The latest PlayStation 5 news has begun to fill in some of the cracks related to the next generation console. A post on Semiaccurate has been widely cited in the media, with the suggestion being that it provides a real insight into specs and timetables for the Sony machine.
This PlayStation 5 news indicates that dev kits have already been distributed among developers with the intention of providing them with tools for PlayStation 5 games. This will enable some of the biggest names in the industry to get to grips with what is sure to be a powerful console, but the release schedule reported may be considered even more exciting.
According to Semiaccurate, the PlayStation 5 could be released before the end of the calendar year. While this may seem somewhat premature considering the ongoing success of the PlayStation 4 series, it seems that Sony is looking to release this machine sooner rather than later. Furthermore, there have been previous suggestions that 2018 is a likely release date for the PS5, and this latest report will only whet the appetite of Sony fans further still.
This morsel of PlayStation 5 news also suggests that Sony will utilize AMD’s custom Zen processor, as well as AMD’s next-generation Navi GPU, in the manufacturing of the device. This points to a particularly powerful PlayStation 5 contender, and one that will deliver the kind of graphical quality that gaming fans will be looking for.
It is also suggested by this PlayStation 5 leak that virtual reality technology could be built into the console from day one. This would be a huge surprise, as it has been suggested that Sony will upgrade its virtual reality system in time for the release of the PlayStation 5.
Yet the company faces a quandary, considering the existence of the PlayStation VR headset, and building virtual reality into the console itself could be a neat solution. Certainly this item of PlayStation 5 news suggests that Sony will innovate with the new console, as well as delivering improved specifications and performance.
Although all such early rumors will naturally be subjected to scepticism, it is worth pointing out that the same source as previously reported on the Nintendo and NVIDIA partnership for the Switch ahead of time. While this does not mean that all aspects of this report are necessarily accurate, it does mean that the report has credibility.
Nonetheless, it is hard to agree with the suggestion of a 2018 release date for the PlayStation 5, as it surely seems to be too early, considering the current gaming climate. Sony has only released the PlayStation 4 Pro relatively recently, and this is selling well, as the Japanese corporation continues to significantly outperform Microsoft.
If Sony were to release the PlayStation 5 this year, it would seem like something of a rush job, particularly when there is no pressure on the corporation to do so. Much more likely is that the mega-corporation will continue to support its existing product range, and ready a PlayStation 5 release for the early months of the next decade.
It should also be noted that some of the biggest games in the PlayStation armory have yet to appear, and in some cases this would mean that there hadn’t been a single title from the series on the PlayStation 4 systems. Four example, there has not been a dedicated GTA 5 release for the PlayStation 4, while huge titles such as The Last of Us 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are still eagerly anticipated.
However, there is also contrary data that suggests that the 2018 PlayStation 5 news could be accurate. Recent reports indicate that PlayStation 4 sales slowed slightly over the 2017 holiday season, with Sony shifting 9 million units, compared to the 9.7 million consoles that they sold in the same period in 2016.
If we have already gone beyond peak PS4, this could motivate Sony to release the PlayStation 5 sooner than has been anticipated. But it is more likely that what this really represents is the beginning of the PlayStation 5 process. Sony will be monitoring the market very carefully, in order to time the PlayStation 5 perfectly, and certainly won’t have jumped to any rash conclusions about the future direction of PlayStation 4 sales.
But a decline in holiday season performance does point to a PlayStation 5 release sooner rather than later, and equally indicates that the PlayStation 4 may be winding down. Forbes recently suggested that the PlayStation 5 could appear in 2019, and with the latest sales data having been released this now seems like a distinct possibility.
Other PlayStation 5 news in the run-up to the console will focus on its capabilities, and the salary will be key to deliver a machine that means expectations. Of the central requirements for the PlayStation 5 will be native 4K resolution graphics running at 60 frames per second. There could also be support for 8K resolution, although this is likely to remain a niche concept at the time that the PlayStation 5 emerges.
A balance between disk-based gaming and subscription streaming services will also be delicate for Sony, as it attempts to extend its PlayStation Now service. This has become big enough to feature in television commercials, yet the Japanese corporation will also be sensitive to the desires of gamers relating to physical media. After all, Sony already gained a massive advantage over Microsoft in the current generation by simply displaying a commitment to discs from day one.
Microsoft will be pulling out all of the stops with the Xbox Two, and has already shown its commitment to high-quality hardware with the powerful Xbox One X. but with Sony possessing the stronger market position and more impressive exclusive titles, it seems likely that it will remain ahead of the pack in the next console generation.
