Gaming

All-new PlayStation Plus launches in June

Comes in three tiers

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Samsung Neo QLED

The rumored new version of PlayStation Plus is finally official and it is coming in June.

PlayStation Plus is a paid subscription service that provides users with the following benefits:

  • Two monthly downloadable games
  • Exclusive discounts
  • Cloud storage for saved games
  • Online multiplayer access

The All-new PlayStation Plus Tiers will expand this to three levels. These are PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium (or Deluxe in select markets).

Essential

Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers fall under the Essential tier. There will be no changes to the pricing and benefits in this tier. For reference, here’s pricing in key markets:

  • United States — US$ 9.99 monthly / US$ 24.99 quarterly / US$ 59.99 yearly
  • Singapore — SG$ 8.90 monthly / SG$ 21.90 quarterly / SG$ 53.90 yearly
  • Hong Kong — HK$ 48 monthly / HK$ 128 quarterly / HK$ 308 yearly
  • Malaysia — MYR 29 monthly / MYR 69 quarterly / MYR 159 yearly

Extra

PlayStation Plus Extra has all the benefits of the Essential tier plus a catalog of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games. The PlayStation Blog says it includes ” blockbuster hits from our PlayStation Studios catalog and third-party partners.” Games in the Extra tier are downloadable for play.

Here’s pricing in key markets:

  • United States — US$ 14.99 monthly / US$ 39.99 quarterly / US$ 99.99 yearly
  • Singapore — SG$ 13.90 monthly / SG$ 35.90 quarterly / SG$ 89.90 yearly
  • Hong Kong — HK$ 75 monthly / HK$ 215 quarterly / HK$ 515 yearly
  • Malaysia — MYR 44 monthly / MYR 114 quarterly / MYR 269 yearly

Premium

PlayStation Plus Premium and PlayStation Plus Deluxe. These two offer pretty much the same benefits which we will get to shortly. The key difference is cloud streaming.

Cloud streaming is only available in certain markets. In these markets, Premium will be offered. For markets without clouds streaming, Deluxe will instead be offered.

Here are the PlayStation Plus Premium benefits:

  • Everything the Essential and Extra tiers have to offer.
  • Adds up to 240 additional games. These include PS3 games available via cloud streaming as well as a catalog of original PlayStation, PS2, and PSP games. These are available both for download and streaming.
  • Offers cloud streaming access for original PlayStation, PS2, PSP and PS4 games offered in the Extra and Premium tiers in markets** where PlayStation Now is currently available. Customers can stream games using PS4 and PS5 consoles, and PC.
  • Time-limited game trials will also be offered in this tier, so customers can try select games before they buy.

Pricing are as follows:

  • United States — US$ 17.99 monthly / US$ 49.99 quarterly / US$ 119.99 yearly
  • United Kingdom — £13.49 monthly / £39.99 quarterly / £99.99 yearly
  • Japan — ¥1,550 – monthly / ¥4,300 – quarterly / ¥10,250 yearly

Deluxe

As mentioned earlier, Deluxe will be offered to markets without cloud streaming. It has the exact same benefits as Premium but games will only be available for download instead of streaming.

Pricing are as follows:

  • Singapore — SG$ 15.90 monthly / SG$ 40.90 quarterly / SG$ 103.90 yearly
  • Hong Kong — HK$ 85 monthly / HK$ 239 quarterly / HK$ 599 yearly
  • Malaysia — MYR 50 monthly / MYR 130 quarterly / MYR 309 yearly

How is it different from Game Pass?

Both subscriptions, especially the top tier ones (PlayStation Plus Premium | Deluxe, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate) open players up to a back catalog of games on the corresponding consoles. The biggest advantage on Game Pass is that new releases are immediately available at launch. This type of access was not mentioned on the PlayStation Blog.

Gaming

Call of Duty drops the PlayStation 4 starting with its next game

Is this the beginning of the end for the PlayStation 4?

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When can we declare that a console is officially dead? Is it as soon as the launch of the next generation? Is it when games no longer come out on the console? Recently, Call of Duty has confirmed that the next game will not be available anymore on the PlayStation 4, which presents an important question: Is the PlayStation 4 officially dead?

Call of Duty is one of the most persistent gaming franchises today. The last entry, Black Ops 7, is still available for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Both consoles were launched over twelve years ago. (If that doesn’t make you old, the current generation was launched almost six years ago.)

As such, the franchise is one of the last stalwarts keeping the past generation alive. This week, Call of Duty, via a post on X, confirmed that the next game will not arrive on the PlayStation 4. Presumably, this also means the Xbox One.

Currently, we don’t have details about the upcoming game yet. But a new entry is confirmed to arrive later this year.

With the departure of the Call of Duty franchise, it’s fair to ask what will become of the old generation moving forward. Over the years, developers have started shying away from the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Since the franchise still maintains a steady fan base today, a lot of PlayStation 4 users might be forced to make an upgrade to play the latest entry.

SEE ALSO: PC Game Pass gets cheaper, but Call of Duty delays are coming

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Gaming

Stranger Than Heaven is a Yakuza prequel with Snoop Dogg

The story spans different eras and regions across half a century in Japan.

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In my review of Yakuza Kiwami 3, I groaned about how every new entry in the Yakuza and Like a Dragon franchise — original and remake — looked identical with each other. I ended that playthrough hoping desperately for a new era. Thankfully, those hopes did not fall on deaf ears. In its first trailer, the upcoming Stranger Than Heaven showed off an interesting reimagining of the Yakuza universe. Oh, and Snoop Dogg is in it.

First announced back in late 2024 as Project Century, Stranger Than Heaven has now confirmed itself as a prequel to the prequel to the Yakuza games. It didn’t start that way, though. When it was announced, there was hope that the then-untitled game featured a new story disconnected from Yakuza. It looks like the final game is making the best of both worlds.

Stranger Than Heaven chronicles the rise of the infamous Tojo Clan. Unless this is decidedly different from the Tojo Clan in the Yakuza series, this is the clearest sign that this is, in fact, a prequel.

Makoto Daito, a Japanese boy living in Chicago, escapes America to forge a new life in Japan. Along the way, he meets Orpheus, a smuggler played by Snoop Dogg, who drags Makoto into the criminal underworld. Eventually, Makoto decides to do things his own way by creating a new crime family called the Tojo Clan.

Unlike other games in the series, Stranger Than Heaven spans different eras and regions in Japan, starting with Fukuoka in 1915 and ending with Kamurocho in 1965. It will also have different fighting mechanics by mapping the left and right bumpers/triggers to left and right attacks.

Off the bat, Stranger Than Heaven looks like a new era for the series. It launches winter this year for all major platforms.

SEE ALSO: Now Playing: Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

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Gaming

Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches October 6

Pre-orders now live

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Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is set to launch on October 6, 2026, bringing a new high-speed twist to the Star Wars universe. The game is published by Secret Mode and developed by Fuse Games. It arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC with support for up to 12 players.

Pre-orders are now open across Standard, Deluxe, and Collector’s Editions. Pricing starts at $59.99 for the Standard Edition, with both digital and physical versions available depending on platform.

A different kind of Star Wars story

Set in the lawless Outer Rim, the game introduces the Galactic League—an unsanctioned racing circuit where skill matters more than destiny. You play as a mysterious pilot named Shade, navigating a single-player campaign built on rivalries, alliances, and unfinished business.

There’s no Force or prophecy here. Instead, the focus is on build strategy and racing mastery. Players can customize three types of repulsorcraft and even take on classic podracers, blending familiar Star Wars elements with a more competitive, arcade-style edge.

Multiplayer supports online races where players can test their builds and driving skills against others.

Pre-order bonuses and editions

All pre-orders include a bonus livery usable across vehicles, with platform-specific colors, plus a Player Banner background for multiplayer.

The Deluxe Edition adds three extra vehicles, exclusive Arcade events, a livery pack, and cosmetic upgrades like new player banners and insignias. It also includes a digital art book featuring early designs of characters, locations, and vehicles.

Collector’s Edition for dedicated pilots

For collectors, the physical Collector’s Edition bundles a model of the Kor Sarun: Darc X landspeeder, themed patches, a printed art book, and a steel case housed in premium packaging. It also includes all Deluxe Edition digital content.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches on October 6, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with pre-orders now available.

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