The next generation of console hardware begins next winter, in holiday season 2020. The PS5 has been announced and many details have been confirmed about the console, but there's a little less currently known about the next Xbox, currently codenamed Project Scarlett.
When Sony unveiled the PS5 earlier this month, titling it and giving a release window, tons of features were confirmed and statements given by Sony gave speculation for more rumors to percolate. Details about Project Scartlett have trickled out since it was announced at E3 2019, but right now there is less known about the console than the Playstation 5. Here is every confirmed detail revealed by Sony and Microsoft about the next gen consoles so far.
Technical Specs
The PS5 was revealed to contain an AMD Ryzen Zen 2 microchip that will have eight cores with 16 threads which allows it to support 8K resolution and PlayStation VR. Microsoft has not shared official specs for Project Scarlett, but it is going to contain a custom AMD that uses Zen 2 and Navi architecture to run games in 8K and 120hz.
Next Gen Controllers
Sadly, nothing is known about the next Xbox controller for the Scarlett, but Sony did unveil information regarding the currently untitled controller, though this is likely to be the DualShock 5. The Playstation 5 controller will have "adaptive triggers" which are reactive to in-game circumstances. Trigger tension will change based on whether the player is shooting a shotgun or SMG in a shooter for example. The controller will also have haptic feedback creating more adaptive rumble. It also has highly programmable voice-coil actuators in each grip of the controller and uses a USB Type-C for charging.
Solid State Drives and Reduced Load Times
Both consoles are confirmed to include a solid state drive (SSD). Microsoft is using this SSD as virtual RAM that will supposedly boost performance by 40x over the current generation. SSD is also key to reducing loading times, a promise both Microsoft and Sony have made for their next gen consoles.
Sony has promised "no loading times" for the PS5, but that has already been shown to be an exaggeration. However, the loading times will be greatly reduced on the PS5. This was shown at a demonstration comparing PS4 Pro to PS5 which showed off Marvel's Spider-Man running on both consoles to contrast the load times.
Ray Tracing
The advanced light rendering technique that is become all the rage in high-end PC gaming is finally coming to consoles next gen. While Microsoft has not entirely confirmed Ray Tracing for the next Xbox, Sony has said the PS5 will feature hardware-accelerated ray tracing powered by the AMD GPU.
xCloud and Streaming
Game streaming may end up being one of the defining leaps of the next generation. With Google Stadia launching this fall, that competition has already begun. As many might not know, Sony already has streaming service Playstation Now which enables players to stream games directly to their console, and it is confirmed to continue on to PS5. However, Microsoft is the one leaning into this technology the hardest.
In fact, gamers will very soon be able to experience Microsoft's cloud service, Project xCloud in the preview program that begins this month. This will be the first hands on with Microsoft's streaming platform. Both consoles are set to have disc drives, and no all digital consoles have been announced yet, although it is rumored Microsoft is working on a streaming-only SKU of the Scarlett.
Custom Game Installation/Deletion
Currently consoles require players completely install their games before being able to play them, but Sony is planning something a little different with the installation process for the PlayStation 5. Due to the way game data is handled with the SSD, players will be able to install and delete whichever sections of games they want. Players can better manage their data this way. For example, this allows players to uninstall single player once they are done with a campaign, but keep the multiplayer section of a game installed.
Backwards Compatibility
Next-gen consoles will be backwards compatible, but it's not entirely confirmed to what extent yet. Sony has confirmed the Playstation 5 will play Playstation 4 games, but nothing extending back into their catalogue has been confirmed yet. Xbox Scarlett, on the other hand, will support games from all four generations of Xbox consoles. This is a continuation of efforts made this generation by Microsoft to build up their digital library of games and services by including games from every Xbox generation.
4K Blu-Ray
The PS5 is confirmed to double as a 4K blu ray player, the first Playstation console to do so. The console will contain an optical drive that will support 100-GB game discs in addition to 4K Blu-Ray discs. Xbox One X and One S consoles already support the ability to play 4K blu-ray and that will continue into the next generation of Xbox consoles.