The PS5 has been an excellent console ever since its debut in late 2020, but to say that’s solely down to the number of high-quality exclusives available on Sony’s flagship console would actually be doing it a disservice. The PS5’s loaded with great games, sure, but it’s also got a handful of brilliant features to augment your time with any game.

Whether that be the Activity Cards that draw your attention to certain elements of a game,  its Trophies, or the DualSense wireless controller ’s phenomenal haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, the PS5 by and large has set itself apart as a premium gaming experience well worth its price (and the time investment needed to actually track down stock of the elusive console).

But there’s one feature in particular that has exponentially added to my enjoyment of some games of late, and it’s one I honestly had no idea was an arrow in the PS5’s quiver until very recently. That feature is screen sharing.

Admittedly, the concept of PS5 screen share isn’t anything that sounds particularly groundbreaking, nor would it necessarily turn heads if Sony itself brought more attention to it. But what I’ve found when using PS5 screen share is that it can turn even single-player games into a more social experience.

Progressing together

I’ll give you the first big example that really sold me on PS5 screen share, and it came shortly after the release of Gran Turismo 7 . That game in itself has a few features that work much better than they sound, such as its excellent DualSense motion controls . But as myself and a friend were grinding our way through the utterly brutal Licence Centre, aiming for Gold on each and every challenge, he suggested we try loading up the screen share feature so that we could keep an eye on each others’ progress.

Using the PS5 screen share’s “picture-in-picture” mode, which overlays a small window featuring my friend’s screen on top of my own, we were both able to progress through GT7’s Licence Centre challenges while keeping an eye on how the other was getting on. The result was a genuinely game-changing experience that had us both laughing at each others’ failed attempts, as well as egging each other on to shave precious milliseconds off of our best times.

And that’s when it struck me. What the PS5 screen share feature had effectively achieved is to turn what’s normally a single-player game mode into something akin to a multiplayer experience. Sure, we weren’t directly interacting with each others’ games; we weren’t racing on the same track on the same multiplayer session. But we were actively participating in each others’ play sessions through this shared viewing.

It's like livestreaming, but...

Of course, the concept of watching another’s gameplay online certainly isn’t anything new. Live broadcast sites like Twitch and YouTube Gaming have been around for over a decade now, where potentially thousands of viewers can tune into a single streamer and create a unique social environment that’s difficult to replicate anywhere else.

PS5 screen sharing isn’t quite that, though. It’s something I found to be a bit more intimate, and a whole lot more interactive as a result. That’s because the viewing experience isn’t a one-way lane. Or at least, it doesn’t have to be. While you can view a buddy’s gameplay by bumping up the screen share view to full-screen, it was the superb picture-in-picture mode that allowed the two of us to play and watch at the same time.

That’s not to say the experience was entirely seamless. Video quality would vary quite frequently over a Wi-Fi connection, and sometimes the screen share feature would randomly close completely, forcing us both to set up screen sharing from scratch. Thankfully the setup process couldn’t be easier, but it was frustrating to occasionally have to restart  screen sharing whenever it decided it didn’t want to work anymore.

PS5 screen share also isn’t without its limitations. You can only share your screen if you’re in-game and outside of content that prevents the use of the tool (such as a cutscene or terms and conditions pages). It’s unfortunate, but you understandably can’t use PS5 screen share for apps like Netflix , Disney Plus , YouTube, or other streaming services that host subscription-based content.

A whole new way to play?

Ultimately, I’ve walked away from my time with PS5 screen share believing it’s a genuinely fantastic feature on Sony’s flagship console, but only because it’s possible we were using it in a way that wasn’t necessarily intended.

It may very well be a quirk of the feature that both myself and my friend were able to stream our screens simultaneously. But in doing so, we’d transformed an often mind-breakingly frustrating segment of GT7 into something that amused us for hours.

I’d love to try out PS5 screen share for a range of different games, just to see how it impacts my approach to playing them. Whether that be challenging a friend to racing up the endless tower in the new Returnal update, or competing to be the first to beat certain combo missions in The King of Fighters 15.

It’s definitely a feature I’ll be telling more friends about, and may even manage to breathe some new life into games we haven’t played on our PS5s for quite some time.

Apple March Event - could we see iPhone SE and iPhone 13 Pro in pink?

In the last few years, at around this time, Apple has added another color to the latest iPhone line like the sixth Power Ranger. But instead of green in 2021, it was purple .

While rumors are rife of a new iPhone SE and a new Mac arriving at Apple's March event , there's always a chance that we may also see a quick mention of the iPhone 13 line, with a new color to tempt existing or new customers to upgrade.

Colors can be a big deciding factor when choosing a phone. Having once been in a previous life where I would set up and sell smartphones, color was a big decision. Some would happily wait another fortnight to upgrade if the Space Black iPhone 7 was due to arrive.

But while the iPhone 13 and iPhone SE 3 has a good chance of seeing a new color, the iPhone 13 Pro models also have a chance of attracting even more customers, perhaps in a pink pro variant.

Our survey says..

To see what the consensus was, I asked friends, family, and colleagues about what they'd like to see as a new color for the iPhone 13 and iPhone SE 3. The following three won out:

Seeing Lime Green or a lighter pink for the iPhone 13 and iPhone SE 3 could make sense, as this would set both models apart in the event, and carry on the design trope that these phones are meant for an audience who want the latest and greatest from Apple, but with colors that pop.

While 2021 brought a new purple color to the iPhone 12, 2018 also saw a Red iPhone 8 arrive, so this could be the year where we see something else for the iPhone lines.

With the iPhone 11 Pro having been showcased in dark green, and the iPhone 12 Pro in blue, I had been wondering what the 13 Pro would bring when I was planning on upgrading to it. But while I was happy regardless of this model coming in with a lighter shade of blue back in September 2021, it still feels as though another new color could further benefit the line for others.

Instead of Lime Green, a Pink variant could fit better for the iPhone 13 Pro.

Pro Pink

While an iPhone SE 3 could showcase a new color, it would be more of a surprise to see a new color for the iPhone 13 Pro at the event on March 8.

For example, Rose Gold was everywhere in 2015, especially from Apple, with the iPhone 6S showcasing this color, alongside the 12-inch MacBook (2016) being the only Mac, so far, to come in this variant too.

A progression of this in a different shade of pink for the iPhone 13 Pro, could make a different impression on the line. Instead of a shade that's reminiscent of the Pink Power Ranger, something that's more muted in color, but fits the 13 Pro design, could work well.

However, we may see a curveball at the event, and simply see an iPhone SE model in the same colors as the 2020 model. But with Purple making an impact on consumers for the iPhone 12 model last year, there's always a chance we may see a new shade of color arrive regardless.

5 hints and tips to easily nail today's Wordle answer (#261)

Worlde is a fun word game, but it isn't necessarily easy. Sometimes, we need a little help. Consider me your Wordle Yoda. I want to help you solve the Wordle answer #261.

What follows is a hint-based guide that can help you get off to a good Wordle start, get unstuck, or take you all the way to an early win. How you use my hints and tips is up to you.

Wordle, which is now owned by The New York Times , asks you to guess a five-letter word in six tries. Correct letter guesses appear as orange. Correct letters in their correct spot appear as green. Unless you play in "Hard Mode," you don't have to use guessed letters in subsequent attempts.

For those who don't want my help - just answers - you can check out today's Wordle answer . I bet, though, you return here for more of my sage guidance.

What I teach here is not the one method for every Wordle win. Instead, we'll build a toolkit. Part of your training is understanding the difference between vowels and consonants, and why certain combinations of the two make more sense (or less) than others.

I'll teach you how to look, with more of an analytical eye, at what you've gained and lost in each turn. Remember, every guess matters - even the bad ones.

Feel free to share this guidance with others - if you want them to beat you at Wordle.

Spoiler Alert: If you do not want to know today’s Wordle answer, STOP READING IMMEDIATELY.

A fresh start

Over the weekend, I only Wordled on Saturday (solved in four), trying to preserve my brain strength for a strong start today. I also learned that my wife starts her games almost the same way as I do: with a word that "just comes to me."

She's struggled with some of the same words as I have but has been known to "solve-in-three," more frequently than me. Perhaps she should be writing this diary.

If learned anything last week ( #258 "AHEAD), it's to slow down and, relax. I can get pretty tense when solving a Wordle, especially as I try to give you a play-by-play.

The mantra for today is deep breaths.

1. Choosing the right first word

Your biggest leap will always be that first word. I can choose any five-letter word but, generally, dismiss anything with double letters, as per our guide on how to win at Wordle .

There are two goals: Get as many correct letters in the right spots as possible and miraculously guess the word on the first try. Thus far, I've never accomplished the latter.

While I want to practice patience and not leap to any word choice conclusions, I do have a start word ready to go: WEIRD. I know, why that word?

1) It popped into my head

2) It has two vowels ("E" and "I")

3) I like the "D," it has potential

4) I don't often try "W"

5) It's as good as any other word

2. RD is in the right place

Not terrible. It's not often I get two letters correct and in the correct position on the first guess. On the other hand, there are A LOT of words that end with "RD."

I may have my work cut out for me.

If I decide to go with Wordle's Hard Mode restrictions (I'm not officially playing in that mode), I'd have to use "RD" in my next guess. Knowing which letters are now excluded, though - "WEI" - I might attempt a full-blown guess.

3. It's time to consider new vowels

I feel like I'm in a great position here. The two letters at the end give me a solid direction, as does the exclusion of two vowels and that "W."

I scan my remaining letters for a couple of minutes and spot the "B." Almost immediately a word pops into my head: BOARD. It's a good choice because it's all-new letters and even if I'm wrong, I've excluded one-to-three more letters and am in a better position for my third guess.

I hit "Enter."

4. _OARD is nearly there

You would think having four letters in the right spot would be a golden ticket to "solved-in-three." it should be, but there may be more than a few words that look like this: _OARD.

5. It has to start with a consonant... but which?

I quickly realize that there aren't that many options here. I try to follow my new mantra of pausing, taking a breath, and not leaping to any conclusions. I want this done in three.

The start letter must be a consonant. I have quite a few to choose from - "P," "S," "F," "G," and more. As you might've noticed, none of them work. "H" does.

I type in "HOARD"  and confidently hit "Enter."

Done in three... or four

Look, I'm not gonna lie. Getting Wordle #261 in three was equal parts savvy and luck. I started off strong and had an excellent second guess. Basically, I was a letter away from getting it in the mythical two.

Time to go celebrate but not HOARD my winnings.