A month today, The Book of Boba Fett begins on Disney+. The highly-anticipated live-action Star Wars spin-off series was first announced at the end of The Mandalorian second season finale last Christmas!
Ahead of its release, I've bought my first-ever app-enabled Sonos soundbar, discounted in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, from John Lewis.
The Beam (Gen 2) brings Dolby Atmos support (DTS was added in the November update) in a hi-tech compact form factor. Even before using Trueplay tuning (on iOS), Finch is a room-filling sonic showcase on Apple TV+.
So, I won't miss hearing a single PEW! PEW! PEW!, ricocheting off decked halls, this holiday season.
So, last Thursday marked the launch of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) in the UK and Europe. Arguably, Sony’s next-gen console is the must-have of this holiday season. More so than Microsoft's Xbox Series X and S if mainstream media coverage is to be believed and, as the lucky owner of a PS5, I can see why first-hand.
You managed to obtain a rarer than hen’s teeth PS5 whilst others couldn’t or had them cancelled (looking at you Currys PC World), I hear you cry? Well, having foregone both next-gen console pre-orders, to bump the spec of an imperative iMac upgrade, and the looming prospect of a COVID Christmas, I took a chance on launch day and ordered from John Lewis via the retailer’s iPad app as the site invariably crashed due to tens of thousands of eager fellow PlayStation enthusiasts.
To my genuine surprise and delight, the gamble paid off and a shiny Sony next-gen console was safely delivered very early the following day. John Lewis’ customer service is among the best and that free 2-year guarantee isn’t too shabby. Other retailers are available and your mileage may vary but praise where it’s due - especially during a pandemic.
Initial thoughts on the disc-based PS5 after a couple of days use. The console is by turns gigantic and Cupertino-designed spaceship sleek compared to previous generations. A far cry from the Atari VCS where my video game odyssey began with a cousin’s unwanted Christmas gift in 1980. My eight-year-old self would have jumped at the chance of owning a console and accessories in Imperial Stormtrooper livery. Rebels! Schmebels!
Initial setup was buggy and a few apps crashed but that comes with day-one territory. Following a quick restart and system software update, the PS5 (mounted horizontally as if levitating a la Dua Lipa) runs whisper quiet and lightning-fast compared to its PlayStation 3 (PS3) and PlayStation 4 (PS4) predecessors. The solid-state drive (SSD) impresses. The Blu-ray disc drive supports 4K UHD, unlike the PS4 Pro.
The look and feel is premium next-gen in spite of a lack of customisation options for the dashboard (post-launch updates will fix that) and the DualSense controller is a joyful revelation: an inspired fusion of PlayStation and Nintendo innovation distilled in Astro’s Playroom (pre-loaded on every PS5). This gaming gem is haptic feedback heaven and here's hoping third-party developers utilise it.
The DualSense is my new favourite controller of all time after years of advocating the excellent Xbox controller over PlayStation’s DualShock (DS), which I've never got on with since the launch of the original PlayStation 25 years ago.
The day-one launch titles are impressive, most impressive (more so in the midst of a lockdown). As a lifelong fan of Marvel’s web-slinger, I had to get Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition and will buy Demon's Souls and Sackboy: A Big Adventure on Black Friday.
The PlayStation Plus Collection for PS5 is the icing on the cake for launch week. Days Gone, a first-party action-adventure survival horror video game that launched to mixed reviews in 2019, is way more fun than expected, Detroit: Become Human is stylistically at home on the PS5 and I can’t wait to revisit Horizon Zero Dawn ahead of Horizon Forbidden West.
PS4 backwards compatibility is every bit as superlative as the fine folks at Digital Foundry (DF) enthusiastically suggest. Sony should be shouting from the rooftops for the first time since PS3.
Before I wrap up this PS5 launch review. Jim Ryan, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s CEO and president has warned the console has sold out everywhere before Christmas.
“Everything is sold. Absolutely everything is sold,” Mr Ryan told Russian news agency TASS.
"I’ve spent much of the last year trying to be sure that we can generate enough demand for the product. And now in terms of my executive bandwidth I’m spending a lot more time on trying to increase supply to meet that demand."
Mr Ryan said that the COVID-19 outbreak may have impacted the number of consoles available at launch. “We might have had a few more to sell, but not very many: the guys on the production/manufacturing side have worked miracles,” he said in the interview.
If you missed out on pre-ordering or limited launch day stock, there's some good news this Black Friday. Walmart, Best Buy and GameStop restock this week. So, it may be a happy Thanksgiving for US-based fans after all.
To paraphrase teenage pop music crush Kylie, do I believe in magic? Why yes, I do. And don't we all deserve a fun fillip in these troubling times? As a fan of PlayStation since it was originally announced as a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), I can't wait to play without limits...
Did you manage to get a PS5 on launch day? Let me know in the comments below.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi isn’t in cinemas until December. However, the Star Wars sequel is tracking a $200 million dollar opening weekend in the US.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story took $155 million at the US box office in its opening weekend but fell short of The Force Awakens' $248 million domestic debut in 2015.
Star Wars superfan John Campea answered Twitter questions (including mine) regarding The Last Jedi's predicted opening weekend box office during a YouTube livestream earlier.
I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my US readers a happy Thanksgiving on Thursday. May the Force be with you when trying to get a Star Wars-related bargain this Black Friday. I hope to add Hasbro action figures and Sphero app-enabled droids to my collection.
Do you think The Last Jedi will overtake The Force Awakens at the box office? Let me know in the comments below.
Black Friday is not short of surprises! Not only have I received an exclusive invitation to join the PlayStation Home Beta (PlayStation Home is a 3D, interactive, evolving service, exclusive to PS3™). But, a PSP Slim & Lite has arrived!
Looking forward to exploring PlayStation Home and reviewing GO!VIEW on PSP during December. Incidentally, I'll be comparing and contrasting the PSP Slim & Lite against the iPod touch to see which (if any) is the new king of portables!
Buy gadgets, toys, computer and video game hardware, software, and accessories under one roof and be assured of excellent order fulfilment (provided by Amazon). At the same time you're supporting my blogging at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you.
A quick, and last minute, post to wish all my US readers a very, very, Happy Thanksgiving, free from the trammels of materialism. Hope you're well-rested for Black Friday!
As with last year, the Nintendo Wii is in short supply on both sides of the Atlantic! Prices are skyrocketing and Link's Crossbow Training (inc. Wii Zapper) is being released in time for the holidays!
The Wii Zapper has Star Wars prop written all over it, and will be many gamers weapon of choice for blasting hapless Imperial Stormtroopers come Christmas!
Come back to the online Apple Store on Friday, December 1st for a special one-day only shopping event where you will find dozens of great gift ideas.
Mark your Google Calendar now. Until then, start your research by visiting the online Apple Store Christmas Gift Guide to find Mac and iPod gifts for everyone on your Christmas List, after all who wants a Walkman or, worse, Microsoft's Zune? An iPod Shuffle is on my Wish List.
Yesterday's Sunday Times Business section featured an article on Cyber Monday! The term Cyber Monday refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday, which is the day after Thanksgiving and the ceremonial kick-off of the holiday online shopping season.
Similar to Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year when retail stores often offer significant discounts, Cyber Monday has in recent years become a busy day for online retailers, and one in which online stores offer similarly low prices and promotions. It has gained cache since the 2005 holiday season.
Unlike bricks-and-mortar, my online stores are open 24/7:
A belated happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers.
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, is historically one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year. Many consider it the "official" beginning to the holiday season. Most retailers will open very early and usually provide massive discounts on their products.
Although Black Friday is typically the busiest shopping day of the year in terms of customer traffic, it is not typically the day with the highest sales volume. That is usually either Christmas Eve, the last Saturday before Christmas, or December 26th Boxing Day.
Happy bargain hunting and be sure to return on Cyber Monday!
