Live in Your World, HAX in Ours!
Hello World! I've been reporting on Sony PlayStation hacking news since 2000 and started PSXHAX in 2014 to cover PlayStation (PSX), PlayStation 2 (PS2), PlayStation 3 (PS3), PlayStation 4 (PS4), PlayStation Portable (PSP), PlayStation Vita (PS Vita), PlayStation TV (PS TV) and next-gen PlayStation 5 (PS5) platforms along with anything else of interest.
Click on my UserName author link above and you'll be able to view a curated list of all the articles I've contributed thus far to PSXHAX.COM!
Click on my UserName author link above and you'll be able to view a curated list of all the articles I've contributed thus far to PSXHAX.COM!
Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles Arrives on PS4
Call of Duty: Black Ops III fans will be happy to see Zombies Chronicles is now out on PlayStation 4 with an exclusive look at PS4 gameplay footage from the full set of remastered maps below! 
To quote from Treyarch Studios Co-Studio Head Jason Blundell on the official remaster:
While Zombies Chronicles is considered a “remaster,” we set the bar high for our own definition. Ultimately, this collection of maps does more than tell the Zombies story: it’s also made up of our favorites... a mix tape for our community of fans.
While the PlayStation 3 was a powerful device, the PlayStation 4 certainly tops it, giving developers more powerful tools to play with, along with greater visual and audio fidelity.
Clearly, we knew that we had to take advantage of that, so the remastering process began with a complete pass on visuals, requiring us to upgrade assets, models – completely re-building assets in many cases – all to take advantage of the PS4 engine and deliver a game in true HD.
What our audio team did for Zombies Chronicles was equally amazing. That same level of passion was applied to gameplay and it’s probably most evident with the work done on the AI front.
To celebrate the launch of Zombies Chronicles, we’ll kick off the 8 Days program, during which players of Black Ops III or Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles will be able to earn Double XP rewards, engage in community challenges, and receive a host of free exclusive content, including a Zombies calling card, weapon camo, new GobbleGums and a PS4 theme.
To quote from Treyarch Studios Co-Studio Head Jason Blundell on the official remaster:
While Zombies Chronicles is considered a “remaster,” we set the bar high for our own definition. Ultimately, this collection of maps does more than tell the Zombies story: it’s also made up of our favorites... a mix tape for our community of fans.
While the PlayStation 3 was a powerful device, the PlayStation 4 certainly tops it, giving developers more powerful tools to play with, along with greater visual and audio fidelity.
Clearly, we knew that we had to take advantage of that, so the remastering process began with a complete pass on visuals, requiring us to upgrade assets, models – completely re-building assets in many cases – all to take advantage of the PS4 engine and deliver a game in true HD.
What our audio team did for Zombies Chronicles was equally amazing. That same level of passion was applied to gameplay and it’s probably most evident with the work done on the AI front.
To celebrate the launch of Zombies Chronicles, we’ll kick off the 8 Days program, during which players of Black Ops III or Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles will be able to earn Double XP rewards, engage in community challenges, and receive a host of free exclusive content, including a Zombies calling card, weapon camo, new GobbleGums and a PS4 theme.
PS4 Loading Time Comparisons of External USB Hard Disk Drives vs SSD
We covered PS4 External USB 3.0 HDD upgrade options, and recently Eurogamer tested some 4TB hard disk drives on the PlayStation 4 comparing their performance to SSD's in a USB enclosure. 
Check out the PS4 External Storage Loading Time Tests demonstration video below with some comparison charts as follows, to quote:
"Do you go for a large 4TB drive, or a fast SSD? Going into these tests, we decided to benchmark both of our options on both PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro, as Sony's mid-gen console refresh can offer some small improvements on its own.
As testing progressed, a clear hierarchy of results began to roll in. The 4TB external drive actually improves loading times over PS4's regular drive, as well as having the advantage of offering more space.
Check out the PS4 External Storage Loading Time Tests demonstration video below with some comparison charts as follows, to quote:
"Do you go for a large 4TB drive, or a fast SSD? Going into these tests, we decided to benchmark both of our options on both PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro, as Sony's mid-gen console refresh can offer some small improvements on its own.
As testing progressed, a clear hierarchy of results began to roll in. The 4TB external drive actually improves loading times over PS4's regular drive, as well as having the advantage of offering more space.
| Base PS4 | Stock 5400rpm Internal Drive | Seagate 4TB External | OCZ 480GB SSD External | OCZ 480GB SSD Internal |
| Battlefield 1: Through Mud and Blood | 109.6 | 87.2 | 51.4 | 47.7 |
| Battlefield 1: The Runner | 70.2 | 54.4 | 33.0 | 31.5 |
| The Witcher 3: Novigrad | 95.6 | 87.7 | 77.1 | 69.2 |
| Fallout 4: Concord | 57.4 | 44.8 | 30.1 | 29.1 |
| Fallout 4: Exiting Vault 111 | 28.4 | 22.6 | 17.1 | 17.2 |
| Project Cars: Azure Coast | 44.4 | 41.4 | 40.3 | 40.4 |
| Skyrim: New Game | 22.1 | 18.6 | 15.1 | 16.7 |
| Skyrim: Loading to Helgen | 27.9 | 24.2 | 19.4 | 20.9 |
| Base PS4 vs Pro | PS4 Internal Stock | PS4 + External 4TB | PS4 Pro Internal Stock | PS4 Pro + External 4TB |
| Battlefield 1: Through Mud and Blood | 109.6 | 87.2 | 95.3 | 85.3 |
| Battlefield 1: The... |
Gran Turismo Sport Closed Beta on PS4 Pro 4K Output Feedback
Over the weekend DigitalFoundry shared some PlayStation 4 Pro 4K video output rendered at 1800P via checkerboarding of the Gran Turismo Sport Closed Beta. 
This led to reports of growing concern from some PS4 Pro owners noting the lack of a 1080P downsampling option among other disappointments despite having Boost Mode on the PlayStation 4 Pro.
To quote: "Sony does not seem to care and this disregard is all the more jarring after Microsoft revealed that Project Scorpio handles all this at a system level, allowing 4K and 1080P users to choose between resolution and performance modes in every single game. We can only hope Sony will make an effort to push developers to deliver better PS4 Pro support."
Check out the video footage below, and if you're a PlayStation 4 Pro owner with a 4K TV let us know in this week's poll if you are satisfied overall with your PS4 Pro console's 4K support... or if you feel Sony should step up to the plate and implement a system-wide solution similar to Microsoft's upcoming Scorpio video gaming console.
This led to reports of growing concern from some PS4 Pro owners noting the lack of a 1080P downsampling option among other disappointments despite having Boost Mode on the PlayStation 4 Pro.
To quote: "Sony does not seem to care and this disregard is all the more jarring after Microsoft revealed that Project Scorpio handles all this at a system level, allowing 4K and 1080P users to choose between resolution and performance modes in every single game. We can only hope Sony will make an effort to push developers to deliver better PS4 Pro support."
Check out the video footage below, and if you're a PlayStation 4 Pro owner with a 4K TV let us know in this week's poll if you are satisfied overall with your PS4 Pro console's 4K support... or if you feel Sony should step up to the plate and implement a system-wide solution similar to Microsoft's upcoming Scorpio video gaming console.
PS3 CFW2OFW Compatibility List for PlayStation 3 Games (WIP)
While still very much a work-in-progress, today @DerfJagged let us know HERE that he started a PS3 CFW2OFW Compatibility List for PlayStation 3 games located on the PSDevWiki for those using PS3 DTU Injection / Conversion Methods and homebrew utilities such as CFW2OFW Helper v5. 
Those familiar with 2016 Methods for Older LIC.DAT Titles and LICDIR / USEDIR Mods with Patch Updates and the less documented Exclusive Methods can lend a hand testing, while others can edit and update the Wiki Page with the missing PS3 Game Title IDs as time permits.
Here are some details on PlayStation 3 Title IDs from the Wiki Chart: PS3 TITLE ID for Physical Media
TITLE_ID for Physical Media (in format: ABCD12345)
Those familiar with 2016 Methods for Older LIC.DAT Titles and LICDIR / USEDIR Mods with Patch Updates and the less documented Exclusive Methods can lend a hand testing, while others can edit and update the Wiki Page with the missing PS3 Game Title IDs as time permits.
Here are some details on PlayStation 3 Title IDs from the Wiki Chart: PS3 TITLE ID for Physical Media
TITLE_ID for Physical Media (in format: ABCD12345)
| Media (A) | Rights (B) | Region (C) | Type (D) | ?? (12) | License Number (345) |
| B=PS3 Bluray P=PS4 Bluray S=PS1 and PS2 CD/DVD U=PSP UMD V=PSvita Card X=PS3 Bluray + Extras (PSvita crossbuy) | C=Copyrighted by sony L=Licensed to sony | A=Asia E=Europe H=Hong Kong J=Japan K=Korea U=USA | C=System Firmware B=Peripheral Software D=Demo M=Malayan Release S=Retail release T=(closed) Betas X=Install disc? (demos) | ... |
Black Ops III PC Mod Tools: Zombie Powerups in Multiplayer Mod
Following the CoD: Black Ops II Mod, CoD: Black Ops III Mod and his PSN API today developer @Tustin shared a Black Ops III PC Mod Tools demo showcasing Zombie Powerups in Multiplayer Mod on his YouTube Channel.
From the video's caption, to quote: Black Ops III Mod Tools - Zombie Powerups in Multiplayer Mod
This is a mod I started making back in October but got bored of the mod tools and hadn't touched it again until just a few days ago.
I fixed quite a few bugs and made it stable enough to showcase it. Keep in mind that my end goal isn't to always spawn a powerup each time someone dies; I just did that for testing purposes.
Right now, these are the current powerups:
From the video's caption, to quote: Black Ops III Mod Tools - Zombie Powerups in Multiplayer Mod
This is a mod I started making back in October but got bored of the mod tools and hadn't touched it again until just a few days ago.
I fixed quite a few bugs and made it stable enough to showcase it. Keep in mind that my end goal isn't to always spawn a powerup each time someone dies; I just did that for testing purposes.
Right now, these are the current powerups:
- Max Ammo
- Insta-Kill
- Nuke
- Death Machine
- Free Perk