The Wizarding World beckons when Hogwarts Legacy launches on PS5 and PS4 February 10. Crafting the magical grounds of everybody’s favorite magical school is a labor of love by the dedicated team at Avalanche.

Explosions of color and light erupt from students’ wands across Hogwarts, harnessing the graphical potential of the PS5. Players can soar through the open world atop their sturdy broom or loyal mount, tapping into the super-fast SSD loading in the fantastical environment.

Starting this year, it’s now easier than before to find a PS5 thanks to increased console supply, which is great news for prospective Hogwarts students. To help players get a sense of what’s in store, Hogwarts Legacy Jose Villeta, Director of Software Engineering, shares some developer insights on how the Avalanche team tapped into the PS5 to enhance the magical journey.

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Making magic with PlayStation 5

What were your first impressions when first learning about the power and capabilities of the PS5, from a developer perspective?

Since the first day I got early disclosure about the PS5, I knew we had on our hands a great gaming console. My video game career started with the launch of the original PlayStation and to know how much technology advancements have occurred since then was a dream come true. The DualSense controller felt next-generation right away. The fast accessing of assets through super-fast SSD combined with stunning 4K graphics and visuals set a foundation of what we will be able to deliver for our game.

Forge your path and create a legacy in Season 2 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. In addition to a new map that will be featured in Resurgence and DMZ game modes, the new season brings Ranked Play, additional Multiplayer maps, and a handful of franchise-favorite game modes like Infected, Gun Game, and Grind.

Unlock five new free functional weapons, test your skills in the Path of the Ronin Challenges, and dominate with the new Operator, Ronin.

Season 2 launches on PlayStation on February 15.

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 — Introducing Ashika Island

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Ashika Island is a centuries-old village under siege by Shadow Company forces. Navigate an ancient shipwreck and ruins, a modern town center, a beach club, a port, an organic farm, or the fortified castle standing over the island. Ashika Island has its own secrets to uncover, often rewarding intrepid explorers. Its points of interest include:

Ōganikku Farms – The majority of the northwestern sector of Ashika Island is comprised of mixed agricultural, residential, and industrial use, along with old shoreline defenses.

Town Center – Impressive sea wall defenses, a Ferry Terminal, tourist facilities, a semi-circular City Hall structure and more highlight this point of interest.

Beach Club – Further southwest of the Town Center, and east of the Port is an aquarium and Beach Club and open-air swimming within the southwestern ocean beach.

Tsuki Castle – The higher ground in the center of Ashika Island is dominated by an ancient castle with multiple fortifications, cherry blossoms in bloom, and a natural defensive hill along the southwestern side of the structure.

With only a few weeks away from the release of Destiny 2: Lightfall, we’re excited to announce that starting today, the critically acclaimed Beyond Light expansion is available to PlayStation Plus members until March 6. This primer will help Guardians prepare for Lightfall by getting the most out of Beyond Light’s Stasis subclass, powerful Exotics, and more.

Not only does Beyond Light unlock an entire frost-themed subclass called Stasis, the expansion also includes a thrilling campaign filled with ice-cold cosmetics, Legendary gear, and powerful Exotic armor and weapons.

Wield Powerful Weapons

Weapons like No Time to Explain, the Exotic Pulse Rifle belonging to the iconic time-traveling Stranger.

No Time to Explain: Precision hits and hits against enemies affected by Stasis will return ammo to the magazine. Stack this effect to summon a portal which will fire bullets from an alternate timeline of the weapon.

And because of how Destiny 2 enables you to increase the strength of the weapons and armor you collect, the gear you love in Beyond Light can be as powerful as you want it to be as you embark on your Lightfall adventure. That means you can immediately start building your Guardian into a frost-slinging monster-shattering machine that will leave the Tormentors on Neptune shivering in their boots.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; Lightfall doesn’t launch until February 28. Today we’re heading to Europa, a cold and treacherous moon of Jupiter. So, let’s start with the power that Eramis, the Kell of Darkness, is chasing—the same power you’ll be mastering as you play through the campaign.

The First Darkness Subclass: Stasis

Beyond Light is significant for several reasons, but first and foremost, it marked the first time a new subclass was added to the original

The Last of Us revolves around the story of Joel and Ellie, but their story is a constantly moving one. From one location to the next, the pair learns how many parts of the United States have weathered the Cordyceps outbreak while coming into contact with survivors and their encampments, from those squatting in the ruins of major cities while others have built up new communities in suburban areas or even out in nature.

The world they, and players, explore can be a cruel and unforgiving one, but also a world filled with beauty and light amidst the struggle for survival. Players are met with two distinct but clear examples of how life has transformed in this post-pandemic world early in the adventure of The Last of Us Part I – the Boston Quarantine Zone and Bill’s Town. The dichotomy of these locations demonstrates the human and natural threats around every corner, as well as the bright spots of humanity struggling to survive in this world. With both locations recently featured on The Last of Us on HBO, as well as recently remade in The Last of Us Part I on PlayStation 5 console and available March 28 on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, let’s dive into what makes these locations so essential to Joel and Ellie’s journey, and how the HBO adaptation tackled Joel and Ellie’s viewpoint of the world around them.

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Cruel world

On the note of viewpoint, when playing The Last of Us, despite wherever the adventure takes you or the characters you meet, the team endeavored to tell this story quite specifically.

“We gave ourselves this rule when we were making it, everything is either seen through Joel’s perspective or Ellie’s perspective, and that’s it, because we want you to spend a lot of time with them moving from space to space in real time and becoming them,” Naughty Dog Co-President Neil Druckmann said.

That perspective feeds into how players are introduced to and informed of The Last of Us’ world and characters. That’s not only true of how The Last of Us’ unforgettable opening communicates its emotional stakes, but also in how players are introduced to the post-outbreak landscape via Joel’s time in the Boston Quarantine Zone, a heavily militarized community overseen by FEDRA, where civilians are just trying to eek by in a harsh world.

After a brief interlude, the Players’ Choice polls are back! January has passed by in the blink of an eye, but with it came some unforgettable games. Which new release will take the Players’ Choice crown? The polls are open now, place your vote below to help decide! 

How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation.Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year.

What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Demon’s Souls and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will.

How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted.

Feel-good gem Garden of the Sea combines world exploration with farming, creativity and much more. If you are looking for progression and adventure, you will find it. If you are looking for relaxation, stay where you are and let the world gently take its course. The wholesome game launches on PlayStation VR2 February 22.

Make gardens and craft everything you might want to customize them, from bamboo, coral, woods, stone, plant parts, and more.

• Pet and feed the many kinds of animals with homegrown veggies and cuddle their babies
• Expand and decorate your home by crafting items, furniture and paint
• Go fishing for new friends to hang out in your pond
• Take your boat for a ride to discover new land and environment types
• No violence – all tend and befriend
• Complete quests to unravel each island’s hidden mystery

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Garden of the Sea invites you to head out across the ocean as playful sea creatures swim along, to discover new land and treasures, make a home and fill it with the best of the best from your adventures.

Meet the developers

Linnéa, Christoffer and Flippy of Neat Corporation.

We spoke to two of the developers: Art Director Christoffer Svenningsson and Artist Filip “Flippy” Tengwall.

What led up to the start of Garden of the Sea’s development?

Christoffer: I had been wanting to make a specific type of game for a long time, like a more fantasy version of Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon. Something bright, imaginative and wholesome with lots of creativity, farming and places to explore. On a boat!

Flippy: It’s a genre a lot of us at Neat enjoy playing ourselves so when we heard the idea it was easy for the mind to go “What if this in VR?”

Christoffer: As the idea caught on we fou

Welcome! We’ve had plenty to share already about PlayStation VR2 since its initial announcement. We’ve had the first look at the innovative PS VR2 Sense controller, early details on the system specs and the design inspirations behind the headset and recently the launch window lineup. Today. We’d like to share an exhaustive list of in-depth details on the hardware, its games and more. 

If you have any question about PS VR2, you should expect to find it answered here in this ultimate guide. And if it doesn’t have what you’re looking for, leave us a note in the comments below. We’ll do our best to update this guide before, during and after launch. 

But for now – please enjoy.

Table of Contents

Overview
PS VR2 release date and price 
What’s included in the PS VR2 box
How PS VR2 enhances gameplay 
PS4 compatibility 
Differences between PS VR and PS VR2
PS VR2 viewing modes
HDR support
Connecting PS VR2 to PS5 
PS VR2 USB Type-C cable length 
PS VR2 play space dimensions and play area customization
See-through View 
Social Screen experience
PS5 HD Camera support
Switching between PS VR2 and PS5 games
PS VR2 system updates
Pre-ordering PS VR2
Cleaning and maintaining PS VR2

The Headset
Video output 
Head size adjustment
Wearing glasses with the PS VR2 headset
PS VR2 headset improvements over PS VR
Headset feedback and eye tracking
PS VR2 on-headset features
Comfort settings

The PS VR2 Sense Controllers 
PS VR2 Sense controller specs
PS Move and PS VR Aim Controller compatibility
Turning the PS VR2 Sense controller on and off 
Syncing the PS VR2 Sense controller with PS5 and the PS VR2 headset  
Charging the PS VR2 Sense controller
Using the PS VR2 Sense controller without the PS VR2 headset 
Accessibility options for PS VR2 Sense controller

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The Negro Leagues are an important part of baseball and American history, whose iconic figures are not nearly as well-known as other baseball players of the era. We plan to use MLB The Show as a gateway to expose new generations of baseball fans to these historic figures and their stories of triumph over adversity.

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You might be asking yourself how we’ll accomplish such a daunting task? Enter Storylines * a new game mode in MLB The Show 23. Focused on a particular player, users will experience an entertaining narrative journey through short informational videos, followed by gameplay reflecting important moments in that player’s career.  

Storylines in game menu

We could not be happier to finally introduce the Negro Leagues into MLB The Show! It’s a special project for San Diego Studio and we are so grateful and appreciative to be partnering with the families of the players, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and NLBM President Bob Kendrick to bring these stories to life in a video game.  

MLB The Show 23 (Storylines Season 1 *) introduces eight Negro League Players and their stories, narrated by Bob Kendrick. With this multiyear partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum our goals align with the museums to educate, enlighten, and inspire by celebrating the rich history of the Negro Leagues. Every new launch of MLB The Show represents a new Season, with it we’ll introduce a new group of Negro League Legends and their stories to pay rightful tribute to these mostly unknown baseball superstars.  MLB The Show 23 represents the inaugural season and next year’s game would be season 2.  

The Season 1 roster for MLB The Show 23 includes: Leroy “Satchel” Paige, Jackie Robinson, Andrew “Rube” Foster, Hilton Smith, Hank Thompson, John Donaldson, Martin Dihigo, and John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil.  

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Last week, we asked you to head back into the deadly world of The Last of Us Part I and share moments using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

IROBot616 shares A black and white portrait of Joel

Photoingame shares A portrait of Bill against a pink and red sky

matatabigame777 shares Ellie and Joel high fiving

ForgottenJasmin shares Joel carrying Sarah with the military in the background

calisarah1998 shares a detailed picture of Joel’s arm and broken watch

VrPhotoGamess shares Tess walking across a plank

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? 

THEME: Season: A Letter to the Future

SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on February 8, 2023

Next week, we’re hopping on our bikes and riding through Season: A Letter to the Future. Share the beautiful sights and scrapbook pages you’ve created using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured: #PSshare #PSBlog

On February 22,  the enhanced version of Pistol Whip relaunches on PlayStation VR2. This Day one title — intensified by exclusive haptic feedback — will define just how physical a physical action rhythm game can be.

PS VR2 users will benefit from internal upgrades like SSD optimization, which reduces load times and scene transitions; however, the focus today is Pistol Whip’s iconic gameplay, made more immersive than ever, thanks to haptic feedback.

The reimagined PlayStation VR2 Sense Controllers, equipped with finger touch detection and a six-axis motion sensing system, create a more realistic firing experience: discover unique reload SFX for different weapons and changing resistance, including a haptic for dry fire. Additionally, three kinds of melee SFX provide varying sensations when Pistol Whipping different enemies.

“When implementing the adaptive triggers, we found a number of ways to provide controller feedback,” Explains Mike L., lead haptics engineer for PS VR2. “Now players will feel an increasing resistance as they pull the trigger, flattening out shortly before drawing it far enough that the weapon fires, at which point resistance drops to zero.”

The PS VR2 headset’s native vibrations work in conjunction with controller feedback and 3D audio, which respond to in-game impact – or near misses. By dynamically adjusting sound positioning, players will hear and feel bullets whizz by their heads.

With a roadmap that suggests plenty of new Pistol Whip content coming this year, lucky PlayStation VR2 users can download this shiny new edition right away; just in time to practice for the upcoming releases.