Let’s Talk About The Ps5’s Bizarre Design
The PS5 is quite different than past Sony consoles. But does that make it bad?
Opinionby Caty McCarthy, Senior Editor
At last, we know what the PlayStation 5 looks like. Before today, our only glimpse at it was of its controller, the new DualSense that’s taking a big step away from previous generations’ DualShocks, and not just in color scheme. Immediately, the PlayStation 5 console looks different. It’s not just a box, as has been the case for most consoles, as well as its immediate competitor, the Xbox Series X. Instead, it has a black center, illuminated by Sony’s signature neon blue light. Covering it like bookends is a slimmer, white coat. There’s a reason why people have been editing together memes of Seto Kaiba from Yu-Gi-Oh masquerading as the console.
During the stream, Sony revealed that the PlayStation 5 will launch with two editions: a normal one with a disc drive, and a digital edition without a disc drive. Naturally, the one without the disc drive looks cleaner and thinner, as it doesn’t have to accommodate a disc. The curvy console also, thankfully, is able to rest horizontally, as seen in new press photos. Considering the space in my entertainment center and most others’ pretty much only accommodates horizontal-resting consoles, I’m thankful for it. The console also looks less obtuse when horizontal as well, for all the nay-sayers out there.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
What do you think of the PS5? Let us know in the comments!
Senior Editor
What About Heat And Noise
The PS5’s monstrous footprint gives it one significant advantage over its predecessor in that the console is basically silent and heat production is also minimal. We have noticed a bit of coil whine on some units, which is where the console emits a faint electrical noise during certain games, but compared to PS4 its a monumental improvement.
The PS4 and PS4 Pro were renowned for their ability to kick up the system fans to obnoxious levels and output lots of heat, particularly on the earlier models, so those looking to pick up a PS5 will be relieved to hear that those problems have been eradicated.
We held our hand near the system during a long play session, and although the PlayStation 5 was clearly outputting hot air it was emitting far less than what the PS4 Pro would push out.
Very rarely in our testing did the fans reach an audibly loud level to the degree that the PS4 Pro did when running games like Horizon: Zero Dawn or God of War. However, that could simply be due to the fact that we haven’t seen any resource-heavy PS5 games yet. Sony has also promised that it plans to optimize the PS5’s fans using over-the-air updates, so the machine could get louder, or indeed quieter, when playing certain games later down the line.
What’s The Deal With The Ps5 Digital Edition
Sony is taking a page out of Microsoft’s book by launching a disc-less console – one that runs solely off digital downloads. You’ll buy all your games from the PlayStation Store and keep them on the console’s SSD, on an external hard drive or in the cloud.
It’s likely Sony is making the move to a Digital Edition to shave some cost off the new hardware – though, that part is purely conjecture as Sony has yet to make any announcement on specific pricing yet.
Microsoft made a similar move last year with the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, and is rumored to release a lower-cost Xbox Series X that follows the same format called Project Lockhart.
As far as we know, the console will have the same specs as the regular PS5 in terms of GPU, CPU, memory and storage, but there is a chance that those specs might differ in order for Sony to cut costs.
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Ps5 Review: Price And Where To Buy
The PS5 launched on November 12 in the U.S., and came to the U.K. and most other parts of the world on November 19. The standard PS5, which includes a 4K-Blu-ray drive, costs $499, while the PS5 Digital Edition goes for a cheaper $399, if you dont mind going discless.
Its worth noting the PS5 has been extremely hard to buy. Retail stock has been going in and out rapidly, so be sure to bookmark our PS5 restock guide and check out the retailer links below.
It Looks Like Square Enix Won’t Be Betting The Farm On The Blockchain After All
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In a turnaround so rapid it’s likely to cause whiplash, it looks like Square Enix may not be staking its future on NFTs and the blockchain after all. In its most recent financial report, the venerable purveyor of fine JRPGs has walked back its intentions somewhat. In an outline of the results, translated into English, Square Enix President Yosuke Matsuda, said the following:
Rather than using the proceeds from the divestiture in new investment domains such as NFT and blockchains, we intend to use them primarily to fund our efforts to foster solid IP and to enhance our development capabilities in our core Digital Entertainment segment.
After the sale of many of its Western studios to the Embracer Group, Square Enix had announced its intention to invest in “fields including blockchain, AI, and the cloud”, which caused some concern amongst fans, as nothing screams “out of touch” more than a company deciding to jump on the rapidly-imploding NFT bandwagon.
Are you glad Square Enix has had a change of heart or, put another way, listened to criticism? Equip your hottest takes in the comments section below.
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Ps5 Vs Ps4 Pro: Psvr Support
Both the PS4 Pro and PS5 support PSVR. Sony detailed little about what PSVR will look like on PS5 other than stating that current PSVR headsets will work on it. The company is planning on a PSVR 2 headset sometime down the road, but it will not ship with the PS5.
It will not ship with the PS5.
Global Head of R& D for PlayStation Dominic Mallinson indicated that he’d like to see PSVR on PS5 support eye-tracking and be completely wireless. He also said that he expects the resolution to “roughly double in the next set of VR products” with an increased field of view to 120 degrees. The controller should receive a massive overhaul as well.
For those who are unfamiliar with eye-tracking, it’s a sensor technology that can track where a person’s gaze is focused. This means that the device can track the position and motion of your eyes relative to your head and the screen, ideally reducing eye strain and improving performance and immersion.
Ps5 Vs Ps4 Pro: Exclusive Games
Many of Sony’s first-party games, like , Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok will release on both PS4 and PS5. But that isn’t the case with all of them. There will be games only available on next-gen hardware like the PlayStation 5.
Games like Demon’s Souls, Deathloop, and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart were released exclusively on the newest hardware and this will continue in the years to come, with more and more exclusive first-party and third-party titles arriving on the PS5.
Already, we know of some more PS5-only games like and . In the years to come, you should expect PS4 support to slowly phase out as developers focus entirely on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
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Ps5 Review: Price And Release Date
The PS5 release date is November 12, 2020.
You only had to follow the story of PS5 pre-orders to know just how in-demand the PlayStation 5 console was in the run-up to launch. It was the number one product during the winter holiday season and, as such, gamers the world over are currently still struggling to land a system.
More consoles were promised by Sony during the PS5’s launch week, although we’re looking at online orders only. The PlayStation 5 release date was November 12 in the US and Australia, and November 19 in the UK and Europe. As for the PS5 price, the console costs $499 in the US, £449 in the UK, 499 in Europe and AU$749.95 in Australia.
For today’s latest PS5 deals be sure to scope out the pricing chart below:
If You Missed The Ps5 Reveal Heres What The Ps5 Looks Like
For almost half of 2020, the PS5 console was this unknown concept, existing only through the DualSense controller and a very technical dev talk in March.
However, the console itself stole the limelight at the PS5 reveal event in June, with some fans praising it, some criticising it, and many creating memes out of the console.
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Ps5 Redesign Reportedly Coming In 2022 With This Big Change
The PS5 is so popular that shoppers are still clamoring for PS5 restocks six months after launch, but there could be a big change on the way that’s worth waiting for.
DigiTimes reports that semiconductor manufacturer TSMC is planning on producing a redesigned PS5 at some point in the second and third quarters of 2022. And it could deliver considerably more power.
- Plus:
The idea of a redesigned PS5 might seem a little premature given the current PS5 isnt even a year old yet. But the lack of stock and challenges around semiconductor supply did see Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki suggest stock shortages could be overcome with to electronic product design or finding other supply chain resources,
For example, we could find maybe second resource , or by changing design, we could cope with , said Totoki in Sony’s Q4 2021 earnings call transcribed by Seeking Alpha.
Its unclear whether Totoki is referring to the PS5 here or other electronics, or both. But combined with DigiTimes supply chain sources, the idea of a redesign PS5 doesn’t seem far fetched.
A Glowing Ethereal Sphere Of Pure Chaos Energy
We’ve been asking PlayStation to “show us the box” for a little over a year now, but what if the PS5 isn’t a box at all? What if Sony have, quite literally, thought outside of the box, and created a smooth, spherical gaming device? I’m sure you have questions with such a concept. How would it stay in place on your TV cabinet? Are circuit boards even capable of being contorted in such a way that wouldn’t compromise the console’s specs? Did you just sketch a circle because you’re terrible at drawing and literally didn’t know where to begin and/or end? The answer to all of these is yes. No further questions at this time, your honour. Alex Avard
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Ps5 Review: Dualsense Controller
The PS5 DualSense controller just might be the most next-gen thing about Sonys new console. The gamepads haptic feedback, adaptive triggers and built-in speaker work together brilliantly, creating a level of tactile immersion Ive simply never experienced while playing a game before.
The DualSense especially shines in Astros Playroom, a free, pre-installed title built specifically to showcase what Sonys new controller can do. In this colorful 3D platformer, you can feel and hear the subtle impact of grains of sand while walking through a storm, or experience a smooth gliding sensation when skating over ice, just to name a few examples. Everything from pulling on a rope to gliding around in a jetpack generates an extremely detailed level of force feedback. Its the kind of thing you truly need to feel to believe.
If you’re already pondering the PS5 DualSense vs DualShock 4 battle, the new controller comes out on top for sheer innovation alone.
The adaptive triggers are especially impressive, as they can become harder to actuate based on whats happening in-game. For example, the triggers gave much more resistance when I was controlling my character in a spring-loaded jumpsuit, accurately replicating the feeling of pushing down on a spring and releasing it. Games can even take advantage of the DualSenses built-in microphone, as I had to blow on the controller to move a platform of ice in Astros Playroom.
Remind Me What’s Happening On The Inside
Today was all about the design and the new games coming to the console in 2020 and beyond, but it’s worth reminding everyone what the console has under the hood.
Namely, that includes an AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores at 3.5GHz and a 10.28 TFLOP custom RDNA 2 GPU that has 36 CUs at 2.23GHz. It uses a custom 825GB SSD and 16GB GDDR6 memory with a streamlined system architecture that, according to the lead console architect Mark Cerny, eliminates bottle necks.
Finally, it will have a 4K UHD Blu-ray drive… or at least the regular PS5 will. The PS5 Digital Edition will have to stream movies or buy them from the store – which isn’t the end of the world either way.
Both consoles are expected out at the same time, Holiday 2020 a.k.a. November or December of this year, and you can count on us being there to cover them.
- What can the PS5 play? Here are all the PS5 games announced so far
Nick Pino is the Senior Editor of Home Entertainment at TechRadar and covers TVs, headphones, speakers, video games, VR and streaming devices. He’s written for TechRadar, GamesRadar, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade, and he has a degree in computer science he’s not using if anyone wants it.
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Why Hasn’t Sony Revealed What The Ps5 Looks Like
Again, this all ties into Sony’s approach to marketing the PS5, and their slow-burn. Sony’s approach is in direct contrast to Microsoft, as their reveal at the Game Awards chose to lay a lot out on the table. There’s an air of mystery around the PS5 still, something that keeps fans guessing and wondering. Fans have known what the Xbox Series X looks like for months, as well as a few of the games that will hit the system at launch, or shortly after. The mystery of PS5 seems to be working so far, but only time will tell if Sony’s slow-burn approach will pay off more than Microsoft’s more direct one.
PS5 launches Holiday 2020.
Ps5 Vs Ps4 Pro: Two Different Ps5 Consoles
Sony’s released a few different PS4s â like the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro â over the years, but the company has only ever shipped one upon its initial launch. That’s set to change with the PS5. Sony unveiled a digital edition of the PS5, which drops the disc drive in addition to the normal PS5.
Other than the absence of a disc drive on the PS5 Digital Edition, Sony CEO Jim Ryan says that both consoles are identical.
As you saw, there is a small difference in the form factor of the two consoles. I’m sure you also observed, the basic design aesthetic is consistent between them. So there is that and the fact that the digital edition does not have a disk drive. That is it. Other than that, they are identical products.
The PS5 costs $499, while the PS5 Digital Edition is priced at $399.
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The Ps5 Is The Weirdest Thing I’ve Ever Seen In My Life
Editorial Director
Before I talk about the PlayStation 5, I want to talk about the time I interviewed The Big Show.
About a decade ago, in another lifetime, I interviewed The Big Show, a professional wrestler who, to this day, works with the WWE.
True to his name, The Big Show is big. Ridiculously big. He’s billed at 7 feet tall and weighs about 400 pounds. As I waited in a hotel suite for The Big Show to arrive, I tried to mentally prepare myself for the sheer scale of the human being about to blot my horizon.
The mental prep didn’t work. Not even close. The Big Show walked in. My eyes widened. I audibly gasped when he took my tiny hand and shook it with a right paw the size of a large dinner plate.
The Big Show. He was big. And also really nice!
That’s sorta how I felt when I first came face to face with a PlayStation 5 in the wild. No matter how prepared I was, no matter how many photos I’d seen for scale, the size of this monstrosity of a console still took me utterly and completely by surprise.
I was at Sony’s offices in Australia when I first saw it, engaged in small talk with a Sony employee. I caught it in my peripheral vision. I started vibrating completely lost focus.
“Is that it?”
“There’s no way it’s that big.”
Despite seeing it in photos, despite preparing myself, I was honestly, sincerely shocked.
A PS5 next to a pineapple.
Mark Serrels
I loved this thing.
It has to be deliberate, right? Surely.
Ps5 Review: Game Lineup
The PS5s launch lineup is off to a solid start. The console’s big marquee launch game is Spider-Man: Miles Morales, a gorgeous and fun follow up to 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man complete with ray-traced graphics and an optional 60 fps performance mode.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a simple but charming 3D platformer with lots of character customization, but Astro’s Playroom, the free pack-in game that shows off the DualSense controller, might be even better. Not since 2007’s Nintendo Wii has a console launched with a notable game included out of the gate, and Sony’s new platformer is oozing with fun collectibles and easter eggs for hardcore PlayStation fans.
If mature action’s more your thing, Godfall is a fun and beautiful action-RPG that feels like a marriage of the weighty combat of God of War 2018 and the deep loot system of Destiny. Want something more stylish? Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition is an enhanced version of the stellar 2019 slash-em-up complete with both ray-tracing and 120 fps performance modes.
One of the PS5s biggest true launch exclusives is Demons Souls, a visually stunning remake of the beloved 2009 action/RPG of the same name. We’ve just started testing out Bluepoint’s new take on the cult favorite, so stay tuned for more impressions.
The problem is, you don’t need a PS5 to play many of these games. Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy: A Big Adventure are also available on PS4, as are many of the big third-party games that arrived at launch.
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