PlayStation 5 rumors have been circulating for years. Hardware upgrades, gaming as a service, backwards compatibility and a large body of possible games that will meet the requirements that Sony will set with the PS5 this year, there is something to be said for everything. In this article we list all the facts and rumors about the PlayStation 5.
For a long time Sony referred to the PS5 as “the next PlayStation”, but it has recently become official: the PlayStation 5 is coming. Some expect the PlayStation 5 to be one of the last consoles ever, given the rise of cloud gaming with Google Stadia and Microsoft’s Project xCloud. However, we are sure that a new generation of console games is waiting for us.
New controller patent
A surfaced patent from Sony shows a new kind of controller design. LetsGoDigital noted the patent application from Sony and immediately made a 3D render of it. This is probably not the main controller of the PlayStation 5, because a patent had already been popped up earlier.
According to the documentation, the controller is revolutionary and should serve as a portable remote control. The controller is reminiscent of an old-fashioned cassette tape and contains more or less the same shape. The rectangular device contains many elements that we know from PlayStation controllers. We see a D-pad, action buttons, shoulder buttons and an on and off button. In the center of the device we see a screen on which the necessary information is displayed.
Under the displayed controller you can read a number of functions such as watching TV, listening to music, viewing images and reading e-mail. Chances are that the rectangular controller will function as a portable docking station that can connect and send devices and data through, for example, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
The potential for this controller is large, it can be used as an MP3 player, remote control and the like. In addition, it may be possible to turn on your PlayStation remotely and start downloads. The idea is very similar to the Wii U GamePad, but this version is not that big. According to LetsGoDigital, the controller also contains a fingerprint scanner and a heart rate monitor.
There is also a chance that this device has nothing to do with the PlayStation 5.
Product life cycle
According to Masayasu Ito, executive director of Sony, it is intended that the generation of the new console will last for about six to seven years. This is more or less the same as the PlayStation 4 cycle, which has now been out for six years. The console appears in 2020, which means that the device must remain up to date until 2027.
In an interview with Game Informer about the 25th anniversary of PlayStation, Ito indicates that it is difficult to keep such a device up to date in the rapidly changing world of technology. The hardware ages relatively faster than was the case generations ago.
“If all goes well, we can keep the console up to date by replacing the hardware with improved technology,” Ito says. This may mean that a PlayStation 5 Pro will be introduced at some point, just as the PlayStation 4 Pro has extended the PlayStation 4’s duration.According to Masayasu Ito, executive director of Sony, it is intended that the generation of the new console will last for about six to seven years. This is more or less the same as the PlayStation 4 cycle, which has now been out for six years. The console appears in 2020, which means that the device must remain up to 2027 up to date.
In an interview with Game Informer about the 25th anniversary of PlayStation, Ito indicates that it is difficult to keep such a device up to date in the rapidly changing world of technology. The hardware ages relatively faster than was the case generations ago.
“If all goes well, we can keep the console up to date by replacing the hardware with improved technology,” Ito says. This may mean that a PlayStation 5 Pro will be introduced at some point, just as the PlayStation 4 Pro has extended the PlayStation 4’s duration.
PS5 release date
After many rumors about the release date, Sony confirms that the PS5 launches around the holidays of 2020. The console will be fully revealed next year.
An exact date is not yet given, but it will no doubt be announced at a later date. Earlier, Sony CEO Tsuyoshi Kodera reported that the console would appear in 2021 at the earliest due to the success of the PS4, so the release date was announced earlier. The PlayStation 4 was released on November 15 in 2013, suspecting that the PlayStation 5 will also be released in November.
In 2020, Microsoft will also launch the new console, called Project Scarlett. The new Xbox, the name of which has not yet been announced, also launches during the holidays, bringing Microsoft and Sony directly opposite each other. how exactly the two consoles relate in terms of specifications and price is still unclear.
PS5 Design
Several developers currently own a PlayStation 5 development kit: a special version of the game development console. After leaked sketches, a suspected photo of the console has now also appeared. It is striking that the housing is designed as a V, of course the Roman numeral 5. This does not mean that the final console will have the same appearance, since ‘devkits’ regularly deviate considerably from the end product.
PS5 Specs
In an interview in April 2019 with designer Mark Cerny, the global specifications of the PS5 were announced. The information came as a surprise and gives a nice picture of what we can expect.
CPU and GPU
First, Cerny announced that the new console will have an AMD Zen 2 processor, which is based on the third generation of chips from the AMD Ryzen line and has eight cores. This chip contains a special component for 3D audio, which, according to Sony, sets a new definition for sound in games. The new console also has a customized graphic card from AMD Radeon with Navi technology. The move to 7nm chips means better performance and potentially less power consumption. In theory, a standard of 4K and 60fps for games is therefore feasible.
SD
The PlayStation 5 will also have a special Solid State Drive (SSD), allowing games to retrieve data much faster. Cerny claims that the bandwidth of this SSD is faster than any other SSD available for PCs. In a test he showed how the loading time in the PS4 game Spider-Man has been reduced from 15 to 0.8 seconds. In a leaked video you can see that the game does indeed load very quickly.
In a conversation with Wired, Mark Cerny explains that the SSD is not only faster, but also more efficient. This is because developers have to duplicate some parts of the game to speed up the reading process, such as a Spider-Man lamppost that has been copied throughout New York. That is resolved with the SSD, which saves a lot of storage space.
8K and ray tracing
Mark Cerny also confirms that the PS5 can potentially handle 8K resolutions and support ray tracing. Ray tracing has been used for a long time for visual effects in PCs with Nvidia’s GTX cards. The technique will have a direct effect on graphics, since it immediately processes the reflection of light on objects, thus realizing reflections on glass, for example. Cerny tells Wired that it is about hardware ray tracing and not about a software variant.
Controller
The controller also receives an update, which, according to Wired, looks like a Dualshock 4. The first feature that Sony highlights are ‘adaptive triggers’. This means that the triggers of the controller offer a realistic resistance, depending on the context. Consider the difference between using a bow and arrow and a gun.
The haptic feedback has also been greatly improved, for example to show the feeling of different surfaces as players walk in a game, the controller contains an improved loudspeaker and a microphone may be present. Sony does not want to say anything about this last feature, but it may have something to do with the patented speech assistant.
Algorithm
In March, new potential details about the PlayStation 5 emerged. Youtube user Skullzi explains in an eight-minute video that a new patent from Sony hints at an algorithm that programs itself.
The smart algorithm, which may be used for the PlayStation 5, can read and analyze the playing style and level of the player. Based on this, it can adjust interface components of the console and games to provide each individual player with the best possible gaming experience.
Sony is also introducing a technology that allows players to install only parts of games, so that players can only play multiplayer mode without having to make room for the single player campaign.
PS5 streaming
CEOs from major developers such as Ubisoft have already announced that the PS5 (along with the next Xbox) is likely to be the last generation of physical consoles. Streaming would then become the usual way to play, but most are still skeptical. The main line: a central server with games on it, which can then be streamed to any conceivable device, wired or not. Google is already entering with Stadia, which has been released in November, and Microsoft is also working on it in the form of Project xCloud.
To Wired, Sony declares that they are ‘cloud gaming pioneers’ and that their vision is getting closer to launch. So there is a chance that a service will be launched together with PlayStation 5. Sony already offers a streaming service called PlayStation Now, in which more than 700 games can be streamed from PS2, PS3 and PS4 to PC or PS4.
Sony recently announced that PlayStation Now is also coming to PlayStation 5. Probably Sony is expanding the service for the next generation with more PS4 titles, in addition to the available platforms.
Halfway through May 2016, Sony surprised with a strategic partnership with none other than Microsoft. The two companies “explore the joint development of future cloud options in Microsoft’s Azure to support their game and content streaming services.” In addition, Microsoft explicitly mentions the current use of Microsoft’s Azure data centers for Sony’s streaming services. So it seems that Sony is going to use Microsoft’s data centers and bet on cloud gaming.
Backwards compatibility PS5
Everyone will agree that adding backwards compatibility to the Xbox One was a good move from Microsoft. Games that you still had from the original Xbox or the 360 ​​could suddenly also be played on your brand new console.
A patent was found at the beginning of October that could indicate backwards compatibility. The patent was applied for by Sony Interactive Entertainment America, but was already registered in 2016. It is described in detail how textures from old games can be ‘remastered’ during playback.
In April 2019, the existence of backwards compatibility in the PS5 was confirmed. The PlayStation 5 contains technology that makes it possible to play PS4 games on the new Sony console. It is not yet known whether games for the first PlayStation, PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 3 are also supported.
Games PS5
The fact that the release of the PlayStation 5 is imminent means that every game that is now being made – and may be purchased for the full blow – could soon be back in the proverbial trash if PS5 only games come true. CD Projekt Red has already indicated that Cyberpunk 2077 is initially intended for the current generation of consoles, but investor meetings are hinting towards a next-gen version.
Cyberpunk 2077 is not the only PS5 game under development. Bethesda, for example, indicates that Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 are both next-gen titles. It is also expected that a large part of the latest PS4 games will appear on PlayStation 5 in the form of remasters, or perhaps with a special patch such as with the PS4 Pro. Think of The Last of Us: Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima and Death Stranding.
Bluepoint Games, the studio that has developed many remakes for the PS4, also indicates that it is working on a new game. President Marco Thrush tells Wired that ‘the big one’ is being worked on. It is suspected that this is a remake of Demon’s Souls, but that is just speculation.
It is still difficult to predict the launch titles of the PS5. The console is likely to launch with at least one major exclusive, such as The Last of Us: Part 2. Other titles would be a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, or another title from Guerrilla Games, and the sequel to Spider-Man.
Major publishers are getting ready for the PS5
During a presentation of financial results in July, EA confirmed that the publisher is working hard on games for the next generation of game consoles. Jorgensen says that EA is ready for the launch of ‘Gen 5’, probably referring to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett. He indicates that a game like Madden will be released during the launch of a new console, rather than on the usual release date for the sports franchise.
Jun Takeuchi of Capcom believes that Sony is seriously working to improve the playing experience of users. He says that with the PlayStation 5, Capcom can show how technologically strong the company is. Takeuchi, who has worked on Resident Evil and Devil May Cry franchises, among other things, reports that the processing and storage speeds of PlayStation 5 offer great potential to improve action games.
Alain Corre, executive director of Ubisoft, admits in an interview with Telegraph that he is uncertain how the community will react to the PS5 and Scarlett, but that he finds both consoles a big step forward.
PSVR 2 PS5
With more than three million headsets in circulation, PlayStation VR can be called quite a success. Since the very beginning, virtual reality has stood or falls with the hardware it runs on, and that is no different for PSVR. Sony is generally expected to release a new PSVR that supports higher frame rates and resolutions thanks to the leap in graphic power.
Sony indicated in April 2019 that virtual reality remains an important element and sees the future bright for PlayStation VR. It has already been officially confirmed that the current PlayStation VR headsets work with the PlayStation 5. Nothing has been said about a new version of the PlayStation VR, although Sony says in an interview with CNET that wireless headsets are probably too expensive for the current one. strategy and eye tracking. Sony also tells CNET that we don’t have to expect a new PSVR at the launch of the PS5 next year.
According to Let’s Go Digital, Sony has filed a patent that may offer more insight into the next PSVR. For example, the headset might be wireless, have three built-in cameras, and use a new Move controller with a camera. However, this does not mean that Sony actually uses this technology.
Price
Both the PS4 and PS4 Pro cost 399 euros at release, and with a new generation it may be a little extra.
In a Wired transcript, Cerny says that the PlayStation 5 will receive an attractive suggested retail price based on the advanced functionalities of the console. From this it can be concluded that the PlayStation 5 on launch may be more expensive than its predecessors, but given the hardware of the device is still worth the price. Cerny couldn’t give more details about the sales price of the new console.
Based on the statements of Cerny and the hardware of the new PlayStation console, it can be assumed that the PlayStation 5 will cost more than the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro, which both cost 399 euros at launch. However, it remains to be seen whether Sony is taking the risk of shipping the new console for 499 euros or more. In 2006, the PlayStation 3 was launched for this price, which led to much criticism and poor sales of the device.
A reservation for the PlayStation 5 appeared on the Swedish MediaMarkt website at the end of July 2019, with a price of 9,999 Swedish Kroner. This is 937 euros converted. The page shows a temporary price and product information and is therefore intended for customers who already want to reserve the next generation console. It is stated here that the product information and price given are only temporary and can therefore change.
There is also a rumor that Microsoft is launching two Xbox consoles, one cheaper and one more expensive. Possibly Microsoft is trying to compete better with Sony in terms of price by offering an accessible and ‘hardcore’ model. On the other hand, there is now rumor that Microsoft has scrapped the plan and still goes for one console. Anyway, it will be interesting to see how Sony anticipates this.
Announcement
It is not yet clear when the next PlayStation will be announced. Sony was not present during E3 2019 and may be looking for a more appropriate moment to announce the console. The company told Game Informer: “As the industry continues to evolve, Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to look for inventive opportunities to engage with the community. PlayStation fans are everything to us and we always want to be innovative, think differently and experiment with new ones ways to let gamers enjoy themselves, so we choose not to participate in E3 2019. We look for new and familiar ways to engage with our community in 2019. ”
The question is therefore whether Sony chooses to announce the PS5 during E3 2020 or organizes its own event such as at the time of the PlayStation 4 Pro. PlayStation Experience may return, which was held in December for a number of years, but did not take place in 2018 after a rather meager 2017 edition. There is also the possibility that Sony does not hold a press conference, but the console announces in a new State of Play, the Nintendo Direct-like videos and announcements.
In contrast to the E3, Sony is present with a stand at the Gamescom and also makes one or more announcements during the Opening Night Live stream of Geoff Keighley on 19 August. Perhaps they are planning a new State of Play around it, although that is no guarantee that information about the PS5 will be shared.
Shawn Layden, now former CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, said in a tweet “We’ll see you in next year”, so anyway we’ll get more information about the console in 2020. At the announcement of the official name, Sony again stated that the console will be fully revealed next year. Then the price will probably also be announced.
See you in the new year.
— Shawn Layden (@ShawnLayden) December 7, 2018
