What will hopefully be the full reveal of the PlayStation 5, or at least an introduction to the next-gen console's hardware, is nearing. But in the meantime speculation continues to drive the conversation surrounding the PS5. The latest bit of commentary going around isn't particularly specific, but is nonetheless going to kickstart speculation once more. A member of the media cited an anonymous source to claim that the PS5's devkit, as expected, is "very powerful."
The comment comes from PlayStation podcaster and past IGN game journalist Colin Moriarty. Moriarty talks about what he's heard of the PS5 devkit during his Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast broadcast. While he doesn't expand on the PS5's relative power beyond it being quite powerful, the statement still holds weight. Moriarty has covered PlayStation topics for some time and his sources are reliable, at least to the extent of this claim being worth taking seriously.
The question is whether or not Moriarty is saying "very powerful" with knowledge of the current rumors or if he's directly quoting a developer. If he's directly quoting a developer, "very powerful" doesn't mean very much. It's already assumed that next-gen consoles like the PS5 will be significantly more powerful than current generation consoles, including the PS4 Pro. If Moriarty is saying "very powerful" with an awareness of the current discourse surrounding next-gen console GPUs, then there's more that can be assumed.
Current discourse surrounding next-gen consoles is questioning just how powerful the PS5 is. Rumors have indicated the PS5 GPU might come in under 10 teraflops, which is potentially slower than the Xbox Series X's rumored 12-14 teraflops. None of this is certain, of course. There are rumors that both consoles GPUs range from 9-14 teraflops, but the Xbox Series X potentially being much more powerful than the PS5 is what's currently been focused on. If Moriarty knew about this, him saying "very powerful" could hint towards parity between next-gen consoles. Or at least the PS5 not being outmatched.
Ultimately, PlayStation fans are in the same place they were before Moriarty's quote came to be, though with a bit more confidence. Everyone's still waiting for Sony or Microsoft to announce an upcoming event to provide more information about their consoles. Sony is expected to hold a PS5 event in February. Microsoft should be talking about the Xbox Series X more in the next few months. It's an exciting time for gamers looking forward to next-generation consoles.
The PS5 releases in late 2020.