Gaming

Games Inbox: PS5 DualSense vs. DualShock, Game Pass vs. PS Now, and Demon’s Souls recommendations


DualSense – a major improvement (pic: Sony)

The Wednesday Inbox wants advice on free repairs for Joy-Con controllers, as one reader asks for feedback on Black Desert.

To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

Next gen control
Nice to see you’ve got your PlayStation 5 already GC, and very interesting to see you so enthusiastic about the DualSense controller. Every other report seems to like it too, so I’m now looking forward to it being a real step forward, especially as I’ve never been a fan of the DualShock gamepads. It’s long overdue that Sony gives them a complete re-do and I’m glad that’s what this is.

I hope it’s used properly in lots of different games, because it’s inevitable that we won’t see the graphics of the new machines being pushed for a year or two. But if the DualSense can show off something that’s never been done before then that’s going to be pretty next gen in its own right.

I know there’s a lot to be sceptical of right now but this is all getting me properly excited for next month. I don’t know how the next gen’s going to go down and that’s actually one of the best parts of it. If Sony and Microsoft have to fight for our attention, then that’s only going to work out best for everyone.
BogChao

GC: We haven’t played enough games to say any more yet (and even if we had we couldn’t tell you).

Two hearts as one
Conversation with my wife last weekend:

Me: I’m not sure what next gen console to get. I might go for the PlayStation 5 so I can use the PlayStation VR and my PlayStation 4 back catalogue. Or do I go for the Xbox Series X because of Game Pass The Bethesda deal and I still have my Xbox 360 account…

Wife: Why don’t you buy both?

Me: Happy days!
Sootie607

Zuckerberg defence
Regarding the whole situation with Oculus and Facebook. Whilst I don’t like the idea or think it’s a wise decision by Facebook to make you have a Facebook account to allow you to play games on it, I don’t get why people see it as a shock that if you were to delete your Facebook account you would lose access to any games you have bought.

Rightly or wrongly Facebook is the platform to host your account, so isn’t it just like saying that if you deleted your Steam account you would lose access to your Steam games?
Angry_Kurt (Twitter)
Now playing: Ratchet and Clank (PS4) and Tearaway (PS Vita)

GC: Steam isn’t a piece of hardware that costs £300+.

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

Is this wheel life?
I was wondering if you or any readers could recommend a good racing wheel for the PlayStation 4?

I have PlayStation VR, so was looking for a wheel that works with games like DiRT Rally. I’m not looking to spend a fortune (max £150), any recommendations would be much appreciated.
drlowdon

Inconsistent response
In response to James Winston Baker, I bought the Switch and an additional set of Joy-Cons at launch, so they’re now well outside warranty. All were drifting and I sent one set off to be fixed and they were fixed for free with no quibbles. I subsequently sent the second set and was told there was an issue with one of the shoulder buttons, which would cost £30ish to repair but the sticks would be free.

I very rarely use the Joy-Cons as an individual controller (I would guess at less than 10 times in the last three and a half years), so I asked them to ignore the shoulder button repair, which they did in the end. A mixed bag really, I was incredibly impressed first time but less so second time.
Anon

Blind spot
I’ve also had issues with my Switch. I’ve sent away the Joy-Cons to Nintendo to be repaired, only to have them returned unfixed. A friend sent his away too, but only received one back.

My experience with Nintendo over the years seems to be that they excel at making games, but often the rest of the services they provide tend to be… idiosyncratic at best.
Matt (he_who_runs_away – PSN ID)

On the subject of Joy-Con drift, I need to send my son’s Joy-Con in for repair but don’t want to be charged. I’d be interested to hear from someone who’s done it for free recently – how did you do it? It’s there a specific link? Do you have to call?
Monkeenintz

GC: We’re going to guess calling is likely to work better.

Viable alternative
Currently, the official store price (can be found cheaper) for a year subscription to PS Plus is £50 and a year subscription to PS Now is £50. That’s £32 cheaper than Game Pass Ultimate official store price (once again, can be found cheaper) with gives you Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold. PS Now has way more games than Game Pass but arguably Game Pass’s roster of games is a bit more appealing, with Microsoft exclusives from day one and all-time, and newer indie games.

But PS Now has a fantastic line-up which will be complemented by the PS Plus Collection on PlayStation 5. Point is, I disagree with people who say Sony need and don’t have a Game Pass equivalent. I think they have it and arguably a better one when you include PS Plus and PS Now and want to call it PS Plus Ultimate like Microsoft. It’s just not central to Sony’s strategy, so they don’t promote it in the same way as Microsoft and Game Pass.

The reason for this has been explained by Sony. The expensive big budget first party titles they want to make don’t fit the subscription model, as there’s not enough profit there to sustain making big budget games. It’s also why big third party games will be unlikely on Game Pass or PS Now day one.

Xbox marketing boss Aaron Greenberg recently said Game Pass was currently ‘not a big profit play’, which suggests Microsoft’s deep pockets are propping up the business model. Big budget film makers are currently choosing to delay movies until there’s an audience again at the cinema, rather than release on streaming services as they need the profits from box office takings. Tenet was a test bed and underperformed and off the back of that many films saw delays or further delays, like my most anticipated movie Dune (loved director Denis Vileneuve’s Arrival and Blade Runner 2049).

Sorry for the long-winded letter. I just think Sony have a Game Pass equivalent, with the only difference being first party exclusives from day one (Sony first party exclusives do come to PS Now for a limited time usually). But Sony have given their perfectly understandable reasons for not placing their subscription model at the heart of their strategy.

I think both strategies have merit and we have a clear enough picture about what’s on offer. It’s pointless to say each should be doing what the other are, choose your poison and enjoy.
Simundo

Wait and see
Forestt didn’t say what generation of console they currently have but rather than risking spending 70 quid on Demon’s Souls, perhaps giving Dark Souls Remastered a go first would be an option?

You can pick it up for around 20 quid these days and you have plenty of time before the PlayStation 5 launches to see if it’s your type of game. I do think there will be quite a few copies of Demon’s Souls going second-hand a couple of weeks after launch.
SuoTempore (PSN ID)

Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here

No distractions
My advice to Forestt comes from someone who hasn’t played the original Demon’s Souls but who fell hard for the whole sub-genre with Dark Souls.

Give it a good committed shot but, when you do, make it your primary or only game or you’ll just give up and play whatever else is on the go. As such, if you’re buying a bunch of other games at launch, maybe leaving it till later, or even selling the launch games you’re done with to fund it, is a good idea so you can give it your full attention.

At the first sign it’s not working out for you, use online help to get through it, in the form of summoning others (if you have PS Plus), but also use whatever external guides and walkthroughs work best for you. Even though it’s a full-on remake, the resources out there should still be relevant, beneficial and abundant. I used them with Dark Souls and instead of ruining the experience they make you feel part of a sort of old school community that discusses secrets, solutions, and tactics to obtuse games.

Also, don’t be put off if you die and lose tens (or hundreds) of thousands of souls. If it’s anything like later games, it seems like the end of the world at the time then you realise later in the game you can recoup that amount within a few minutes.

These games really give back in proportion to what you put in but if you do give it your best shot and still can’t get on with it, just sell it on as you suggest. If it doesn’t work out you might lose £20 or so. If it does, it’ll open you up to one of the most rewarding and satisfying genres, full of classics from the past one and a half generations.

Of course, you could try a different From game for cheaper, like Dark Souls, Bloodborne or Sekiro but I assume you’re looking for an intro to the next gen. From what I’ve seen, I’ll be a bit surprised if the Demon’s Souls remake isn’t the best one out there this year.
Panda

Inbox also-rans
Have you played Black Desert? It looks pretty cool from vids and it’s difficult to get reviews on MMOs. What are your thoughts?
Rich

GC: We never have time for MMOs and we don’t think most other sites do. But we’re sure a reader can comment.

Just read your PlayStation 5 unboxing article, great to hear about the DualSense controllers. Do you know if the HDMI cable that comes with the console is 2.1?
JB

GC: Ah, the box doesn’t say and the cable doesn’t seem to have any writing on it… so we don’t know, sorry.

Do you know if and when you will be getting Sony’s new headphones, the 3D ones. I would really like to know what they’re like before my pre-order goes through and I’m charged, they sound fantastic.
David

GC: Sony hasn’t mentioned it yet; we don’t always get sent things like that.

Heads up. Bloodroots is 90% off in the Switch eShop! That’s £1.59! Only one day remaining on sale, as of last night so get it cheap while you can if you fancy it. You’re welcome!
Fatys Henrys

GC: Bloodroots is really good actually.

This week’s Hot Topic
Since it’s Halloween this week the topic for this weekend’s Inbox asks what is your favourite horror game of all time?

Although they’re not as common as they used to be horror games are still being made today, but which is your favourite and which do you think is the scariest – whether that’s the same game or not.

The next gen already has a number of horror games announced – including Resident Evil Village, The Medium, and Scorn – so what are you hoping for from them and the genre in general on the new consoles?

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Demon’s Souls difficulty, Destruction AllStars for free, and the best Metroidvania

MORE: Games Inbox: Taking time off to play PS5, Genshin Impact love, and the difference between 60Hz and 120Hz

MORE: Weekend Hot Topic, part 2: How has the pandemic changed gaming?

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