2020 has not been the best year in recent memory, but the end of the year is slowly approaching, and it may well be worth celebrating. The holiday season will bring forth the next generation of game consoles, with children and adults being on their best behavior, hoping to receive a brand-new PlayStation 5 from Santa Claus.
Sony has yet to reveal the actual release date of the PS5. However, it has slowly rolled out details regarding the console, including the announcement of two variants: a standard and digital edition. With that in mind, here are five reasons why we are excited about the PS5, as well as five reasons why there is a cause for concern.
10 Concern: Design
The design of a next-generation console goes a long way with initially enticing consumers. There could be a decline in sales during the first few months if a console's design is negatively received. Thankfully, Sony has paid careful attention to the PlayStation's appearance, including the ability for horizontal and vertical placement, which started with the PS3.
However, the disk drive included with the standard version adds extra bulk to the already chunky design. There's also the question of an alternate color option as the default PS5 is white. Black has been the primary color for the PlayStation since the PS2, so it would be a shame if Sony decides not to release that color variant at launch.
9 Excited: Upcoming Games
Sony's decision to partner with several studios to produce PlayStation exclusive games has paid off. The PlayStation has developed a loyal following due to its reputation for delivering fantastic games. The PS4 has been blessed with a plethora of critically-acclaimed games such as God of War, Spider-Man, and Horizon Zero Dawn.
In June 2020, Sony held a digital event and premiered game trailers. The event showed off a variety of games, but it was the PlayStation exclusives that got fans excited. Sony teased sequels for Spider-Man, Resident Evil, and Ratchet & Clank, as well as other new titles. The release dates of the games were not announced, but expect them to arrive fairly soon after the release of the PS5.
8 Concerned: Complete Internet Reliance
The internet is becoming more and more of a necessity for daily life, and video games are shifting to become digital, as well. It is simply easier to pre-order an upcoming game from the PS Store rather than waiting until the release day to physically purchase from a retailer.
While digital downloading is effortless, it can also be time-consuming. Depending on a user's internet connection, most games take several hours to download on the PS4. The PS5 may contain speedy hardware that cuts the wait time down, but it will not fix an internet issue. Gamers have to account for their internet before purchasing the Digital Edition.
7 Excited: Noise Reduction
The PS4 is an amazing console. The hardware of the PS4 allowed developers to produce some of the best PlayStation games in history. However, the PS4 sounded like a jet about to take off whenever the console increased in power consumption.
Sony's Lead System Architect, Mark Cerny, admitted that Sony might not have done the best job in the PS4's management of power consumption, which is why the console can get fairly loud. Cerny addressed the issue by stating that the combination of a new GPU and improved power management would allow the PS5's cooling system to alleviate the noise.
6 Concerned: Price
The release of next-gen consoles is always exciting. Gamers line-up days ahead of the launch date to get their hands on the latest and greatest. The official release date for the PS5 has yet to be announced, but it is almost certain that the console will release just in time for the holiday season. The question now is how much it'll cost.
The standard PS5 is reportedly going to cost $499. The price may be steep for some, but, considering the updated hardware, the price can be justified. Plus, the price is still considerably lower than the initial price for the PS3. The Digital Edition is predicted to cost $399. Given that the two variants have the same hardware, it is comical to justify that the inclusion of a disk drive on the standard version is worth an extra $100.
5 Excited: DualSense
The DualShock controllers are a staple for any generation of the PlayStation. The structure of the DualShock is unique in gaming consoles because of the thumbsticks' placement. Sony has continued to improve the DualShock with every iteration, but the design fairly remains the same. However, Sony has reimagined the controller for the PS5.
The PS5's controller is called DualSense instead of the DualShock 5. The controller looks familiar yet different at the same time. In a press release on the PlayStation blog, Sony explained that the main focus of the DualSense is to improve the gamer's sense of touch. The DualSense will feature haptic feedback. The technology is a popular characteristic of Nintendo's Joy-Cons and is a welcomed addition if the DualSense is just as responsive.
4 Concerned: Storage
The demand for greater storage capacity increases every few years. The PS3 is the first PlayStation to have internal storage, with the smallest storage option was 20GB. That amount would not even be enough to store a single of today's video games onto the PS4. The world has graduated from megabytes to gigabytes, and now terabyte storage is increasingly becoming the norm.
Sony confirmed that the PS5 will have 825GB of internal storage. The decision is questionable, as gamers who want to purchase the Digital Edition have to account for digitally-downloaded games requiring more storage compared to disk-based games. The PS5 will be capable of expandable storage through a certified SSD or an external hard drive, but the inclusion of an additional 175GB would be beneficial.
3 Excite: Custom, Powerful Hardware
The hardware of a next-gen console has to be best-in-class. Otherwise, why make a new generation at all? The PlayStation has always had this mindset, which is why the PS5 is loaded with the latest hardware to ensure the console will run smoothly for years to come.
The PS5 will include a custom eight-core AMD Zen 2 CPU and a custom AMD RDNA 2 GPU. The console will also include 16GB of GDDR6 RAM. In layman's terms, the PS5 will produce the best graphics and gameplay at ultra-fast speeds.
2 Concern: Backwards Compatibility
The PS5 will be the fifth generation of the PlayStation. The PlayStation has produced several classic games dating back to the original console. Unfortunately, the ability to play games from previous generations has been minuscule. However, that may change with the PS5.
Sony has confirmed that the PS4 games will work on the PS5, but they remain vague with the details. Sony did not say if all PS4 games are eligible or if previous generation games are also compatible. Backward compatibility will further be limited on the Digital Edition, as, without a disc drive, gamers will have to hope Sony ports their favorite titles to the PlayStation Store.
1 Excited: Loading Speed
Loading screens are basically like the advertisements that play before a YouTube video; they are annoying but critical for the entire operation. Developers have thought of clever ways to mask the load screen and keep the gamer entertained during the time, but no one enjoys it. Thankfully, the PS5 will almost completely eliminate the waiting period in between gameplay.
The PS5 will include a custom Solid State Drive, which is more quick and reliable than its mechanical counterpart. Sony states that the PS5's SSD allows for greater data transfers in a short amount of time, with an advertised rate of 100-times faster than the PS4.