The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu has revealed some details on the online features of Hot Shots Golf 5 for the PS3.

The online lobby will hold up to 50 players, and each player can customize their avatars from a set of characters and items such as golf clothing and gears. The online service will be available free of charge from day one of its release in Japan.

According to producer Daisaku Ikejiri, the number of playable characters and courses will be closer to that of Hot Shots Golf 3. There will only be 14 playable characters in Hot Shots Golf 5, including Japanese professional golfer Shigeki Maruyama. It is not yet known if the same characters will feature in the North American version of the game, but considering the previous releases, we may expect to see some changes.

Hot Shot Golf 5 for the PlayStation 3 is scheduled for a July 26 release in Japan. A North American release date is yet to be announced.

Thanks to http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/1up/ALLPS3/content/~3/111847949/newsStory for sharing the news with us!