Posts with «consumer discretionary» label

The next Nintendo Direct will take place on February 8th

Nintendo has scheduled its first Direct of the year. It will largely focus on games that are coming to Switch in the first half of 2023. You’ll be able to watch the Direct on February 8th at 5PM ET on the company’s YouTube channel.

What Nintendo will feature during the stream largely remains a mystery, but we can read the tea leaves and speculate a bit. While it’s possible that we’ll get a deeper dive into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom before that game arrives in May, it’d be surprising if there were nothing about it at all in this Direct. Rumor has it that Nintendo may suddenly release Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp this week after a lengthy delay related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. If so, expect that to make an appearance.

Tune in at 2 p.m. PST tomorrow, Feb. 8, for a #NintendoDirect livestream featuring roughly 40 minutes of information mostly focused on #NintendoSwitch games launching in the first half of 2023.

Watch it live here: https://t.co/8ce3reaEigpic.twitter.com/Pmf41dQWIw

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 7, 2023

With the Mario movie on the horizon, perhaps we’ll learn something about the future of Nintendo’s mascot on Switch. Super Nintendo World will open at Universal Studios Hollywood next week, so expect at least a mention of that. We may learn more about Pikmin 4 as well, while Nintendo has Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon and Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe lined up for this year.

And then, of course, there’s the ever-present expectation from fans that this, after years of patiently waiting, is when we’ll finally get a release date for Hollow Knight: Silksong, which is supposed to arrive in the first half of this year. In any case, we won’t have to wait too long to find out what Nintendo has up its sleeve.

Sony’s expansive PlayStation VR2 FAQ answers (almost) all of your burning questions

Sony is preparing to release its next-gen virtual reality headset for PlayStation 5 on February 22nd. While there have been suggestions that demand for $550 PlayStation VR2 isn't quite what the company expected, Sony has tried to assuage fans' concerns and answer any lingering questions they might have in a lengthy FAQ.

The company reiterated that players will have more than 30 games to choose from during the launch window, which it defines as the first month. Among those are Horizon Call of the Mountain (a VR spin-off of the Horizon games), and VR modes for Resident Evil Village and Gran Turismo 7, which will both be free for folks who already own those games.

Users won't automatically be able to play games from the original PS VR on PS VR2. As Sony explains, "PS VR2 is designed to deliver a truly next-generation VR experience, with advanced features such as haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, inside-out tracking, eye tracking and more. Due to this new approach to playing games in PS VR2, PS VR games are not compatible with PS VR2." However, several developers have created PS VR2 versions of existing games and some are offering free upgrades.

Meanwhile, Sony says there are more than 100 games in development for PS VR2. Physical disc editions of some games will be available.

There are three main ways you can use PS VR2, but it'll be important to check the compatibility for each game. That's especially true if you don't have enough free space for the roomscale mode, which requires a minimum play area of two square meters (6 ft 7 in × 6 ft 7 in). The standing and sitting modes require a play area of one square meter (3 ft 4 in × 3 ft 4 in), but you'll need to make sure you have enough space to move your arms and the Sense controllers around. You can set up virtual boundaries and receive warnings from your headset when you get close to the edge.

Unlike with PS VR, you don't need to plug in a camera to your PS5 to use PS VR2. You can, however, film yourself while playing by connecting a PS5 HD Camera. There's the option to broadcast your footage as well. Although the PS5 only supports one headset at a time, friends and family who are in the room with you can watch what you're doing in-game in a 2D format on your TV.

There's a cinematic mode that allows users to view non-VR content from their PS5 while wearing the headset, which could come in handy if someone wants to use the TV for something else. The downside is that you won't be playing 2D games or watching media in 4K. Cinematic mode is limited to a resolution of 1080p with HDR, although the refresh rate will max out at 120Hz.

You also won't need a TV to use PS VR2 after the initial setup. So, if you wanted, you could use your PS5 and PS VR2 on the train if you don't mind lugging them around and annoying fellow passengers. You could even take it on a camping trip if you were so inclined.

The FAQ touches on some other key points, including accessibility. All the accessibility features that are available on PS5 will be present on PS VR2, except for the Zoom function. There are parental controls too.

'Apex Legends' is finally adding a team deathmatch mode

It’s hard to believe, but Apex Legends is four years old this month. And with the game’s 16th season set to debut on February 14th, developer Respawn Entertainment is promising to shake things up. “Nothing is safe and there are going to be some pretty significant changes that we’ve been working on for a while,” the studio said in a blog post it published on Monday.

One of those changes is a game mode players have been asking Respawn to add since launch. The studio will allow you to queue for team deathmatch games for a limited time. The mode will see two teams of six vie for supremacy. The first team to secure 30 kills wins the round. You’ll need to win two rounds to take the match. At the start of a deathmatch game, you’ll pick your character and one of five weapon loadouts. You can change both between respawns.

At the same time, Respawn is removing Arenas, the game’s current spin on deathmatch. The studio says the 3v3 game mode wasn’t meeting its goal of being a good place to master Apex’s combat mechanics. On March 7th, Respawn will introduce Mixtape, a permanent rotating playlist of limited-time game modes. The playlist will allow you to play favorites like Control, Gun Run and, yes, Team Deathmatch. The season will also add a new energy weapon called the Nemesis for players to master. It’s an assault rifle that fires a four-round burst, and you can hold down the trigger to continue firing.

Season 16 won’t see the introduction of a new playable character. That’s because Respawn wants to tweak the existing ones first. In addition to balance changes targeting Lifeline, Seer and Wraith to start, the developer is adding a reworked class system. Respawn will assign each Legend to one of five classes: Assault, Recon, Skirmisher, Controller or Support. Each class will have access to a unique perk. For instance, it sounds like Support characters will have new ways to revive their teammates. Respawn has promised to share more information about all the Legends changes closer to the release of the new season.

Respawn is adding a new orientation match system that will pit new players against bots to make the game more approachable to newbies. “Our goal with Orientation Matches is to create a lower-pressure environment where new players can get their bearings, learn the core mechanics, and have a little more space to breathe while they learn how to play Apex Legends,” the studio said.

It wouldn’t be much of an anniversary season if the game didn’t have something for players to collect. In the first two weeks of the season, you can unlock Crypto and Ash by logging into the game. You’ll also unlock thematic packs for both of them.

Netflix subscribers will soon get access to mobile versions of two Rogue Games titles

Netflix is adding two more releases to its excellent library of games. The streaming giant announced Monday it recently secured exclusive mobile rights to Dust & Neon and Highwater, two upcoming titles from indie publisher Rogue Games. Of the two, the former will arrive first when it hits Android, iOS, PC and Nintendo Switch on February 16th. As with past Netflix releases, you can download and play Dust & Neon for free on mobile, provided you subscribe to the service. The same will go for Highwater when it arrives at a later date. Additionally, neither game will include ads or in-app microtransactions.

Rogue Games describes Dust & Neon as a rogue-lite twin-stick shooter. Stylistically, the game looks like a mix of Steamworld Dig and West of Dead. One interesting facet of gameplay is that you manually reload your firearms. Each weapon has its own reload animation, and there are almost 2,000 guns to find in the game, according to Rogue Games. Highwater, meanwhile, is an adventure strategy game set in a world ravaged by climate change. It’s a title with a fair amount of excitement around it, partly due to the fact that it was first shown off during Summer Game Fest last year.

Amazon Luna will lose over 50 games this month

Cloud gaming libraries normally get larger, but Amazon Luna's appears to be shrinking — for now, at least. 9to5Googlenotes that the paid Luna+ tier will lose 53 games in February. Many of these are older or niche titles you won't necessarily miss, but that does mean losing classics like No More Heroes (gone February 11th) as well as more recent titles like The Medium (February 9th).

We've asked Amazon for comment. In a statement to 9to5Google, a spokesperson said only that Amazon was "refreshing" its content as part of a goal to keep its collection "as fresh as possible."

The issue, as you might guess, is that this isn't an isolated situation. Amazon dropped another 46 games from Luna+ in December, and some of these were from well-known franchises like the Yakuza series. CloudDosagereports the February cull will leave Luna+ with 175 games. That could make it a tough sell if you're willing to pay for variety. Microsoft's Game Pass and Sony's PlayStation Plus Premium are more expensive, but promise access to hundreds of games (if frequently from the back catalog).

The shrinking selection doesn't come at a great time, either. Google shut down Stadia just last month, and that service didn't bleed games. Amazon's platform won't necessarily suffer the same fate, but it's not entering a thriving market — and those rivals that are left sometimes offer perks you won't find with Luna, such as GeForce Now's 240Hz mode.

Anker charging accessories are up to 46 percent off in Amazon sale

Anker's charging accessories can be even more versatile than what the original manufacturer offers, but they tend to be more costly than other options. Luckily, you can now grab a number of Anker chargers and other products at Amazon with discounts up to 46 percent percent. Some of the key deals include the Anker 737 GaNPrime 120W charger at $57 (40 percent off), the 40W 521 Nano Pro charger ($25 or 30 percent off) and the 621 MagGo wireless charger for iPhone ($35 for a savings of $25) and more. 

Shop Anker charging accessories at Amazon

The 737 GaNPrime 120W charger has a maximum output of 120W and can fully charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro in 1.5 hours, according to Anker. At the same time, it's more compact than Apple's own charger and offers a pair of USB-C ports and a USB-A port, so you can charge a smartphone at the same time. Normally priced at $95, it's an easy purchase at $57 if you're looking to upgrade or replace your existing MacBook Pro charger. 

If you don't need that much power, Anker's compact 40W 521 Nano Pro smartphone/tablet charger is on sale for $25 ($11 off, in Glacier Blue only), giving you a quick charger on the cheap. And if you need a new cable to connect your iPhone, the company's 10-foot Powerline+ MFi certified charging cord is priced at just $16, for a savings of 27 percent over the regular price.

The company has some battery charger deals as well. The Anker 335 PowerCore 20K 20W power bank with USB-C fast charging costs just $40 right now, or $20 off the regular price. It comes with 20,000 mAh capacity, enough to charge an iPhone 13 4.3 times for days of stress-free use. With a USB-C port and pair of USB-A ports, it can also charge multiple devices at a atime. 

Finally, the Anker 621 5000mAh MagGo wireless charger (with a USB-C cable) is on sale for $35, or 42 percent off the regular $60 price. It snaps right on to your iPhone 12/13/14, is relatively thin at 12.8mm, attaches using a super-strong magnet and charges either wirelessly or via the USB-C port and included cable.

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Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook 2 is $200 off right now

If you’re looking for a Chromebook for school or work, one of Engadget’s favorites is on sale right now. Amazon and Best Buy have discounted the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2. After a 29 percent discount, the “fiesta red” Core i3-10110U model is currently $499, down from $700. That’s the lowest-ever price Engadget has seen for the Galaxy Chromebook 2. Best of all, the discount applies to the model that is the best value for most people.

Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham gave the Galaxy Chromebook 2 a score of 82 in 2021. After the original Galaxy Chromebook scored poorly due to middling battery life, Samsung made some dramatic changes for the follow-up model. The 2021 version features a 1080p QLED panel that is one of the best displays you’ll find on a Chrome OS device. The screen is vibrant and bright and features excellent viewing angles. The switch to a Full HD resolution, where the previous model had a 4K display, means the Galaxy Chromebook 2 also offers significantly better battery life. In Engadget’s testing, the laptop consistently went about six to seven hours on a single charge. With 8GB of RAM, the Core i3-10110U model on sale should offer more than enough computing power for most Chrome OS users.

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Sonos gear is on sale ahead of the Super Bowl, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals

Even if you won't be watching the Super Bowl, you can still take advantage of the sales brands are running on home theater equipment ahead of the game. Sonos, which rarely offers discounts, just announced deals on some of their soundbars and smart speakers. TVs from Samsung are on sale too. This week, Samsung unveiled three new Galaxy S23 smartphones during Wednesday's Unpacked event. You can pre-order the phones now, and Amazon and Samsung are both offering a free storage upgrade plus a gift card when you do. We've got a discount code for $55 off Pixel Buds Pro and the price on the 2022 iPad Air dropped by $100. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Sonos Arc Soundbar

Sonos keeps a short leash on their products, generally only selling through their own site and carefully regulating when things go on sale. Turns out the Super Bowl is one such occasion and a few of our favorite Sonos speakers are seeing decent discounts this week. One of the top speakers from our soundbar guide is the Sonos Arc. It's usually $899, but is $100 off as of today. We like it for the modern design and stellar sound. Thanks to internal smarts, it can also automatically calibrate to your living room and happily integrates with additional speakers.

The Beam Soundbar is $50 off right now, bringing that one down to $399. It's our top pick for a midrange soundbar, thanks to its solid sound quality, compact design and easy set-up. This newer model improves on the previous Beam — which we thought was already pretty great — with the addition of Dolby Atmos. The deals on both Sonos speakers will run through February 12th.

Sonos One

When we gathered up our favorite smart home gadgets, the Sonos One topped the list for the best smart speaker. We like that it's compact enough to fit most places in your home.

It’s compact enough to fit in most areas in your home, but more importantly, it delivers excellent audio quality that’s superior to a lot of other smart speakers out there. When tuned properly to the acoustics of your room — which requires the iOS app — the sound is fantastic, with punchy bass and clear highs. Unfortunately, the Android app doesn’t have TruePlay tuning (Sonos has not said whether it’s in the works), but the speakers should still sound admirable. It’s also compatible with a slew of streaming services, including major ones like Spotify and Pandora.

The main benefit that a Sonos speaker brings over the competition is that it’s a gateway to a multi-room audio setup that you can build out over time. It’s also convenient if you plan on building a home theater setup later on, as the One integrates well with Sonos soundbars, including the Arc and Beam.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra starts at $1,200 for the smaller 256GB storage capacity. Right now Amazon, Best Buy and Samsung are all offering a free bump up to the 512GB size (which has a suggested price increase of $180). Both Amazon and Best Buy are throwing in $100 gift cards when you pre order through them, which will ship once the phones are released February 17th. At Samsung's site, you'll also get the free storage upgrade, plus $100 bonus in the form of a Samsung credit. The Ultra is the flagship phone, with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a 200 MP camera and of course that built-in S Pen. Here are our initial impressions

The standard Galaxy S23 will also come with a free storage upgrade from all three outlets, bumping its base 128GB storage up to 256GB with no upcharge. That phone goes for $800 and comes with a $50 gift card at Amazon or a credit at Samsung. If you want the S23+ you can get 512GB of storage for the same $1,000 price tag as the 256GB size. The plus also comes with a $100 gift card at Amazon, and a credit at Samsung. Here's what we thought after seeing the S23 and S23+

Beats Fit Pro

We named Beats Fit Pro the best wireless earbuds for working out and they just dropped to $150 on Amazon. That's 25 percent off and just $5 more than their lowest price ever. We gave them a score of 87 in our review, admiring the great noise cancelling performance and the fact that they offer all of Apple's earbud features, without being AirPods. Big bass and a wing tip that makes sure they stay put when you move make them particularly suited to working out — as does the IPX4-rating for sweat and water resistance. 

The Beats Studio Buds are also on sale. They're $50 off, making them $100 at Amazon — that's also very close to a record low. We liked the comfortable fit and balanced sound when we reviewed them. They'll give you all the same sweat resistance and Apple integrations as the Fit Pros and AirPods. And while they are impressively small, they do lack on-board controls. 

Samsung S95B OLED TV

While we haven't done a full review on Samsung's S95B just yet, many who have reviewed it agree it's one of the best options out there for a top-end TV from 2022. Right now the 55-inch model is $1,448, or 34 percent off. That matches the low we saw during Black Friday sales. The bigger 65-inch model is seeing an even deeper discount of 41 percent off. Bringing that one down to $1,798. That's not its all-time low, but it's just $20 more than its cheapest price.

The QD-OLED panel on both sizes has earned props for delivering high contrast and deep blacks and puts out a higher level of brightness than some other OLEDs. It comes with four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, and can deliver 4K video at a 120Hz refresh rate so when the big game is over, you'll get immersive and smooth graphics on the latest gaming titles.  

When we gathered up our favorite smart home gadgets, the Sonos One topped the list for the best smart speaker. We like that it's compact enough to fit most places in your home. 

It’s compact enough to fit in most areas in your home, but more importantly, it delivers excellent audio quality that’s superior to a lot of other smart speakers out there. When tuned properly to the acoustics of your room — which requires the iOS app — the sound is fantastic, with punchy bass and clear highs. Unfortunately, the Android app doesn’t have TruePlay tuning (Sonos has not said whether it’s in the works), but the speakers should still sound admirable. It’s also compatible with a slew of streaming services, including major ones like Spotify and Pandora.

The main benefit that a Sonos speaker brings over the competition is that it’s a gateway to a multi-room audio setup that you can build out over time. It’s also convenient if you plan on building a home theater setup later on, as the One integrates well with Sonos soundbars, including the Arc and Beam

Samsung QN90B QLED TV

If a 43-inch TV is more your speed, here's a high-end option that hit a new low price this week. Samsung's 43-inch QN90B is down to a new low of $898, which is 25 percent off its MSRP. The 55-inch model is down to $1,298, which is an all time low. The QN90B is a more traditional LED LCD panel with a Mini LED backlighting to give it better contrast and HDR performance that most TVs of this type, and its great that its available in a 43-inch size. If you're going for the larger 55-inch size, however, we actually recommend Samsung's S95B, mentioned above, for its superior OLED panel. 

Vitamix Explorian E310

Vitamix blenders are ideal for sauces, salsas, dips and icy drinks — all of which may come in handy at a Super Bowl party. The Vitamix series we recommend in our smart kitchen gadget guide is from the Explorian lineup, which isn't the most powerful of the Vitamixes, but instead balances price and performance. We think it's the best option for most people. The E310 usually goes for $350, but is $50 off right now. If you decide you do want all possible power in your blender, go for the Ascent series, most of which are also $50 off, which takes a little of the sting out of their starting price of $500.  

iPad Air

Apple's 2022 iPad Air is $99 off right now, bringing the "almost future-proof" tablet down to $500 at Amazon. It dips down to this price fairly often, so it's wise to wait until you see the discount before hitting add to cart. This is the 64GB WiFi model of Apple's latest M1-equipped iPad Air. The larger-capacity 256GB model is also $99 off, bringing it down to $650. The M1 chip is fast enough for content creation, gaming and running other demanding apps. And you'll get an impressive 10 hours of battery life. The build is top-notch and overall, we think it's the best iPad for most people. Especially when it's nearly $100 cheaper.  

Pixel Buds Pro

In our estimation, Google's Pixel Buds Pro are the best earbuds for anyone who carries an Android device in their pocket. Right now at Wellbots, you can save a healthy $55 off the usual $200 price tag when you use the code ENGTSOUND at checkout. We called them Google's best earbuds yet, praising their ability to deliver deep and punchy base notes along with active noise cancellation that effectively blocks out world around you. On-board tap controls let you easily adjust volume, control your playlist and toggle the ANC and you can easily recharge the buds and case wirelessly. One of our complaints was the price bump over the previous models, but hopefully this discount makes that less of an issue. 

Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon just added two new colors to the backs of their Kindle Paperwhites and are offering a 27 percent discount to go with the new look. That brings the $150 e-reader down to $109, which doesn't beat the Black Friday sale price of $99, but is the best price the device has seen since then. The discount only applies to the 16GB capacity model in the new colors, green or blue. The 8GB capacity model isn't available in the new colors and the black version is still full price. 

The new colors — and discount — apply to the Paperwhite Signature Edition as well. We called it the "best e-reader period" in our review and this is one of the few times outside of the holidays that the device has gone on sale. Both the blue and green versions are on sale for $140, which is a 26 percent discount off the usual $190 price tag. 

Disney+

To make it easier for us to afford the growing list of streaming services out there, many providers are offering ad-supported versions of their services at reduced prices. Right now, the Disney Plus ad-supported variant is down to $6.99 a month for your first three months. It goes back up to $7.99 after that, but you're free to cancel at any time. You may remember a time when Disney plus without ads was only $7, but just like manyotherstreamingservices out there, they've raised prices recently. Still, for the amount of content available, including Marvel movies, Star Wars shows, Disney features and Pixar fare, it feels worth the cost. 

Arlo Video Doorbell

Here's a chance to keep tabs on your front door — for half the price. Arlo's Essential Video Doorbell is on sale for 50 percent off right now at Amazon, bringing the $200 device down to $100. It's battery-powered, which is great for those without a wired already installed at their front door and gives you a 180-degree field of view. It'll send HD video with HDR to your smartphone or home hub and allows you to see, hear and speak to whomever is out there. The wired-only version is on sale for 47 percent off, bringing it down to $80. And Arlo's exterior security cameras are 38 percent off, or $80 each.  

Meta Quest Pro

Meta's Quest Pro headset only arrived three months ago, but it saw its first discount this week. It's a pricey device to begin with and even with a 27 percent discount, it will still put you back $1,100. We tried out the VR headset, and had a lot to say. Meta hopes the Quest Pro will become the device that starts to truly enable the Metaverse. Whether or not we want to live and work in VR just yet is still up for debate, but for those that do, this is a powerful (and relatively comfortable) way to do it.  

Spigen Ultra Hybrid MagSafe case

We’ve got a whole list of the best iPhone cases we’ve tried, and a good all-purpose option is Spigen’s Ultra Hybrid MagFit case. It’s a clear cover that has anti-yellowing properties, which should keep it looking clean and new for longer than other cases. Raised edges help protect the screen and camera array from making too much contact with other surfaces, and you’ll be able to use it with any magnetic accessories you want.

WD_Black SSD Cards

It's another good week to add extra storage to your computers and gadgets. Right now Amazon is running discounts on a range of storage cards and drives. Discounts range from 20 to 50 percent on Western Digital Black gaming SSDs and SanDisk microSDs. WD_Black's 250GB Internal Gaming SSD is down to $35, which is 42 percent off the original $60. The 500GB version is fifty percent off, or $40. 

As for the cards, SanDisk's 256GB Ultra microSDXC is down to $25, which isn't the lowest it's ever been, but is still a decent 25 percent off. SanDisk's 1TB Ultra microSDXC is 20 percent off, or $109. 

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PS5 beta update finally adds Discord voice chat

After saying that it could come to PlayStation 5 in early 2022, Discord chat has finally arrived in the latest beta, Sony announced. PS5 Testers in the US, Canada and Japan will be able to join Discord calls, some months after Microsoft introduced the feature on Xbox. PS5 is also gaining Variable Refresh Rate support for 1440p, along with dashboard UX improvements and more. 

Discord integration is a bit clunky, much like it was on Xbox at first. Here's how to set it up and use it, according to Discord's blog. First, you need to link your PlayStation Network (PSN) account to Discord, then select Discord under "Linked Services." After that, you can complete the integration using either a QR code or the PS5's integrated browser. 

Each time you want to use Discord chat on console, though, you'll need to use your mobile device to transfer your conversation, which isn't ideal. Back in November, Microsoft made it possible to join Discord chats directly from the console, so hopefully Sony will eventually do the same. 

Sony

Other new social features include a new way to share screens, party chats in the dashboard and "friends who play" that shows which of your friends are playing a game right now. Sony also introduced Variable Refresh Rate support for 1440p gaming, so HDMI 2.1 displays should exhibit smoother performance at that resolution with less tearing. Sony launched PS5 VRR in April last year and 1440p support shortly afterwards, but the two features have yet to work together. 

Gamers will also find new tools to access PS4 saved data on a PS5, along with the ability to move games from one PS5 console to another over WiFi or ethernet. The new beta is rolling out to certified testers today, and should be available to everyone else over the next few months.

Sony has now shipped over 32.1 million PS5s following blockbuster holiday sales

Sony's gaming business had a blockbuster holiday quarter as it sold 7.1 million PS5s from October to December compared to 3.9 million in the same quarter last year. That's a whopping 82 percent increase, so the company's supply issues appear to be largely solved — much as the company has said as of late. In other words, you should be able to buy a PS5 now with little to no delay. 

All of that resulted in a giant boost in revenue, as its Game & Network Services segment took in 1.25 trillion yen ($9.7 billion), up 53 percent year on year. That includes over double the revenue for hardware and healthy boosts in software (30 percent), network services (20 percent) and others including PSVR and first-party software sales on other platforms (73 percent). 

To grasp the significance of all this, Sony has now sold 32.1 million PS5s compared to 25 million in November 2022, so total unit sales increased 28 percent in just a single quarter. It also means that Sony may hit its fiscal year 2022 PS5 sales forecast (18 million units from March 2022 to March 2023) if it can ship 5.2 million consoles, something that seemed wildly optimistic last quarter. If it does reach that goal, it will hit PS5 sales of over 37 million units.

Sony has fought Microsoft's acquisition of Activision, though Microsoft itself recently pointed out that Sony has five times more exclusive games than Xbox. In terms of first-party titles, God of War Ragnarök and Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut were standouts on PS5 this quarter. 

Sony's gaming business dwarfed its other segments, though its imaging sensor business continues to rise as well, with sales up 63 percent year on year to 417 billion yen ($3.24 billion). Sony supplies the lion's share of camera sensors to both smartphone and mirrorless camera manufacturers.