Xbox revealed its first details about the upcoming Project Scarlett console during its E3 2019 presentation where PlayStation decided to stay home. At first, this seemed like an odd decision since it was clear Microsoft was going to announce the next-generation. Now, a couple of months after E3, we’re pretty sure PlayStation did the right thing. The PlayStation 5 remained in the shadows but the first official details already gave away that the company is here to win. No lazy release, no false promises, this console will be the real deal for sure.
It’s a beast
As said before, not much is know of the PlayStation 5 at this point, but judging on the first official details, we can already tell it’s going to be a beast. Starting with an impressive new AMD Ryzen processor alongside a GPU, the PlayStation 5 will use AMD Navi architecture to enable Ray Tracing. For those unaware of this, Ray Tracing is extremely impressive, it’s the same technology Hollywood uses for some of their most impressive CGI scenes. On top of that comes the fact that the PS5 supports 8K graphics and native 4K experiences, including 120Hz for displays that support that kind of speed. At this moment it’s unclear if 8K will be native or boosted but right now, those are some truly amazing specs already.
When it comes to graphics, it’s clear that Sony is aiming for the absolute best. PlayStation 5 games will look beautiful and the world will know it. But, as always, graphics aren’t the only reason why you should consider a PlayStation 5, the experience of playing a game is as important. Nowadays, we got stuck with loading screens a bit too much, by using a specialized HDD, PlayStation 5 will be able to speed up or even eliminate most of the loading times we’re facing in games today. This isn’t just PR talk or marketing stunts. This is a fact that got demonstrated using the loading times of Spider-Man for PlayStation 4.
Backward compatible, even in VR
Talking about Spider-Man, Sony already confirmed that the PlayStation 5 will be completely backward compatible. This means you can easily install your PS4 games on your new console or insert your PS4 disc to enjoy your older games on your brand-new console. It’s a big deal since companies don’t always allow their fans to carry over their impressive library of games to a new system, look at the Nintendo Switch, which isn’t able to play any software other than Switch games. Offering backward compatibility is a huge deal and it even goes further than just your regular games, Sony also confirmed you’ll still be able to use your precious PSVR headset.
That’s right, PlayStation 5 has confirmed VR experiences using the same headset you used for your PS4 games. At this time, it’s unsure if the new console will boost the VR games or maybe even comes with a newer model of the VR but one thing’s for sure, Sony isn’t dropping PSVR at all, which is a great way to claim the throne. Compared to its direct competitors, PlayStation will remain the only place where you can expierence truly amazing and immersive VR games, which combined with the new power of the machine might turn out to be truly amazing. Having your PSVR ready from the start is a huge deal and I’m pretty sure PlayStation conquered a lot of hearts with this announcement.
Teaming up with Xbox
So, great internal architecture and full backward compatibility with your PS4 library all sound great but PlayStation 5 will also get help from an unexpected corner: Xbox. Xbox and PlayStation recently stated their official partnership on cloud gaming. Cloud gaming will become extremely crucial in the next-generation console war. Companies want to stream their games to mobile devices and they want to do it as well as possible. Xbox is already miles ahead of the competition with Project Xcloud but due to an unexpected new challenger called Google Stadia, the big players are a bit worried in the gaming industry. That’s way Xbox and PlayStation will work together to enable a fluent cloud and streaming expierence on PlayStation 5 using the Azure environment of Xbox. At first, this sounded weird, why would Xbox help out PlayStation? After the Stadia reveal, things did make sense. Microsoft and Google are archenemies, helping out the competition with great cloud and streaming support will eventually come at the cost of the third player, in this case, Google Stadia or even Nintendo. With the help of Xbox and Microsoft, Sony will be able to set up a decent online environment where streaming shouldn’t be that big of a problem. Playing your PlayStation 5 games everywhere you want? It might become a reality, which is another big selling point for the powerful console.
For the players
This brings us to our final section of this opinion piece. When we look at the potential of the hardware, it’s clear to see that PlayStation wants to deliver something fans have been dreaming of for years but a console is nothing without its games. If you take a look at the PlayStation 4, you’ll see that Sony never struggles with exclusive games, the PS4 is home to God of War, Horizon, Detroit, and a lot more. But, the company wants more. In a recent interview, they stated that PlayStation is on the look-out to acquire new gaming studios, just like Xbox bought a couple of those to strengthen their own console. With streaming services lurking around the corner, exclusivity will mean a lot. People will get the console with most exclusive in their favorite genre. If PlayStation invests wisely and makes sure that, for example, the next-generation Witcher game is a console exclusive, this might result in tons of extra income. At this point, it’s a bit too early to talk about the upcoming exclusive games but it’s clear that PlayStation wants to continue their path. They want to deliver the perfect console for you, for us, for the players; and I’m pretty sure they’ll succeed no matter what.
