Today, at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, we lifted the veil on PlayStation Home’s version 1.5, which will be coming to your PS3s in early spring. The update will introduce a suite of new technology with tools that will enhance your experience with real-time multiplayer, improved physics, as well as more realistic graphics and animations. PlayStation Home v1.5 was developed with one singular goal in mind: high-quality games. Developers will utilize the improved network mechanics to bolster the multiplayer experience with the fastest action available. With the revamped physics engine, developers will carry more control over physics elements, graphics, rendering and animations, which will translate to more realistic and more intricate game experiences.

This update is significantly different from what you, the PlayStation Home community, have come to expect from past core client updates. While versions 1.3 and 1.4 brought user-facing features like Voice Chat, Cross Game Invites, Navigation Improvements, In-Store Previews, New Item Types (such as Active Items and Companions), Optimized Load Times and Universal Game Launching, PlayStation Home v1.5 is packed with tools and features that will enable developers to expand the types of games possible on the platform – from first-person shooters with real-time, peer-to-peer multiplayer to kart racers and more. These new developer tools also allow for richer graphics and an overall improvement to frame-rate, which is something on top of everyone’s wish list.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding – which is why we want to take this opportunity to show you how PlayStation Home v1.5 will impact your in-world experience. Behold SodiumTwo, the follow up to Lockwood Publishing’s massively successful tank combat game, Sodium One. The game, which is scheduled for release in conjunction with the 1.5 update, takes advantage of v1.5 and features heavily customizable jets squaring off in fast action multiplayer races at supersonic speeds. Check it out!