A new engineer at PlayStation has confirmed the existence of a ‘Games Preservation’ team within Sony, meaning we could see more classic games on PS5.
Having started as a senior build engineer this month, Garrett Fredley revealed that he’s one of this new team’s initial hires via social media. Fredley made the announcement on Twitter , which was spotted by user Smitch on Resetera .
Fredley calls games preservation “my first career passion” and said that he’s “ecstatic” to go back. Elaborating on LinkedIn , Fredley explained, “it was my first foray into the world of Software Engineering / Dev Ops, and into a world that so many are unaware of.” He ends this by thanking PlayStation Studios’ global QA manager, Mike Bishop, exclaiming “Let's go and ensure our industry's history isn't forgotten!”
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean we should suddenly expect a wide influx of old games returning to PS5. Sure, Sony’s upcoming PS Plus Premium tier includes PS One, PS2, and PSP games but, as VGC points out, Fredley’s previous work at EA between 2016-2019 saw him leading “preservation efforts for the FIFA franchise, resulting in the complete archival of multiple titles." Considering many FIFA games are delisted, that could simply mean his team’s working to archive source code and other assets.
Still, the announcement times up well with a recent ratings leak, which revealed four classic Syphon Filter games are coming to PS4 and PS5. Starting with two PS1 entries – Syphon Filter and Syphon Filter 2 – we’ve also got two PS2/PSP releases, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow. We’re missing two other entries right now, but we wouldn’t be surprised if both eventually arrived at a later date.
Sony’s taking it’s history more seriously
Sony previously came under significant criticism for not preserving its own history, though not without merit. Last year saw Sony trying to shut down the digital stores for PS3, PSP, and Vita , a move widely considered a blow for games preservation, though they later backtracked on this. When Microsoft expanded its backward compatibility program to let you play original Xbox games through Series X, it didn’t compare well.
Backing up this viewpoint, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan was widely quoted from a Time interview in 2017 about Gran Turismo, saying "The PS1 and the PS2 games, they looked ancient, like why would anybody play this?" He’s since backtracked on this, telling Axios last year that he was comparing how much better the PS4 entries looked, saying “I certainly wasn’t trying to be disrespectful to our heritage.”
Thankfully, we’ve seen more positive steps from Sony recently, and this preservation team is a good sign. As part of the upcoming PS Plus revamp, PlayStation Plus Premium includes a “catalog of beloved classic games available in both streaming and download options from the original PlayStation, PS2, and PSP generations.” Right now though, it’s unclear if the Preservation Team is connected to this retro push, or whether they’re focusing elsewhere.
Unfortunately, Ubisoft has just shut down online multiplayer support for over 90 games , which shows that game preservation continues to be challenging.
Sony’s PS Plus relaunch arrives this June. It'll arrive first in Asia, then be available in the Americas, and Europe – with three new tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. Essential’s what the service already provides, giving you online multiplayer access, cloud storage, and monthly downloadable games. Extra adds a digital catalog of 400 games, similar to PS Now, while Premium expands this with an additional 340 games.
The best Microsoft Surface Go deals in May 2022
We've rounded up the latest Microsoft Surface Go deals so you can score a discount on Microsoft's cheaper tablet device. Now that the Surface Go has been out a little longer, we're starting to see retailers bring the prices down more often, which is great news for you bargain fans.
If you've been eyeing up the line of Surface Pro tablet/laptop convertibles but thought they were a bit expensive, or too big to carry around a lot, the Surface Go is the cut-price diminutive alternative that'll allow you to save some serious cash while getting that super cool form-factor.
The original Surface Go tablet is aging now, which means you'll have difficulty finding stock of the smaller 64GB model. However, there are some excellent Surface Go deals to be found on the larger 128GB device. The Surface Go 2 continues these storage configurations, but you'll be able to find both the 64 and 128GB models on the shelves easily.
For both versions of the tablet you're looking at a $399.99 MSRP on the 64GB model and $549.99 MSRP on the 128GB model, though you'll find all the cheapest prices up for grabs right now below. If you decide this isn't the one for you then you can also check out all the latest cheap tablet deals and cheap laptop deals available now.
The Surface Go 2 is the newest version of the Surface Go tablet, improving on the previous version's power and kitting out the larger 10.5-inch display with a better battery life, dual studio mics, and thinner bezels. You're getting all of that at the same MSRP as the older model, however it's worth noting that price drops have been far steeper on the original tablet so you'll likely find a lower price there.
That said, you'll only find those discounts on the larger 128GB model - the original 64GB device is rarely on the shelves these days, so if you're looking to spend under $400 the Surface Go 2 is for you. However, when it comes to the 128GB device, it might be worth springing for the extra processing power and quality of life features in the Go 2, considering there's usually between $100 and $50 in the price difference between the two models.
The original Surface Go is still available, though you'll struggle to find stock of the cheaper 64GB model. If you're after 8GB RAM and a 128GB SSD, however, you'll find a lower price here than on the newer Surface Go 2. The screen is downgraded a little and you're not picking up as much processing power here, but if you're after an everyday tablet for streaming, browsing the web, catching up on emails and some light Windows work, the original Surface Go is one of the most cost-effective ways to do so.
Is the Surface Go price worth it?
Even if you've found the cheapest of Surface Pro deals , you'll still be a way off from the Surface Go price. That's why many who can't quiet justify the Pro's prices can easily get the job done with a cheaper Surface Go tablet.
You are dropping down in performance here, but the lowest price you'll find on a Surface Pro is $749 (around $699 on sale). Considering you're still getting that premium form factor, a large 10-inch display, and a processor that will see you through everyday activities with ease it's worth it to scale down if you don't think you'll need all those Pro features.
Is the Surface Go a laptop?
By itself the Surface Go is a tablet (albeit a tablet running full Windows 10 like a laptop), which is the tricky business of buying into Microsoft's Surface range. You have to pick up the Type Cover keyboard separately to fully transform your device into a laptop replacement. The costs do start to add up here, but if you can find Surface Go deals that offer a keyboard bundled into the final price you've hit a great offer. Otherwise you'll find the lowest prices on these accessories just below.
If you're after something a little more conventional, you can check out all the best laptop deals and sales available right now.
What's the difference between the Surface Go and Surface Go 2?
The Surface Go 2 improved on a few aspects of the Surface Go experience, and comes in at the same price as the original model. You're getting a boosted processor, a larger 10.5-inch display, dual studio mics, a longer battery life, and thinner bezels here. Aside from those additional features, however, the Surface Go and Surface Go 2 are the same in function and form.
If you don't need to run the full Windows operating system on your tablet, there are plenty of cheap Android tablet deals up for grabs. Or, take a look at the latest iPad deals to compare Apple's offerings.
Netflix's next three mobile games couldn't be more different
Following on the heels of last month's League of Legends spin-off Hextech Mayhem , Netflix Games has announced three new mobile game releases for March, with each title appearing more different than the last.
Available on Android and iOS devices from today for all Netflix subscribers, the three titles range from educational and thought-provoking, to intense and action-packed.
First up is This Is A True Story, which was developed by Frosty Pop in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Charity: Water . The narrative puzzle game hopes to shed light on the 771 million people on Earth who don't have access to clean drinking water. Featuring beautiful hand-painted landscapes, This Is A True Story follows "a Sub-Saharan African woman’s daily struggle to get water for her family."
Netflix's next game is actually a remaster that some of you may remember from the PS3 era – Shatter Remastered brings back the 2009 original's retro-styled brick-breaking action, along with its "amazing physics, power-ups, boss battles and special attacks." The new mobile version, developed by PikPok, will offer online global leaderboards and will include all of the original Shatter's excellent music by New Zealand-based musician Module.
And finally, Netflix Games and developer PikPok once again go in an entirely different direction with this final March title – the zombie shooter Into The Dead 2: Unleashed. Described as a runner/shooter hybrid, Into The Dead 2: Unleashed will see players fend off hordes of zombies over numerous chapters and stages, as well as hundreds of challenges.
This Is A True Story and Statter Remastered are both available to download now via the Netflix app, while Into The Dead 2: Unleashed is scheduled to arrive some time before the end of March.