PlayStation 5: What We Know About Sony's Next-Gen Console

Sony is expected to release its next-gen PlayStation later this year. What can fans expect to see and experience once the PS4 successor arrives? Here's a quick look at what we know about the new gaming console.

How it looks like

Various reports making their rounds in the internet reveal that the PS5 won't look like any other gaming console in history.

Leaked photographs of alleged prototypes reveal that the upcoming console has a “V” that's very visible when looking at the device from the top. CNN noted that the “V” here could be a reference to the Roman numeral for the number 5. This is fitting as this will be the fifth PlayStation console since the original debuted in the 1990s.

Of course, given that this design is just a prototype, it's possible that players will get a console that looks very different. Kantan Games' Dr. Serkan Toto, speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, said Sony might release just one PS5 version at launch time.

What it features inside

Pre viously, PS4 head architect Mark Cerny revealed that the PS5 will house the most powerful innards of any PlayStation model to date. Cerny also revealed that the upcoming console will use solid state drives, will feature support for 8K resolution, and will be backwards compatible. It will also have the ability to do away with loading times that plagued many gamers on older consoles.

Cerny said the console will feature third-gen AMD Ryzen chips with eight 7nm Zen 2 microarchitecture cores. According to a recent leak, this processor will be backed by a GPU that features 36 active Navi CUs clocking at 2000MHz, which translates to 9.2 TFLOPs of processing power. The PS5 is also expected to use GDDR6 memory, with a 448GB/s memory bandwidth.

There's a new Controller

A patent reveals that Sony is working on a new DualShock controller that has two new buttons at the back. These buttons, which can be pressed using fingertips resting at the back while playing, seem movable and customizable. The purposes for these buttons remain unclear at the moment, but if third-party controllers like the Scuf Vantage 2 are any indication, it's meant for more competitive play.

Pricing

Sony hasn't unveiled the device's official spec sheet yet. It also hasn't announced a possible price range. For now, fans can only hold on to what Mark Cerny told Wired months ago: that it will have an “appealing” price considering its specs.