Revolutionizing AI: Sony’s PlayStation Plus Shift Sparks Disruption

The Week in Tech: DeepSeek’s Rise and Sony’s PlayStation Shift

It’s been a relatively quiet week for tech news, with the excitement of CES, the TikTok ban, and the Galaxy S25 launch still fresh in our minds. But amidst the calm, a few significant developments have caught our attention. This week, we’ll be talking about AI chatbot DeepSeek, who made headlines by surpassing ChatGPT in the App Store, and the surprising announcement from Sony about the end of their PS4 games on PlayStation Plus.

Winner: DeepSeek

DeepSeek, the AI chatbot that’s been making waves in the tech world, has been crowned our winner of the week. With its eponymous DeepSeek-R1 large-language model, the chatbot has managed to produce responses comparable to those of more established LLMs like GPT-4 and OpenAI’s o1 model. As a result, it’s gained a huge following, with many users praising its free business model and open-source LLM for developers.

But what’s even more impressive is DeepSeek’s ability to send shockwaves through the tech industry. Reportedly, it’s managed to spend just $6 million to train its model, a fraction of what its US-based competitors had spent. This has raised questions about the necessity of high-end chipsets like Nvidia’s A100, which have been touted as essential for AI training.

Loser: Sony

Sony, on the other hand, has had a tumultuous week. The company has announced that it will be ending its support for PS4 games on PlayStation Plus, effective January 2026. Citing the fact that most of its users have shifted to playing on PS5, Sony will be focusing on offering PS5 titles exclusively through its Monthly Games and Game Catalogue.

This change won’t affect users who have already redeemed their Monthly Games, but it does mean that PS4 games will be relegated to the Classic Catalogue, with occasional appearances in the Monthly Games and Game Catalogue. While this might be a setback for some PS4 enthusiasts, it’s clear that Sony is pushing forward with its plan to prioritize its next-generation console.

The Verdict

In the end, it’s been a week of contrasting fortunes for two tech giants. DeepSeek’s meteoric rise has sent shockwaves through the AI community, while Sony’s PlayStation Plus changes have left some users feeling a bit disappointed. As we look to the future, it’ll be interesting to see how these developments continue to shape the tech landscape.