As all PS5 consoles suffer a major new price increase a reader explains why he’s given up on ever getting one and will instead buy a gaming PC.

I almost don’t know what to say about the fact that there’s been yet another price increase for the PlayStation 5. And this time they didn’t even bother to make up a reason for why. If they try and pretend it’s because of the Iran War that’s nonsense because it only just started and who knows when and how it’ll end. If it’s because of the memory crisis that’s something at least, but they didn’t even mention that.

I’m not saying that there’s not some problems going on that would make things difficult for Sony, but there’s a difference between making a few percent less on each console and increasing the price by £90. Of course, it’s only $50 in the US, which is £38, so even though they’re responsible for the ‘pressures in the global economic landscape’ it’s every other country that has to subsidise the US, not the other way around.

To say that I am disgusted is an understatement, especially as I suspect half the reason for this increase is that Sony want to increase the PlayStation 5 price so that there’s less of a leap between it and the PlayStation 6, which is obviously going to be even more expensive.

As a gamer I usually try to ignore all the reports about layoffs and bad management in the industry. Not because I don’t feel sorry for those people but there’s nothing I can do about it and it’s not as if people in every walk of life aren’t having it bad at the moment. But also, I have to admit, I like to treat gaming as my escape from real-world troubles, and I don’t want to feel guilty about enjoying it or constantly worrying that it’s going to fall apart like a house of cards.

But I feel in the last few months it’s become impossible to ignore. I think the turning point was when it became clear Xbox had lost and yet the price of the PlayStation 5 kept going up. And then the Switch 2 came out and it was as if Nintendo didn’t really seem to have a plan (and still don’t seem to), so you began to get the feeling that all these companies are just winging it and stumbling from one disaster to another.

I thought it was bad enough, the story this week that more and more games are costing $300 million or more to make. An amount that’s more than most movies, which is insane to me. This is also a major problem for these companies but it’s got a pretty simple solution… don’t spend that much?

Minecraft and Fortnite aren’t the best-looking games in the world by a long shot. Roblox might be the ugliest, and yet they seem to do all right. You need a certain level of realism to do a game like The Last Of Us but we reached that last gen and the PlayStation 5 has made very little improvement from there.

Not only do we not need the PlayStation 6 but we never needed a PlayStation 5. It didn’t improve the graphics in any major way and it has no special abilities that the PlayStation 4 didn’t. Everyone knows that PlayStation 6 is going to be even worse too, assuming they don’t try and use it to push more AI slop, like that disastrous DLSS 5 tech.

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But it’s too late now. Even though they should go back they won’t and these problems will only get worse over time, just like they’ve been getting worse all generation. I see some people hoping that Sony pulling back from PC and mobile, and maybe live service games, means they’re going to start making more single-player titles again, but I really doubt it.

They’re just going to make the same amount as they currently do because it’s just not possible to make more given the prices involved. What happened to selling the console at a loss because you make so much money on the games? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that as Sony makes less than ever the price of the console has gone up, as if to compensate.

In case you’re wondering, I still have a PlayStation 4, having decided to get a Switch 2 during the last price hike. Now I’m just giving up. The PlayStation 5 is never going to fall in price or even get back to where it was at launch. So forget it, I’ll just buy a PC instead. The worst thing is I don’t even care if Sony games stop appearing on it.

I feel like I’ve been a PlayStation fan too long and the only one that’s getting anything out of that loyalty is Sony.

By reader Cooper

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

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Cole Palmer is open to joining Manchester United after becoming ‘disillusioned’ at Chelsea, according to reports.

The 23-year-old is currently in his third season at Stamford Bridge following his £42.5 million move from Manchester City in 2023.

Palmer hit the ground running at Chelsea with 38 goals in his first two seasons but the midfielder has struggled for form this season due to injury.

According to The Sun, Palmer is said to be ‘frustrated’ by the tactical changes this season and is unhappy with the departure of Nicolas Jackson, who joined Bayern Munich on loan last summer.

The report adds that Palmer would be open to joining Manchester United, his boyhood club, this summer but they are prioritising moves for at least one new central midfielder and a left-back.

Chelsea, meanwhile, consider Palmer as one of their ‘untouchable’ players and remain in a strong negotiating position as the England international still has seven years left to run on his contract.

Rosenior’s side are now out of the Champions League and currently sit sixth in the Premier League following back-to-back defeats to Newcastle United and Everton.

Last week, Enzo Fernandez raised doubts over his own future at Chelsea following the 3-0 defeat at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Asked if he could guarantee that he will be a Chelsea player next season, Fernandez told ESPN Argentina: ‘I don’t know, I don’t know.

‘There are eight games left and the FA Cup. There’s the World Cup and then we’ll see.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

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Tiger Woods’ girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, is furious with the golfer’s DUI arrest after crashing his car in Florida on Friday, according to a source close to the couple.

Woods flipped his Range Rover as he attempted to overtake a truck at high speed near his home on Jupiter Island at around 2am local time.

Police claim that Woods ‘did exemplify signs of impairment’ but the 50-year-old passed a breathalyser test with ‘triple zeros’.

Woods, however, refused to take a urinary analysis test and drug recognition experts at the scene of the crash believe the golfer was impaired by ‘some type of medication or drug’.

He was held in custody in Martin County Jail for around eight hours before being released on bail.

Woods has been dating Vanessa, the former wife of Donald Trump Jr, since March last year and a source close to the couple told The Daily Mail that the pair held ‘crunch talks’ after he was released from jail on Friday evening.

‘She’s not happy at all,’ the source said.

‘She’s both disappointed and a little bit p***ed, if I’m being honest. It’s a definite red flag and she told him that he’s going to get this sorted out, and that she’s going to require that.

‘He has to get things under control, or she’s not going to stick around.

‘This is a concerned girlfriend expressing boundaries and saying that he’s got to get his s*** together, like right now.

‘He’s very apologetic, from what I’ve heard. [He] wants to fix this. He’s embarrassed, he’s mortified at all this… and this is really humiliating for it to happen again. And Vanessa is embarrassed too. All her friends are like, “girl, what the hell?”.

‘They don’t argue very much, and she didn’t exactly say that they’re fighting, but she’s making her feelings abundantly clear. There’s no mistaking that this is a big deal to her.’

Vanessa posted two stories on her Instagram account on Saturday but they made no reference to Woods’ crash and instead highlighter her daughter Kai’s trip to the Miami Open tennis tournament.

Woods, meanwhile, underwent emergency surgery after suffering multiple leg injuries following a serious car accident in California in February 2021.

He was also arrested on a DUI charge in 2017 after being found asleep at the wheel of his car. He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving after it emerged he had had five prescription drugs in his system at the time.

In 2009, Woods crashed into a fire hydrant outside his home and the incident triggered admissions of serial infidelity which led to his seven-year marriage ending.

Earlier this week, Woods returned to competitive golf for the first time in over a year at the final night of the TGL season on Tuesday.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

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The Gwynedd beauty spot has been undergoing upgrades to help it cope with the vast number of summer tourists

A Gwynedd beach renowned for lengthy queues and vanishing cars is set to fully reopen next week. Morfa Bychan Beach – also known as Black Rock Sands – has been undergoing improvements to manage over-tourism challenges.

The vast beach near Porthmadog is among only a small number of Welsh beaches that allow drivers to bring cars, vans and motorhomes directly onto the sand. Its rapid tides and narrow access road are infamous for stranding unsuspecting motorists.

During last year’s extended dry spell an estimated 1,500 vehicles were parking on the beach during peak-season weekends. Enormous queues formed on the access road extending back two miles to Morfa Bychan village, underlining the need for enhancements. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter her.

In February, Cyngor Gwynedd started work on an “enhanced traffic management system”. The access road is being widened to better accommodate two-way traffic, alongside which a footpath is being added for pedestrians. New signage is also being installed along with a fresh barrier system and improved disabled parking.

By improving access infrastructure, the council aims to establish a “high-quality welcoming arrival area” that will “elevate the overall visitor experience”. The local authority hopes this will “reduce the pressure and impact of tourism” at one of Gwynedd’s most popular coastal destinations.

Some residents have requested improved signage for caravans to prevent them from obstructing a narrow, winding shortcut to the beach from the A497. Others have campaigned for outdoor washing facilities and extra bins to tackle an escalating litter problem, reports North Wales Live.

Recent photographs published by the council reveal the road remains a building site. Nevertheless, the local authority is optimistic it will reopen on Wednesday, April 1.

A spokesperson said: “The improvement works have been undertaken to enhance access arrangements and ensure the entrance to the beach remains safe and suitable for continued use. Thanks to residents, local businesses and visitors for their patience and cooperation while these essential works have been carried out.”

Throughout the road’s refurbishment, standard access to the beach has been unavailable. However, it can still be accessed via a diversion: this directs traffic along Beach Road, Morfa Bychan, to the southern end of the beach. The diversion will stay in place until April 1.

Whether the improvements will reduce the number of vehicles becoming stuck in soft sand or engulfed by the sea remains to be seen. Last year approximately 30 cars and motorhomes were recovered from the popular beach after coming to a sticky end.

Parking charges will remain the same this year. It costs £8 to drive a car onto the beach for the day. For caravans and motorhomes it’s £16. Blue badge holders receive half price entry after 4pm. Payment is by card only, at the beach entrance. Fees are applicable between 1 April and 30 September – during winter, entry is free.

From 1 April, season permits will be available to purchase online, priced as follows:

• Permanent Porthmadog ward residents: Cars – £26.25; Large vehicles – £52.50.
• Permanent Gwynedd residents: Cars – £63; Large vehicles – £126.
• Non-Gwynedd residents: Cars – £84; Large vehicles – £168.

Mini Meadows Farm offers visitors a chance to get close up to its farm animals.

By taking a short road trip out of Cambridgeshire, you can be transported to the beach without being anywhere near the coast. Mini Meadows Farm might be the ideal place to spend some time with your family, as the weather starts to improve.

Mini Meadows Farm can be found just outside Welford in Northampton and is easy to reach from Cambridgeshire for a day trip. The children’s farm park has a range of activities available and is described as being a “fun, educational and great value family day out”.

The farm is home to plenty of different animals from geese and ducks to pigs, goats, and ponies. You can spend hours walking around the different enclosures and taking a moment to feed some of the animals.

You can get even closer to some of the farm’s residents through the daily animal encounters. The animals you can meet will vary from day to day, including rabbits and guinea pigs, as well as millipedes and tortoises. The encounters include the opportunity to learn more about them.

If your children still have energy to burn after looking at the animals, you can visit the nature-themed outdoor playground. The playground features a range of climbing structures, swings, and a picnic area for adults to relax in or to have lunch outside.

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However, if the weather takes a turn, there are still plenty of things to do while staying inside. The Treetops is described as a “exciting, enchanting, and enormous wooden indoor play area” with a range of rope bridges, slides, and tunnels to explore.

You can also pretend you are at the sea by spending some time at the giant indoor sandpit. The sandpit has a boat, beach huts, and a giant deckchair to make you feel like you are at the coast.

Mini Meadows also has a soft play area that is open during the week in term-time for children up to three years old, which can be found next to the Beehive Café. The play area has a ball pit and building blocks, making it very popular with toddlers.

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You can take a break at the Beehive Café at any point during the day with a range of breakfast and lunch options on offer. Many dishes are made using locally sourced produce. The café serves toasted paninis and jacket potatoes for a crowd-pleasing staple, as well as pizzas and a kid’s menu.

The café also has plenty of sweet treats to try out including homemade cakes and ice cream for warmer days. You can enjoy your food inside the cosy café or soak up some sun on the outside decking while watching the countryside.

Mini Meadows Farm tickets cost from £9.95 on off peak days for adults and for children between two and 16 years old. It costs from £6 for toddlers between 12 and 14 months and babies under 12 months go for free.

Mini Meadows can be found off Naseby Road, which is an hour and 20 minute drive away from Cambridge via the A14. There is a free car park for visitors to use.

Olympic champions Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry of France won gold, with 230.81 points. They are the fourth pair to win Olympic, world and European titles in the same season.

They finished 19.29 points ahead of the field, which is the biggest winning margin in worlds history.

Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, who took bronze at Milan-Cortina 2026 won the silver medal, ahead of Zingas and Kolesnik, who finished on 209.20 points, with Fear and Gibson ending on 208.98.

The British pair, who won bronze at last year’s World Championships, missed out on a medal at the Winter Olympics last month because of a costly mistake in their free dance routine.

Earlier, US star Ilia Malinin won a third straight men’s gold as he bounced back from missing out on an Olympic medal last month when he fell twice in the free skate.

Employees at the Department of Homeland Security celebrated after photos of ex-chief Kristi Noem were removed from the halls of the agency’s headquarters, according to a new report.

Following months of controversies and a pair of scathing congressional hearings, Noem was fired by President Donald Trump on March 5 and named special envoy to The Shield of the Americas, a new and little-known security initiative. Markwayne Mullin, a former GOP senator from Oklahoma, was sworn in as her replacement on Tuesday.

Before she had even officially left office, upwards of 10 framed “glamour shots” of her were being taken down from the walls of her Customs and Border Protection workspace in the nation’s capital, sources told The Washington Examiner.

The photos were installed sometime around last January, when Noem’s staff swiftly moved to redecorate, taking down pictures of rank‑and‑file federal agents and replacing them with images of the former South Dakota governor, who alarmed critics with some of her photo-ops while leading the agency.

“Every single picture had a picture of Noem, and it was such a turn off,” an unnamed department official told the outlet. “People were snickering about it, like, ‘Did you see the upgrade?’ No leader that I know would have allowed that to happen. If they walked in and saw their photo in every picture, they would say, ‘What were you thinking?’”

Among the framed photos was one of Noem standing between Border Patrol agents “with a hand on each of their shoulders,” while another showed her flying an aeroplane. A third depicted her driving an all-terrain vehicle while wearing a bulletproof vest and a pearl necklace, the report claims.

“In another picture, the four federal employees sitting next to Noem are out of focus, while Noem is perfectly in focus, sporting an ICE ball cap with the agency’s new logo,” The Washington Examiner reported.

One source said that Corey Lewandowski, a former special government employee at DHS, may have orchestrated the photo gallery. Lewandowski left the department alongside Noem, Politico reports.

Another official said that Noem may have been “so insulated” that she was oblivious to the resentment building against her within the agency.

Some DHS employees now hope that Mullin can repair the agency’s reputation, which was undermined by Noem’s handling of the Minnesota immigration crackdown, her $200 million ad blitz and her feuding with other departments, among other controversies.

Mullin “has the opportunity to be like a prince or knight in shining armor as he comes riding over the hill and saves everybody from this freaking chaos,” a senior official told the outlet. “All he has to do, literally, is put things back in a normal order.”

The Independent has reached out to DHS for comment.

The chilling true crime series has returned as fans admit it is a tough watch

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Streaming platform Netflix has released a fresh season of a gripping crime documentary that viewers are finding impossible to turn off.

Homicide: New York, created by Law and Order’s Dick Wolf, has returned with its second season, delving into shocking murders that shook New York City.

With each episode examining a separate case, the docuseries presents perspectives from those directly involved, including police detectives and devastating testimonies from the victims’ families.

Drawing viewers into infamous murder investigations, each season centres on different cities, offering unfiltered glimpses into the probes of intricate, high-profile killings. Homicide season 2 follows on from Homicide New York and Homicide: Los Angeles, released in 2024.

READ MORE: ‘Chilling’ true crime doc with twist fans don’t expect is streaming nowREAD MORE: ‘Heartbreaking’ true crime documentary on ITV is a ‘must watch’

Created by Wolf Entertainment and Alfred Street Industries, a Netflix synopsis states: “In this investigative true crime documentary series, homicide detectives recount their most challenging cases and how they solved them.”, reports the Mirror.

The opening episode centres on 26 year old Joey Comunale, whose weekend in 2016 began ordinarily after heading out with friends. Tragically, he never returned home, prompting his father to report him missing.

Upon visiting his flat, detectives quickly sensed something sinister before discovering the investigation represented every parent’s worst nightmare.

The season’s concluding episode also examines the devastating events of 9/11, as recounted by NYPD first responders who continue to bear the burden of that tragedy decades later.

The true crime documentary has been hailed as essential viewing for genre enthusiasts, with one viewer writing on X: “#HomicideNewYork on Netflix is so good! Dick Wolf doesn’t miss.”

Another posted: “Was watching #homicidenewyork s2 great series. Most affecting is the last ep on 9/11.”

A third remarked: “Just finished the latest 5 eps and one of my fav true crime shows. Just well put together. Ep 5 had me bawling. Seeing how real and raw their emotions are to this day from the events on 9/11 .. Heartbreaking.”

A fourth contributed: “Wait this episode may be too traumatic for me to continue to watch. I cant.” While another concurred: “As fascinating and addictive as the first two seasons.”

One further viewer enthused: “I’m late to the game with #HomicideNewYork what a captivating season! Every episode left me in shock. The story telling, the details and the personal accounts from the families, survivors and detectives was amazing!”

Over on IMDB, one reviewer described the concluding episode as “harrowing”, elaborating: “It is deeply moving and provides an insightful look at the perspective of those tasked with maintaining order in a world that had suddenly been turned upside down.”

Homicide can be streamed on Netflix

The incident happened on the southbound M61 between junction 2 (Lostock) and junction 1 (Kearsley), just south of Bolton, March 28.

Emergency services, including Greater Manchester Police and the North West Ambulance Service, attended the scene, and traffic was held while the area was made safe.

Two of the four southbound lanes were closed, leading to major delays and congestion stretching towards junction 4.

A spokesman for National Highways said: “All lanes are now open on the M61 southbound between J2 and J1 near Kearsley south of Bolton.

“The earlier collision, oil spill and debris has been cleared.

Photos from the scene showed heavy traffic building up in the area.

At the height of the incident, drivers faced delays of up to 20 minutes with queues stretching for around two miles.

Traffic was intermittently held while emergency services responded.

All lanes reopened by around 4.42pm, but residual delays remained until traffic returned to normal later in the afternoon.

National Highways confirmed the reopening of all lanes and the removal of debris and oil from the carriageway.

The road was fully cleared by 6.01pm.

It is not yet known how many vehicles were involved in the collision or whether anyone was injured.

National Highways and North West Ambulance Service have been contacted for comment.

Naomi Church and Emily Bell went up against each other for the women’s title, while Josh McDonald and Tyler Spence competed for the men’s title.

Each duo competed across five events as well as the Eliminator challenge in order to be crowned champion.

Once again, father and son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh took viewers through the action, with Guy Mowbray providing commentary.

Ahead of the final airing, a synopsis for the episode shared: “In the final, Viper leaves the Gladiators gobsmacked, Bradley races Electro on the track, and much to Guy Mowbray’s surprise, Legend tries his hand at commentary.”

Who won Gladiators 2026?

In the end, Emily emerged victorious in the women’s event, and Josh secured the win in the men’s event.

Emily was the youngest woman to compete in Gladiators this series, and celebrated her 23rd birthday on the day of the final’s filming.

In a twist of fate, she ended up competing against the oldest contestant in this series, Naomi, who is 40 years old.

The business consultant and former England U16 hockey captain started strongly, gaining an advantage over Emily in the ‘Destruction’ challenge, but lost a bit of ground in ‘The Edge’ and ‘Duel’.

It meant Emily had a six-and-a-half-second head start in the final ‘Eliminator’ challenge, which she used to her advantage to get over the finish line first.

Meanwhile, Josh, who is a former Royal Marine Commando trainee and now an Area Sales Manager, managed to beat Tyler in the men’s event.

Josh gained an advantage over Tyler in the opening ‘Unleash’ challenge and never looked back from there.

He had a three-second head start in the final ‘Eliminator’ challenge, but it was tense all the way until Josh got up the travelator first and got over the finish line.

What does the winner of Gladiators get?

Winners of the rebooted BBC series Gladiators get a trophy shaped like the “G” logo.

This differs from the 1990s ITV series, which gave out a cash prize, as well as a new car.

In total, 12 cars and prizes totalling more than £45,000 were won over seven series of UK Gladiators on ITV.

What did you think of the Gladiators 2026 final? Let us know in the comments.