The PlayStation 5 is available now, and according to early reporting, is already a success. Sony has seemingly delivered another combination of cutting edge hardware, exciting new features, and exclusive game releases. To say it was done quickly or with ease would be inaccurate, however. In a recent interview, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan described the process that led to the PS5's creation, which started almost five years ago.
Speaking with GQ Magazine, Ryan attributes the start of the PS5's creation to targeting and locking down a specific chip technology. Ryan said, "There's a tension between being able to catch the latest wave of chip technology and allowing yourself enough time to productise it." The PlayStation team found a chip technology that was being worked on as far back as 2015 and planned the PS5 around that hardware. In many ways, the chip tech is developed alongside the console itself.
As for the PlayStation 5's core features, Ryan said modern console generations make it easier to "pick up new technologies as they come along." As such, it's not so much that the PS5 was aiming to break new ground, but that things like SSDs and the DualSense's haptic feedback are already there and successful. PCs have used SSD technology affordably for years, and the Switch's JoyCon HD Rumble is popular, too. Sony watches for these types of ideas, and then evaluates them for its next-gen consoles.
However, Ryan doesn't take credit for the PS5's development. He dismisses the idea that he's particularly hands-on, and said that his role is having "an opinion on the commercial viability of certain ideas." Ryan acknowledges that this is sort of the "bad cop" role, in that he has to say no to certain ideas others bring up. He describes these as great ideas that would lead to a $1,000 console.
Ryan also touches on the PlayStation team's aesthetic decisions with the PS5. The PS5 has a different style compared to previous generations. Ryan acknowledges this, saying it's evidence of the PS5 team's confidence and willingness to be bold. Specifically, he says the PS5's visual designs were made from a "position of confidence, but certainly not one of complacency." If Ryan thought it would harm the PS5 in any way, he'd likely have vetoed it.
Ultimately, Ryan said that the PS5's purpose remains as a box office from which PlayStation will continue to launch its blockbuster games. Ryan even goes so far as saying that "we've never been in better shape than we are now," with relation to its first-party studios. He says PS5 owners will be able to look forward to a lot of great games, and the console is built to deliver that.
The PS5 is available now.
Source: GQ