PS5, PlayStation 5 is a video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, as the successor to the PlayStation 4, it is scheduled to launch in late 2020.
The platform is anticipated to launch in two varieties, as a base PlayStation 5 system incorporating an Ultra HD Blu-ray compatible optical disc drive for retail game support alongside digital distribution via the PlayStation Store, and a lower-cost Digital variant lacking the disc drive while retaining digital download support. The PlayStation 5 features a customized solid state drive designed for high-speed data streaming to enable significant improvements in graphical performance. The hardware also features a custom AMD GPU capable of ray tracing, support for 4K resolution displays and high framerates, new audio hardware for real-time 3D audio effects, and backward compatibility with most PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR games.
We’ve seen the PS5 design, know all about the PS5 games line-up, which includes Horizon Forbidden West and a remake of Demon’s Souls,. The PS5 console will sport a range impressive-sounding features such as ray-tracing, a super-fast SSD, and backwards compatibility with a huge swathe of the PS4’s game catalog.
For a start, the PS5 has a radically different look, with its space-age black-and-white color scheme marking a significant departure from its predecessors. But this futuristic next-gen console won’t be the only PS5 releasing this year, as Sony has revealed it will also be releasing the PS5 Digital Edition – a streamlined, digital-only console without a disc drive.
In addition, we now know quite a bit about the PS5 specs, thanks to Sony’s March reveal event. Lead system architect Mark Cerny provided us with a deep dive into the PS5’s system architecture, revealing the technical inner workings of the PS5. We’ll cover them in more detail down below, but the short of it is that the PS5 is rocking an AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores at 3.5GHz, 16GB of GDDR6 memory and a custom RDNA 2 AMD GPU that puts out 10.28 TFLOPs of processing power. So far, then, the PS5 is living up to the hype.
- What is it? The Sony PS5 is the next-gen PlayStation console.
When will it release? “Holiday 2020”, so between October and December 2020. - What can I play on it? Loads of games! They include a new Spider-Man entry, a Horizon Zero Dawn sequel, a Demon’s Souls remake, Resident Evil 8 and much more to come.
- Will PS5 have VR? Oh yes. The next-gen console will be compatible with current PSVR hardware, and there are also rumors of PSVR 2.
- What will the PS5 cost? TBC. The PS4 and PS4 Pro were both $399 / £349 at launch, but we expect the PS5 will cost somewhat more. Leaks have suggested around the $499 mark.
- Can I play PS4 games on the PS5? The PS5 will definitely be backwards compatible with “almost all” PS4 games – earlier generations are still to be confirmed. It will launch with support for the majority of the top 100 PS4 games, according to Sony’s Mark Cerny.
- Will coronavirus delay the PS5 release? Sony has confirmed the PS5 release date is not currently delayed by coronavirus, and reiterated the fact that the PS5 is still on course for a “Holiday 2020” release in its end of year financial report.
