Mario Kart World’s big open map is one of the major things that sets it apart from the rest of the franchise, but it’s also become a real drag for fans who just want to have traditional three-lap races around their favorite tracks online. A workaround was soon discovered, a sneaky way that let people always guarantee…
Sony quietly released PS Portal system software update 5.1.0 this morning, the patch notes for which has left players underwhelmed. The handheld doesn’t get firmware updates as frequently as the PS5, so it seems players were expecting a little more than the usual “stability,” but that’s pretty much what they ended up receiving.
Patch notes for today’s PS Portal update are as follows:
We’ve improved system software performance and stability.
We’ve improved the messages and usability on some screens.
Although the PS Portal turned out to be a commercial success, the handheld isn’t without issues, many of which revolve around connectivity.
Since Sony doesn’t always disclose all the changes it makes in a system software update, I decided to check out the dedicated PlayStation Portal subreddit to see if players had noticed any improvements beyond what’s outlined in the patch notes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we got any stealth improvements this time.
Quite a few players said that the update took obnoxiously long to install even though it’s a small file, and issues like stuttering in some games still persist. There are also no further developments on the cloud beta front.
“This is what the new update does: upgrade from LCD to OLED,” one player wrote sarcastically. “It will change the physical disc games you own,” joked another. “Still waiting for cloud streaming to be more widely distributed,” wrote a third.
Here’s hoping more improvements and features come soon.
Each week Sony brings PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR, and PlayStation Plus owners new content, add-ons, games, and more. Here is the complete global PlayStation Store update. PlayStation LifeStyle catalogs the PlayStation Store updates for the major regions across the globe. Check back every Tuesday to keep up to date with each week’s PlayStation Store Update.
North American Update
June’s PlayStation Plus Essential Lineup
Alone in the Dark (PS5)
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (PS4/PS5)
Destiny 2: The Final Shape (PS4/PS5)
NBA 2K25 (PS4/PS5)
PS4 & PS5 Games
20th Century Beauties
The Alpha Wolf
Arcade Archives SPINAL BREAKERS
Arcade Archives Strategy X
Architect Life: A House Design Simulator
Arena Renovation
Astro Surge
Bag Hero
Ball Rush 2
Baseball Card Shop Simulator
Bee Flowers: Save the Garden
BMX CITY RUN
Bombardiro Crocodilo Simulator
BRAINROT: FIGHTING
Car Street
Carnival Heroes: 24 Super Party Minigames
Cash Wash Simulator
Chronicles of the Wolf
Climate Station
Collie Call: Farm of Tomorrow
Croaktopia
Drug Dealer Simulator
Dustwind: Resistance
ESCAPE BACKROOMS: DARKNESS HORROR
Frame Cat
Fruitbus
GET TO WORK SIMULATOR
Giant Flee
How 2 Escape: Lost Submarine
The Jumping Bonbon Match 2 – PS4 & PS5
Legendary Hoplite
Legends: Saint George
Liar’s Pub
Little Strays
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die
Maestro
Marine Survivors
Maze: Interim Odyssey
Medieval escape
Minos Dungeon
No Sun To Worship
Offer price, $2.39. Original price, $7.99.
ONLY Sky Parkour: Island UP!
Only Tung Tung Sahur UP
The Original Moorhuhn Hunt
Pirate Trails: Tentacles and Treasures
Prehistoric Gal
Presentiment of Death
Puzzle Escapes: Paws & Claws
Puzzle Piecer: The Sky Above
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army
The limited edition Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition (yes, that’s what it’s called) looks neat. I’ll give it that. The all-black model with the green inlays cuts a nice contrast with the normally white-only VR headsets. Everything else about it confuses me, including why it exists.
The Ultimate Warrior difficulty is the very core of Dynasty Warriors: Origins’s post game, and conquering it requires revamping the way you approach virtually every battle. No longer can you systematically take down every enemy base before you totally overwhelm the map’s boss with your massive army. Instead, you’ll…
The latest PS Plus day-one game launched less than a week ago, and it’s already struggling. FBC: Firebreak‘s reception is a far cry from what previous day-one game Blue Prince received, with the latter earning universal praise and the former earning… well, a largely negative response.
PS Plus game FBC: Firebreak struggling to retain players
While we don’t have PSN and Xbox numbers, FBC: Firebreak only managed an all-time peak of 1,992 concurrent players on Steam. Developer Remedy Entertainment has acknowledged that “clearly, not everything” has gone well for the game, and has promised to improve things “starting now.”
“We hear you loudly and clearly,” Remedy wrote, outlining a massive list of improvements that it plans to make, starting with improving the first-hour experience of FBC: Firebreak. “The game’s first hours do not provide a great experience due to a combination of things,” Remedy admitted, placing some of the blame on lack of onboarding.
Two of the elements Remedy plans to improve are progression speed and gear unlocks. “We hear you: the grind is too slow,” the developer wrote.
Remedy previously promised free post-launch content for FBC: Firebreak, but decision about the type of DLC it’ll release depends on player feedback. Right now, though, FBC: Firebreak has more pressing issues than DLC, including but not limited to attracting and retaining enough players to justify keeping servers live.