The Wednesday letters page thinks Fate Of The Old Republic is going to be a very different game to KOTOR, as a reader argues Valve doesn’t care about Steam Machine sales.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Red flag
I see Ubisoft is starting to ramp up the marketing for Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced and I’m not sure I’m buying it… literally. I did like the game back in the day but that was a long time ago and Assassin’s Creed has changed a lot in that time, let alone anything else.

It’s weird how it looks like they’ve changed a lot and yet hardly anything all at once. The thing is, I don’t want to be part of the crowd encouraging them to do more remakes. I don’t mind it with Resident Evil, because they put them out often and the old games are nearly unplayable now. But Assassin’s Creed is hardly in that position. In fact, I’m pretty sure they said they were still going to sell the old version of the game.

We all know how long games take to make nowadays, so I really don’t think we should be wasting five years remaking a game that didn’t really need to be remade. As another reader said, I’d much rather have had a Black Flag 2 than just a remake. I’m not say that I think the remake isn’t worth getting – I’ll wait to see the reviews – but I don’t think it’s the no-brainer that Ubisoft seems to think.
DecaDeka

It’s bigger than that, it’s large
Obviously, everyone knows that GTA 6 isn’t going to flop but I have feeling its first day sales, and all the other sales records, are going to be even bigger than expected. The pent up demand for it is so much that it could be a completely terrible game and it’d still sell five times more than GTA 5.

It’ll surprise some gamers who are lowballing it at the moment but I think it’s going to break the mind of normies who don’t usually follow gaming. Think about it! GTA 6 is going to be bigger than any movie or TV show or musician or anything that has ever been!

Whether you like it or not there’s millions and millions of people that are going to buy it the second it comes out. I don’t think the internet or people’s sanity will be able to survive.
Korbie

Getting steamed
I think it’s pretty obvious that Valve doesn’t care how much they sell of the Steam Machine or its controller. Since they make more money than they know what to do with, all their hardware and VR stuff just seems to be a pet project of Gabe Newell, not a way to make money

Normally I’d say that was a good attitude to have but not bothering to have pre-orders and not caring about scalpers is a pretty terrible way to treat your potential customers.

Say what you will about the Switch 2 but Nintendo tried their best to make sure there were enough consoles to go round and have done everything they can not to increase prices due to the tariffs. They promised there’d be enough at launch and there was. I think it’s obvious that won’t be the case for the Steam Machine.
Onibee

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On a break
I am curious to see what this year’s Call Of Duty is going to be, and that surprises me. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a company apologise for a sequel before, but Activision did last year and I’m fascinated to see what they’re going to put out that will try and win fans back.

I don’t know what changes they could’ve made in just a year but I’m willing to give them a chance. I didn’t buy Black Ops 7 and I haven’t played any Call Of Duty this whole gen, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t be tempted back.

A lot of people make these big gestures about how they’ll never play a game but especially with something like Call Of Duty, or a live service game, it’s easy to just take a step away for a few years and then come back later to see what they’ve done to improve it – or not.
Creeper

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Summer shopping
I could see GTA 6 selling more than 25 million in the first 24 hours, I really can. If they’re starting to advertise the game in the summer, which could be around 21st June (first day of summer) at the bottom it will say pre-order now.

That’s a good two months of time for people to save up and buy it. They should do 25 million in pre-orders in 24 hours alone. I mean, I’ve got £150 in my PSN wallet ready and waiting for pre-orders to go live.
David

GC: 21st June is the summer solstice, which is the start of the astronomical summer. In meteorological terms summer starts on 1st June and lasts until the end of August.

Return of the Jedi
I hope this new Knights Of The Old Republic game works out but I am wary because these developers that are made up of people that left to set up their own company never seem to amount to anything. None of the ex-Bungie ones seemed to work out and I’m worried for the guys with their not-Witcher game.

But assuming everything goes well there’s the fact that the game is billed as an action role-player, which the original one absolutely wasn’t. It was an old-fashioned, sort-of turn-based game, which is exactly the sort of thing people don’t make any more.

I’m not surprised that’s not the direction they’re going but it makes me wonder how similar it will really be, especially as it seems to be quite a time skip forward. I suspect, based on the teaser, you’ll just be controlling one character, and not a party, and that’s already disappointing because the original was good because of how many different people you had in your team.

None of this means I think it’ll be bad, but I do think it will be very different. 23 years is a long time and what worked then was never going to work the same way again, which is just one reason amongst many that a remake always seemed a doomed idea.
Bootles

Artificial art
I see Disney films is laying off 1,000 people, from concept artists to designers, to be replaced with AI. Really not a good time in film and games and sadly it’s going to get worse.

I fear everything is just going to look the same and become sterile, without the beauty and imagination a person brings.
TWO MACKS

Future horror
Nice feature on sci-fi horror games, which I would love to see more of. I find it hard to take ghosts and vampires and whatever seriously, but I think we can all see that reality is very quickly catching up with science fiction and that in itself is scary, especially given it’s all the dystopian hellscape stuff that’s coming true – not the Star Trek utopia.

We’re probably just years from robots being openly deployed on a battlefield (they probably already are secretly) and then we’re at the point where Terminator 2 is becoming a documentary, and that’s something you couldn’t say with a straight face a few years ago.

I would also like to give a definite recommendation for Soma, which was on your list and is exactly the sort of thing I’m talking about it. It’s very scary and seems outlandish at first but less the more you think about it.

I’ve not heard anyone talk about it on these pages but there’s actually a ‘spiritual successor’ to Soma that’s mean to be coming out this year. It’s called Ontos and is set on a hotel on the moon, which is another thing that’s suddenly got far less fantastical than it used to be.

It doesn’t have a date yet, so it could be delayed, and it’s described as a ‘psychological thriller’ rather than a survival horror, but I’m hoping it’s going to be a good one.
Cubby

Inbox also-rans
Every time I get reminded the PlayStation VR2 is a thing I get depressed. What a waste of money that was. I sold it off but got less than half what I paid for it.
Justin Tyme

I was watching a friend playing World Of Warcraft and I’m honestly impressed they’re keeping with the same graphics they’ve had since 2004. I know it’s so any PC can play them but it’s like going back in time to the N64 era.
Horton

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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 and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, 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.

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The doctor warned people not to ‘brush off’ these potentially serious symptoms

BBC’s Dr Punam Krishan urged people to stop dismissing potentially dangerous symptoms, particularly after new figures showed healthy life expectancy has dropped by two years over the past decade, leaving more Brits in ill health for longer portions of their lives.

She told people not to panic, but highlighted: “It’s a good reminder that actually actioning and taking advocacy for our health earlier really matters. It’s picking up those early signs because day, in day out, you’d be surprised about how many people I see who do just brush off symptoms.”

The GP explained that in the medical field, there are certain “essential red flags” that doctors never want their patients to ignore. However, she added that these aren’t as scary as it may sound and the red flags are usually ‘whispers’ from your body.

Dr Punam said: “A red flag is essentially, your body communicating with you. It’s that little warning sign, a little nudge to say, pay attention to this, I think it is important that we know what to be aware of you.”

These ‘red flags’ are often the sign of something mundane but can be the early alarm bells of serious conditions. Dr Punam urged people to get themselves checked out if necessary, particularly encouraging women and carers who “tend to put themselves last” to take action.

Lumps

Lumps can appear around the body for a variety of reasons, from injuries and cysts to tumours. The doctor assured “most of the time” these lumps may not be anything to worry about.

However, if it’s new, getting harder, getting bigger or has persisted for more than four weeks, it may be best to get it checked out. Particularly if it is in a sensitive area such as the breast or testicles.

Tiredness

Dr Punam admitted that tiredness can be a symptom of daily life in a stressful society. It can also be influenced by a range of things from exercise patterns to diet and hormones. However, she urged people to check with their doctor if they are feeling “absolutely fatigued” regardless of how much rest you get.

Weight loss

Unintentional weight loss can be a serious warning sign of a number of issues. Dr Punam advised: “That is something that really needs to be at your doctor’s attention. Again, it could be digestive issues, it could be stress, it could be thyroid issues, but it is usually a sign that we think: ‘Let’s just make sure it’s nothing more sinister’.”

Bleeding

Unexplained bleeding, particularly in your stool or urine, between periods, after intercourse or after menopause, should prompt a doctor’s visit.

Cough

Many people easily dismiss their coughs as a common ailment of the weather or the season, and most of the time this could be the real cause. However, Dr Punam urged anyone with a cough lasting more than three weeks to check in with their doctor.

She shared a sombre warning: “Sometimes I have people that go; ‘Oh, it started six months ago’. You know what, six months ago if had we seen you, it would be a different outcome.”

The man driving the car has been arrested.

A pedestrian has died after being hit by a car in Peterborough. Cambridgeshire Police were called to Oundle Road, near the junction with Jubilee Road, on Sunday, May 3, at around 9.46pm.

Emergency services attended. The pedestrian, a 46-year-old man from Peterborough, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 52-year-old man, who is also from Peterborough, was driving a black MG ZS Excite. He was arrested on suspicion of causing death through careless/inconsiderate driving.

Cambridgeshire Police are now asking for anyone with information about the crash to come forward. Anyone who saw what happened or has dashcam footage of the crash or the moments leading up to should report it to the police.

You can report anything through the force website quoting incident of 516 of 3 May or Operation Pinnock. Anyone without access to the internet should call 101.

To get more news and top stories delivered directly to your phone, join our new WhatsApp community. Click this link to receive your daily dose of CambridgeshireLive content.

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The twin island nation Antigua and Barbuda swore in a new Cabinet on Tuesday, days after incumbent Prime Minister Gaston Browne led the Antigua and Barbuda Labor Party to an unprecedented fourth consecutive electoral victory.

For the first time, elected officials swore an oath of allegiance to the country, setting aside a more than 40-year tradition of pledging loyalty to the British sovereign in the former colony.

In December 2025, Parliament approved a constitutional amendment formally removing loyalty to the British monarch, King Charles III, his heirs and successors from the oath of allegiance. The oath now pledges allegiance to the state of Antigua and Barbuda, its constitution and its laws.

“Whereas your success at the polls has earned you the confidence and trust of the people; that confidence and trust collectively, is not a gift to be enjoyed, or trust to be betrayed. It is a burden to be carried, a duty to be performed, a trust to be honored every single day,” Browne said to those gathered.

The ABLP secured 15 of the country’s 17 parliamentary seats, while Jamale Pringle of the main opposition United Progressive Party was left as its lone standard-bearer after his party’s seat count collapsed from five to one. He will be joined on the opposition bench by returning member of Parliament Trevor Walker, who has won on the Barbuda People’s Movement ticket in every election (except 2014) since 2004.

Triggered two years ahead of the constitutional deadline, the snap election followed a campaign dominated by the rising cost of living and infrastructure development.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Secret Service aired its finale on ITV this evening as MI6 officer Kate Henderson finally uncovered the true identity of the Russian asset.

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Secret Service debuted its dramatic finale this evening as MI6 officer Kate Henderson at last uncovered the truth.

ITN presenter Tom Bradby‘s 2019 novel Secret Service has been brought to the small screen with ITV releasing the eagerly awaited adaptation in instalments.

While the storyline has stayed largely true to the book, Bradby has acknowledged that modifications were necessary to mirror today’s political landscape.

He told Radio Times: “Between the novel and the drama, the government changed, so we made one of the leading candidates to become prime minister a new kind of left-wing populist: charismatic and heavily to the left on tax, spend and social policy but right-wing on immigration.”

The concluding episode premiered this evening, Tuesday, May 5, as Kate Henderson’s (played by Gemma Arterton) inquiry reached its climax in the fifth instalment.

ITV Secret Service ending explained

Following receipt of intelligence suggesting a senior British politician was operating as a Russian asset, Kate has been resolute in exposing the truth before time runs out.

She suspected that the traitor was either Ryan Walker (Mark Stanley) or Imogen Conrad (Amaka Okafor) who were both contending to become the Labour Party’s next Prime Minister.

By the final episode, it was Ryan who secured the position of new Prime Minister, having emerged victorious in the Labour leadership contest.

This occurred because footage of Imogen had been released showing her engaged in sexual activity at a hotel in Montenegro with a man other than her husband, which tarnished her standing.

Kate suspected the mysterious figure could be her superior Zak (Khalid Abdalla), but was unable to confirm this as the man’s image had been digitally altered to conceal his identity.

In a jaw-dropping twist, Kate discovered that the man Imogen had been sleeping with, and the Russian asset she had been hunting, was none other than her own husband Stuart (Rafe Spall).

The truth came to light when Kate realised she had been in Prague at the same time as Russian SVR chief Igor Borodin, which was when he recruited Stuart, the Home Secretary’s special adviser.

After persuading Stuart to meet her in Finland near the Russian border, she confronted him with the full extent of her knowledge.

He revealed that he had been shown the video in Prague, with the Russians promising to erase him from it in exchange for information.

At first, they merely sought gossip from within the Government, but over time their demands escalated to specifics about Kate’s role and her ongoing work.

Rather than turning her husband over to face a treason trial, Kate chose to meet him at the Russian border so he could settle there without their children ever discovering the shameful truth.

In the closing scenes, Kate spoke with Sir Alan (Roger Allam), expressing her hope to arrange visiting rights for Stuart and their children in a mutual country at some point in the future.

Kate subsequently informs Zak of her desire to depart MI6, but he urged her to remain at SIS, noting that he would require assistance monitoring Ryan Walker, about whom he still harboured reservations.

Consequently, she was seconded to the Cabinet Office to monitor “hostile influences” and welcomed the new Prime Minister upon his arrival at Downing Street.

Secret Service is available to watch on ITVX.

Sophisticated hidden concealments were found to be hiding the illegal products

More than 8,000 illegal cigarettes and 3.5kg of counterfeit tobacco was seized from stores in one part of Wales during police raids. The operation, carried out by Flintshire County Council Trading Standards, North Wales Police, Immigration services and Wagtail UK detection dogs seized the illegal products from four stores across the county.

The stores in Mold, Holywell, Buckley and Connah’s Quay were targeted in a two-day operation which saw a total of 8,460 counterfeit cigarettes and 3.5kg of counterfeit tobacco seized.

The raids were part of a national initiative known as Operation CeCe, an enforcement campaign aimed at disrupting the supply of illegal tobacco and related products, which can “pose serious risks to public health and undermine legitimate local businesses.”

The four properties were searched and an estimated total street value of £2,500 worth of goods were found in sophisticated hidden concealments which were being used to store the illegal products. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here

David Fitzsimon, chief officer for place and growth, said: “The seizure of illegal cigarettes and tobacco during these raids highlights the scale of this issue and the importance of this ongoing enforcement work.

“As well as the risks associated with consumers having no guarantees over what these products contain, this kind of criminal activity also damages the trade of local businesses and is frequently associated with broader criminal networks that cause harm to our communities.

“We remain committed to working alongside partners to identify and disrupt illegal trading, and will continue to take robust action wherever it is found.”

Residents are encouraged to report suspected illegal sales to Flintshire County Council Trading Standards by emailing trading.standards@flintshire.gov.uk.

Diego Simeone hailed Arsenal as the ‘best team’ Atletico Madrid have faced this season after his side’s deflating Champions League semi-final defeat.

Simeone took his Atletico side to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night hoping to reach the club’s first Champions League final since 2016.

The first leg ended 1-1 and another cagey game in north London was settled by Bukayo Saka’s first-half goal.

Arsenal have not only booked their place in a first Champions League final in 20 years but are closing in on the Premier League title, boasting a five-point lead over Manchester City.

Simeone said Arsenal were worthy winners of the first semi-final tie and described Mikel Arteta’s team as the best he has faced this season despite meeting La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid on multiple occasions.

Asked whether Atletico were unlucky not to reach the final, which will be held on May 30 in Budapest, Simeone said: ‘Well if we got knocked out it’s because our opponents deserved to get through.

‘They took their big chance in the first-half and they deserved to get through. I feel calm, I feel peaceful.

‘We weren’t clinical enough with the situations we were in. We improved in the second-half. There were things that could’ve gone our way but they didn’t.

‘We gave it our all and now we have to accept the place that we are in. Thanks to our supporters and players I feel proud to be where we are right now.

‘I said we wanted to compete and we have done that. Unfortunately we haven’t won anything but we have got to places that are hard to get to.

‘Arsenal were the better team over these two legs, they are the best team we have faced this season. They play with a rhythm and a conviction that is very difficult to contain.’

Discussing Gunners boss Arteta in his post-match press conference, Simeone added: ‘I think Mikel has done an incredible job at Arsenal.

‘He’s been trying to get to this point for a long time, to reach the Champions League and to win the league.

‘They have incredible financial power, and that’s linked to what they’re doing, I’m really pleased for them. They deserve it. They’ve been working very hard for many years.’

Simeone also hailed Arsenal as the best team Atletico Madrid have come up against after losing to the Gunners in the group stages of the Champions League.

Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, meanwhile, also admitted that Arsenal ‘deserved’ to advance to the Champions League final, where they will face Bayern Munich or holders PSG.

‘Whoever wins is always the best team,’ he said. ‘They won it and congratulations to them. Of course, we are sad and angry but that’s football.

‘The second half was good. Maybe we showed them a little bit too much respect in the first and were afraid to play. It was good after that but not enough to progress to the final.

‘It’s unlucky for us and we’re upset but it’s life. Arsenal were better and they’re in the final.’

PSG have a narrow one-goal advantage over Bayern Munich ahead of their semi-final second leg after sealing a thrilling 5-4 win in Paris last week.

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William told people gathered to meet him on Tuesday (May 5) that “there’s nothing a Yorkshire community can’t get over, that’s what I’ve been told a lot”.

During the royal visit to the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the Prince toured the River Bain Hydro, seeing it in action, meeting the community members who own and maintain the site, as well as learning about its eco credentials and how it could be replicated in other locations across the UK.

The River Bain Hydro plant, which sits at the heart of Bainbridge, is a community-owned hydroelectric power station which powers about 38 homes, or half of the village, and is expected to save more than 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over its 40-year life.

The Prince of Wales during a visit to the River Bain Hydro plant, a community-owned hydroelectric power station, in the village of Bainbridge in North Yorkshire, to highlight rural communities and sustainability. The plant powers around 30 homes locally (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

The site began generating environmentally sustainable electrical energy in 2011 and generates an average of 224 kWh per day over the course of a year, with excess electricity being sold off to the National Grid.

Part-funded with a start-up grant from the National Park Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund, the plant provides benefits to local roads and bridges because of the lower numbers of oil tankers delivering supplies in the area.

The site is next to the River Bain, which is the shortest river in England at only two miles long.

During the visit, William met with director of the Hydro project, Tom Fairey, David Hill, deputy lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Deborah Millwood, who is involved in the Hydro project, and Gary Smith, CEO of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

After the visit, Mr Fairey and Mrs Millwood said that it was a “huge honour” to have a royal visit to the Hydro site, while also recognising the achievements of the project since its launch in 2011.

Following his tour around the Hydro site, he called into Hammonds Butchers in Bainbridge to chat to the staff in there, and then met with members of the community on the village green.

The Prince of Wales speaks to butchers during a visit to the the village of Bainbridge in North Yorkshire, to view the River Bain Hydro plant, a community-owned hydroelectric power station, to highlight rural communities and sustainability. The plant (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

It was here where the prince paid tribute to North Yorkshire and its communities, calling the landscapes “a beautiful part of the world” during a discussion with villagers, while also admitting that he had seen “great community spirit up here” during his visit.

He then told the group gathered that “there’s nothing a Yorkshire community can’t get over, that’s what I’ve been told a lot”.

One of those who was lucky enough to meet the Prince of Wales was Yvonne Peacock, the councillor for the Upper Dales division at North Yorkshire Council.

After meeting the prince while accepting an MBE previously, this is the second occasion their paths have crossed.

The Prince of Wales during a visit to the the village of Bainbridge in North Yorkshire, to view the River Bain Hydro plant, a community-owned hydroelectric power station, to highlight rural communities and sustainability. The plant powers around 30 homes (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

“I never thought we’d ever see a royal family member in Bainbridge, but it’s a testament to the community around here for its work and resilience,” said Cllr Peacock, who was one of the founding directors of the Hydro project.

“There’s been ups and downs in the Hydro project, but I’m glad that it’s going from strength to strength now.

“It’s a beautiful village and wonderful place here in Bainbridge.”

The Prince of Wales meeting well wishers during a visit to the River Bain Hydro plant, a community-owned hydroelectric power station, in the village of Bainbridge in North Yorkshire, to highlight rural communities and sustainability. The plant powers (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

The visit was used as a chance for the prince to spotlight rural communities and sustainability, meeting farmers and residents to understand the opportunities and challenges facing rural areas today, as well as hearing about the people who “preserve the character of some of the country’s most treasured landscapes for future generations”.

Earlier in the day, the Prince of Wales spent time with farmers from across Swaledale at a farm, learning about their experiences on multi-generational farms and exploring both the opportunities and challenges shaping modern farming.

The prince joined a conversation with a group of young farmers, exploring farm diversification as well as nature conservation and nature-friendly farming.

In response to the modern challenges facing the farming community, many farmers are increasingly seeking to diversify their income to build long‑term financial resilience.

Some of those that were in conversation with the royal have adopted a range of approaches, including converting traditional stone outbuildings into holiday accommodation, campsites, and participating in long-term agri‑environment schemes.

Parts of Swaledale and the surrounding uplands are designated as Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas, recognising their internationally important habitats and bird populations.

These protected landscapes, together with the area’s distinctive scenery, attract significant numbers of visitors, particularly during the summer months.

Before briefly touring some of the land in the Yorkshire Dales, the prince met the partners and children of the farmers, hearing first‑hand about their experiences of living and growing up within farming families, and how family life, work and the landscape are closely linked in rural communities.

The Ebor at 46 Main Street, Bishopthorpe, remained closed for several years after Gordon Watkins’ death until a new management team was found, but the pub closed again last year.

The pub’s owner’s Sam Smith’s Brewery of Tadcaster then carried out renovations to the premises, which date back to the mid-1700s, including removing white rendering to expose the original brick, giving it a whole new look.

Now, Sally Watkins, daughter of longstanding pub landlord of the Ebor, Gordon, has announced on social media she is to take on the Ebor as manager.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Her father Gordon was one of the last tenants for Sam Smith’s Brewery, a role he carried out to much acclaim for almost 40 years until his sad death from Covid in February 2021, aged 71.

Sally said on social media late last month: “Not very long ago I was asked if I would like to be the manager of the Ebor Inn and of course I said YES!!!

“I can confirm that I am very, very excited to have picked the keys up today… and now the hard work shall commence!!!

Sally Watkins picks up her keys to the Ebor Inn (Image: Facebook)

“There will be lots of comings and going’s over the next couple of weeks whilst we get the pub ready to open its doors once again.

“And I anticipate that this will be in just a couple of short weeks !!!

“Can’t wait to see everyone in there again!!!”

In a further post Sally said she hopes to open in time for the racing at York, which is due to start next Wednesday.

Popular landlord Gordon Watkins who sadly died of Covid in 2021 (Image: pic supplied)

Villagers have welcomed the news posting more than 100 comments and over 500 reactions.

One comment said: “Congratulations Sally, I am so glad that the Watkins name will live on at the Ebor. I wish you every success in your new venture and I am sure Gordon will be looking down on you with pride. All the very best Sally, and give my best regards to your mum as well.”

Another added: “Brilliant news Sal – this is just brilliantly superb news indeed!

The new look of the 18th century pub (Image: Apple Photos Clean Up)

“It’s beyond wonderful to know that The Ebor is in excellently safe hands, it has a clear future once again, and you’re returning home.

“Good luck with all of your preparations. I can’t wait to finally walk back into that building; a place that holds so many memories and has such a rich history of friendship and community for so many of us…and order a pint of Taddy Lager.”

Major publishers are giving up support of the PlayStation 4, but what is it that made the console such a success and how much of it was due to luck rather than judgement.

They say every person dies two deaths, the first when they physically expire and the second the last time anyone says their name. Something very similar is true of video game consoles. The PlayStation 4 was discontinued in March 2024, but its second death will be when the last game is released for the system. Since that will inevitably be some unnoticed indie game or shovelware title, the more public end comes when triple-A publishers stop making games for it, and that time is upon us now.

This week saw Activision announce that Call Of Duty 2026 will not be released on PlayStation 4. If EA Sports FC 27 also skips the last gen format, then that’s where you can draw a line under Sony’s fourth home console.

In trying to talk about the PlayStation 4 legacy, the overwhelming urge is to discuss it in reference to the failings of the PlayStation 5. That’s flattery of a sort, because the implication is that the PlayStation 4 got everything right and Sony was wrong to deviate from its lessons. But it does tend to ignore what a state Sony got itself into with the PlayStation 3 and how afterwards they did the one thing almost no video game company ever does… it learnt from its mistakes.

Although the PlayStation 3 did outsell the Xbox 360 worldwide, it was only by a narrow margin, that wouldn’t have been afforded to it if Microsoft hadn’t fumbled the ball in the Xbox 360’s final years, obsessing over Kinect and mismanaging its first party studios. In all other respects the PlayStation 3 was an embarrassing failure, a clear result of Sony becoming overconfident following the unprecedented success of the PlayStation 1 and 2.

The PlayStation 3 was overdesigned, overpriced, and suffered from a dearth of desirable exclusives – and this was in an era when there was no question over the importance of killer apps and first party games. Of course, there were some good games, but the hardware was difficult to develop for, with most third party titles running poorly and the Xbox 360 having a considerably better online service.

But the PlayStation 4 fixed all that. It’s online services immediately brought it up to par with Xbox and Sony’s relationship with other publishers was successfully renewed, so that it immediately became the lead format for almost every last gen game. Microsoft gifted them the failure of the Xbox One reveal, but Sony took full advantage of their rival’s mistakes.

It’s easy to forget now, but Sony’s reputation for first party games was unexceptional prior to the PlayStation 4. Naughty Dog started to come into their own on the PlayStation 3, but the majority of Sony’s homemade exclusives were mediocre shooters like Killzone 2 and Resistance: Fall Of Man or similarly unremarkable, and quickly abandoned, franchises like InFamous and MotorStorm.

Few of the games were actively bad but the difference when compared to the PlayStation 4’s stable of exclusives is night and day. God Of War, The Last Of Us Part 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Ghost Of Tsushima, Horizon Zero Dawn, and The Last Guardian are amongst the most critically acclaimed titles of the modern era, let alone just the last generation. Even the standard of paid-for exclusives, like Bloodborne, Nioh, and Death Stranding were better than anything before or since.

There will be people who both love and hate all these games, in various combinations, but there are two main reasons why the PlayStation 4 was such a success, one of which was due to Sony’s hard work and one of which was little more than happenstance.

Sony deserve full credit for carefully studying the failures of the PlayStation 3 and making sure none of them happened again. Especially as, given their general attitude at the time, you would’ve bet on them doubling down on everything and pretending there wasn’t a problem. But they didn’t.

The other factor working in the PlayStation 4’s favour is that it reached the perfect point of convergence between the power of a console and the economics of making games that take full advantage of it. Every generation, the number of people needed to make a triple-A game greatly increases and that clearly can’t go on forever. Likewise, games taking more than five years to make, or requiring a budget of over $300 million, is not sustainable – but that was not the norm in the PlayStation 4 era.

Sony didn’t do anything to create that balance but they were able to take advantage of that unique moment in time, when video games could be both cutting edge and creatively innovative, and all without the necessity of being a sequel or licensed product.

Unfortunately, like the PlayStation 4 itself, that time is over. Games are too expensive and time-consuming to make in the same way or at the same cadence. Sony is doing nothing to address the problem – their answer seems to be just to shrug their shoulders and release less games overall – and neither is anyone else, with even Nintendo struggling to keep up a steady release schedule.

Even if the PlayStation 6 is released next year it’s likely that cross-gen PlayStation 5 games will continue to be released for many years to come, with an even bigger overlap than the PlayStation 4. So there may be no way to compare it, or any other consoles, with previous generations.

Whatever happens in the future though it’s hard not to see the PlayStation 4 as the pinnacle of PlayStation gaming. A console that got everything right and did so at the perfect time to take advantage of conditions in the games industry that are now seemingly impossible to replicate.

Maybe EA Sport FC 27 will still be released on PlayStation 4 – it is usually the last franchise to abandon an outgoing generation – but with Call Of Duty out of the picture the console’s story already seems complete and it’s hard to imagine Sony ever bettering it.

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