#299 | None of These Things Happen For Free

Various leaks (and our own sources) have long-indicated the arrival of a so-called PlayStation 5 Pro console this calendar year, and now new reports have given us a great idea of what this yet-unannounced machine can do. Similar to 2016's PlayStation 4 Pro, PS5's Pro model largely keeps its CPU functionality in place, instead focusing on GPU-centric graphical boosts that promise to please the discerning eye. Combined with mysterious proprietary upscaling technologies and AI-related features, it sounds like PlayStation 5 Pro will be a beastly machine when it comes to aesthetics. But what about the all-important framerate? The news may be less stellar. And the price? Well, that remains to be seen. We discuss. Other news this week includes continuing and seemingly never-ending drama at Sony's great unforced acquisition error Bungie, stalled sales numbers for Sony's struggling PSVR2 hardware, exceptional performance for Helldivers 2 on the US market, the beginning of the end (or maybe more like the end of the end) of Kotaku, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Between multiple cancellations on one end and Helldivers 2 on the other, what is our current assessment of PlayStation's embryonic games-as-a-service initiative? Does Resident Evil 5's setting and antagonists make the game truly un-remakable? Has 2024's schedule of strong releases unabashedly picked up right where 2023 left off? Has our show successfully infiltrated Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, corrupting its personnel?

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:18:17 - Sacred Symbols Military Base
0:20:27 - Use Sacred to make people think you're busy
0:27:44 - Boars Heads superiority
0:36:25 - Chris Chan catch-up
0:42:06 - concerning notification?
0:51:22 - Connie Booth goes to EA
0:59:09 - New Helldivers developments
1:03:09 - Palworld looking to release on PlayStation
1:09:07 - Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra
1:18:18 - Halo co-creator's thoughts on EA
1:24:50 - Callisto Protocol spin-off
1:29:01 - Tales series character artist has pass away
1:30:22 - What We've Been Playing
1:41:50 - PS5 Pro leaks
2:14:17 - PSVR2 stops production
2:43:33 - Trouble at Bungie
3:06:32 - Monthly sales data
3:07:56 - Kotaku EIC resigns
3:15:17 - Community Managers
3:23:37 - What's the best handheld console?
3:36:28 - Should Resident Evil 5 be re-written?
3:47:28 - 2024 best year ever for games?
3:53:25 - Gut check on Sony live service games
4:01:21 - What games need to go?
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