Sony’s next-gen console has arrived!
After teasing the PlayStation 5 for the better part of six months, Sony is finally revealing the console. In an hour-long event rife with game reveals for the next-gen, we got our first peek at the white and black console. The design matches the PS5 controller that many people have dubbed ‘the Stormtrooper.’
PlayStation 5 – First Look
Much like the Xbox Series X, the PlayStation 5 can stand vertically or lay on its side. There will be two editions of the console – one features a Blue-ray drive, and the other is digital-only.Â
The Digital Edition PS5 appears substantially thinner than its Blu-ray drive counter-part. While Sony didn’t reveal pricing details for the PS5, there will at least be a price disparity between these two units. Sony also refused to nail down a firm release date for the PlayStation 5.
The PlayStation 5 includes vents around the unit for superior airflow, no matter how it stands. The console also features a single USB-A and USB-C port on the front. The PS5 controller charges via USB-C, a welcome upgrade from the PlayStation 4.
PlayStation 5 – Accessories
Sony is going all out with accessories for the PlayStation 5, too. During the reveal, Sony showcased a DualSense charging station, HD camera, Pulse 3D wireless headset, and a media remote. It revealed no pricing for the accessories, but they all match the PS5 aesthetic.
The media remote is all white, while the Pulse headset and HD camera cleverly blend black and white. Since the PS5 is expected to arrive during the 2020 holiday season, these accessories will likely launch then.
The Pulse headset is especially interesting since it probably uses Sony’s new 360 Reality Audio format. Sony promises a room-immersing sound that’s possible even if you don’t use the headset, though.
PlayStation 5 – Specs
The PlayStation 5 is powered by an eight-core AMD Zen 2 CPU clocked at 3.5GHz. It also features a custom GPU based on AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture. That hardware promises 10.28 teraflops, and 36 compute units, clocked at 2.33GHz.
The PS5 is powered by 16GB of GDDR6 RAM and will feature a custom 825GB SSD. (This SSD is considerably smaller than the 1TB SSD Microsoft is including on the Xbox Series X.)
Sony says its custom SSD will result in virtually no load times for next-gen games. That claim was put to the test in the new Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart game. Ratchet can jump through multiple dimensional portals to different levels with no loading at all.
The switch to SSD is one of the most significant improvements PlayStation 5 players can expect. A demo in March showed Spider-Man loading levels in less than a second on PS5 – taking up to eight seconds on PS4.
Lead PlayStation engineer Mark Cerny says the PS5 SSD can load 5GB/s of data. The custom SSD uses a standard NVMe SSD, which means it is upgradeable.
Sony says a drive rated for transfer speeds of 5.5GB/s is necessary to compatibility. The PlayStation 5 will also support 8K gaming at 120Hz. So far, we don’t know how 3D audio and improved haptic feedback will impact gameplay.
Sony also hasn’t spent much time on its VR offerings, but PlayStation VR will work with the PS5.
The new HD camera is our first hint that Sony will have upgraded tracking for its PSVR 2 unit that could launch within a year of the PlayStation 5. 3D audio and advanced tracking could make PS VR a true competitor to Valve’s Index and Facebook’s Oculus Go.
Other PS5 improvements that are announced but not showcased include an optional low-power consumption mode and backward compatibility with PS4 games. It’s unclear if digitally-purchased PS4 games will be backward compatible like PS4 discs.
Hopefully, we’ll learn more information about Sony’s PS5 launch plans and the price when Gamescom rolls around in August.
Until then, it is looking like the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X are shaping up to be very capable rivals. Microsoft’s console features almost the exact same architecture as the PS5.
