Sony Confirms PlayStation 5 Name, Launch Window, And Haptic Controller For Next-Gen Game Console

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It goes without saying that we all expected this result, but Sony today confirmed the obvious. Its next-generation gaming console will indeed by called the PlayStation 5, or PS5 for short. This news came courtesy of a blog post by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) President and CEO Jim Ryan.

The PlayStation 5 will be all-new from the ground up, and will be powered by an octa-core AMD Ryzen 3000 processor backed by a Radeon Navi-based GPU. Other items of note include the fact that standby mode power consumption has been dramatically cut from 8.5 watts to 0.5 watts, while a new SSD storage subsystem will completely revolutionize the gaming experience with respect to load times and immersion.

Ryan also let loose a few additional details regarding the console, specifically in reference to its wireless controller. Ryan indicated that Sony is working to further gamer immersion with its fifth generation console, which means that the long-standing rumble feature will be ditched in favor of haptic feedback.

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“With haptics, you truly feel a broader range of feedback, so crashing into a wall in a race car feels much different than making a tackle on the football field,” Ryan explained. “You can even get a sense for a variety of textures when running through fields of grass or plodding through mud.”

Another change coming to the controllers pertains to what Ryan describes as “adaptive triggers” that will be incorporated into L2 and R2. These triggers can be programmed on a per-game basis by software developers to give gamers “the tactile sensation of drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain.” Both of these new features will hopefully help to set the PlayStation 5 apart from its predecessor and its upcoming Xbox Scarlett competition.

In a separate piece by Wired, these additional PlayStation 5 details were revealed:

  • The PlayStation 5’s wireless controller will be recharged via USB-C
  • The PlayStation 5 controller – in its current prototype form – is similar in design to the PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller with some modifications (remember that AI assistant patent?)
  • A 4K Blu-ray drive is still included, and games will be burned onto 100GB discs
  • Gamers will be given granular control over game installs (i.e. just installing the multiplayer campaign, or deleting the single-player campaign once completed to save storage space).

Ryan went on to confirm that the PlayStation 5 will launch in late 2020, likely in time to be placed under the Christmas tree for gamers both young and old.

(Article images courtesy Let's Go Digital).