in place in the A7 III, so we can expect to see a (possibly refined) version of that on its successor.
Burst shooting
No solid rumors on burst shooting or buffer size yet
But could offer 15-18fps burst rates, based on the A7 III's read-out speeds
There are no solid rumors about the Sony A7 IV’s burst speed and buffer size yet. But we can make a few educated guesses based on some digging.
The Sony A7 III uses, we believe, the Sony IMX410 sensor. This has a max sensor read-out speed of 19.2fps at top quality 14-bit depth. Its actual burst speed taps out at around 10fps, half the sensor read-out rate (although burst shooting actually uses 12-bit depth).
As we mentioned earlier, the Sony A7 IV likely uses the Sony IMX 554 sensor, which has a read-out of 36.6fps at 14-bit depth. Divide that by two and we end up with around 18fps burst speed, which would seem a sensible and distinctly possible figure for this camera.
(Image credit: Sony)
Of course, the camera also has to deal with the increased data of the higher resolution. And we would not be surprised if, like the A7 III, the A7 IV drops to 12-bit capture when shooting burst shots. However, burst shooting of 15-18fps still seems feasible given the camera will also have a newer processor than the A7 III.
Sony will also need to improve the camera’s buffer to get the same, or better, burst duration as the A7 III, though. The old model can shoot 163 JPEGs at highest quality, 89 raws or 40 uncompressed raws before its buffer fills up.
Sony made major improvements in burst shooting from the A7 II to the A7 III. You could shoot for around ten seconds when capturing JPEGs in the A7 II, or around 16 seconds in the Alpha A7 III.
To even reach the same level in the Alpha A7 IV we’d need a buffer that's able to hold 240 JPEGs, assuming our guess of minimum 15fps burst is vaguely on the money. However, expected changes like this explain why the Sony Alpha A7 IV is likely to be more expensive than its predecessor.
(Image credit: Sony)
Takeaway
If the rumors so far are correct, the Sony A7 IV seems to be heading in the right direction. We'll likely get the same core video abilities as the Canon EOS R6, plus a higher-resolution sensor that should give it an edge for stills.
With the limited information we have so far, there are few better choices Sony could make that are realistic within the budget. Sure, a 9.44-million-dot EVF would be nice, but you are not going to get one at the A7 IV's expected price tag.
We’re keen to see confirmation on the Sony Alpha a7 IV’s display style, though. It may not be a deal-breaker for stills, but a fold-out screen could be a big boost for those who are just as interested in video capture. But we'll updated this page with more rumors or official information as soon as it arrives.
Lionsgate and Sony have made a multi-year agreement in which the latter will handle distribution of the former’s physical home entertainment releases in the U.S. and Canada.
While many major studios have collapsed their marketing and distribution ops to focus jointly on theatrical and streaming releases, what is simply going on here is that Lionsgate is getting a new home entertainment distribution partner. Lionsgate use to distribute their DVDs, etc through 20th Century Fox. Following Fox’s acquisition by Disney, that deal will lapse in July, and the new one with Sony will commence.
Similar to their deal with Fox, Lionsgate will continue to maintain its own independent sales and marketing teams while leveraging Sony’s supply chain and distribution services. The agreement was jointly announced by Jason Spivak, EVP, Distribution, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and Ron Schwartz, President, Worldwide Distribution, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
“We’re excited to embark on this new relationship with Lionsgate in physical home entertainment,” said Spivak. “By working together, we can identify and leverage efficiencies in the supply chain that will benefit not only our respective studios, but also retailers, and ultimately, the millions of consumers who enjoy Sony Pictures and Lionsgate feature films and TV programs in the 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD formats.”
“We’re pleased to be working with Sony Pictures, a respected world-class distributor who shares our philosophical commitment to the customer,” said Schwartz. “This collaboration makes both our businesses even stronger, and our new agreement enhances our ability to serve the retail community and consumers with innovation, adaptability and strong content slates in the years to come.”
As was touted earlier this week, Paramount+ will include popular Lionsgate movies like The Hunger Games in their library when it launches on March 4.
As a tech reviewer who loves movies and video games, I'm extremely picky about TVs. I've tested and reviewed countless models over the years, with very few delivering the picture quality standards I desire. But this year's Sony X950H is as close as I've come to a TV soulmate. It performs better than the competition in all the right ways — whether I'm watching Blu-rays, playing PlayStation games or just tuning into some broadcast TV.
No TV is perfect, of course. Each offers its own set of tradeoffs. Affordable models like the TCL 6-Series and Vizio M-Series Quantum are remarkably impressive for their price, offering fantastic contrast ratios for deep blacks, high peak brightness for HDR movies and quantum dots for vivid colors. But that price point may also come with quality control challenges (like the "dirty screen effect") or blurrier motion (caused by slower pixel response times). Most people, frankly, don’t tend to notice these things, so they're still usually my go-to recommendations for friends and family.
But higher-end TVs still find ways to distinguish themselves. Their black levels, peak brightness and color performance may be similar to the best midrange models but the improved processing power can enhance the overall picture in ways that go beyond these base specs. And when it comes to processing, there's no one better than Sony.
The X950H is one of Sony's highest-end TVs, only falling below its 8K Z8H LED and A8H OLED models. In other words, it's Sony's highest-end TV that's still somewhat accessible in price. That places it in a great sweet spot between price and performance, with five different sizes to match whatever room you're putting it in: 49-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch and a massive 85-inch monster.
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If you want some of the best picture quality you can get in a TV today (without spending thousands), Sony's X950H checks all the right boxes. Its high peak brightness is perfect for HDR movies that "pop" off the screen, its full-array local dimming allows the LEDs to dim down for super-deep blacks and it sports stellar color accuracy out of the box. On top of that, Sony's X1 Ultimate processor provides snappy performance in the Android smart TV software, and it can "clean up" low-quality images from cable TV and streaming services.
You can read all about resolution, HDR performance, and smart TV platforms in our comprehensive buying guide to the best TVs — and the X950H checks all those boxes beautifully. But Sony's processing has always been the highlight of its lineup. While many lower-end TVs present the picture with rudimentary improvements at best, Sony uses more advanced algorithms to ensure the picture looks better than the signal it’s receiving from your streaming or cable box — and often better than competing sets. Here are a few examples of how that applies to a user’s experience:
Superior upscaling, which allows it to expand 1080p video for its 4K screen with less softening of the image
Smooth gradation, which cuts down on color banding present in the compressed video streams from web and cable
Better local dimming, which allows the LEDs to turn down their brightness in dark areas of the screen without flickering or leaving trails behind moving objects
Improved motion through Sony's Cinemotion and "X-Motion Clarity" technologies, the latter of which which allowing the TV to flicker the backlight in a very controlled fashion for a smoother, clearer image
In other words, Sony's TVs do as much as they can to make your movies and shows clearer and more lifelike, whether you're watching a pristine 4K Blu-ray or a low-quality cable TV broadcast. This does necessitate playing with its many settings (X-Motion Clarity only turns on when the Smoothness and Clearness settings are set to "1" or higher, for example), but the result is well worth it if you're willing to tinker and find that sweet spot.
The A8H OLED is, objectively, a better TV if you have more money to spend, thanks to its perfect black levels. This is especially ideal if you watch in a dark room, where the X950H can sometimes show "blooming" around bright highlights due to its full LED array. I prefer the smoother motion and higher peak brightness of LED TVs, though, and I find using a bias light with the X950H helps combat the blooming in a dark room.
If you want to save a bit of money, the step down X900H is also great, albeit with less of that HDR pop and less impressive processing. It's also slated to get some extra gaming features this year through a software update, but they haven't materialized just yet.
Sony also announced its 2021 lineup at CES this year, with a new processor and cutting-edge HDMI 2.1 ports, which offer a few extra features for gamers. We won't know how they perform until we get them in for testing, but I expect they'll be solid, as always, even if their improvements are incremental. That said, the X950H's successor, the X95J, will only come in sizes 65 inches and higher, and will likely be priced higher at launch than the X950H is currently available for. So even though the latest and greatest are coming soon, buying at the end of a product cycle gets you a great product at a discounted price — a proposition that's tough to resist, even for enthusiasts like me.
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Whitson Gordon, Shop TODAY
Whitson Gordon is a freelance technology writer with bylines in the New York Times, Popular Science Magazine, PC Magazine and more. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief of Lifehacker and How-To Geek.
Sony has confirmed that Japan Studio, its internal video game developer based in Tokyo, will essentially wind down and refocus around a single team. In a statement to IGN, Japan Studio said as of April 1st it would be “re-centered to Team Asobi, the creative team behind Astro’s Playroom, allowing the team to focus on a single vision and build on the popularity of Astro’s Playroom.” In other words, get ready for more Astro games.
Astro’s Playroom is a well-received title packaged with every PlayStation 5 console. It’s a 3D platformer designed to show off the advanced haptic feedback of the new DualSense controller. Before that, the same team developed Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, widely considered to be the standout exclusive PlayStation VR title.
VGC previously reported today that the “vast majority” of Japan Studio staff were being let go as Sony declined to renew their annual contracts, which run until the end of the fiscal year on March 31st. Some staff are said to have been reassigned to Team Asobi, while others are reportedly joining Bokeh, a new studio founded by Silent Hill and Gravity Rush director Keiichiro Toyama.
While Team Asobi’s work to date is acclaimed, Japan Studio has been an important part of Sony’s first-party PlayStation development efforts for decades. It created series like Ape Escape, Patapon, and LocoRoco, while also assisting with development on titles like Bloodborne and The Last Guardian. Before leaving last year, Toyama led a division that was responsible for the Siren and Gravity Rush games.
Sony will allow the PlayStation 5 to make use of expanded SSD storage from this summer, according to a report in Bloomberg. The functionality is said to be coming in a firmware update that will activate the PS5’s M.2 expansion slot, which is currently disabled. Sony told The Verge ahead of the PS5 launch that the feature was “reserved for a future update.”
Bloomberg’s sources say that the firmware update will allow for an increase in the speed of the PS5’s cooling fans. The PS5 has an extremely fast built-in SSD, and any compatible third-party drive will need to be equally fast in order to store and run PS5 games; that’s going to generate some extra heat.
The PS5 comes with an 825GB SSD right now, leaving users with only 667GB of usable space when formatted. With game sizes ever increasing — you can’t fit all the content from the latest Call of Duty on a 500GB PS4, for example — PS5 owners will welcome the possibility of storage upgrades. As long as the fan noise isn’t too loud, that is.
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About Sony Electronics Inc. Sony Electronics is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America and an affiliate of Sony Corporation (Japan), one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world, with a portfolio that encompasses electronics, music, motion pictures, mobile, gaming, robotics and financial services. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Sony Electronics is a leader in electronics for the consumer and professional markets. Operations include research and development, engineering, sales, marketing, distribution and customer service. Sony Electronics creates products that innovate and inspire generations, such as the award-winning Alpha Interchangeable Lens Cameras and revolutionary high-resolution audio products. Sony is also a leading manufacturer of end-to-end solutions from 4K professional broadcast and A/V equipment to industry leading 4K and 8K Ultra HD TVs. Visit http://www.sony.com/news for more information.
i NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Open to legal residents of contiguous US & DC who are at least 18 (or the age of majority in their state of residence) or older at the time of entry and register for and attend the #BeAlpha Live virtual event on the Alpha Universe platform between 8:45:00 a.m. PT through 12:00:00 p.m. PT on 2/28/21. Void in AK, HI & where prohibited. Sweepstakes starts at 8:45:00 AM PT and ends at 12:00:00 PM PT on 2/28/21. LIMIT: 1 entry per person. Odds of winning depends on the total number of eligible entries received. Subject to the complete Official Rules. Sponsor: Sony Electronics Inc., San Diego, CA USA.
