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The month of tech-tempber has arrived and it has truly lived up to the name. September 2024 features bountiful news from the world of tech and gaming — you might even struggle to remember that Apple’s newest iPhone was announced in this period! But we have you covered, read on to find out what has got us all excited and intrigued about this month.
Concord goes offline
With PlayStation adopting a new live-service strategy in the early years of the PS5, it was hoped that Concord would emulate the success that Helldivers 2 has had for the company. However, the outcome could not be more different.
Even though the game was only just released near the end of August, it was announced this month that the game would be taken offline on 6 September 2024. Sales have also been ceased and those who have purchased the game for PS5 or PC will be offered full refunds.
A cloud looms over the future of the game, with Game Director Ryan Ellis saying that the studio will be exploring options on what to do with the title. Further reports have since come out that the game allegedly cost US$400 million to make in its 8-year development cycle, which was additionally fueled by a cult of “toxic positivity”. Ambitions were so high for it that Sony even viewed Concord as “the future of PlayStation’ and referred to it as a “Star Wars-like project”.
It remains to be seen whether Concord will get a second life but one thing is certain, this has been Sony’s biggest failure since the launch of the PS3. With Bungie — another Sony-owned studio — also having internal issues, it looks as though the company’s live-service gamble is not paying off.
Apple adds shutter buttons to the iPhone 16 series
September means that it is time for the next generation of Apple’s iPhone devices. This year brings the iPhone 16 series, and though the updates are rather minimal this time, there are a couple of interesting additions that we can talk about.
Starting with the base iPhone 16s, the phone inherits the Action Button — previously exclusive to the Pro models — but that’s not all, it comes with a new Camera Control button alongside it. This button brings swipe and tap gestures for the camera app and it can also be physically pressed down to act like a shutter button. It also is equipped with a faster A18 processor to cope with the upcoming AI features that are rolling out at a later time.
As for the iPhone 16 Pro line, they now sport bigger displays. The base Pro has a 6.3-inch display (up from 6.1 inches), while the Pro Max features a 6.9-inch display (compared to 6.7 inches last year). Both also get the new Camera Control button and Apple has now equipped the base Pro model with a 5x telephoto camera — aligning the camera specs for both models. Those specs include an upgraded 48-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 48-megapixel “Fusion camera”. Meanwhile, performance will be handled by the A18 Pro chip, which likewise will help with Apple Intelligence.
All four models of the iPhone 16 series are available now. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus start at S$1,299 and S$1,399 respectively, while the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max’s price will begin at S$1,599 and S$1,899 respectively.
AirPods 4 and Watch Series 10 join the Apple family
Also revealed at Apple’s September event were the new additions to the company’s wireless earbuds and smartwatch line — the AirPods 4 and Watch Series 10.
Apple’s new open-air earbuds now offer better audio quality through the latest H4 chip. Active noise cancellation also arrives for the AirPods 4, though you’ll have to get the higher-tier model to use it. The ANC version’s charging case also comes with a speaker to complement Apple’s Find My locator as well as support for wireless charging.
Meanwhile, the Watch Series 10 is equipped with the largest watch display on an Apple smartwatch to date, allowing it to display an extra line of text onscreen. That same OLED display is also 40% brighter when being viewed at an angle. At just 9.7 millimetres thick, the build of the smartwatch is also 10% thinner and lighter than the previous edition. New features include sleep apnea detection, which is done by measuring breathing disturbances while you’re asleep.
Both devices are already available to order for purchase. The AirPods 4 begins at S$199, while the Watch Series 10 starts at S$599.
PlayStation 5 Pro is finally revealed
It has been somewhat of an open secret, but now we can finally say that the PlayStation 5 Pro, the more powerful edition of the PS5, is real.
The PS5 Pro’s look is not much different from the base PS5, though it does have a new three-fin design in the middle to distinguish itself. Mark Cerny, the lead architect for the PS5 console, was also on hand to debut the new system; created to eliminate the dilemma of choosing between modes for fidelity and performance. Specifically for the PS5 Pro, Cerny mentions three key improvements over the original PS5 — a larger GPU, advanced ray tracing, and a new AI-powered upscaling feature called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR).
These improvements will not only benefit upcoming games but also the current crop of titles already available. Over 50 PS5 games will take advantage of the upgraded performance during the console’s launch, which gamers can identify by way of a PS5 Pro Enhanced label. PS4 titles also get some love through the PS5 Pro Game Boost feature. This applies to “more than 8,500 backwards-compatible PS4 games” and includes improvements such as performance stability and enhanced image quality.
Sony will release the PS5 Pro on 7 November 2024, where it will retail for US$699.99 and S$1,069. A 30th-anniversary version was also announced — in addition to receiving a special PS1-inspired design, it is bundled with other goodies like PlayStation symbol-shaped cable ties and a Limited Edition PlayStation poster, among others. It will retail for S$1,529, with only a limited amount of sets available worldwide.
DJI announces the Osmo Action 5 Pro
Last year’s DJI Osmo Action 4 camera has a new successor and is set to provide advanced-level performance — which is why they added ‘Pro’ to the name.
The Osmo Action 5 Pro is now equipped with an all-new 1/1.3-inch sensor. This sensor can not only capture 40-megapixel images, but in an industry-first, it also boasts 13.5-stops of dynamic range that allows for visually distinct low-light video at 4K/60fps. Another notable video feature is the ability to shoot 960fps at 1080p, which makes slow-motion videos look extra dramatic.
Battery life is also one of the big highlights of the device, with DJI claiming that the Osmo Action 5 Pro can continuously record for up to four hours. Though this is achieved with ideal conditions and with some settings turned down, it still boasts a 50% upgrade over its predecessor. Other improvements include larger and better OLED displays on the front and back as well as a waterproof rating of up to 20 metres.
DJI’s latest action camera is available for purchase now and its starting retail price is US$359.
Sucker Punch unveils Ghost of Tsushima sequel: Ghost of Yōtei
Ghost of Tsushima has been a massive hit for Sony and developer Sucker Punch Productions since its 2020 launch, to the point where it even is getting a film adaptation. But the real question everyone has been asking is, “Where is the next game?”. Well, fans need not wonder any longer as the studio has triumphantly revealed the sequel at Sony’s most racent State of Play.
Ghost of Yōtei follows a new female protagonist named Atsu and the game takes place in 1603, which is more than 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima. Instead of Tsushima Island, players will now roam the wilds surrounding Mount Yōtei, located in present-day Hokkaido. While story details were not disclosed, the theme of the game is about “underdog vengeance”.
The studio teases new mechanics, gameplay improvements, and new weapons for the game, some of which were teased in the reveal trailer in the form of dual-wielding swordplay and guns. With the game “built from the ground up for PlayStation 5”, Ghost of Yōtei also promises more visually striking environments to gawk at, such as twinkling stars and auroras in the sky.
Sucker Punch plans to launch to game in 2025 and we shall see much more of the game in the months to come. Here’s hoping this leads to a rollout of game reveals from PlayStation, who has been quiet regarding their upcoming titles from the first-party studios.
This marks September 2024’s edition of Tech Bytes, and we hope this round-up gives you insight into tech to be excited about. Check with us again in October 2024, as we bring you more byte-sized news every month!
Visuals courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment and Apple Singapore.
