State Champ Radio playstation
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Source: Sony / PlayStation
PlayStation Plus was first launched in 2010 and granted its users a variety of options that made the service a vital part of the gaming experience on the platform. PS Plus, as it is also known, went under a massive revamp in 2022 while introducing three tiers, and we’re putting a focus on the PlayStation Plus Premium level.
For starters, let’s talk about what PlayStation Plus is and break down its three tiers.
Source: Sony / PlayStation
Tier 1 is known as PS Plus Essential, which is the same as the former PS Plus. Nothing has changed in the offerings, which include two monthly free games that can be downloaded to your PlayStation 5 console. Essential subscribers also get periodic discounts, cloud storage for game files, and online multiplayer capabilities. The Essential tier costs $9.99 per month or $59.99 for the year.
Tier 2 is known as PS Plus Extra and it offers everything from the Essential tier along with 400-plus PS4 and PS5 games in a wide variety of offerings from platformers, fighting games, first-person shooters, and more. The Extra tier will run you $14.99 per month and $99.99 for the year.
Tier 3 is known as PS Plus Premium and gives its subscribers all of the offerings in the Essential and Extra tiers. In addition, 340-plus PS3 titles can be streamed and playable, along with classic PS1, PS2, and PSP titles among the overall number. The cloud streaming option replaces the former PS Now streaming service. This tier also gives subscribers time-limited game trials to some of the top games in the PlayStation ecosystem. This will cost you $17.99 per month and $119.00 for the year.
I’ve been using the service since the summer and I am not what someone would consider a power gamer. However, I suffer heavily from FOMO and the Premium tier is perfect for someone like me. I’ve learned the hard way which games I enjoy the most (single-player, story-driven, action-adventure) and which ones I don’t (MOBA, RTS). The tier has a number of high-quality games to play, including two favorites of mine, Returnal, and Deathloop.
Housemarque, a developer under the PlayStation Studios umbrella, released Returnal in 2021 to heavy fanfare and adoration from critics. The game is a “roguelike,” which is an offshoot of role-playing games with characters entering randomly generated levels and, most notably, a permanent end to the player’s life cycle. The game is difficult at times and each time the player perishes, it reveals a bit more of the story. It is the game I feel that made purchasing the Premium tier worth it due to the dazzling gunplay, boss fights, and story development.
Having gotten my roguelike sea legs under me, I decided to try out Deathloop next, developed by Arkane Lyon, and also released in 2021. I won’t try to explain the concept but the game’s title is accurate as the main character, the wisecracking assassin Colt, traipses through a variety of environments that have a funky art deco style. I don’t normally do well with first-person shooters (FPS) but I did enjoy how fun Deathloop is along with the hilarious voice acting and the general sense of stealth and discovery.
This isn’t to say there aren’t other great games to play. The service has interesting titles like the excellent Stray, Grand That Auto: Vice City, and several titles from the Assasin’s Creed series. It does appear that games will cycle in and out from the game catalog but anything obtained from the two monthly free game downloads will remain in your library for as long as you maintain a subscription.
Another game I have to mention, especially for fans of The Lord Of The Rings, is Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. When I’m not dying awful deaths in Returnal or frustrating myself with the amazing God of War, I’m enjoying my time taking out Uruks as Talian, a ranger from the land of Gondor. I don’t want to spoil the story but this game employs something known as the Nemesis system, which means if an Uruk captain takes you out, they’ll remember you. Also, any Uruk (basically a beefed-up Orc) you rubbed the wrong way will seek vengeance. For a game made in 2014, it still holds up.
I would offer that if you’re not someone who plays video games often, the Extra tier would be more than enough for some. If you’re someone who enjoys playing games with friends or online buddies and loves the monthly freebies, you’ll need to get the Essential tier. However, the Premium tier is definitely for those who are true gamers. Having access to literally hundreds of games should balance out the cost of that particular tier. The one true ding on PlayStation Plus is that, unlike Xbox’s Game Pass, subscribers won’t be able to have day one access to games on the date of their release.
For now, I can comfortably recommend, at the very least, fans signing up for the Extra tier of PS Plus. Get the Premium if you’re someone who breezes through games or just enjoys a high level of variety. Also, it gives access to a classic array of games you might’ve missed over the years.
Learn more about PlayStation Plus by following this link.
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Photo: Sony/Playstation
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Source: Drake / Jumbotron Sh*t Poppin
Drake borrows some of Pharrell’s old bling to stunt on all of us in his new visual for Jumbotron Sh*t Poppin. One item, in particular, is catching fans’ eyes.
While his boy 21 Savage is beefing on Clubhouse, the Six God is hard at work in 2023, delivering his second visual of the year with “Jumbotron Sh*t Poppin” off collaborative album Her Loss.
The Tristan C-M-directed 2:22 visual features Drake in the Caribbean on his braggadocious vibes driving a red Ferrari Enzo while stunting in his absurd jewelry collection, now comprised of Pharrell’s $2.2 million chain and gold PSP he seemingly acquired.
The classic gold PSP (PlayStation Portable) console Drake can be seen holding in his hand while letting off bars stand out more than the chain in the video.
Per The Verge, the PSP-1000 was sold on Pharrell’s auction site Joopiter in November for a modest $20,000. The listing for the iconic device says its case is made of 14-karat solid gold that weighs 659.7 grams, and Pharrell tasked Jacob The Jeweler to bling out the device to compliment his gold Blackberry.
Last year, Pharrell tweeted that he was parting with the jewelry and other items to free himself and “for the beginning of a new era.”
Does The PSP Still Work?
What’s old to Skateboard P is new to Drizzy, who couldn’t help but stunt on everyone with Pharrell’s massive multicolor chain featuring a medallion with the Star-Trak team on it.
As for the PSP also features a custom Goyard carry case, no word if it’s still functioning. Drake did not power on the portable console in the video, but who would spend $20,000 on a broken device?
You can watch Drake call us broke in his new “Jumbotron Sh*t Poppin” video below.
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Photo: Drake / Jumbotron Sh*t Poppin
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Source: Future Publishing / Getty / PlayStation 5
The days of selling your kidneys and doing strange things for a PlayStation 5 are finally over. Allegedly.
Wednesday, Jan.4, during the company’s CES presentation, Sony boss Jim Ryan declared the PlayStation 5 jig is finally over.
“Everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward,” Ryan told CES attendees.
Ryan also said that Sony sold over 30 million PlayStation 5 consoles. That’s 5 million more than what was initially reported in November.
Are those consoles sitting in gamers’ entertainment systems is another question entirely.
Acquiring a PlayStation 5 deserves a platinum trophy, as many gamers found out when the next-gen console launched in November 2020. Not until August 2022 was it a tad bit easier to find a PS5, reportedly.
Still, finding a PS5 at retail price requires patience and a bit of luck, of course. The best way to get a PS5 console without dealing with scalpers is to buy the $550 disc drive edition that either comes with Horizon Forbidden West or God of War: Ragnarok.
That’s a steep asking price if you’re budget is set on copping the $399 digital edition of the PS5 console.
Ryan thanked PlayStation fans for their “managed unprecedented demand amid global challenges over the past two years.”
What’s PS5 Stock Looking Like?
We decided to do some investigating, and we checked Best Buy. It seems bundles are in high demand and requires a Best Buy account to purchase one.
Checking Gamestop says there are limited quantities of the Horizon Forbidden West digital, physical bundle, and digital edition console.
If you want to purchase a God of War: Ragnarok bundle, you have to be a pro-member, but it does seem that it is becoming “easier” to find one.
The real test will be if you can actually walk into a Best Buy or Gamestop location and walk out with a PS5 console.
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Photo: Future Publishing / Getty
