Sony has confirmed the name (short: PS5) and starts the time of its next console (the return to the portable segment seems discarded at least for now). The predecessor of the PlayStation 4 will, to no surprise, be nicknamed PlayStation 5 and will arrive in stores in a year’s time.
At the marketing level, the Japanese multinational’s approach proves to be the strongest as it ignores the big video games fair (the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles last June) to unveil the hardware that video gamers have long been waiting for.
Nor did they hold a large number of conferences at which they chose to provide exclusive access to a specialized headquarters. Both last April and a few days ago, Wired released the first and juicy details of “PS5” without knowing the commercial design and the first games.
Below you’ll learn more about the processing power, controller, storage unit and hardware of the PlayStation 5, among others.
8K Ready
Since 4K TVs are still keen to enter the halls halfway around the world, manufacturers are looking for a new (and risky) giant leap: the 8K resolution. Beyond the upcoming Olympic Games in Japan, the high cost of content and the exorbitant price of the first panels will hamper the progress of the technology. All in all, Sony wants its next console to be born ready.
At least for multimedia playback in this resolution, which opts for scaling in the most demanding games. Through Mark Cerny (head of hardware), we know that will integrate a third-generation AMD Ryzen processor and 8 cores, with Zen 2 architecture of 7 nanometers. The chip for graphics performance will be a version of the Navi Radeon series, which was specially developed.
From all of this, we can see a significant leap in performance compared to the PlayStation 4 Pro and compatibility with the so-called Ray Tracing technology, which enables lighting effects worthy of the big Hollywood blockbusters.
DualShock 5′: a bet on sensations
Although we don’t expect a radical design change over the current DualShock, Sony has promised significant improvements in two areas. First, the autonomy: DualShock 4’s battery doesn’t allow for an option for marathon gaming sessions (partly due to the binomial of flashing lights and integrated speaker). Its successor will have a higher-capacity battery and a USB-C charging port, making it “a little lighter than a battery-powered Xbox One wireless controller”.
This ‘DualShock 5’ will also be a sensation. The speaker improves its performance (not in detail) and replaces the conventional vibration motors with the haptic response, which gives you very different stimuli depending on what is happening on the screen. For example, in a driving game on asphalt, we will perceive a different running behavior than mud (off-piste).
Another innovation is the “adaptive triggers”, which developers can program to provide more or less resistance in certain situations. After all, a plus in immersion that we want to verify is burned.
Compatible with PS4
Many were surprised to learn that the PS4 was not compatible with the titles of its predecessor because of the insurmountable architectural difference between the two machines. Sony justified this by saying that backward compatibility was a thing of the past and of little interest to a few. Meanwhile, Microsoft influenced the Xbox and Xbox 360 catalogs with regard to the failed Xbox One, earning it unanimous applause.
So the Japanese were forced to correct their mistake: The 100 million PlayStation 4 users will be able to run their game collection on the new console. Or practically the entire collection, when we read the last sentence between the lines: “Our developers are working hard to make 100% of PS4 games work on PS5. So it’s a software solution that can emulate PlayStation One, PS2 and PS3 catalogs? Time will tell.
Compatibility was also promised with the PlayStation VR viewer, which is likely to benefit from the higher performance of the new platform.
Continuity of the physical format
After many dimes and directs about the next generation of fully digital consoles (without optical disc reader), Sony has confirmed that PS5 will be compatible with the Blu-Ray UHD (4K) format, as is already the case with the Xbox One ‘S’ and ‘X’ models.
The games on the new PlayStation will, therefore, be stored on hard drives with a capacity of up to 100 GB.
The end of loading times
Voices are still ringing out against the first Xbox when Microsoft decided to integrate a hard drive: “They want to turn consoles into computers! Today we give it as usual, including the obligation to install each game. In fact, we are happy when models with higher storage capacity are announced.
This should have resulted in significantly shorter loading times. Why not use solid-state hard drives (SSDs)? As standard for gaming PCs, they offer a much higher read and write speed that Sony will use with its new console. Cerny demonstrated this to Wired with ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man’, where the PlayStation 5 Development Kit’s high-speed feature is reduced from 15 to 0.8 seconds.
Instead of treating the games as standard data blocks, you can install certain segments such as the single-player campaign or multiplayer mode. You can also uninstall only one of them.
The meaning of sound
Sound is an aspect that has traditionally been neglected by console manufacturers. We enjoy unparalleled visual effects, vibrant colors and sharpness; only recently have we talked about technologies like Dolby Atmos (360-degree surround sound) that are compatible with the latest Microsoft consoles.
Sony will go one step further in this direction by integrating a three-dimensional audio chip that lets us (if possible) immerse ourselves even more in games. “Especially with the use of headphones,” Cerny promised a few months ago.
Sony developed a completely new user interface; less static than PS4. Again, according to Cerny, from the console’s main menu we can see the multiplayer games we can participate in real-time. Also, the solo missions are ready to be completed, along with their respective rewards.
Throwing between two glasses of water
We don’t know what the first exclusive games for PS5 will be, but it’s logical (and this has been confirmed) that the latest versions of PS4 will also reach its big sister. There has been the talk of “Death Stranding”, Hideo Kojima’s new blockbuster, scheduled for release on November 8. Knowing that their PC version will burst in months to come (with numerous graphic improvements under their arm), it wouldn’t be surprising if we saw a “final” edition for the fifth PlayStation.
These deluxe versions are the most commercially useful: In comparison, they show users what graphical benefits are lost by not making the generation leap. Another strong exclusive candidate is undoubted “The Last of Us 2” (available February 21), which many predict will be the swan song of PlayStation 4.
If we have to rely on unpublished developments, the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn will resonate loudly when you consider that guerrillas on LinkedIn are looking for designers and animators. A sequel to God of War or the resurgence of Gran Turismo also seems feasible.
Streaming in the Cloud
The Cloud. It is a topic of conversation in the industry and not for nothing: most companies are striving to become the “Netflix of video games” and offer their catalogs via streaming (previous monthly subscription fee). This requires a competent and extensive server infrastructure spread across the globe to ensure minimal delay. Seeing a series is not the same as pressing a button and our interaction is reflected on the screen at the same time.
Google (Stadium), Electronic Arts (Project Atlas), Nvidia (GeForce Now), Microsoft (Project xCloud) and Sony (PlayStation Now) are working to hit the key. Last May, the Japanese and Redmond signed a historic agreement that PlayStation 5 will benefit from the Microsoft Azure platform.
Practically and after a Sony patent, we could launch a game on the PS5 from a distance, via our smartphone, tablet or computer. Another possibility is to play with the new console without having to purchase it through the aforementioned PlayStation Now.
Second generation PS VR
Yes, the original PS VRs can be used with the PS5, but that doesn’t rule out the Japanese working on the second generation viewer. The LetsGoDigital medium ensures that PS VR 2 integrates three cameras: two front and one rear. The new PS Move would also have its own camera, which would greatly improve the accuracy of the whole thing.
Other rumors about the Virtual Reality helmet include wireless technology to say goodbye to the cables and a “transparent mode” to view our surroundings with the visor (to avoid accidents or simply grab the remote we left on the table).
A “reasonable” price
The biggest hit on PlayStation 4 was to throw a hundred euros cheaper than Xbox One (at 399 euros): Will the game be repeated? Sony has stated that PS5 will have a price “very competent in relation to its technological avant-garde”, but what was described above proposes a base price of 500 euros.
End of 2020
Knowing that PS5 will come onto the market in the final months of 2020 and with December 25 as the cut-off date for any technology company, we are invited to consider November as the most likely month of launch. Until then, we assume, Xbox Scarlett will also be a reality and the console war will bring us a new chapter.