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ARK: Survival Evolved and more hit PlayStation Plus in March

DeAngelo Epps
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Sony announced its PlayStation Plus lineup of free games coming to the service in March. They include the massively multiplayer online title ARK: Survival Evolved, the Sonic the Hedgehog racing spinoff Team Sonic Racing, Ghostrunner, and Ghosts of Tsushima: Legends.

The new titles will be available to claim starting on March 1. Each of these titles is free to anyone subscribed to PlayStation Plus, which also allows players to access online multiplayer and various deals from the PlayStation store.

ARK: Survival Evolved Official Launch Trailer!

ARK: Survival Evolved is the most prolific title in the pack. This MMO survival game places players on a mysterious island abundant in dangerous forces that includes dinosaurs. It’s become one of the more unique titles in the survival game genre and the multiplayer aspect keeps things interesting.

Team Sonic Racing - Gameplay Trailer - Nintendo Switch

For fans of racing, Sonic the Hedgehog, or Mario Kart ripoffs, there’s Team Sonic Racing, a game that takes the formula seen in Sonic Sega All-Stars Racing, but removes all the non-Sonic racers. What sets this game apart is the teamwork mechanic that allows players to share power-ups and speed boosts.

Ghostrunner: 16 Minutes of Gameplay | Summer of Gaming 2020

The final two titles of the month are Ghostrunner, a first-person parkour action game, and Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, an online multiplayer spinoff of the hit Ghost of Tsushima.

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With the addition of this slate of games, last month’s titles are set to leave. PS Plus subscribers have until Monday, February 28, to download EA Sports UFC 4, Planet Coaster: Console Edition, and the Borderlands spinoff Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-shot Adventure.

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DeAngelo Epps
DeAngelo Epps
De'Angelo Epps is a gaming writer passionate about the culture, communities, and industry surrounding gaming. His work ranges…
PS5 slim vs. PS5: everything you need to know about the new PS5 model
The slimmer PS5 console laying on its side.

Sony consoles have always gotten multiple versions and editions ever since the original PlayStation 1. As technology becomes cheaper and more advanced, refreshed models that are both smaller and less expensive to produce typically come out a couple of years into a console's life cycle, and we have now hit that point for the PS5. The PS5 slim, as it is being referred to, is a smaller version of the launch models, and will eventually become the standard unit available to consumers once the stock of existing PS5s runs out. However, is this version worth getting if you're an existing owner, or is it only for new purchasers? There's also the question about which of the two versions to buy. To answer all these questions, let's compare the PS5 slim to the OG PS5.
Specs

Let's start with the most important part, which is whether or not there's more power under the hood of the PS5 slim compared to the launch models. No, the PS5 slim is not in any way more powerful than an existing PS5. This is not a PS5 Pro, which is currently just a rumor. Games will not look, run, or play any better or worse on either version. The only difference in terms of specs is that the slim versions have slightly more storage space at 1 TB compared to 825GB, which is just a small 175GB upgrade. There's nothing here that makes it worth buying a new system when you can expand the storage of your console yourself.
Size
Obviously, a slim model would mean that this new version would be smaller than the frankly comically large launch version. While that's true, it isn't a huge reduction in size. The PS5 Slim disc version weighs 3.2 kilograms (18% less that the original PS5) while the discless version weighs 2.6kg (24% less), and both are 30% smaller by volume.
Versions
Once again, you will have the option to choose between an all-digital and standard version of the PS5 Slim. However, unlike the original discless PS5, the new version will give you the option to add a disc drive later on if you purchase a separate detachable drive.
Price
The current PS5 models are priced at $400 and $500 for the digital and standard versions, respectively. While the PS5 slim standard version that includes the disc drive will remain at $500, the discless version will get a price increase to $450. This price increase had already been seen in other territories outside the U.S., but will now be introduced here once these new versions launch. It is also worth mentioning that the detachable disc drive you can get to upgrade your discless version will cost $80, meaning you would spend more to buy the digital version and add the drive than you would by simply buying the version with the drive already included.

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PS Plus members can cloud stream PS5 games in 4K later this month
Aloy stands on a mountain in Horizon Forbidden West.

PS Plus Premium is adding a new feature next month that will allow subscribers to cloud stream select PlayStation 5 games. The initial list includes heavy hitters like Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Horizon Forbidden West. Sony is targeting an October 30 launch in North America.

Cloud streaming has been one of the primary selling points of PS Plus since its relaunch last year. Subscribers can use the feature to access several games in the service's catalog, including PlayStation 3 games. The new feature will now extend that technology to newer PS5 releases, with Sony saying it plans to make "hundreds" of games streamable.

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PlayStation 5 is getting a slimmer (but not cheaper) redesign next month
The new, smaller PS5 models launching in November 2023.

Sony announced that new, smaller versions of the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition will hit store shelves in November. On top of that, an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive for Digital Edition consoles is also on its way. 

Revealed in a PlayStation Blog post, these new versions aren't being branded the PS5 Slim or anything similar to that; they're just the new flagship versions of Sony's latest console. Their design is similar to the launch models, but is now made up of four individual cover panels. The top panels on each side feature the PlayStation logo and a glossy finish, while the bottom panels are made with the same matte material as current PS5 models. The design makes the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition lighter and reduces the volume of both consoles by 30%, according to Sony.
In the U.S., the new PS5 will retail for $500, while the new PS5 Digital Edition will cost $450. PS5 Digital Edition owners can then swap out one of the bottom cover panels for the $80 Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive for PS5, which will allow them to play physical copies of games or watch movies on what is sold as a digital-only console. Both of these new PS5 models come with a horizontal stand, although a new Vertical Stand priced at $30 is also in the works.
Despite the slimmer design, the new PS5 models aren't coming with a price cut. The model including a disc drive is still the same price as a current PS5 model. The digital edition is actually getting a $50 price increase from the current digital version's $400 price tag. Those who want to upgrade and add an $80 disc drive after the fact will end up paying more than the non-digital version in the long run.
The PlayStation Blog post confirms that the launch versions of both PS5 consoles will be phased out as these new models hit store shelves in the U.S. sometime in November. If you were planning to get a PS5 console soon, it may be worth considering holding off until these new models launch.

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