The Playstation 5 (PS5) hits store shelves this holiday season, and while Sony hasn’t given an official price point or exact release date at time of print, there are plenty of reasons to get excited about Sony’s next generation console.
Sporting a new, futuristic looking white-and-black color scheme with rounded angles and fins to match, the PS5 looks radically different than its predecessor, and thanks to Sony’s reveal event in March, we know the PS5 is significantly different under its hood as well.
With an AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores at 3.5GHz, 16GB of GDDR6 memory and a custom RDNA 2 AMD GPU that puts out 10.28 TFLOPs of processing power, it’s clear that Sony is not pulling any punches.
Additionally, next-gen features like 8k resolution and ray tracing – a technology that greatly improves visual fidelity by mimicking the way light moves and bounces from object to object, particularly on reflective surfaces – will be possible on the new hardware. A custom 825 GB SSD will provide near-instant load times for installed PS5 games, an extremely important feature for those interested in the digital-only version of the system. The standard PS5 model will still feature an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive.
The PS5 controller is also receiving a significant update. Known as the Dualsense controller, it is the successor to the Dualshock line of Playstation controllers. Sharing the same white-and-black aesthetic as the console, the controller offers new features like haptic feedback, which allows gamers to feel the effects and impact of their in-game actions through dynamic sensory feedback. Adaptive triggers offer dynamic resistance levels to simulate the physical impact of in-game activities. The controller even features a built-in mic, which should make chatting with friends quick and seamless.
Sony has also revealed new accessories to go along with the console, including a media remote, an HD camera featuring dual 1080p lenses, and a pulse 3D gaming wireless headset that offers 3D audio support and dual noise-canceling microphones.
“With PlayStation 5, we are making a significant leap to deliver a truly new generation of transformative play experiences that will redefine expectations for what games can be,” said Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment in a statement.
But what’s a new gaming console without games to play? The PS5’s game lineup is already stacked with heavy hitters. Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Horizon Forbidden West are just some of Sony’s first-party offerings exclusive to the new console. In addition, third-party partners like Capcom, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts and a slew of others have already pledged support for the system.
Furthermore, in an Official Playstation Blog Post, Senior Vice President of Platform Planning Hideaki Nishino said that “the overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ PS4 titles will be playable on PS5.” According to lead system architect Mark Cerny, “almost all” of the 100 most played PS4 games will be available to play at launch.
Sony has also confirmed that as of now, the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic has not affected the release date of the system. According to Bloomberg.com, Sony is expected to ship about 5-6 million PS5 consoles by March 2021. Whether those estimates will change remains to be seen.
Zackery Cuevas is an avid writer, publishing house veteran and part-time Dungeon Master who loves tech, video games and movies. When he’s not ranting about the latest video game releases, he’s watching (and sometimes performing) comedy in NYC.
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