Welcome to Urgent Fury

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here Hey, everybody! Tim, Kristen, Brett, and I are back this week to discuss the latest State of Play, along with some of our favorite announcements and what we can’t wait to get our hands on. This episode also includes a special interview with the Head of Creative at Santa Monica Studio, Cory Barlog, and God of War Laufey Director Ariel Lawrence. Stuff We Talked About Next week’s release highlights: Solarpunk | PS5 NBA The Run | PS5 Beastro | PS5 PlayStation peripherals — Get all the new details on the FlexStrike wireless fight stick coming August 6, the 27” Gaming Monitor with DualSense Charging Hook coming August 27, and the Pulse Elevate Wireless Speakers coming later this year. Get a detailed hands-on report and pricing. Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve hands-on — Learn how aerial combat has evolved with air-to-sea and air-to-land combat, including a big battle with a land battleship. State of Play — Check out all the big announcements and updates from the show, including an extended look at Marvel’s Wolverine and the first reveal of Marvel’s Wolverine, Until Dawn 2, and God of War Laufey. The Cast View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Tim Turi – Content Communications Manager, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, SIE Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music. [Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.] View the full article

Last week, we sent you to a galaxy far, far away to share moments from Star Wars Outlaws using #PSshare #PSBlog. The open-world adventure is available now in the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. Here are this week’s highlights: wingsforsmiles shares Kay staring out to a sunset with TIE Fighters in the distance coalabr14 shares a shadowy portrait of Kay SheikhSadi80 shares Kay and Nix riding across the surface of a lake CaliOcelot shares Nix looking excited on the back of Kay’s speeder RhodWulfLeon shares Kay walking down some snowy steps KeenEyeVP shares a colorful and detailed portrait of Nix Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week? THEME: Duality SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on June 10, 2026 Next week, share reflections, opposites, or anything that comes in pairs using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. View the full article

It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, and free-to-play games topped last month’s download charts. In May, Mr. Bond does it again as 007 First Light topped the Asia charts for PS5, while NTE: Neverness to Everness topped Asia’s Free to Play charts. Check out the full listings below. What titles are you playing this month? PS5 Games AsiaUS/Canada007 First Light007 First LightNBA 2K26LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark KnightResident Evil 4NBA 2K26Forza Horizon 5MLB The Show 26PRAGMATAGrand Theft Auto VDevil May Cry 5 Special EditionMinecraftGhost of YōteiCall of Duty: Black Ops 7Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered FateInvincible VSIt Takes TwoSarosGrand Theft Auto VCrimson DesertCrimson DesertForza Horizon 5Gran Turismo 7Mortal Kombat 1FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTHEA Sports Madden NFL 26The Witcher 3: Wild HuntMixtapeSplit FictionGhost of YōteiLEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark KnightMortal Kombat 11Hogwarts LegacyContent WarningResident Evil RequiemPragmataResident Evil VillageDirective 8020Diablo IVSea of Thieves *Naming of products may differ between regions *Upgrades not included PS4 Games AsiaUS/CanadaRed Dead Redemption 2Star Wars Battlefront IIDevil May Cry 5Red Dead Redemption 2Devil May Cry HD CollectionDevil May Cry HD CollectionACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWNBatman: Arkham KnightA Way OutGang BeastsSEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICECall of Duty: Black Ops IIIOvercooked! 2Mortal Kombat XTEKKEN 7MinecraftShadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive EditionDying LightGod of WarDevil May Cry 4Resident Evil 6The ForestMONSTER HUNTER: WORLDGrand Theft Auto VNBA 2K26A Way OutGod of War III RemasteredOvercooked 2Devil May Cry 4Resident Evil 6Batman: Arkham KnightCastle Crashers RemasteredNeed for Speed HeatGod of WarMinecraft DungeonsNBA 2K26Assassin’s Creed OdysseyFor HonorUNCHARTED: The Nathan Drake Collection PlayStation HitsResident Evil 5 *Naming of products may differ between regions PS VR2 Games* AsiaUS/CanadaHorizon Call of the MountainI Am CatBeat SaberAlien: Rogue Incursion VRAlien: Rogue Incursion VRStar Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Enhanced EditionMaestroBeat SaberKayak VR: MirageCreed: Rise to Glory – Championship EditionArizona Sunshine 2Job SimulatorCreed: Rise to Glory – Championship EditionArizona Sunshine 2Little Nightmares VR: Altered EchoesAmong Us 3D: VRMetro AwakeningMoss VRCrossfire: Sierra SquadZero Caliber VR *PlayStation Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not included Free to Play (PS5 + PS4) AsiaUS/CanadaNTE: Neverness to EvernessFortniteRobloxRobloxWhere Winds Meet (F2P)NTE: Neverness to EvernesseFootballCall of Duty: WarzoneDelta Force (F2P)Marvel RivalsAsphalt LegendsApex LegendsPUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSTom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege – Free AccessGenshin ImpactRocket LeagueWuthering WavesAsphalt LegendsFortniteFall Guys View the full article

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve begins with a losing war. After a lightning strike by the Republic of Sotoa, the armed forces of the Federation of Central Usea are struggling to survive — and as an FCU fighter pilot, you’re joining the remnants of a military that’s barely holding on. After playing through several of the campaign missions in Ace Combat 8, I got a sense of how developer Project Aces is telling its story of a desperate aircraft carrier crew trying to keep the battle going, and how you’ll rise to become a hotshot fighter ace, and a source of hope, for the embattled FCU. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image The story of a war “hero” A propaganda campaign is at the center of Ace Combat 8’s story. When you first arrive aboard the aircraft carrier Endurance, you’re introduced to the plan to keep the FCU going: a social media blitz focused on a legendary pilot known as the Wings of Theve, named for the FCU’s capital city. But in truth, the Wings is just Rex, an amiable but ordinary pilot whose job is to serve as a figurehead and whose exploits are greatly exaggerated. His true orders are to make an appearance in every engagement, and then run away and stay alive. You join Rex as his navigator, but things don’t go well during that first mission; you’re shot down by enemy aces, and Rex is killed. But after you’re rescued, to keep the lie alive, you’re tasked with taking on the “Rex” callsign and playing the role of the Wings of Theve. Ace Combat 8 conveys all this story through immersive, first-person cinematics that are a new choice for the series — one that Brand Manager Kazutoki Kono said was inspired by the team’s work on the PlayStation VR modes in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. The perspective adds a lot of emotional weight to Ace Combat 8, capturing the sense of struggle aboard the Endurance and the pressure of carrying the war’s morale on your back and commanding Joker Flight, Rex’s four-fighter team. Becoming a fighter ace Though your job as the Wings of Theve is initially just to stay alive, your presence and skills quickly change the tone for Joker Flight. When enemy fighters show up on your first mission, you quickly prove that the Wings of Theve can be more than just an inspiring ghost story. The Ace Combat series does a good job of keeping complex flight controls simple and easy to learn, so it doesn’t feel like you need flight sim-level knowledge to become a top gun. Fans of Ace Combat 7 will be right at home with Ace Combat 8, which maintains the experience from the 2019 game, but with some new bells and whistles thanks to the PS5 Dual Sense controller. Resistance in the haptic triggers adds intensity to accelerating with R2, decelerating with L2, and executing high-G turns by holding both, telegraphing through your hands how powerful your aircraft really is. Whether attacking other planes in the air or strafing targets on the ground, your goal is often to keep enemies in your sights long enough to lock on and fire missiles or special weapons with Circle or your machine gun with X. You can quickly swap lock-ons with Triangle to find new targets and swap weapons with Square. The controls are easy to pick up, but there’s complexity in flying your plane, and you’re going to need to build your skills to survive some of Ace Combat 8’s later sorties. Project Aces has very much avoided fixing anything that isn’t broken when it comes to gameplay, with battles feeling fast and chaotic as you dodge incoming missiles and try to line up your guns against enemy planes. With your comrades at your wing, you can also issue orders with the directional buttons, sending them to attack a specific target, allowing them to scatter and engage at will, calling them back to cover you, or telling them to switch to any special weapons you’ve equipped them with and go on the attack. At some points, you can also make story decisions about how the team will proceed. During one mission I played, you engage an enemy squadron filled with friends of Rex’s wingman, Professor. He asks you to avoid killing the pilots as you shoot them down, and you can choose whether to agree to that request. It doesn’t seem that your decisions will greatly alter how the story plays out, but Kono said choices like this, as well as how well you fare when you’re tasked with defending allied forces such as naval ships, can affect which characters survive into future missions and story beats. A series of desperate battles Ace Combat 8 shines in conveying the stakes of the war you’re fighting as your successes cause the legend of the Wings of Theve to grow — along with the hopes and expectations of your fellow soldiers, and the target on our. In one mission I previewed, the ragtag FCU forces work to take down a ridiculously huge, incredibly dangerous Land Battleship. The ship, which is basically a navy destroyer combined with a tank, is nearly indestructible, and the FCU plans to use trucks loaded with bombs to try to take out its treads. Your mission is first to protect the trucks, then attack the treads. Even on Ace Combat 8’s normal difficulty, the mission was tough — the Land Battleship is decked out with powerful rail guns, as well as anti-aircraft cannons and deployable drones. The fight takes place in a massive city center, so you not only have to dodge all sorts of incoming fire, but do your best not to crash into the buildings as well. The only hope to defeat the land battleship is for the FCU to demolish skyscrapers in the ship’s path, slowing it down and eventually trapping it. The mission really ratchets up the scale of the war and channels the emotions felt by the FCU’s forces. Radio chatter is nothing new to Ace Combat 8, but in all the missions I played, that chatter captures the chaotic and often desperate tone of the moment, as commanders, officers, soldiers on the ground, and your wingmen all fill the airwaves, issuing orders and reacting to what’s happening. As we arced around the land battleship, fighting interceptors and protecting the trucks, Ace Combat 8 not only used the chatter to convey critical mission info in the moment, it sold the story of frightened soldiers doing everything they can to stop an overwhelming force as they fought for their home. It’s that storytelling, coupled with fast-paced battles and memorable characters, that make grabbing the stick in Ace Combat 8 an exciting prospect. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve hits PlayStation 5 on October 2. View the full article

It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, and free-to-play games topped last month’s download charts. In May, Mr. Bond did it again as 007 First Light topped the US and EU charts, while newcomer I Am Cat dominated the PS VR2 charts. Check out the full listings below. What titles are you playing this month? PS5 Games US/CanadaEU007 First Light007 First LightLEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark KnightLEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark KnightNBA 2K26Grand Theft Auto VMLB The Show 26MinecraftGrand Theft Auto VNBA 2K26MinecraftForza Horizon 5Call of Duty: Black Ops 7Call of Duty: Black Ops 7Invincible VSCrimson DesertSarosMixtapeCrimson DesertSea of ThievesForza Horizon 5Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5Mortal Kombat 1Among UsEA Sports Madden NFL 26SarosMixtapeDirective 8020Ghost of YōteiResident Evil RequiemMortal Kombat 11Resident Evil 4Content WarningThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntPragmataStar Wars Jedi: SurvivorDirective 8020EA Sports FC 26Sea of ThievesDevil May Cry 5 Special Edition *Naming of products may differ between regions *Upgrades not included PS4 Games US/CanadaEUStar Wars Battlefront IIRed Dead Redemption 2Red Dead Redemption 2Star Wars Battlefront IIDevil May Cry HD CollectionDevil May Cry HD CollectionBatman: Arkham KnightGang BeastsGang BeastsBatman: Arkham KnightCall of Duty: Black Ops IIIA Way OutMortal Kombat XHouse FlipperMinecraftThe ForestDying LightMinecraftDevil May Cry 4Grand Theft Auto VThe ForestDying LightGrand Theft Auto VUnravel TwoA Way OutOvercooked 2Overcooked 2The Last of Us RemasteredResident Evil 6Devil May Cry 4Castle Crashers RemasteredGod of WarGod of WarAssassin’s Creed OriginsNBA 2K26DescendersFor HonorUncharted: The Nathan Drake CollectionResident Evil 5Need for Speed Heat *Naming of products may differ between regions PS VR2 Games* US/CanadaEUI Am CatI Am CatAlien: Rogue Incursion VRCreed: Rise to Glory – Championship EditionStar Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Enhanced EditionAlien: Rogue Incursion VRBeat SaberStar Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Enhanced EditionCreed: Rise to Glory – Championship EditionJob SimulatorJob SimulatorBeat SaberArizona Sunshine 2Horizon Call of the MountainAmong Us 3D: VRMoss II VRMoss VRArizona Sunshine 2Zero Caliber VRMetro Awakening *PlayStation Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not included Free to Play (PS5 + PS4) US/CanadaEUFortniteFortniteRobloxNTE: Neverness to EvernessNTE: Neverness to EvernessRobloxCall of Duty: WarzoneRocket LeagueMarvel RivalsCall of Duty: WarzoneApex LegendseFootballTom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege – Free AccessAsphalt LegendsRocket LeagueTom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege – Free AccessAsphalt LegendsFall GuysFall GuysVALORANT View the full article