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PS4-to-PS5 game updates chewed on

With PS5 approaching its first anniversary, we’re in an odd period for PS5 upgrades. The obvious quick turnarounds have mostly passed, with bigger upgrades like Ghost Of Tsushima set to show what devs can achieve, given time. This month, we get a taste of what’s possible.

Floating down towards our large, white PS5 tower is Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles – Enhanced Edition. There’s no free upgrade for those who already have it, but this native version is fairly substantial. Stranded after a shipwreck, you need to survive a strange new land, and it feels so much better to do so at 4K/60fps. Already a colourful game, it pops even more this time with those improved graphics. DualSense features only add to the experience. This is the best way to explore Yonder’s large world, though if you’ve already bought the game and haven’t got round to it yet, it’s hard to say if it justifies paying full price again.

Speaking of large, vibrant worlds, Ghost Of Tsushima: Director’s Cut has just been released. We will, of course, be doing a full review of this one, but because of its size and when we go to press, we won’t be able to do that until next issue. But for now, we can assure you this is a nice upgrade indeed. It even includes the brand-new Iki Island DLC, which adds an extra story and map to explore. In addition to that, PS5-exclusive features include 3D audio that makes you feel like you’re actually on Tsushima with trees rustling around you, sumptuous 4K/60fps graphics, loading times even better than the already impressively swift ones in the PS4 version, and DualSense support that uses the haptics and adaptive triggers to make combat feel even more satisfying – and it was fantastic to start with. You’ll need to pay a fee to upgrade, but it’s definitely worthwhile. Though wait until our full review if you’re on the fence.

Hungry for even more worlds to explore? The Lost

Grimoires Collection rounds out our picks this issue, offering a fantastical world to adventure through at a much more leisurely and static pace. This trilogy of hidden-object adventure games certainly doesn’t push the boundaries of PS5, but it’s great to see the genre make the generational leap, even if these are fairly old titles. The art pops nicely as always, but you mostly feel the new-gen factor in the slightly zippier play.