SAN FRANCISCO: Sony said Tuesday its next-generation PlayStation 5 console, with new immersive features giving players the tactile experience of virtual worlds, would launch for the 2020 holiday season.
The Japanese electronics firm, which had teased its new console earlier this year, said a major new feature of the updated console would be its immersive controller.
"One of our goals with the next generation is to deepen the feeling of immersion when you play games, and we had the opportunity with our new controller to reimagine how the sense of touch can add to that immersion," said Jim Ryan, president and chief executive of Sony Interactive Entertainment.
The new controller will offer "haptic feedback" that brings players closer to the action of games.
"With haptics, you truly feel a broader range of feedback, so crashing into a wall in a race car feels much different than making a tackle on the football field," Ryan said.
"You can even get a sense for a variety of textures when running through fields of grass or plodding through mud."
Another feature will be "adaptive triggers" incorporated into controls "so that you feel the tactile sensation of drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain," he added.
Sony, which leads the console segment, announced the move as more gamers move away from these boxes to streaming games powered by the internet cloud on a variety of devices.
Google, Apple and others have launched game subscriptions which compete with Sony's PlayStation Now cloud video game service.
According to NPD Group, a market research firm, 73 percent of Americans ages two and older play video games, an increase of six percentage points since June 2018.
Mobile remains the most popular gaming platform, with mobile gaming appealing to gamers across all consumer segments, the NPD survey showed.
Sony's PlayStation 5 launch set for late 2020
Sony's PlayStation 5 launch set for late 2020
- The company says a major new feature of the updated console would be its immersive controller
- The new controller will offer "haptic feedback" that brings players closer to the action of games
Saudi Arabia sees 21% jump in mining sector licenses since 2016
- The growth in the Kingdom’s mining sector licenses aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, launched in 2016
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s mining sector has shown sustained growth, with the number of mining licenses increasing from 1,985 in 2016 to 2,401 by the end of 2024, representing cumulative growth of 21 percent, according to the 2024 mineral wealth statistics from the General Authority for Statistics.
The data highlights a steady upward trend in recent years. Licenses rose to 2,100 in 2021, marking a 6 percent increase from the previous year.
The upward trajectory continued with 2,272 licenses in 2022, 2,365 in 2023, and 2,401 in 2024, reflecting expanding exploration and investment activity across the Kingdom’s mining sector. Building material quarries accounted for the largest share of mining permits, climbing from 1,267 licenses in 2021 to 1,481 by 2024.
Exploration licenses also recorded consistent growth, supporting the Kingdom’s broader push to develop its mineral resources.
Other categories of mining activity saw significant expansion, including 2,554 exploration licenses, 744 exploitation licenses, 151 reconnaissance licenses, and 83 surplus mineral ore licenses issued during the same period.
The growth in the Kingdom’s mining sector licenses aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, launched in 2016, which aim to diversify national income sources and strengthen non-oil sectors.
