Canadians will get access to new PS5 consoles, but we don’t know when. Plus, Cypher 007 puts you in the shoes of James Bond, and you can step into the skates of Connor Bedard (and others) in NHL 24.

New, slimmer PS5 consoles coming next month, but maybe not in Canada

Yesterday, Sony revealed two new PS5 consoles which are being released in November, although a specific date has not been announced, and timing for the Canadian market is not clear.

The new systems are smaller, taking up 30% less space and weighing by as much as a kilogram less than the launch systems. The rest of the hardware seems to be the same, although the 1 TB hard drive is a bump over the ~825 GB drive that came with the first models.

The new PS5 comes with an ultra-HD Blu-ray drive and that drive also comes as a peripheral you can later add on to the new PS5 Digital Edition.

It seems as though stock of the new hardware might be in short supply, as the announcement specified that the new hardware will, “roll out globally in the following months.” This while stock of the original console designs has already begun to wane.

In the past, PlayStation hardware releases in Canada have been the same as in the U.S., but PlayStation Canada has not confirmed timing or pricing of the new consoles. There is a chance they will not be available here until the new year.

James Bond stars in new Apple Arcade game

A new game exclusive to Apple Arcade puts players in the shoes of James Bond himself, and into some of the most memorable missions and locations from the cinematic 007 universe.

Cypher 007 is a top-down action adventure, developed by Tilting Point, curates some of the most interesting adventures that we’ve watched the various Bonds endure. The conceit is clever: Captured and under the mental control of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Bond’s nemesis, 007 re-experiences these events as he struggles to escape.

You’ve got some choice in how you complete the levels. You can opt for stealth or go for a more direct, lethal approach. This is slickly designed and the maps are varied and interesting. You’ll have more fun by playing using a game controller, especially if you’re playing on a television with Apple TV.

Hit the ice with NHL 24

The NHL season is officially underway, and while Colorado Avalanche phenom Cale Makar (originally from Calgary) is the cover athlete of NHL 24, we’re already wondering when North Vancouver’s Connor Bedard will grace the cover of the hockey sim.

In the meantime, we can play as either of the young talents in the game from EA Sports’ Burnaby development team.

One of the new aspects of the game the developers call, “Sustained Pressure”. If you’re able to keep your team in the offensive zone for long enough, you’ll get bonuses to passing accuracy and speed.

If you’re on the other side, though, and your opponent has you hemmed in, the stamina of your team will deplete faster. A similar mechanic is “Goalie Fatigue System,” which has your keeper’s save accuracy decline through the course of the game as they tire.

These are the kinds of enhancements that EA Sports comes up with year over year, and the result this year is solid.

EA Sports’ NHL 24 is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.