Saros
News, coverage and analysis tracking Saros across the outlets.
10 Best Looking Games of 2026 So FarThis article ranks the 10 best-looking games released in the first half of 2026, highlighting advancements in graphical fidelity and immersive world design. Titles like Resident Evil Requiem, RIDE 6, and Forza Horizon 6 are praised for their stunning visuals, character models, and environmental details, showcasing how current hardware allows developers to blur the line between reality and virtual worlds.
Acclaimed PS5 roguelike shooter Saros gets a substantial free trial, but there's a catchHousemarque has released a two-and-a-half-hour free trial for its PlayStation 5 roguelike shooter Saros. However, the trial is exclusively available to PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers, the highest tier of Sony's subscription service. Despite critical acclaim, Saros' sales have reportedly been slower than its predecessor, Returnal, leading to concerns about its commercial performance.
The Gaming Industry Is Eating Itself AliveXbox is undergoing a massive restructuring, including 3,200 layoffs, impacting numerous studios and divisions like Activision, Bethesda, and Blizzard. While some studios regain independence and first-party projects remain safe for now, the article criticizes Xbox's overall strategy, citing Game Pass's performance and declining hardware revenue. The piece also touches on PlayStation's similar issues with digital ownership and preservation, painting a bleak picture for the future of gaming costs and ownership.
10 Best Games of 2026 So FarThis article ranks the top 10 video games released in the first half of 2026. Titles like Resident Evil Requiem, Crimson Desert, and Forza Horizon 6 are highlighted for their innovative gameplay, compelling stories, and impressive visuals. The list also features LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Mouse: P.I. For Hire, Pragmata, Saros, Nioh 3, 007 First Light, and Pokémon Pokopia.
PS Plus Premium Adds Free Trial for Hit 2026 PS5 Exclusive GamePlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can now access a free 2.5-hour trial for the PlayStation 5 exclusive action game Saros. Developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the game features a neon-infused aesthetic and bullet ballet combat. Progress made during the trial carries over to the full game, which costs $69.99.
Share of the Week: SparksPlayStation's Share of the Week highlights user-submitted screenshots featuring sparks and fireworks from games like Death Stranding 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Star Wars Jedi Survivor. The next theme is 'Portraits,' with submissions due by July 8, 2026.
Top 10 best video games of 2026 – from 007 First Light to Resident Evil RequiemThis article ranks the top 10 video games released in the first half of 2026, highlighting titles like 007 First Light, Pokémon Pokopia, and Resident Evil Requiem. The list excludes remasters, remakes, yearly sequels, expansions, and early access titles, focusing on original new releases across various platforms including Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC.
PlayStation – and The Gaming Industry – Just Doesn’t Learn With Live-ServiceDespite numerous high-profile failures and significant layoffs within studios like Bungie and Quantic Dream, Sony Interactive Entertainment, led by Hideaki Nishino, remains committed to pursuing live-service games. This strategy is questioned due to past setbacks and the company's historical strength in single-player titles, with concerns that chasing trends is leading to wasted investment and development resources.
Share of the Week: Saros – Arjun DevrajThis week's "Share of the Week" highlights player-submitted screenshots of the character Arjun Devraj captured using Saros' new Photo Mode. Submissions featuring sparks, fireworks, and twinkling lights are encouraged for the next theme, with a deadline of July 1, 2026.
007 First Light Is Making The Case For Shorter, Sharper AAA CampaignsThis article argues that shorter, focused AAA campaigns can offer superior value compared to bloated open-world or live-service titles. It highlights games like 007 First Light, Marvel's Spider-Man, and Titanfall 2 as examples of delivering quality experiences within reasonable playtimes. The piece suggests that despite rising development costs, publishers can still find success with well-crafted, linear narratives.
PS5 Maker Admits First-Party Single Player Games Are Its 'Core Strength'Sony acknowledges that first-party single-player games are its core strength, aiming for consistent annual releases while continuing to build its portfolio of live service games. The company plans to balance major single-player blockbusters with multiplayer titles, citing upcoming games like God of War Laufey and Marvel's Wolverine as examples of its commitment to this strategy.
Feature: The 10 Best PS5 Games of 2026 So FarPush Square has compiled a list of the top 10 PlayStation 5 games released in the first half of 2026, based on reader votes. Resident Evil Requiem secured the top spot, followed by 007 First Light and Capcom's new IP, Pragmata. The list highlights the strong performance of Capcom and IO Interactive titles on the platform.
Share of the Week: SarosThis week's PlayStation Share highlights user-submitted screenshots from the Saros Photo Mode, showcasing various in-game moments and characters. Players are encouraged to share their own Saros screenshots using #PSshare and #PSBlog for a chance to be featured, with the next theme focusing on portraits of the character Arjun Devraj.
"This is just the start" - Housemarque responds to Saros' slower sales versus Returnal's, and compares itself to one of the most beloved studios aroundHousemarque's Mikael Haveri and Ilari Kuittinen addressed the slower initial sales of their latest game, Saros, compared to Returnal. They believe Saros, like Returnal, will gain traction over time and are committed to supporting it with updates. The studio draws parallels to FromSoftware's journey, aiming to educate the market on their niche bullet hell and roguelike action titles and build a dedicated fanbase.
The VFX tech behind Saros: from NGP to GraphiteHousemarque details the evolution of their visual effects technology, from the NGP particle engine used in Returnal to the unified Graphite framework powering Saros. The article highlights advancements in volumetric fog rendering, GPU simulation, and Houdini integration for creating dynamic and reactive in-game environments on PlayStation 5.
Saros Studio Wants to Continue Educating Players About The Kinds of Games it MakesHousemarque's Ilari Kuittinen and Mikael Haveri discussed their approach to educating players about their unique games like Returnal and Saros, drawing inspiration from FromSoftware's long-term success with difficult RPGs. They aim to foster a community around their titles by highlighting engaging gameplay mechanics and continuously improving the player experience, even if sales start slow, as seen with Returnal's later traction.
Saros Developer’s Next Title “Might Not Be At That Scale,” As It’s Grown to Nearly 120 StaffHousemarque, known for Saros on PlayStation 5, is discussing its future projects, which may not be on the same scale as their latest title due to the studio's growth to nearly 120 staff. Studio head Ilari Kuittinen noted the challenges of managing larger teams for bigger experiences. The studio is also focused on supporting Saros based on community feedback, while exploring new opportunities that might be less ambitious.
Housemarque Hints Its Next PS5 Game Could Be Smaller Than SarosSony-owned studio Housemarque, now a first-party developer after the release of Returnal, is considering smaller-scale projects for its next game. Co-founder Ilari Kuittinen hinted that future titles might not be as large as their recent game, Saros, suggesting a potential exploration of more traditional arcade experiences.
Even with PS5 Ports, Many of Xbox's Games Have Been UnderperfomingAn internal memo from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma revealed that the division is operating at a 3% accountability margin, leading to layoffs. Many of Xbox's first-party games, even those with PlayStation 5 ports, have underperformed in sales and Xbox Game Pass engagement, failing to meet expectations.
Acclaimed 2026 PS5 Exclusive Action Game Surprise Drops Free Update With TrophiesHousemarque has released a surprise free update for their PlayStation 5 exclusive action game, Saros. The update introduces a new Photo Mode, allowing players to capture and share images of the game's environments, and adds nine new trophies related to this feature. The patch also includes various bug fixes and optimizations.