Sony forces PSSR 2.0 in latest PS5 Pro beta
Sony is forcing PSSR 2.0 to be enabled in its latest PS5 Pro Beta, but most people should have it on anyway.
Friday, August 7, 2026
Sony forces PSSR 2.0 in latest PS5 Pro beta — Friday, August 7, 2026
PS5 Pro beta mandates PSSR 2.0; Quake remaster adds MachineGames campaign; That's No Moon cuts staff. The AAA calendar is heating up with Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced now live on consoles and headed to PC, while Sony signals a hard pivot away from physical game discs by 2028. Meanwhile, Cold Symmetry's Mortal Shell 2 is set to launch in August 2026, sidestepping the crowded September slate.
Biggest developments
Quake remaster gets free 19-level campaign from MachineGames
The 2021 remaster of Quake has received a new 19-level campaign co-developed by MachineGames in honor of the FPS's 30th anniversary.
Layoffs hit Crossfire developer That's No Moon
In yet another sweep of layoffs within the gaming space, Crossfire developer That's No Moon has axed an as-yet undetermined number of staff.
Important posts & threads
Hideki Kamiya on Okami Spider-Man 2 inspiration
Hideki Kamiya revealed that Okami's main planner took inspiration from a scene in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 movie to shape one particular moment in the highly-acclaimed 2006 game.
First-print Pokemon games fetch $2 million
Three first print Pokemon games are selling for an eye-watering $2 million to the owner of the Dubai Collection, one of the most prominent and highly-graded collections of video games and trading cards in the world.
GTA 6 next look coming exclusively to Netflix
Our next look at GTA 6 is coming to exclusively to Netflix for 6 hours
Bullish takes
- Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced launch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC signals strong remaster demand and cross‑platform support from Ubisoft; strong early concurrents on Steam suggest healthy player interest despite the crowded AAA calendar.
- Sony's move to end physical game disc production for new titles by January 2028 accelerates the industry's shift toward digital‑only releases, which could boost PlayStation Store revenue and subscription‑driven engagement over time.
- The upcoming Mortal Shell 2 release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in August 2026 positions Cold Symmetry to capitalize on the Soulslike boom without competing directly with the September AAA wave, potentially improving visibility and sales.
Critical takes
- Sony's decision to phase out physical game discs for new PlayStation titles by 2028 may alienate collectors and regions with limited broadband, reinforcing concerns about long‑term access and ownership in an increasingly digital‑only ecosystem.
- The continued reliance on remasters and re‑releases like Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, while commercially safe, underscores a broader industry trend of leaning on legacy IP rather than betting on new, unproven franchises.
- The fragmentation of Call of Duty titles into standalone products (e.g., Black Ops 6 as a separate launcher) risks confusing players and diluting the unified Call of Duty HQ experience, even as it aims to streamline individual game ecosystems.
Why this matters
Hardware tweaks and studio cuts continue to shape release windows and studio viability.