PS5, or PlayStation 5 as it’s fully titled, is Sony’s fifth home console. It’s the successor to the PS4, which released in November 2013.
PlayStation 5 is coming later this year, and following a series of the major reveal, we know more than ever about the next-generation console. Sony has unveiled its specs, design, and a number of games coming to the new machine. It’s starting to feel very real, and we can’t wait.
The price, release date, and specific launch titles for the PS5 remain unclear, with Sony confirming it will be revealing more and more details in the coming months. We still have a number of questions, but with a distinct focus on games at the forefront, PS5 already has an advantage over Xbox Series X.
In this PS5 article, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about PS5 including all the latest news, release date, games, specs, features, and more.
PlayStation 5 News
Sony has released a detailed FAQ on the PlayStation Blog, explaining exactly which existing accessories will be compatible with the PS5 when it launches later this year. With both the PS5 and Xbox Series X boasting about forwarding compatibility and fostering a growing ecosystem, it’s reassuring that both companies are now beginning to address questions that consumers have been floating around for months.
More specifically, a recent blog post from Sony delves into exactly which accessories will work on the upcoming next-gen console, and if there will be any limitations to their compatibility. Turns out there will be, but it’s handy to know exactly where the Dualshock 4 and other devices will stand later this year.
You can check out the full list (via PlayStation Blog) below:
- Specialty peripherals, such as officially licensed racing wheels, arcade sticks, and flight sticks, will work with PS5 games and supported PS4 games.
- The Platinum and Gold Wireless Headsets, as well as third-party headsets that connect via USB port or audio jack, will work on PS5 (the headset companion app is not compatible with PS5).
- The DualShock 4 wireless controller and PlayStation officially licensed third-party gamepad controllers will work with supported PS4 games.
- Both the PS Move Motion Controllers and the PlayStation VR Aim Controller will work with supported PS VR games on PS5.
Perhaps the most significant takeaway here is that the Dualshock 4 will be fully compatible on the PS5, but won’t work with any games developed exclusively for the new platform. Sony states this is due to PS5 games taking “advantage of the new capabilities and features we’re bringing to the platform, including the features of DualSense wireless controller.” Guess you’ll need two new controllers for local multiplayer.
PlayStation 5 Release Date
The PS5 will launch at the latter end of 2020.
While Sony hasn’t provided a specific release date yet, we imagine the PS5 will land in November, ensuring the console is comfortably in the homes of players ahead of the Christmas period.
We’ll be sure to share more specific the second we hear more, as it remains unclear whether the Covid-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on the next-gen console launches.
PlayStation 5 Console – PS5 Digital Edition Look
The PS5 looks unique, with futuristic curves and a general look that’s very different to the subtle PS4.
There will be a digital-only version of the console, which lacks a disk drive, as well as a potentially more expensive standard version with a 4K Blu-Ray player.
Video footage has also shown the PS5 will feature both a USB-A and USB-C port, which means it should support old peripherals as well as looking into the future with new technology.
Not a fan of the white design? Then you’ll be pleased to know that special editions have already been confirmed, with PlayStation vice-president of UX design Matt MacLaurin claiming, “customization with special editions will be beyond anything seen before.”
PlayStation 5 Games Announced
A number of new PS5 games were confirmed during the official reveal event. You can see the list below:
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Gran Turismo 7
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
- Demon’s Souls Remake
- Hitman 3
- Resident Evil 8: Village
- Oddworld: Soulstorm
- Deathloop
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- NBA 2K21
- Godfall
- Ghostwire Tokyo
Sony has also revealed exactly how physical games on PlayStation 5 will look once they’re unleashed into the wild later this year. You’ll notice the strip on the top of each box is now white, likely to emphasize the color of PlayStation 5. We’re still not entirely sold on the new look, but it’s likely something we’ll get used to.
A sneak peek at what #PS5 games will look like when you see them on store shelves starting later this year. https://t.co/YIMk8xV9PG pic.twitter.com/ip1w4ciqpq
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) July 9, 2020
PlayStation 5 Backwards Compatibility
The PS5 is confirmed to feature backward compatibility, as Mark Cerny (PS5 system architect) said, “PS4 graphics engines will run just fine on PlayStation 5”. A Legacy Mode was revealed for the PS5, which would allow developers to create PS4 titles for the next-gen console without losing any functionality. Those PS4 games will supposedly run at boosted frequencies, which could potentially result in improved visuals and performance.
PlayStation did suggest only the “top 100 PS4 games” will be supported by the PS5 at launch. Though, with more expected to receive the required patches at a later point. It remains unknown whether PS5 will adopt a “Smart Delivery” system like Xbox Series X. This feature provides players with a free upgrade to next-gen versions of existing titles, saving them a bunch of money in the process.
PlayStation 5 Specifications
Mark Cerny confirmed the specs during a video presentation. The PS5’s GPU features 10.28 TFLOPs, 26 Compute Units and a 2.23GHz variable frequency. The CPU, meanwhile, uses Zen 2 architecture and has eight cores. PlayStation claims this processor sees a 3.5GHz variable frequency.
The PS5 will also see a custom 825GB SSD, although storage will be upgradable with M.2 SSDs from the open market since the console features an NVMe SSD Slot. You can see the rest of the specs below.
| PlayStation 5 | PlayStation 4 | |
| CPU | 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.5GHz (variable frequency) | 8x Jaguar Cores at 1.6GHz |
| GPU | 10.28 TFLOPs, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz (variable frequency) | 1.84 TFLOPs, 18 CUs at 800MHz |
| GPU Architecture | Custom RDNA 2 | Custom GCN |
| Memory/Interface | 16GB GDDR6 / 256-bit | 8GB GDDR5 / 254-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448 GB/s | 176 GB/s |
| Internal Storage | Custom 825GB SSD | 500GB HDD |
| IO Throughput | 5.5GB/s (RAW), Typical 8-9 GB/s (Compressed) | Approx 50-100MB/s (dependent on data location on HDD) |
| Expandable Storage | NVMe SSD Slot | Replaceable internal HDD |
| External Storage | USB HDD Support | USB HDD Support |
| Optical Drive | 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive | Blu-Ray Drive |
PlayStation 5 Controller
The DualSense controller sure is an eye-catching bit of kit and the immediate reaction suggests it could be a Marmite of a device. There’s a lot to dig into when it comes to the little tweaks across the new DualSense (RIP DualShock 5).
Take a closer look and the new face buttons may get your attention. The new design looks set to ditch the colors we’ve become so familiar with and go for a muted look as well as a transparent/translucent design for the buttons as a whole.
Elsewhere on the front of the device is the new Create and Options button. Options keep its name but gets a new logo – replacing the text. While Share has become Create, represented by three fanned outlines. We don’t yet know what the change from Share to Create means, but Sony has said it will allow for new ways to “create epic gameplay content to share with the world.”
On the black area of the face of the controller, we have the signature analog sticks and a new button added for DualSense. The analog sticks do look extremely similar to the DualShock 4 however, there seems to be a slight differentiation in the pattern. Whether this difference means a new texture for the sticks, we don’t yet know.
The new button in between the analog sticks is for muting the microphone inside the controller. Sony says you can use the DualSense’s mic array for chatting with friends – however, it still recommends headsets for prolonged gaming sessions.
Moving to the top of the controller (we are still yet to see the back), the first thing to note is the absence of the light bar. Instead, this has been moved to a more subtle lighting effect behind the touchpad – suggesting PS VR support could be out for the DualSense.
The most interesting part here is the redesigned shoulder buttons. Sony is touting new adaptive haptic feedback tech for these new DualSense buttons and they’ve gotten a bit of a new look too – particularly the bumpers. The PS5 controller also appears to be joining modern smartphones in ditching USB-A, opting for a standard that’s slowly becoming universal – USB-C.
PlayStation 5 VR
It has been confirmed that existing PlayStation VR headsets will work with PS5 at launch, meaning there is currently no plans for a new iteration of the hardware to be released alongside Sony’s console.
This settles some worries while also raising a bunch of interesting questions. For example – will virtual reality experiences explicitly developed for PS5 also work with these headsets, and will everything we need to carry over?
There are also peripherals such as the PlayStation Camera and Move controllers, both of which are essential for the use of PSVR, so will presumably be operable on the new system without any significant effort from the player. If so, we’d be delighted. If not, Sony would be best to clear things up during the console’s eventual reveal.
PSVR has now sold an impressive total of 4 million headsets, cementing it as one of the most popular forms of virtual reality on the planet. The accessibility of only needing a console and a selection of games makes it a rather appealing proposition to your average gamer. Sony is aware of that and feels like the medium has a long road ahead of it.
“I think that the hardware experience will improve the VR experience. VR has a lot to learn even at companies that have been making games for a long time. I realized that as soon as I started VR. I had to learn a lot because I couldn’t do it with normal TV games,” said Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida (via WCCFTech).
“But we had to have many guidelines for danger, but with the developer’s ingenuity, we were able to see how to do it, and VR makes us think about what the human abilities are, and after three years such knowledge is growing.” Here’s hoping things will only continue to evolve with the arrival of PS5 in 2020.
PlayStation 5 Price
A Twitter user known as IronManPS5 has unveiled a number of potential prices for the PlayStation 5, Dualsense controller, and a number of other accessories for the next-gen console. Obviously, none of these prices are confirmed and should be taken with a grain of salt, but they’re within a ballpark that many could safely assume to be both accurate and competitive with the Xbox Series X. In a series of tweets, they list the following price points:
- PS5 – $499, €499 and £449
- Dualsense – $59.99, €59.99 and £54.99
- Pulse 3D Wireless Headset – $159, €179 and £129
- Dualsense Charging Station – $29.99, €29.99 and £24.99
PlayStation 5 will be available in North America and Europe on November 20, 2020 at a recommended retail price (RRP) of $499, €499 and £449 pic.twitter.com/YoiDaGiIJo
— Iron Man (@IronManPS5) June 18, 2020
The discless version will apparently retail for £349, but this almost sounds too good to be true for a next-generation console, especially given the powerful innards boasted by the PlayStation 5.
However, the other listings sound accurate when compared to previous consoles, so perhaps Sony will be offering its next console for cheaper than expected?
That is all for now about PlayStation 5. If you have any comments, suggestions, or tips please be sure to share them in the comments section below.
