Sony announces the first details and features of PlayStation 5

Quite unexpectedly, Sony has just shared the first details about the successor to the PS4, in a separate interview with Wired. Information about the PS5, or Sony also known as the “next-generation PlayStation”, was shared by Mark Cerny, the console’s design lead. This is the first time Sony has shared details about the PS5, and according to Cerny herself, the machine will not be available in 2019.

Of the many technical stats revealed during the interview, the biggest feature fans can expect from the PS5 is backwards compatibility with the PS4. Cerny also said many PS4 games, including Death Stranding, will launch on PS4 first before being available on PS5.

With the recent announcements of game streaming services like Google Stadia, many believe that next-gen consoles, including the PS5, will only be downloaded from the Internet – the only way for players to access games. However, Cerny confirmed that the PS5 will still have a drive – which is good news for those who love collecting gaming discs.

As for performance, PS5 will use SSD hard drive, which PS4 does not have in default. In addition to SSDs, PS5 improves game processing and running speed, especially for games that contain a lot of space. For example, Cerny played Spider-Man PS4 on the PS5’s developer kit, and the massive open-world title loads in less than a second – as opposed to the usual 15 seconds on PS4 Pro.

Talking about the hardware of the PS5, Cerny said that the new console will use AMD chips, based on the third generation Ryzen. The CPU will be an 8-core 7nm Zen 2 microchip, allowing support for resolutions up to 8K and will be compatible with PS VR kits. According to Cerny, in terms of graphics, PS5 will use Radeon’s custom Navi line, supporting ray tracing – an increasingly popular feature in movies and video games.

In addition, the PS5 also improves the sound. Cerny admits she is not pleased that the sound in the PS4 has not changed much compared to the PS3. However, he said the PS5’s AMD chip will allow for 3D sound – a key element to providing a realistic experience.

As for now, Cerny doesn’t share details about the software, nor the services it brings to players – he is currently focusing only on the console’s hardware. As of right now, it’s unclear when Sony plans to fully announce their next-gen console. That’s traditionally done at E3, but with the announcement not to attend this year’s E3, it looks like the company will make a full announcement at the PlayStation Experience event, or at the next State of Play Livestream.

Although some experts believe that the next generation of PlayStation and Xbox consoles will be the last, it seems that Sony is still very confident about its PS5 pet. Obviously PS5 is more powerful than previous systems, but we still have to wait and see how Sony will improve its services and software as game streaming services are gradually becoming a formidable threat.

According to Wired