The PlayStation 4 is one of the most successful video game consoles of all time, and the second best-selling, behind the PS2. Spanning now nearly seven years, the box has had multiple different iterations, including slim and pro versions, and has become one of the market leaders in terms of must-play exclusive titles, such as God of War, Spider-man, and most recently, The Last of Us Part II. However, the time has come for some new hardware, capable of taking things to the next level in terms of design, storytelling, load times, visuals, and more.
Looking forward to the launch of these new next-gen systems in the fall, and wondering whether to go for the Xbox Series X or PS5? Perhaps you’re unsure of whether the PS5 is even going to be much of an upgrade, and are debating if you should even pick it up at launch? Whatever the case may be, we’ve compiled a list of five reasons to be excited about the PlayStation 5.
The Console
Perhaps the most striking and interesting piece of news surrounding a new console launch, and definitely the most shared piece of information, is the design and look of the ‘box’ itself. This generation, Microsoft and Sony are taking things in completely different directions entirely.
While Microsoft has opted for a sleek, basic rectangular shape in matte black, Sony has gone for a unique white design with blue accenting LED strips along the inside. It’s sure to turn heads when standing vertically in your entertainment centre, and hopefully, its large size will mean that your PlayStation system will no longer sound like it’s going to take off into orbit when running demanding programmes/games.
Those that no longer purchase their games physically will be glad to hear that Sony are releasing two versions of the PS5 at launch, with one being a more symmetrical, ‘digital edition’. For the traditionalists and physical media collectors, the standard edition will feature a jutted out disk drive, which will also play 4K Blu-Rays, which is a nice touch and upgrade over the standard Blu-Ray drive of the PS4.
The Games Themselves
Of course, the console is all well and good, but ultimately the games are this next step is all about. Luckily for Sony fans, the company have shown quite the launch slate for the console, including titles such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Gran Turismo 7, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Sackboy: A Big Adventure. Of course, the console will also be backwards compatible with PS4, and you’ll get better performance from the games that support it.
Did you know? The porting process to PS5 is going to present a new challenge for video game developers, but we will start to see over the next few years some real delights on the consoles (both Xbox and PlayStation) as they master the hardware and learn how to really leverage it for great results. Often for difficult hardware, specialist game studios such as Abstraction, who have knowledge in multiple different platforms, can be a great help in realising a development vision.
The Controller
Shown before the PS5 console was revealed itself, Sony’s DualSense controller looks to be a marked improvement over the much-loved DualShock. Alongside having a sleek, white design with some shape differences to the previous iteration, the controller will have some neat new upgrades, such as integrated haptic feedback, and even adaptive trigger buttons that will really feel great during gameplay sequences.
The Graphics
4K will become much more of a normalcy in the coming months and years with PlayStation, and while it may not be as much of a leap from PlayStation 1 to 2, the PS5 should have noticeably improved visuals out of the gate. One of the most impressive bits of footage that we have to go off of at the minute is Epic Games’ outstanding showcase of their Unreal Engine 5 demo, which was captured directly from a PlayStation 5 system.
The Load Times
One of the most exciting prospects within these modern consoles is their SSD technology, which will allow objects and terrains to load at a much faster and more efficient rate than ever before. While the way it works is very different, PC gamers that have upgraded to an SSD before should have an indication as to the difference this can make to managing and loading up titles, and Sony has demonstrated how this technology works behind closed doors by showcasing fast-paced Spider-Man web-slinging through New York, generating the buildings and passing obstacles at a stunning rate simply not feasible on PS4 hardware.
