Summary
- Play Magazine, a UK PlayStation publication, will cease printing after nearly 30 years.
- The magazine underwent rebrands and changes over the years, with its final issue being Issue 46.
- Subscribers and fans expressed sadness over the magazine shutting down, highlighting its role in the gaming community.
Play Magazine has announced that the printed PlayStation publication will be shut down after occupying UK newsagents' shelves for nearly 30 years. PlayStation fans have followed Future Publishing’s magazine since the 90s, even through a rebrand that lasted three years. Play Magazine was one of the UK’s last printed gaming publications alongside Edge and PC Gamer, which are also run by Future.
The Official UK PlayStation Magazine was released in November 1995 alongside the launch of the first PlayStation console, and it ran for 108 issues before undergoing several redesigns with an abbreviation change from PSM to OPM. In May 2021, OPM rebranded to Play, and Future kept the same editorial team to work on the new publication. Considered the spiritual successor of OPM, Play’s 46th issue will be its last.
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Shared on Twitter by Play Magazine, a short announcement was posted confirming the publication will be ending with its December 2024 issue. The statement began, “With a heavy heart, we have to let you know that the next issue of Play will be the magazine’s final one.” The post also contained a thank you to the editorial team and contributors who worked with PSM, OPM, and Play over the years. The magazine’s final issue will include a farewell feature, giving the team a chance to recap the publication’s journey and say goodbye to readers. Play Magazine’s closure joins the sudden and unexpected shutdown of Game Informer's magazine after nearly 33 years in production.
Play Magazine Announces Cancelation After 29 Years
Subscribers on Twitter considered Play Magazine and its PSM original to be one of the best video game magazines in existence, joining the likes of Retro Gamer and Nintendo Power. Followers were notably “gutted” to hear the news of Play's cancellation and proceeded to share photos of their vintage issues with the community. Additionally, fans wrote about their memories of the magazine, including one reader who said the first two issues of PSM convinced them to buy a PlayStation, and they’ve been a subscriber ever since. Furthermore, the UK gaming community expressed their sadness over the dwindling number of printed gaming magazines available, as many prefer to read news in this format over digesting it online.
Play Magazine covered releases for Sony’s current hardware, including the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PSVR, and the latest updates for PS Plus subscribers. Play’s current Issue 45 for November featured an Assassin’s Creed Shadows preview and a list of the best samurai games, alongside a hands-on preview of Monster Hunter Wilds and a first look at Dying Light: The Beast. Sony's retro games and consoles were also included in the publication, proving the magazine was an all-inclusive hub for PlayStation fans that'll be sorely missed.
- Brand
- Sony PlayStation
- Storage
- 2TB SSD
- VR Support
- PlayStation VR2
- Resolution
- Up to 8K
- App Store
- PlayStation Store
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 7
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- Ports
- Power In, Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, 2x USB Type-A, 2x USB Type-C
- HDR Support
- Yes
- Original Release Date
- November 7, 2024
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $749.99
- Dimensions
- 10.3 x 35.8 cm
- Processor
- AMD Ryzen Zen 2 (8 cores, 16 threads, 3.5GHz)