Believe it or not, the PlayStation 4 is now just over six years old, and that means the PlayStation 5 is just around the corner...
The PS4 has sold more than 106 million units to date, helped in part by an impressive games catalogue – but Sony has to do even better for the PlayStation 5. In the same way the PS4 faced stiff competition from the Xbox One, the PlayStation 5 will face off against Microsoft’s forthcoming Xbox Series X console.
So, when will the PS5 launch, what sort of specs will Sony load it with, and what sort of games will it come out with? And most importantly, how much is Sony’s next console going to cost?
Keep reading for all the news, rumours and more about PlayStation 5.
PS5: launch games?
Only one game has been properly confirmed as a PS5-exclusive, and it’s a fantasy-based, hack’n’slash number called Godfall. Aside from that, it’s hard to know what to expect at launch, though flagships such as Gran Turismo have been tipped to launch with the new console.
Still, expect new iterations of the usual Sony exclusives - from Uncharted and God of War to Horizon Zero Dawn and GT Sport to land on the PS5 at some point. And expect some multi-platform games, too: think Bioshock, Assassins Creed, and more.
PS5: hardware and specs
The PS5 is still months away, but Sony has actually revealed a good amount of information about its new console – mainly in a Wired interview and official 'Road To PS5' presentation with the machine’s system architect Mark Cerny.
Cerny has confirmed that the PlayStation 5 will be able to use ‘ray-tracing’, a technology responsible for more realistic lighting and 3D sound-effects, and states it’ll be done at a hardware – not software – level. It’ll be crisp too: in the same way the PS4 Pro brought 4k to Sony consoles, the PS5 will bring 8K. Whether your TV will be able to make the most out of it is another matter…
Powering the above will be the third-generation of AMD’s Ryzen processors, combined with a Radeon Navi-based GPU. Cerny has also confirmed that the AMD Ryzen processor in the PS5 will feature eight cores, and use the company’s latest 7nm Zen 2 tech. That’s similar to the Xbox Series X, too.
CPU: AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores at 3.5GHz (variable frequency)
GPU: 10.28 TFLOPs, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz (variable frequency)
GPU architecture: Custom RDNA 2
Memory interface: 16GB GDDR6 / 256-bit
Memory bandwidth: 448GB/s
Internal storage: Custom 825GB SSD
IO throughput: 5.5GB/s (raw), typical 8-9GB/s (compressed)
Expandable storage: NVMe SSD slot
External storage: USB HDD support (PS4 games only)
Optical drive: 4K UHD Blu-ray drive
PS5: SSD and 100BG discs
What’s more, the PS5 will also ship with an SSD as standard like its forthcoming Microsoft competition. PS4 owners were able to upgrade their systems with third-party units, but Sony is throwing it in as standard now. It's a response to the sheer amount of data PS5 games will access, and the speed they’ll need to do it at.
The bandwidth provided by SSD memory helps to overcome the barriers of HDD, allowing memory to be accessed in a much more efficient way and reducing the need for bulks of data to sit clogging up the RAM. For end-users, what this translates to is quicker loading times and reduced/non-existent texture popping.
A demo of the PS5 loading times versus the PS4 was leaked, and really goes to show the speed of SSD.
Physical games will come on 100GB discs, but Sony says a download will be compulsory for every title. If you’re already worried about storage space, Sony wants to calm your fears. In the interview with Wired, Cerny explains that users will be able to download parts of games rather than everything. For example. you could play the latest Call of Duty's campaign once, and then uninstall it, leaving just the multiplayer mode on your console. This will also allow for much quicker game access.
PS5: Tempest 3D AudioTech
In Mark Cerny’s ‘Road To PS4’ presentation, the consoles innovative Tempest 3D AudioTech was announced and explained. Rather than just acting as a standard object-orientated virtual surround sound system, the Tempest 3D AudioTech provides a complex layered 3D sound experience. The PSVR has brilliant immersive sound, and operates with around 50 sound layers. The new PS5 system promises to more than double this power.
The sound system supports multiple sound sources, allowing developers the opportunity to increase the sense of space and dimension in their soundscapes effectively tricking the user’s brain into feeling present in a situation, rather than observing one.
Cerny used the example of rain. Whereas on a PS4, users will hear rain as a single audio track, the Tempest 3D AudioTech system will use multiple layers to create dynamic ambient soundscape. You don’t hear the rain, you hear individual raindrops.
This reveal confirms a huge stride towards the high level of immersion that Sony seems to be going for with the PS5, an effort further reinforced by their haptic-loaded controller.
PS5: Controller info - DualSense revealed.
Sony’s next generation controller has been revealed. The DualSense features haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, and includes a rechargeable battery and in-built microphones. While the button and analogue stick configuration remains the same as previous PlayStation controllers, the ergonomic design and colouring is notably new.
Since the DualSense was revealed, we’ve taken a deep dive into the controller to see what it truly has to offer: PS5 controller revealed: Sony’s DualSense explained.
PS5: release date
Sony has told us plenty of details about the PS5, but other than a seasonal ball-park, there's no official date for release. A blog post from Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan confirmed the next machine will be called the PlayStation, and also stated it’d be released ‘in time for Holiday 2020’.
'In time' could mean any time towards the end of the year, but a look at previous PlayStation launch dates suggests late-November is the most likely. And yes, that’s puts it in the same window as the forthcoming Xbox Series X – begun, the console wars have.
A launch date of November 20, 2020 was leaked, but this isn't official and has not been confirmed. Sony have also stated that they currently have no plans to delay the console launch due to the coronavirus.
PS5: the price
The PS3 was more expensive than the equivalent Xbox, but the PS4 and later PS4 Pro both came in at £349 – and this lower cost strategy did well for Sony. However, it doesn’t look like Sony will be able to go that low for the PS5. Most reports suggest the PS5 will hit the shops at around £450 and rise to £500 with a game. The technology above is going to bring a significant step-up, but we’re going to have to pay for it.
Make sure to check back in with us regularly, as we'll be updating this article as we receive more news, updates and reveals.
On April 7, 2020, Senior VP of Platform Planning Hideaki Nishino revealed the PS5's DualSense controller in a PlayStation blog post. Check out our breakdown of the details to find out what it tells us about the PS5 console.
[PS5 controller revealed: Sony’s DualSense explained](http://PS5 controller revealed: Sony’s DualSense explained)
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