When it comes to being an influential figure in the world of console gaming, none get much bigger than Shawn Layden. He’s the Sony Interactive Entertainment World Studios Chairman, and his word carries a lot of weight and influence. Recently he spoke to the German publisher Golem.de, and among many things, he talked about a possible PlayStation 5 release.
PlayStation 5 release will happen
There’s no doubt that right now, even though the Nintendo Switch is selling well, Playstation is the industry leader. As far as individual sales are concerned, its standard PS4 and PS4 Pro are far ahead of their rivals.
However, between Microsoft and Sony, there is a race on that could determine which dominates 4K and possibly the virtual reality gaming markets of the near future. Sony, with its mid-generation PS4 Pro, struck the first blow and has significant graphical muscle. Microsoft’s recent unveiling of the Xbox One X has changed the game though, and with whispers about a possible PlayStation 5 release growing louder, consumers are extremely excited.
Possible iterative console?
While there is excitement building, there are also some serious concerns about the future of the console market. Previously, both Microsoft and Sony have indicated that the generational approach to console launches could be over. That has put the fear of God into many industry watchers, critics, and consumers. Such a move by the world’s biggest gaming hardware manufacturers would mean that small smartphone-like updates could happen almost yearly.
During the interview with Golem.de, Layden was pressed on this matter, and the response he gave, while not a definitive answer, should give hope that this will not happen.
He said: “I believe in generations,” said Layden. “Generations are a good thing. So, philosophically, we believe in them. We think they should continue, and [the PS4 Pro] is a mid-generation release.”
PlayStation 5 release date
Where a release date for the apparently non-iterative PS5 is concerned, there are a lot of rumors. One early rumor suggested that E3 could be the venue; however, that has come and gone. Macquarie Capital Securities recently provided another date/year when its analyst Damian Thong suggested late 2018. He thinks that Sony will launch late to take advantage of the Christmas market and possibly pair it with an update to its PSVR headset.
As for what Shawn Layden had to say on this matter, he could only say, “It would be some time before a PlayStation 5 release.”
He refused to be pressed further on the matter, but maybe there is nothing more to tell. You will have to wait for more information on this; as soon as we find out, it will be published.
Exclusive games
One other bone of contention that has consumers concerned is the possibility of PS4 Pro exclusive games. The approximately 60 million PlayStation owners worldwide are apparently concerned that Sony will introduce content that will only playable on the Pro.
When this question was put to Layden, he simply responded by saying, “That will never happen.”
However, there remains some doubt as to whether this will be the same after a next-generation PlayStation 5 release.
Possible specs
If a PlayStation 5 release takes place before Christmas 2018, what specifications could it have? There’s no doubt that one year after the Xbox One X launch, it will have to offer at least 10 terraflops of computing power to be a contender. If that happens, it will surpass the Microsoft console as the most powerful gaming console ever, beating it by over 150%. In fact, it could be Sony’s first-ever native 4K machine, offering 4K gaming at 60 frames per second.
It’s thought that this massive CPU power will come via AMD, and its huge leap in graphical abilities will arrive thanks to Radeon. While no one can know for certain exactly how much better the graphics will be, some suggest a 400% improvement over the first PS4 is likely.
As always, we will continue to look for more answers; in the meantime, please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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