With the next generation of consoles right around the corner, both Microsoft and Sony have taken a slower approach to revealing their offerings. Sony has essentially slow dripped new information out over the past few months instead of opting for a big reveal at E3 like its chief competitor Microsoft. While Sony provided a short demonstration of the PS5 a month before E3, the company is ready to talk a bit more about the console including its launch window and new controller innovations.
In a new blog post, President & CEO of Sony interactive Entertainment Jim Ryan provided fans a bit more information on the PlayStation 5 and the company's next generation plans. The update began by essentially confirming what most players expected to hear: the PlayStation 5 is launching next year before the holiday season. While Ryan admits that the date probably isn't a huge surprise, the company wanted to officially confirm it alongside the console's name as the PlayStation 5.
However, the launch window update arrives alongside even more news regarding the controller that will be shipping with the system. As Ryan describes it, the company is aiming to offer a deeper feeling of immersion while playing games, which is where the two new features on the controller really come in to play. The first is the new haptic feedback tech that replaces the simple rumble technology found in previous iterations. With haptic feedback, the player is able to feel a broader range from different textures like mud or grass to things like crashing into a wall during a race or getting hit during a sports game.
The second new controller innovation for the PlayStation 5 are adaptive triggers. Replacing the simple triggers of L2/R2 in past versions of the controller, developers are now able to program how much resistance is present when the player pulls on them. Different resistances can be used to simulate different situations like pulling the string on a bow, like the heavily rumored Horizon Zero Dawn 2, or driving a vehicle over different terrains.
The console arms race between Sony and Microsoft has been starting to heat up this year, with both companies slowly revealing more news about next generation plans. Sony has previously revealed details regarding the PS5 through written articles, though Microsoft has chosen to be a bit more flashy with its reveal taking place at E3 2019. Different patents and rumors have attempted to fill the knowledge gaps including a Virtual Reality Floor Mat fro Project Scarlett and an Assist Button built into the PS5. Regardless, with both consoles expected to arrive towards the end of 2020, fans should be expecting plenty of news regarding the next generation over the next 12 months.
The PlayStation 5 launches Holiday 2020.
Source: PlayStation Blog