Everything We Know About The PlayStation 5

The next generation of gaming is upon us. The PlayStation 5 is set to launch Holiday 2020, going head-to-head against the Xbox Series X. This marks the beginning of the end to the PlayStation 4’s life, but are you ready to make the next-gen leap?

Here’s everything you need to know before you buy the brand new PlayStation.

How much will the PS5 cost? 

After months of waiting, Sony officially revealed the price of the PS5 during its PlayStation 5 Showcase on Sept 16. The console with a disc drive will retail at $499.99. If your budget is a little tight, you can opt for the cheaper Digital Edition, which will cost you $399.99 before tax. Both versions will be able to play next-gen games, but there is one major difference between the two.

What different PS5 models are available?

At launch, there’s the standard PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition. As the name suggests, the latter doesn’t have a disk drive, meaning all games will have to be bought digitally on the PlayStation Store. The selling point of the Digital Edition is that it is likely to be cheaper, but by how much we don't yet know. However, if Sony follows in the footsteps of Microsoft (which had its own digital-only version of the Xbox One S), then it could be a $50 price reduction. This version will, of course, lock you out of playing any physical secondhand games.

Will the PS5 be backwards compatible?

Sony has confirmed that yes, you will be able to play your PS4 library on the PS5. This feature applies to both digital and physical titles. This will be a welcome and perhaps surprising addition for many after the feature was noticeably absent from the PS4. Of course, if you want to play your physical PS4 games, you'll have to avoid the PS5 Digital Edition.

Does PS5 have “smart delivery”?

Microsoft hasn't been shy when it comes to boasting of its “smart delivery.” This is a feature where, for selected games released on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X, you will only have to buy one copy. Your Xbox One version will double up as an Xbox Series X version too. 

While Sony doesn’t have the marketable name for the feature, fans will be pleased to know that they’re offering smart delivery, meaning on a game-by-game basis, developers can choose to offer a free next-gen upgrade. It's up for developers to decide whether or not to use it, but big titles such as Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, and Marvel's Avengers have already confirmed that they will. There are some caveats to this, however, such as Control, which will only offer the free next-gen upgrade to those with the Ultimate Edition. Additionally, the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, will not offer smart delivery in the standard edition of the game.  

Will my PS4 controller work on PS5?

Sony has revealed that the PS4 controller, the DualShock 4, will work on the PS5, but only with PS4 games. The reason they cite is that they “believe that PS5 games should take advantage of the new capabilities and features [they're] bringing to the platform, including the features of DualSense wireless controller.”

What’s the new PS5 controller like?

One of the first bits of PS5 news, the DualSense looks to be the biggest leap for controllers in PlayStation history. Not only does it look a whole lot different from what we've seen in the past, it also introduces the new feature of "haptic feedback." This means that the controller will feel different depending on what you're doing in the game. On the PlayStation website, they use the examples of feeling the effect of driving through gravel, or using the R2 and L2 buttons to feel tension as you pull a bow string.

What are the PS5 launch titles?

While you can of course play most of your PS4 games on the PS5, there’s also a host of launch titles confirmed for this holiday season. These include:

Bold: PlayStation exclusive

• Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Astro’s Playroom
• Observer: System Redux
• Godfall
• Outriders
• The Pathless
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (recently confirmed to be in the "launch window")
• Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition

What are the PS5 exclusives?

As well as some of the above launch titles, the PS5 is set to have a whole host of PlayStation exclusives. These include:

• Horizon: Forbidden West
• Demon’s Souls
• Oddworld Soulstorm (also on PS4)
• Destruction Allstars
• GhostWire: Tokyo
• Returnal
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure
• Goodbye Volcano High (also on PS4)
• Gran Turismo 7
• Stray
• Final Fantasy XVI

There will also be more games coming to PS5, some of which won't be exclusive to the platform.

How much storage does the PS5 have?

The PS5 SSD has 825GB of storage space, which is an increase on the PS4’s base 500GB storage. You will be able to buy another SSD should you need more space. The PS5 will also support USB external hard drives, but this will only support PS4 games played through backwards compatibility. If you want more space for your next-gen games, you'll have to buy a second SSD to plug into your new console.

Will the PS5 have ray tracing?

Absolutely. Both next-gen consoles are set to use this revolutionary lighting technique, which has the capacity to make games look more lifelike than ever. This is accomplished by creating a light source that interacts uniquely with different environments, meaning it will look different depending on whether it is coming directly from the sun, as opposed to neon lights, or coming through a window. 

Do you need HDMI 2.1 for PS5?

No. While the PS5 will be HDMI 2.1 compatible, it uses the same size and connection type of all the other HDMI cables. So as long as your current TV has supported your PS4 or Xbox One, it will also support your PS5. HDMI 2.1 is only going to be standard in televisions built this year, so it wouldn’t be a smart idea for a games company to alienate the vast majority of its audience. 

When is the PS5 being released?

Despite coronavirus-related lockdowns, Sony has been adamant about launching the PlayStation 5 before the end of 2020. After the Sept. 16 showcase event, Sony revealed that the console will launch on Nov. 12. However, that date only applies to the following countries: U.S., Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. The rest of the world will have to wait until Nov. 19—well, except for China. Sony is still exploring a launch date for the Chinese market.

What are the PS5’s specs?

While we've been over a lot of specific questions, here's the rest of the PS5's specs:

• CPU    
  • x86-64-AMD Ryzen™ “Zen 2”
  • 8 Cores / 16 Threads
  • Variable frequency, up to 3.5 GHz
• GPU    
  • AMD Radeon™ RDNA 2-based graphics engine
  • Ray Tracing Acceleration
  • Variable frequency, up to 2.23 GHz (10.3 TFLOPS)
• System Memory    
  • GDDR6 16GB
  • 448GB/s Bandwidth
• SSD    
  • 825GB
  • 5.5GB/s Read Bandwidth (Raw)
• PS5 Game Disc    
  • Ultra HD Blu-ray™, up to 100GB/disc
• Video Out    
  • Support of 4K 120Hz TVs, 8K TVs, VRR (specified by HDMI ver.2.1)
• Audio    
  • “Tempest” 3D AudioTech

That's everything we know about the PlayStation 5 right now! We may be missing the all important price and specific release date, but there's enough info on the games and specs that we can start thinking if it's worth making the next-gen jump.

Has the PlayStation 5 managed to tide you over? Let us know your thoughts on the PS5 in the comments below.