PlayStation 5 Review

After a generation of figuratively towering above its rivals with the monstrously successful PlayStation 4, one thing is certain: Sony’s next-generation contender will also loom large over its peers... literally. This thing is massive. However, what the PlayStation 5 lacks in subtlety it more than makes up for in potential, thanks in part to its amazingly fast SSD but mostly to its truly remarkable new controller, the DualSense.

[-Foxtrot]

I feel they gave this and the Xbox the same score just so there’s no huge backlash or something.

However they gave the Duel Sense a higher score so really it should have given the overall package, the console, the better edge.

[darthv72]

That seems to be the consensus... majority of the praise going to the controller and some to the system. I remember when it was all about the system and the potential the games would have. Now... its what kinds of neat things the controller will be used for.

I am happy somebody decided to take user interaction (and sound) more seriously. We have been conditioned over the gens that graphics are king and now we are reaching that balance. Having innovative control mechanics coupled with improved audio experiences on top of better system hardware leads to a more rounded gaming platform overall.

[RgR]

Well when as aspect is outstanding it is normal for it to grab the attention. That doesn't mean that the console is not impressive.
Nobody expected a revolutionary controller and therefore it garners a lot of attention.

We already know that their console will output some or the most impressive games next gen

[Software_Lover]

taking sound more seriously? WTF has Dolby been doing all these years? Their engine does the same thing that Tempest does. It's just that tempest cost Sony nothing to implement (which is genius). Everyone else will have to pay Dolby for the use of their tech.

[blacktiger]

you don't remember anything, I remember when console were cool, and then every gamers around the world
would turn their neck to the "controller"
N64 one of the best controller of all time
Gamecube controller one of the most comfortable controller of all time
Playstation one of the most standard controller of all time
Mouse and Keyboard perfection and precision

[SmokinAces]

I remember when they didn't do console reviews, the good old days.

[alb1899]

It seems that because of the controller they have given to PS5 the same score as the SX otherwise the SX would have score higher.

[WillyC009]

Lol no

[alb1899]

WillyC009, the SX is a better hardware. Accept it. A lot smaller and more powerful, Smart delivery and Quick Resume.

[KyRo]

@alb, on paper the SX does have better hardware but that doesn't mean much when MS has very few first party studios who show us what their machine is capable of outside of Playground and Coalition Games, maybe Id Software now they have Bethesda. The size of console means absolutely nothing, smart delivery is cool and quick resume is literally on the PS4, it just doesnf do it for 6 games which IMO is pointless when so many games in 2020 are online and you will be disconnected from the server anyway.

Right now, as a next generation console a week away from release, there's nothing that makes me want it and a lot of people are in the same boat.

[RaiderNation]

@alb1899

What needs to be accepted is despite the XSX having the spec sheet advantage, the actual difference in power between these two consoles is so negligible, you're never going to see an appreciable difference on screen.

[oldenjon]

@alb1899 "A lot smaller and more powerful, Smart delivery and Quick Resume."
PS5 is only like 5% bigger by volume and actually fits in an entertainment console. Also, it's generally accepted that Series S will bottleneck Series X development, and that the specs are merely bragging rights. Get the facts straight.

[883]

@alb1899
The SX has more "brute force" "power" but while it is a nifty bit of kit, there is considerably less polish in its design. It is as if they simply wanted to make a decent powered small P.C. The PS5 design takes its power and puts it to smarter, more innovative, and quite possibly better use. It is likely that the geometry engine in the PS5 will be more capable. The 17.3 GB/s throughput from the SSD for texture data on the PS5 could have *visible* benefit where the increased t-flops of the SX will likely not have much of a difference. Heavens - if we are looking for 30-60 fps (typical console range) right now a vastly more powerful 3080 isn't miraculously making the same games MUCH prettier than the 2080Ti... Draw distance/texture quality (you know - the things that are still quite lacking but very noticeable) and more favor the PS5's capabilities. Cerny & Co. identified things that would not make much of a real world difference and put the money/focus on the things that actually would YEARS down the road for the system. PS5 is brilliant. For the record, initially, I was loudly telling friends/family the M.S. had HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK with SX. I was saying M.S. came out like Clubber Lang in Rocky III to SMASH a complacent, softened, and sickly looking Sony that was totally off guard. I said that Sony had been UTTERLY trounced/caught with their pants down (and sleeping), and that I was completely disgusted that they had failed so embarassingly. Dramatic I know. But that is how I felt after the initial looks. I am eating ENDLESS amounts of humble pie now. The more I look, the more it is almost eerie how forward thinking and brilliant Cerny & Co. are with the design of the PS5 to make it shine where it matters most (if utilized properly). Sorry, but from a performance perspective, the only thing SX has over PS5 **where it might actually going to be remarkably clear to the avg. observer** IS on paper - and IF WE DON'T LOOK TOO CLOSELY at the (actually significant) details that may truly make those numbers mean something different from their face value (and maybe with 300-400x magnification and or a frame counter). The funny thing is that in terms of performance (areas mentioned above and others) PS5 when used properly (not even counting DualSense & Tempest) may actually have some ability beyond Series X in areas that actually DO stand out to the average user. Fortunately SX has the brute force to hold its own and likely have a technical advantage in many multiplat. examples (however irrelevant said advantages may be from the perspective of an average user).

[WillyC009]

@alb1899

Lol, again no.

[Challengerscatpack]

Duh, they’re smart enough to know how unruly some of you fanboys are. A grade on a console is idiotic in the first place.

[zahdab]

to be fair the majority of what they can test for now is BC games and Xbox has delivered more options and enhancements for BC ... so consoles with very few launch games to test, i am guessing there's not much to judge difference wise ps5 has the edge with the controller and the xbox has an edge with BC enhancements and 3 gen of BC ... the reality is it's premature to judge either console and it the First Party games that will give edge to either.

[chiefJohn117]

X is the better hardware so no

[CaptainObvious878]

The PS5 is the better hardware. It has a lot of clever, actual next gen design features, whereas the xsx is more of the same but with more flops, so no.

Also, the xsx is going to be severely hampered by the embarrasingly underpowered xss for the entire next generation. That fact alone means the xsx is never coming anywhere close to how good the PS5 is and will be.

[QUIMICOMORTAL]

Not only that, the sound and the lineup is better on the ps5

[Kekewei]

Xsx is more of a pc, it doesn’t make it a better console. Sony and Nintendo know the right way to make a console, not just a cheaper pc alternative.

[1nsomniac]

The Xbox firmware is far superior at this point so I would consider it a tie and an equal score is fair.

[CaptainHenry916]

Finally an innovative next generation console and controller

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

Music plays when hover over games on the cross media bar like on the PS3 again: https://www.youtube.com/wat...

I'm actually really happy about this. haha

[UnHoly_One]

Ugh I hated that.

I don't want anything making noise randomly just because of where I stopped my cursor.

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

@UnHoly_One
You should be able to turn the feature off anyway.

[Neo111]

Yeah, innovative... But no VRR, no Dolby Vision and no 1440p support... Maybe later, right?
https://youtu.be/BTh3KQNQoe...

[RaiderNation]

VRR and 1440p support will get patched in. Dolby Vision will be supported for media applications such as 4K Blu Ray and streaming services sometime in 2021. For games, Sony has their own solution for HDR. It's not Dolby Vision but much like Tempest 3D audio it will be just as good.

[SmokinAces]

So it can only be considered innovative if they give you the things you want?

[solideagle]

This guy wasted 4+ minutes on just the size of PS5. we already know that, please tell us more about performance. In the end "PS5 doesn't have knockout power yet" is just ridiculous statement when PS5 has the best first year in history. PS5 also comes with pre-installed Astro Bot (4 hour) which everyone is saying is awesome and Dual Sense is revolutionary.

"4:29 if you want to skip him complaining about how it looks and doesn't fit his style" youtube comment made me laugh

IGN gave both consoles same score 8/10 to avoid console war :)

[jaymacx]

Actually not to avoid war but to fuel it. Now both sides will think they are on equal footing. I will put it like this......

Lets say you work hard at a job and do mostly all you could as an employee and you’re lazy coworker gets the same evaluation as you. Would that not cause a war?

[solideagle]

I did not think from that perspective, you are right. Actually I am one of those worker who is getting paid less right now because I am on company visa...I fully get what you are saying :)

[Challengerscatpack]

It would only cause a war between 12 year olds who live in their parents basement arguing over which plastic box is superior.

If you’re not 12 and you do this, reevaluate your life.

[Petebloodyonion]

I would have expected Sony to have a slightly better score than Xbox due to the initial launch line but after reading the review I can understand why the score is exactly the same.

Still like the Serie X ill wait till next year before picking one up!

[nickanasty206]

Super excited for my PS5 but just can't get over the fact that the disk drive is on the bottom when positioned horizontally. I feel like it would look better the other way around. Just my opinion though. Will definitely stand this bad boy vertically, it looks way better that way. Again just my opinion.

[darthv72]

Both next gen disc based units are on the bottom. PS5 is bottom right, SX bottom left (when looking at them head on).

PS4 and XBO the rotation to vert was clockwise. New gen is counter clockwise.

[porkChop]

Actually, that's wrong. When the Series X is horizontal the disc drive is on top. There's feet on one of the sides for when you put it horizontal.

[Thundercat77]

Same score as the Xbox series x 😂.

PS5, compared to IGN Xbox series x review, has a new UI, innovative next Gen controller and a good launch line-up and still it score the same? While complaining about the size? Naaa

Get out of here IGN.

[chiefJohn117]

The new UI isn't really any better than Xbox, just because it's new don't give you extra brownie points, controller isn't all that special and it's launch lineup is a ps3 game, a dlc, a timed exclusive and games on ps4.

Mean the other consoles has better graphics, loads games faster, more storage, and more thing from a hardware standpoint. If anything Xbox should've scored higher as everything you listed isn't even the actual console. Ijs

[SmokinAces]

The UI is better than xbox, it being new is what gives it brownie points, the controller is very special people love it, they call it a "game changer" your downplaying of it doesn't negate that fact. Its launch line up is an amazing looking remake, a standalone game that looks phenomenal and a timed exclusive is still exclsuive until its not. The other console has the same graphics, only loads some old games slightly faster and doesn't have enough of additional storage to make it a factor. "and more thing", I'm not sure what that even means, the controller may not be the console but its pretty hard to play games without it.

[chiefJohn117]

If a controller with fancier viberation (something I turn off) make a Console better than other to you than so be it. Everyone has their own preferences and priorities, like some prefer offset sticks making Xbox Controller better by default for them or have an elite which the DS can't compete with. But have at I'd rather have more storage, higher resolution, stabler fps, better RT, etc.

[East76lands]

Both consoles have strong points which make them worth buying, it's time to put the pointless console war to bed.

[talocaca]

Literally the only site that gave the PS5 the same score as the Series X 😅

And spent 5 minutes complaining about the design of the console instead of actually reviewing.

[AriesBear]

New console, yet still can't do full 4k 60fps. That's really sad. That's unacceptable for a new console when the pro and the Xbox X are already making those compromises. I don't think next gen really starts until PS5 pro. The switch has already been doing much of what the PS5 is just now starting to do gameplaywise.

[arvfab]

So I assume you won't be playing Gears 5 and have the same complaints with the XSX, right?

[GaboonViper]

Destroyed, you would have thought by now these fools would think before they speak.

[Challengerscatpack]

Plastic box > plastic box

My plastic box is better than your plastic box. Speaking of, can you ship me my consoles already Target? This wait is killing me.

[Father__Merrin]

Come Xmas 2021 ps5 will be in light speed mode nothing will touch it

[Einhander1971]

PS5 for me every day of the week:)

[Master of Unlocking]

Is it just me who didn't see it or did they not say anything about the PS5's Media Player? Is it an app like on the PS4, or is it integrated into the console's OS, like the PS3? If anybody has the PS5 already, I'm curious about that. Like, when you use the console's web browser, can you download a pic, an mp3 or a video off websites, like on the PS3? This has always been one of the most jarring flaw on the PS4, like, why did so many features on the previous product that nobody complained about get left behind on the (then) new product, it's baffling to me...

[GamerBeast1982]

Cant wait for mine to arrive. The size does not bother me at all as long as its quiet im good. Hell even the size is tiny sitting next to my PC with its Tower 900 case which is the size of a small fridge.

[Gaming4Life1981]

Good review. Im going to try and get both ps5 and series x before the year is over. I have the money but i have the worst luck pre ordering online.

People on here need to calm down with the my system is better than yours debate. Next gen is here and everyone should be excited that both systems are amazing.

[headshotfrosty]

Pretty ugly design IMO. Controller is sexy but this looks a bit like they tried too hard. Not my design of choice however i will be getting one next year after I break in my XSX. Hate away.

[jeromeface]

no optical out, huge mistake

[SmokinAces]

What a shock the consoles size was mentioned in the first two sentences, we get it everybody can we move on from that now, or..............

[GrizToof]

You know what console(s) you want, buy it and be happy. I'm getting the PS5 for now because of my huge backlog of PS4 games that in most cases will load, run and look better on PS5. Down the road I plan on getting a XSX because of their backwards compatibility of og Xbox games and 360. I suspect that list of games will grow over time and as a collector of old physical games I will love to play them looking amazing. Also I hate what Sony is doing with censoring games, even if I don't play the games they are censoring, its the principle and it's the start of a slippery slope. MS and Nintendo seem to be a lot better with that but I do like most of Sonys first party exclusives. That's it, I will eventually get both and will most certainly have a lot of fun playing games and not fighting with other grown adults over whats better. Have a wonderful day yall.

[ExBee]

The DualSense seems to be a main purchasing point, currently seems like the Xbox SSD is a bit faster for loading times than the PS5 but obviously PS5 has amazing exclusives. Can't really go wrong with either console as long as you're happy with it

[SmoothC911]

I just came here for the comments
/eats popcorn