The PlayStation 5 s coming and just this week we were treated to our first glimpse of the DualSense controller.
While reaction has been mixed to the design shake-up, we trust Sony knows what it's doing – especially given how it has dominated the current console generation.
While it has a lot to make up for in the current PS5 vs Xbox Series X feud, it's a step in the right direction.
If you're interested in the PS5 and are wondering what's new, or have been wondering if you should buy a PS4 to survive the current lockdown, we've put together the following to help you decide which is for you.
Read More: PS5: The New Wireless Game Controller - DualSense
PS4 Vs PS5
Here's our rundown of PlayStation 4 and its successor.
Specs
PlayStation 4 Slim | PlayStation 4 Pro | PlayStation 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
CPU | 8-core 1.6GHz AMD Jaguar CPU | Eight-core x86-64 AMD Jaguar 2.1GHz | Eight-core 3.5GHz (3.6GHz AMD Zen 2 |
GPU | 1.84 teraflops AMD Radeon | 4.2 teraflops AMD Radeon | 10.28 teraflops 2.23GHz |
RAM | 8GB DDR5 | 8GB GDDR5 | 16GB GDDR6 |
Frame Rate | Up to 60 fps | Up to 60 fps | Up to 120 fps |
Resolution | Up to 1080p | Up to 4K | Up to 8K |
Optical | HD Blu-ray Disc Drive | HD Blu-ray Disc Drive | Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive |
Storage | 500GB/1TB HDD | 1TB HDD | Custom 825GB SSD |
Controller | DualShock 4 | DualShock 4 | DualSense |
Games
PlayStation 4 offers one of gaming's finest libraries. Between third-party titles like the usual FIFA and Call of Duty, it also offers huge exclusives like God of War, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Persona 5 and Marvel's Spider-Man.
In fact, many of the console's exclusives are some of the generation's best titles, making PS4 the 'best place to play' (to use Sony's own rhetoric).
While we're expecting PlayStation 5 to offer similarly stunning experiences, there simply aren't many confirmed titles for it, at least not yet.
Godfall, a new action RPG that's looking to do for hack and slash titles what Destiny did for shooters, was one of the first confirmed PS5 titles, but that's more or less it.
Of course, expect Sony to bring out the big hitters, with persistent rumours suggesting a Horizon: Zero Dawn sequel could be aiming at a launch window release.
Unfortunately, Sony's handling of backwards compatibility has been less than clear. While the aim is to have 100 of the most popular PS4 titles available at launch, there's a question mark above the rest of the console's over 4000-strong game library.
There's also no word on whether PS3, PS2, or PS1 games will make an appearance, either.
Price
This one is a little up in the air at present because we don't know what the PS5 will cost.
Meanwhile, the PS4 Slim which replaced the base PS4 some time ago can be regularly found for less than £200 – often with a game included.
Then there's the PS4 Pro, which tends to be found for around £250 at best and offers the most powerful PlayStation console thus far. It's also the only PlayStation capable of 4K.
Services
It could be argued that Sony has lagged behind Microsoft in the services area, as its competitor offers fantastic value as part of its Game Pass service.
Sony bet heavily on game-streaming tech long before Google's Stadia was born, but PlayStation Now arguably hasn't set the world alight. In fact, despite a sizeable price drop, it doesn't seem to be close to the mainstream consciousness that Game Pass has reached.
On the other hand, PlayStation Plus is almost certain to continue. It seems crazy that once upon a time online play on PlayStation was free, but at least Sony's infrastructure has continued to improve since it began adding a Plus membership as a requirement to play online.
Power
While Sony's teraflop count (the measurement of computing power) of 10.28 teraflops is less than Microsoft's 12 teraflops, it's still expected to be a monster of a machine.
That's partially down to the internal SSD, which Sony has been discussing at length. Because it'll allow for much faster streaming of assets from the drive to the console, it could theoretically change the way we play games – removing the needs for loading times entirely, or even stopping all those awkward 'character has to shuffle through small gap' moments where the world loads in beyond them.
Developers are claiming the SSD will be hugely significant, allowing them to bring their visions to life, but Sony is also making a big play for audio.
According to system architect Mark Cerny, the PS5 will use a 'Tempest Engine' that'll help players feel entirely immersed in the action by providing 3D audio.