PS5 in 2020: Five important facts about price and features before release date

Sony is planning to launch its successor to the PS4 in 2020, with the PS5 console shaping up to be a big leap forward. The current PlayStation gaming machine was released back in 2013 and the ageing tech is in need of a serious upgrade. Here are five things you should know about the PS5 before it launches later in 2020:

THE NEW PLAYSTATION 5 CONSOLE WILL COST MORE THAN A PS4

Sony has gone on record to say that they want to avoid the mistake of overpricing the PS5 console in 2020.

They have yet to reveal what they place to charge fans hoping to upgrade from the PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch.

The company recently refuted a report that its next console would cost $600, which is a good sign it won’t retail for that high.

The lead architect Mark Cerny revealed to Wired’s Peter Rubin last year that: “I believe that we will be able to release it at an SRP [suggested retail price] that will be appealing to gamers in light of its advanced feature set.”

And during a recent investor call, it was revealed that Sony is “analyzing the cost, the acceptable price in the market, and platform penetration,” for the PlayStation 5.

This suggests that while Sony won’t be risking a really high price for the release of the PS5, it’s not going to be less than $400.

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Meanwhile, the PS4 has dropped drastically in price and there are new bundles which provide a ton of great content.

We would predict a price between $400 and $500 for the launch of the PS5, which will make the PS4 look even more like a bargain in its final years.

LOAD TIMES ARE GOING TO BE QUICK – THANKS TO SSD

Load times have been talked up a lot in recent months, thanks to the news that both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will boast SSD hard drive.

Sold State Drives are a massive step up from the current HDD models that are used in the PS4 and Xbox One.

Being able to rely on flash memory instead of HDD and its moving parts will bring Sony and Microsoft in line with the current PC trends.

SSD is a massive upgrade on the speeds of HDD and because there are less moving parts, can also last longer and come in different shapes and sizes.

This tech has become pretty standard and means that the PS5 will move data faster, helping to drop load times.

There has also been talk of open game worlds and sandboxes functioning better without the need to support HDD on consoles.

So while it’s not something I’ve ever given much thought about – shorter load times being a massive urgency – leading figures in the development community are pumped.

THE PS5 WILL HAVE VIRTUAL REALITY SUPPORT

The PS5 will be backwards compatible with the PlayStation VR headset, meaning virtual reality is coming to the next-gen platform.

Sony is still being coy about whether a new headset is in development for its new console but it seems very likely.

It’s currently a console exclusive that the PS4 offers, with Microsoft uninterested in following in Sony’s footsteps for now.

Sony has also made a success of its PSVR brand, making it one of the leading set up in the virtual reality space.

So there’s no reason to think that the PSVR will benefit hugely from the launch of the new PlayStation console too.

THE PS5 WILL HAVE PLENTY OF RIVALS

The PS5 is launching later this year alongside at least one major competitor.

Microsoft is releasing the Xbox Series X around the same time and it looks like another console war is brewing.

While the lines of success and failure have now blurred, there’s no question that both companies want to make their gaming machine dominant.

It appears that Sony currently holds the advantage over Microsoft, but things can quickly change.

Plus, Microsoft has some interesting new features like the cloud gaming Project xCloud service, which will bring next-gen to mobile phones.

It’s also being reported that Nintendo is developing an upgrade to its Switch console, which is currently being referred to as the Nintendo Switch Pro.

This won’t offer the same level of specs as the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but it will provide yet another alternative in the busy console market.

THE PS5 WILL BE FUTURE-PROOFED ALONGSIDE THE XBOX SERIES X

What’s more exciting than shorter load times? Shiny graphics and Ray-Tracing, of course.

The PS5 will offer both and while there will always be a PC out there that offers more at a higher price, Sony’s new console will bring better features to the casual crowd.

The tech giant has confirmed that the PS5 will support 8K graphics at some point in the future, if you have the right TV.

And it just so happens that a new generation is on the way that will be able to do everything needed.

During CES, it was announced that the new Z8H 8K LED televisions will be available to buy in time for the visual upgrade.

“For the upcoming next-generation gaming consoles, select new models will support 8K HDR (7,680 x 4,320) resolution, 4K (3,840 x 2,160) 120fps high frame rate and fast response time via HDMI inputs to deliver their maximum performance for a cutting-edge gaming experience,” a message from Sony explains.

So while we may have to wait for a few games to offer such graphics options, it seems that the PS5 will be able to handle the heat.

And let’s not forget that Sony has also promised a decent level of ray-tracing compatibility when it comes to the next generation of games.

That will mean more detailed, accurate lighting for gamers to enjoy, something that will no doubt delight those hoping to use the PS5 for a long time into the future.

source: express.co.uk