MLB The Show 21 gets release date, crossplay support between PlayStation and Xbox

By Giovanni Colantonio Published February 1, 2021

MLB The Show 21 is coming to PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on April 20. Formerly a PlayStation exclusive, the baseball title will feature crossplay and cross-progression across Sony and Microsoft consoles.

The standard edition of the game, which comes with 5,000 stubs, retails for $60 on PS4 and Xbox One and $70 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Players will not be able to upgrade the standard edition from last-gen to current-gen PlayStations.

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In 2019, the Major League Baseball announced that it signed a multiyear extension with Sony to continue the series. The announcement revealed that the game would come to other consoles as early as 2021. The 2020 edition skipped Xbox One, but will now launch on both past- and current-generation Xboxes.

PlayStation and Xbox owners will be able to play with one another and even carry save data between systems. That’s a significant development for Sony, which has historically been resistant to crossplay support in the past.

Sony revealed this year’s cover star as well, San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatís Jr. Tatís debuted in the MLB in 2019 and was instrumental in the Padres advancing in its 2020 Wild Card series thanks to a pair of game-winning home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sony will reveal a collector’s edition of the game on Wednesday February 3. Sony implies that a PS5 upgrade will only be available through this edition, saying: “If you are interested in having access to the game on both current and next-gen platforms, please wait for more info about the collector’s edition.”

Giovanni Colantonio

Senior Gaming Editor

As Digital Trends' Senior Gaming Editor, Giovanni Colantonio oversees all things video games at Digital Trends. As a veteran…

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Gaming

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.

Gaming

PlayStation Portal: release date, price, specs, and more

The PlayStation Portal alongside Sony's other new headsets.

After being teased under the code name Project Q, we now have a clear picture of just what Sony's latest hardware will be. Officially called the PlayStation Portal, this curious device has many gamers a bit confused about what it is, what it can do, and who it is for. Is it a new handheld, a streaming device, or something in-between? With all the information finally available, we are here to clear up any confusion about what this latest piece of PlayStation hardware really is.
Price
The PlayStation Portal will retail for $200 at launch.
Release date
You can expect the PlayStation Portal to arrive later this year, on November 15, 2023.
Specs

The most important thing to know about the PlayStation Portal is what it really is. This is not a dedicated handheld like the PSP or Vita that you can play games on natively, but instead can only be used as a companion to your PlayStation 5. This device is only intended to stream games from your main console to the screen via Wi-Fi for remote play. Games cannot be played locally on the device, meaning it cannot function without connecting to your PS5. However, you do not need to be on the same network as your PS5. As long as your PS5 is in rest mode and connected to Wi-Fi, you can connect to it through another Wi-Fi network to play, provided the connection is strong enough.

Gaming

PlayStation gets into the streaming handheld game with Project Q

Project Q and PlayStation earbuds

During the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan revealed Project Q. It's a new handheld streaming device that will allow you to stream any game from your PlayStation 5 console using its remote play function or Wi-Fi.

It doesn't have an official name yet, so it's known internally as Project Q. What we do know is that it has an 8-inch HD screen, plus all of the buttons and features of a DualSense wireless controller.