PS5 Logo
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Games

PlayStation 5 – Everything we know so far

Sony’s next-gen console is on track for release in 2020 - a follow-up to what is the biggest-selling console to date – the PS4. But many wonder just what's in store. Well, we're here to help with that
Written by Kosta Andreadis
6 min readPublished on
With every new generation of consoles there’s genuine cause for excitement. As the months and years roll on and technology advances at a breakneck pace, we find more and more powerful hardware housed within the shell of every new PlayStation or Xbox released. Of course, there’s new games too – where fancy new tech leads to more visual bells and whistles and, maybe, brand new ways in which to appreciate that medium we call videogames.
Although we don’t know what the PlayStation 5 looks like we do know a lot about what’s featured underneath its very mysterious hood. In addition to the pre-requisite increase in overall horsepower, the biggest game-changer for the PlayStation 5 seems to be with its incredibly fast storage solution. This is something that Sony firmly believes will change the direction of game development in the next few years. And in fact, if there’s one word to describe the PlayStation 5 that would be “fast”.
From storage speeds that will make your jaw drop, to teraflops counts, to logo and name – here’s everything we know (so far) about the PlayStation 5.
God of War's Kratos raging to get his PS5 already

Kratos is DEFINITELY PS5-bound. Like, 100%!

© SCE

It has been built using the latest AMD RDNA 2 architecture. A true next-gen leap for the simple reason that RDNA 2 isn’t even available in the PC space yet...
  • First up we’ve got the name and a logo with no real surprises here. Sony’s next-gen console will be the PlayStation 5 (or the PS5 for short) following in the footsteps of PlayStations old and current. The logo itself keeps the same font seen with the PS4 and PS3, pointing to Sony smartly keeping the well-known PlayStation and PS branding front and centre – and familiar.
  • The PlayStation 5, like the Xbox Series X, will feature custom CPU and GPU hardware designed in collaboration with AMD. The CPU is based off of the company’s Zen 2 architecture which can be found in the third generation of AMD Ryzen products available in the PC market. In terms of raw numbers, the PS5’s CPU features 8 x Zen 2 Cores at 3.5GHz.
  • The CPU inside the PS5 represents a major leap forward in computing power compared to the PlayStation 4, which plays into the console’s focus on speed, in addition to more power.
  • The GPU inside the PlayStation 5, which powers all the fancy graphics and visual effects, is a customised bit of hardware also developed in partnership with AMD. Like the Xbox Series X, it has been built using the latest AMD RDNA 2 architecture. A true next-gen leap for the simple reason that RDNA 2 isn’t even available in the PC space yet.
  • The PS5 GPU features 36 CUs at 2.23GHz and is capable of 10.28 TFLOPs, big numbers that are comparable, horsepower-wise, to modern and very expensive PC parts.
Horizon Zero Dawn 2, will we see it on PS5?

Horizon Zero Dawn 2 is an absolute certainty for the PS5

© SCE

With ray-tracing support this means true 3D positional audio is possible, meaning that the exact location of a footstep will come through on compatible headsets...
  • In other hardware numbers the PS5 will feature 16GB of fast DDR6 memory or RAM.
  • The PlayStation 5 will support full hardware ray-tracing for audio and lighting leading to better than ever – and realistic – looking shadows, reflections, and overall global illumination. Ray-tracing will be one of those next-gen visual features that will make PS5 games look better than anything possible on PS4.
  • The PlayStation 5 has a renewed focus on audio with dedicated audio hardware that will lead to more immersive and clearer surround sound. With ray-tracing support this means true 3D positional audio is possible, meaning that the exact location of a footstep will come through on compatible headsets.
  • The PS5’s ground-breaking 3D Audio is being built using cutting-edge Head Related Transfer Function (HTRF) and “Tempest” 3D AudioTech, which is fancy talk for mapping an individual’s hearing and then positioning the audio to make each object sound and feel like it’s occurring all around you in real-time. According to Sony, “You’ll be able to hear raindrops hitting different surfaces all around you, and you can hear and precisely locate where an enemy is lurking behind you.”
Bethesda Games Studios' Starfield will be a PS5 title
  • The PlayStation 5’s internal SSD storage solution is where the speed of the console becomes clearer. The PlayStation 4’s internal drive is capable of streaming 1GB of data every seven seconds. The PlayStation 5’s custom NVMe SSD can stream and load 5.5GB of data in one second. At the most basic level this means loading times in games will fall to only a handful of seconds. In other words, become instantaneous.
  • Because of the cutting-edge nature of the PS5’s SSD storage solution each console will launch with 825GB of space, which is less than the 1TB found in the PlayStation 4 Pro. The console will support expandable storage via an NVMe SSD slot – but it’s expected that this will be limited to the latest PC NVMe SSD drives which have begun to hit the market this year.
  • PS5 Dev Kits or "Development Kits" have been in the hands of developers for quite some time with images of these devices appearing online throughout 2019.
  • The PlayStation 5 will be backwards compatible with PlayStation 4 games. Sony notes that at launch it is planning to support 100 of the most-played PS4 titles – and will open that up to all 4,000 and counting PlayStation 4 games. The reason for the rollout comes down to the PS5’s increased speed and power, with Sony advising it will be going through each game to make sure it runs as intended.
  • On the backwards compatible front Sony has confirmed, much like with Microsoft, that the PS5 will be able to render PS4 titles at higher resolutions and frame-rates. Giving us all another reason to replay the amazing God of War.
Ghost of Tsushima artwork

Ghost of Tsushima is a new franchise in-waiting for a PS5 debut

© SCE

  • The PlayStation 5 will be compatible with the current PSVR headset, with an expected PSVR Version 2 expected at a later date.
  • The PS5 will feature an updated DualShock controller with haptic feedback for greater force feedback and a new microphone. It is expected that the new DualShock will have the underside panels recently added to the PS4 version of the controller.
  • Games officially confirmed to be coming to the console so far include:
  1. Outriders (People Can Fly)
  2. Watch Dogs Legion (Ubisoft)
  3. Gods & Monsters (Ubisoft)
  4. Rainbow Six Quarantine (Ubisoft)
  5. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (Daedelic)
  6. Starfield (Bethesda)
  7. Dying Light 2 (Techland)
  8. Godfall (Gearbox)
  9. Gothic (THQ Nordic)
  • It has been heavily rumoured that Guerilla Games is working on a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn that is expected to be the PlayStation 5’s must-have launch title.
  • Finally, the PlayStation 5 is on track for release in late 2020 with no confirmed date.

/END

It's kind of early days yet and with most popular gaming events being cancelled this year, information and the sharing of that information is going to be our only way to stay up-to-date with no real "hands-on" or "face-time" content from the products and developers, but rest assured, we're well positioned to ensure anything new and exclusive that comes our way, gets relayed to you. So, stay tuned, and stay safe.
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