The prices of several PS3 games have appeared on the PS5 store, leading fans to speculate that backward compatibility for some PlayStation titles is on the way.
PS3 games listed on the PS5 store usually redirect players to the trial page of PlayStation Now , Sony’s cloud subscription service that lets you stream older titles on the latest generation of hardware.
However, fans have spotted some PS3 games listed on the store with new price tags in place of the PlayStation Now logo, including two games from the Prince of Persia series and Dead or Alive 5 (thanks, VGC ).
The games can’t actually be purchased, although they can be added to your storefront wishlist. The new prices might suggest where the PS5 store, PlayStation Now, and the future of PS3 games are headed.
Analysis: is greater backward compatibility likely?
The sudden appearance of PS3 game price tags has many speculating, and hoping, that PS3 games will be available for purchase on the PS5 store in the near future. While Sony hasn't confirmed anything yet, an overhaul to the PS5’s backward compatibility isn’t out of the question, given the wider changes coming to its adjacent PlayStation services.
Last week, it was reported that PS5 system architect Mark Cerny filed a patent suggesting the backward compatibility of the console would be extended, and that PlayStation Now subscription cards were being removed from sale in UK and US retail stores.
Add to that Bloomberg’s report from December that Sony is preparing to combine PlayStation Now and PlayStation Plus into an Xbox Game Pass -style service, codenamed Spartacus. Offering several subscription tiers, the highest is rumored to let players stream a library of classic PS1, PS2, and PS3 games.
Those reports indicate PlayStation Now is reaching the end of its lifespan, as Sony prepares to sunset the subscription service for its successor. These unexpected price tags seen on the PS5 store recently might be the early signs of that change.
Extending the backward compatibility of the PS5 wouldn’t go amiss with fans, with players always keen to return to their favorite titles of past generations. While the PS5 can run the vast majority of PS4 games, its incompatibility with older generational titles is something of a sticking point.
Currently, the only way to play PS2 and PS3 games on Sony’s latest console is to stream them through PlayStation Now. A subscription service that only offers a handful of older titles, many players who are keen to dig into older games are understandably more attracted to the Xbox Series X , which lets you play Xbox One, Xbox 360 , and original Xbox releases right out of the box, without needing to subscribe to any additional service.
If Sony is keen to match the backward compatibility of its main rival, adding PS3 games for purchase on the PS5 store would be a welcome step.
Dig further into Xbox's backward compatibility journey in TRG's interview with Series X development chief Jason Ronald.
Will the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED actually be a foldable-screen laptop worth buying?
Asus is a company that’s known for experimenting with laptop designs, and at CES 2022 it’s shown off another bold attempt: the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, which comes with a folding screen.
The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED can be used as a huge 17.3-inch tablet, or folded into an 'L' shape for a more traditional laptop experience, with the lower half of the screen turning into a virtual keyboard. It can then be further folded away to easy carry around with you.
When unfolded, the 17.3-inch screen has a resolution of 2,560 x 1,920, and when folded into its ‘laptop mode’, it turns into a 12.5-inch upper screen with a 1,920 x 1,280 resolution.
If you don’t want to use the lower half of the touchscreen as a virtual keyboard, you can use the Asus ErgoSense Bluetooth physical keyboard. This will be welcome news for anyone who wants a laptop for doing a lot of writing on. The addition of the physical keyboard does bulk up the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, however, which kind of defeats the point.
After Intel also mentioned foldable-screen laptops at its CES 2022 event , we remained unconvinced about these foldable laptops .
The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED does seem to be packing some good hardware at least, with Asus promising the latest Intel CPU (the new 12th generation mobile chips), Thunderbolt 4 connectivity and Harmon Kardon speakers. According to Asus, the hinge has been tested for 30,000 cycles, so hopefully the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED isn’t prone to damaged screens along the fold, which plagued some early foldable smartphones.
Perhaps best of all, the screen itself sounds fantastic. Not only is it OLED, which offers excellent image quality, especially when it comes to contrast, the screen is also Pantone validated, supports Dolby Vision and offers 100% DCIP3 color gamut. If the screen is truly stunning, this could be the first foldable screen laptop that we’d actually want to buy. However, that all depends on the price. Asus didn’t mention anything, but we expect it to be very expensive.
More traditional laptops
Asus also showed off some new traditional laptops as well at CES 2022. The Asus Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition (UX5401) is a limited edition release to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Asus P6300’s 600-day space mission.
It comes in the unique Zero-G Titanium color, and has an additional ‘ZenVision’ 3.5-inch OLED screen that is mounted onto the lid to show messages and animations. So, yeah, not that traditional, then.
It packs 12th generation Intel Core i9 H-Series processors, 32GB RAM and Wi-Fi 6E. The 16:10 screen is OLED and supports HDR.
There’s also the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED 14-inch laptop, which is 16.9mm thin and 1.39kg light, and again uses 12th generation Intel processors, alongside 16GB of RAM. It’s Intel Evo certified, so expect over nine hours of battery life as well.
Asus’ excellent and affordable TUF Gaming laptops get an update with new 12th generation Intel Processors in the TUF Gaming F15 and F17, plus an update to the thin and light TUF Dash F15 as well.
Asus also showed off the ROG Flow Z13 gaming tablet , which can be turned into a gaming laptop with an attachable keyboard.
Overall, then, Asus has given us a very interesting look at the future of laptops at CES 2022. We’ll definitely be giving all of these a thorough test later on this year.
Metaverse avatars and finger chewing puppies: the robots of CES 2022
In-person attendance at CES 2022 may not have bounced back following last year’s digital-only event, but the in-robot presence was as impressive as ever.
While tech buzzwords like Metaverse and NFTs threatened to claim the spotlight, once again CES’ robots stole the show with gadgets ranging from human-like avatars to adorable nibbling critters.
Here are the robots you need to know about from this year's expo, starting off with one of the creepier designs we saw: Ameca.
Ameca
Ameca is what sci-fi movies have taught us robots should look like - a robot-human hybrid that doesn’t look quite like either.
By coupling human-like facial expressions with a plastic skull and gray skin, Ameca’s designers sought to create a life-like robot that's not as scary as the realistic-looking Mesmer robots the team also produces.
But if you're still a bit weirded out by the robot’s appearance you don’t need to worry - at least for now.
Ameca’s creators - Engineered Arts - see its current design as something of a prototype. In an interview with CNet , Morgan Roe, director of operations at Engineered Arts, said that it’ll be at least 10 years before we have an expressive robot like Ameca walking among us.
In the meantime, please enjoy the impressive sense of humor Ameca displayed at CES.
Hyundai's Metamobility concept
In 10 years we might also see the partnership between Hyundai and Boston Dynamics bear fruit. The companies hope to expand the physical capabilities of our Metaverse-filled future using what they call Metamobility systems.
To achieve this the pair will create physical robot avatars that will facilitate meaningful physical and digital interaction. In the Hyundai CES 2022 press conference , an example was given where a presenter could be attending the United States show in-person but easily hop into the Metaverse to feed and hug their dog in South Korea by controlling their physical robot avatar.
We aren't sure if we should be impressed or a little concerned by these development plans. As we wait for this nightmarish reality to take shape we can at least be soothed by the best gadget from CES 2022: the Amagami Ham Ham.
Amagami Ham Ham
We couldn’t create a robotics roundup for this year’s iteration of the tech expo without mentioning this oddball companion that is designed to playfully nibble on your finger.
Named for the ‘ham ham’ chewing noise it makes, this cute artificial critter was inspired by the play biting that pets and babies use to communicate non-verbally. Amagami Ham Ham’s creator’s hope is that its gentle nibbles will relieve stress and create a sense of “indescribable comfort" .
We haven’t had the chance to try the Amagami Ham Ham for ourselves but it’s safe to say we’re intrigued. And while we’re not convinced we’ll enjoy having our finger chewed on we’re certainly willing to give it a try.
See & Spray
Before you dismiss CES 2022’s robots as viral oddities to be marveled at, there were plenty of innovations unveiled that demonstrated the usefulness of robotics.
Take one of CES 2022’s Best of Innovation award winners in the Robotics category: the See & Spray from John Deere .
Announced back in March 2021 the See & Spray still is a revolutionary tool that will reduce farmers’ herbicide use. By leveraging computer vision and machine learning this smart sprayer can target weeds with herbicide exclusively. Tests demonstrated it can reduce herbicide usage by as much as 80%.
This may not be as viral a sensation as the likes of Ameca or Amigami Ham Ham, but See & Spray is an incredibly useful device that can revolutionize farming practices - providing huge benefits to both farmers and the environment.
Massage Robotics
Bad backs and aching muscles are a decidedly human issue, one that a show like CES - when attended in person - can exacerbate. At home and at CES, we turn to humans and massage chairs for relief.
However, giving massages is hard work and one masseuse handles the task differently than the other, not to mention that the work of those chairs is rather crude. Massage Robotics , with its Model Mr-01 dual-armed robotic massage table, thinks it can change all that.
Instead of a person standing beside the massage table, two robot arms gently push, prod, and roll over your body. They're AI and ML-trained, voice-activated, and can get their instructions from the cloud (you like the way they moved your muscles? store the routine in the cloud or share it with friends).
No word on pricing for the robot or a massage, but the robot is on-track to arrive later this year.
BLK Arc
Beyond that, we’ve also seen several robotics developments this year. The most impressive is the Leica BLK Arc , which won a Best of Innovation award too. It's not a robot but a laser scanning module that provides an autonomous way to capture 3D images of an environment.
The BLK Arc will allow robots to be even more efficient in environments where they may have to operate without a human companion, such as a disaster site that may be too dangerous for people to enter.
So while we're sure CES 2023 will have some of its own creepy robots that will keep us awake at night, we might also see some less scary models put this year's developments to good use.