iWorld
Coming on 27 May: WarnerMedia’s streaming platform HBO Max
MUMBAI: WarnerMedia's new streaming platform HBO Max will go live next week on 27 May, seven months after the project was first announced. The company has already entered into distribution deals with many partners, which include leading gaming, smart-TV platforms, and cable operators, reported Deadline website.
While using its own library of fan favourites, showing hit shows like Friends, Doctor Who, The Big Bang Theory, etc., the streaming platform will feature six originals from day one. They include Love Life, a scripted comedy with Anna Kendrick.
The company is already in discussions with Roku for HBO Max on various aspects, reports Variety. They are: the kind of subscription fee cut Roku will take, WarnerMedia’s reported insistence that HBO Max be made available as an app, and how Roku markets HBO Max on the platform.
A Roku statement said that it is “focused on entering into win-win distribution agreements with all new OTT services as part of their launch strategies. While we don’t typically comment on specific deal terms or negotiations, the fact is that in this instance while we believe that HBO Max would benefit greatly from distribution on Roku at launch, we do not currently have an agreement in place.”
“The launch of HBO Max is an important milestone for our company, and we’re excited that these valued partners will be on board for the launch. Through our expansive distribution pipeline, millions of customers will have immediate access to a best-in-class streaming experience come May 27,” said WarnerMedia Distribution president Rich Warren.
In the months to come, it will add more new originals and classics. Viewers can take a monthly subscription for $11.99, which is a discounted offer.
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Gaming
Sony raises PS5 prices for second time in under a year
US disc edition jumps $100 to $649.99 as memory costs surge.
MUMBAI: Sony just hit the pause button on affordable gaming because when memory prices skyrocket, even the Playstation has to pay the premium. Sony has announced its second price increase for the Playstation 5 range in less than a year, citing pressures in the global economic landscape and a sharp rise in memory component costs driven by AI demand.
In the US, the PS5 disc edition will rise from $549.99 to $649.99, a $100 hike while the digital edition increases to $599.99. The more powerful PS5 Pro will jump $150 to $899.99. The Playstation Portal remote player will also rise by $50 to $249.99. The new prices take effect on 2 April 2026.
Similar increases have been applied in the UK (£90 per model), Europe and Japan. Sony last raised PS5 prices in the US in August 2025.
“We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” Sony said in a blog post.
The hikes come amid an unprecedented surge in memory prices, as manufacturers prioritise supply for AI data centres. Analysts say Sony had likely secured price protections for components that have now expired, forcing the company to protect its hardware margins.
Ampere Analysis research director of games Piers Harding-Rolls told CNBC that further increases from Microsoft and Nintendo would not be surprising, though Nintendo may hesitate to raise the price of its recently launched Switch 2 while establishing the new platform.
The increases arrive eight months before the highly anticipated release of GTA 6, which is expected to drive strong console sales. However, early reactions online have been a mix of disappointment and resignation, with growing concern that premium gaming is increasingly becoming a hobby for higher-income players.
In a sector already grappling with tariffs, inflation and component shortages, Sony’s move underscores a tough reality: even the most popular consoles are not immune to the rising cost of keeping up with the latest technology.
