PlayStation 5 Rumors

An onslaught of PS5 rumors filled the social media as Japanese blog GamerGate announced that the PlayStation 5 finally had a release date and price. The standard version was said to be priced at 69,800 yen excluding tax (approximately $600), and the premium version, 109,800 yen excluding tax (roughly $1,000). They were all said to be released on December 4, 2020.

This sparked mixed feelings among the fervent fans – the anticipation for their most-awaited gaming console and dread for its exorbitant price tag.

The commotion continued until Faimitsu, another Japanese blog, dispelled the rumors with a Sony spokesperson. According to them, the prices and official release dates are still yet to be revealed.

The Hyped Masses

Ever since its first mention in Wired last April 2019, the PlayStation community has been hyped with its top-of-the-line features. In this interview, Lead System Architect Mike Cerny went about monumental upgrades that covered customized processors, sophisticated storage, and highly immersive sound and graphics, and others.

This anticipation has intensified Microsoft’s announcement during its press launch last E3 2019, that the Xbox Series X will be released in the holiday season of 2020. This made PlayStation fans enthusiastic to know what their champion had in store for them as well.

Game-Changing Specs

Wired termed the changes expected for the PS5 to be more of a “revolution” than an “evolution” of its past consoles. Its upgrades guarantee the following:

Extremely fast loading times

Immense graphic fidelity

Highly immersive 3D audio and haptic feedback

The next-gen console will don a custom SSD and a custom chipset made by AMD. This will allow for ultra-high-speed access and significantly decreased loading time.

As for graphics, its 8k resolution output will be made even better by ray-tracing technology – a rendering technique that makes 3D surfaces look more realistic. It also refines 3D audio without the need for additional hardware, allowing gamers to hear enemy footsteps and far-off explosions coming from specific directions, as they would in real life.

Taking immersion a step further is the Dualshock 5 – its new controller that allows haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Going beyond standard vibrations, this controller’s L2 and R2 buttons can simulate resistance when doing certain tasks to somehow mimic the effort needed to wind a bow or to fire a heavy weapon, granting a fuller experience.

Other notable features are the console’s allowance for physical media, a revamped user interface, and its backward compatibility for PS4 titles.

Indefinite Price and Release Date

Finally, no information has been disclosed in terms of its price; but because of its sophisticated technology, it is expected to be more expensive than the PS4 on initial release. The date of release remains vague at the holiday season of 2020.