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Is PlayStation 5 Worth It Next-Gen Console Review

Is PlayStation 5 Worth It? Next-Gen Console Review

Is PlayStation 5 worth it? Now that it’s out after years of anticipation. That is the question many are asking who are thinking of buying a new console. After the success of PS4 and its amazingly good exclusives, the focus is shifting to Sony’s next-gen console. A new console arrives after years, unlike other devices. People expect great improvement when the new console comes out. After all, it is supposed to represent the fresh face of a platform. Sony released PS4 in the year 2013 and the PS5 is releasing after seven years in the year 2020. PlayStation 4 was competing with Xbox One. PlayStation 5 is acting as a direct competitor to Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S to some extent. Sony’s next-gen console is bringing a lot to the table with its powerful hardware.

Though PlayStation 5 is big, it offers great power under the hood as well. The lighting fast SSD is the game changer and it is the main part of 9th gen consoles. The SSD is bringing a lot to the table, not just in loading screen but gameplay experience as well. Games that took minutes to be loaded are now loaded in mere seconds. It is an experience that has never been part of consoles, making everything more interesting. With its 10.3 Teraflops ray-tracing GPU, the console can run games at high resolution and fatality. The combination of its CPU, GPU, RAM, and SSD enables it to run games with better graphics. Just a look at the gameplay is enough to tell you the difference. PlayStation truly feels like a generational leap for a console. Is PlayStation 5 worth it, based on its specs? Let’s find out.

PlayStation 5 Design and Size

PlayStation 5 has a unique design that makes it stand out. The console is beautifully crafted but its sheer size can be an annoyance for some. The design of the console is futuristic with black and white colors. PS5 is big and it has a strong presence. PS5 is designed to stand out in the setting as the main part of an entertainment setup. Its glossy black plastic sits between the two side plates and the console itself then sits on the stand. That makes four parts, so PS5 is made up of four parts that hold it together and give it the design.

Size of the PlayStation 5

PS5 is the biggest console to date. It is bigger than the original PS3 and the Xbox Series X. The console has a strong presence and it stands out in the entertainment setup. PlayStation 5 can stand both vertically and horizontally. Regardless of the orientation, the console needs to sit on the stand. In a vertical position, the stand helps with airflow. You can also use the console vertically without a stand but it will hinder some of the hair flow. There are a lot of air vents so you would need to keep them open.

The console has an uneven design, making it hard to stably place it in a horizontal orientation. You have to put it on the stand that comes with the PS5. Even with the stand, the console can wobble due to its uneven design. Whether you place it vertically or horizontally, the sheer size of it will make it tower over your setup. Consoles are supposed to be small but PlayStation is pretty big for a console. Its strong presence is esthetically pleasing but it can also serve as a hinder to people with smaller console space. You might need to make changes to your setting to accommodate it which is a chore in its self. The size of the console makes you ask Is PlayStation 5 worth it? Well, there is more to it.

PlayStation 5 Design

The design of the PlayStation 5 is good even though the console is big. The design might seem out of place due to its odd shape but it gives it a unique look. Unlike Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 wants you to know that it’s here. There are two faceplates on both sides of the consoles that encompass its glossy middle part. The glossy middle part is a dust and fingerprint magnet. The glossy middle part looks cheap compare to other parts of the console. Two faceplates are the biggest parts of the console that goes beyond the glossy black. Faceplates are changeable and will offer a lot of customization. There are lights at the side of PlayStation beneath the faceplates that act as an indicator. These lights look beautiful when turned on.

These faceplates are easily separable from the console. The SSD expansion slot is also beneath the faceplates. There is no way to add SSD expansion at launch since there are no compatible SSDs at launch. Sony has disabled the expandable storage at launch. SSD expansion will unlock later when there are faster SSDs available in the market. The texture on PS5 is made up of are small squares, circles, crosses, and triangles. The PlayStation logo also sits in the perfect position on the gigantic console. Is PlayStation 5 worth it for you based on the design?

Ports and Buttons in PlayStation 5

The front of the consoles has everything you would need to get by. It has a USB Type-C Port, a USB Type-A Port, A power button, and an eject button. There is also a Blue Ray Disc drive but if you are getting the digital edition then the disc drive won’t be there. The Blue Ray Disc Drive seems like an extra bump on the console that disfigures it. In terms of aesthetics, the design of the PS5 disc version is not that good. The power is bigger and the eject button is smaller which makes them easy to recognize, unlike the PS4.

The back of the console has an HDMI connection, a power port with an internal power supply. There are two USB ports on the console along with an Ethernet port. There is no optical audio port like fat PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro. The overall amount of USB ports is equal to the PS4 Pro but their position has changed. USB Type-C port is a new addition to the console. Ports are enough for all kinds of equipment.

DualSense Controller

DualSense controller is the biggest generational leap as it offers another level of immersion. It is now bigger and is a good improvement over DualShock 4. This time, the redesign is quite intense as it changes the way PlayStation controllers look. DualSense has the most extensive resign in any PlayStation console generation shift. It feels bigger and better in the hands. The buttons have good press and pressing it feels comfortable. The texture on DualSense is made of small squares, triangles, circles, and crosses just like the console.

There are a microphone and a speaker in the controller. The PlayStation button is now a PlayStation icon instead of being a round button. There is no light on the back of DualSense, unlike DualShock 4. A light surrounds DualSense’s touchpad that acts as the main indicator on the controller. The controller has a USB-C type port for charging. It has a headphone jack in case you want to use headphones. There is also a port beside the headphone jack in the controller so that other accessories can be attached to the controller. All of the PlayStation 4’s accessories are compatible with PlayStation 5. DualShock 4 however, can only work with PS4 games, not PS5 games. Is PlayStation 5 worth it for you for its DualSense controller? Well, there is more.

Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers

Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers are the biggest addition to the controller. They bring more immersion to video games. Haptic feedback gives you a more realistic feeling through vibrations. You can feel the surface you are walking on. In certain games, the haptic feedback gives you the clue about the upcoming attack. Interaction on different surfaces feels different. The metal feels like metal, the sand feels like sand, soil feels like soil, the grass feels like grass, and so on. You can even feel the breeze or pressure coming from left or right. Adaptive triggers are another big addition to the controller. The draggers have resistance and vibration. You can feel the triggers fighting back when you are applying force in the game. Adaptive triggers and haptic feedback is a true next-gen experience.

Astro Play Room is a good demo for the capabilities of DualSense. In the game, you can feel different surfaces while walking on them. It utilizes haptic feedback in all sorts of ways that make it a fun play. Haptic feedback offers resistance in Astro Play Room and you can feel different types of resistance in different scenarios. In Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, triggers vibrate as you shoot with guns each gun has different vibration and mechanics for triggers. Is PlayStation 5 worth it for its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers?

Battery Life and Immersion

The use of adaptive triggers and haptic feedback largely depends on the developers of games. Some games will utilize it extensively while others might ditch it altogether. In Spiderman: Miles Morales the haptic feedback is underutilized and you will barely notice it. You can feel the upcoming attack in Demon Souls Remake. The adaptive triggers and haptic feedback can be turned off from the menu. First-party games might fully utilize the controller just like the touchpad of DualShock 4.

Is PlayStation 5 worth it for its battery life? Let’s find out. The battery Life of DualSense is a lot better than the DualShock 4. A lot of it depends on the number of functions the controller is performing. Adaptive triggers and haptic feedbacks draws power from the battery of the controller. The more they are used in a game the quicker the battery drains. Even with full utilization, the controller can last 4 hours. In normal gameplay, the controller can last for 6 to 8 or even 10 hours depending on the use. There is no doubt that the battery has improved but it depends on the use of the controller. Without haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, you can expect 11 hours of battery time.

UI of the PlayStation 5

UI of the PS5 has been revamped and looks better with some new cool features. The icons for games are now smaller and they are placed on the left side of the screen. Navigation is a lot faster and you don’t have to wait for long for the details of the game to appear. There is a separate tab for media apps in the UI. All the media apps such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Twitch, etc. are on the media tab. The setting screen has little changes but it feels better. PlayStation Store is now part of the OS so it does not act as an App. It now acts as a part of the console. You can access it as quickly and conveniently as a menu on the console. The UI is clean and much smoother with better effects.

PS5 Operating System

The basic functionalities of the OS are the same but there are some changes. Cards and picture-in-picture gameplay are the new addition to the system. There are also some changes in the share feature and navigations making them more accessible.

The card system of PS5 brings more accessibility to the console. Cards can be used in multiple ways. You can access it using the PlayStation button. A menu of cards will appear giving you different types of accessibility. Tips Cards on the menu will show you a video of the game you are playing. You don’t have to reach for the phone and look for a way out. Cards will show you the gameplay videos of the solution. The use of card also depends on the developers. The number of videos in tips cards for a game depends on the developers. There are also cards for trophies and other activities. Cards also act as shortcuts to redo challenges. Cards are making everything easier in the gameplay.

Setting (control center) is now below the cards. Accessing it is simple and it offers all the options on the go. There is no quick resume option in the console like Xbox Series X/S but the loading is faster due to its SSD. Picture-in-picture gameplay is a good addition to the OS. In the picture-in-picture gameplay, you can watch your friends play a game while you are playing your game. It is a good feature to have but many players won’t use it. I certainly wouldn’t because I want to focus on the game I am playing not someone else’s. The PlayStation 5 is a new start and fresh shift from the PlayStation 4. Is PlayStation 5 worth it for you based on its revamped UI and OS?

PS5 SSD

Is PlayStation 5 worth it for its high-speed SSD? Let’s discuss. PlayStation 5 has a high-speed SSD with a speed of up to 9 GB/s. The high-speed SSD is amazing and it enables you to load games quickly. Even games that are backward compatible and are not optimize for PS5 loads quickly. Once you are inside the optimize game then every fast travel or loading is just another scene. You can fast travel in Spiderman Miles Morales in just a second or two. There is a cut scene but you can disable it. I would love to see a quick resume feature like Series X and S. PlayStation 5 has everything needed for that feature and maybe a future update will bring the feature.

PS5 has a fast 825 GB SSD and the speed of SSD also acts as its bottleneck. To cut the production cost of the console Sony has to use a smaller SSD in the console. A 1 TB SSD on PlayStation 5 was more expensive due to its high speed. Out of 825 GB of storage, only 667.2 GB of that storage is available for usage. The remaining storage is taken up by OS and preinstalled apps including Astro’s Playroom. You can delete Astro’s Playroom and reclaim its space. Astro’s Playroom will be available on PS Store for free and deleting it won’t eliminate it. Due to the small size of the SSD, there is space for only a few games on it. The small size of the SSD can get annoying if you are planning to store more games on it.

Storage Solution and 3D Audio

PS5 games can only be stored and played on the SSD. At launch, PS5 games can’t be moved to another hard drive. All the backward compatible games can be played and stored on the SSD. Backward compatible games will benefit from the powerful hardware of PS5 even when played from HDD if they are optimized for it. Fast loading won’t be available if PS4 games are not on the SSD. Even un-optimized backward compatible games can take advantage of the PS5’s fast SSD if they are stored on it. You can’t extend the SSD storage of PS5 at launch. More PlayStation compatible SSDs will be available by the end of 2021. In the meantime, internal storage is enough to play all the games available.

3D audio adds another level of immersion to games. You can feel the direction of sound without looking at the screen. It’s not just left and right anymore, it’s the whole surrounding. In Spiderman, you can clearly guess the direction of sounds. The 3D audio is not perfect at launch but it has the potential to improve it. A lot of it comes down to the developers and how they want to implement the 3D audio. The name of PlayStation’s 3D audio is Tempest Engine. 3D audio will play a major role in the next-gen games since both Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 has 3D audio. Is PlayStation 5 worth it for its storage solution and 3D audio?

Next-Gen Graphics

The most obvious distinction of a new console is graphics. PlayStation 5 does not offer a huge shift in graphics but the leap is evident. The movement you see gameplay on PS5 you know that it is next-gen stuff. Ray tracing is a huge part of the next-gen console. It has been around in PC gaming for some time but now it is also part of console gaming. Ray tracing provides real-life reflections of everything happening in the game. It adds another level of immersion to games that just wasn’t possible on 8th gen consoles. The reflection of light in the puddles, glasses, and everything else is realistic rather than a bunch of murky graphics.

Spiderman Miles Morales is one of the best looking game. Demon Souls Remake looks insane and it is the best-looking game I have ever seen. Both games offer performance and fatality mode. Fidelity mode cranks graphics to the max offering the best version of the game. On fidelity mode, the game will run at 30 FPS but it will be running at 4K with ray tracing enabled. Fidelity mode offers the best visual experience. In performance mode, the game runs at 60 FPS but on 4k dynamic resolution, and ray tracing is off.

You have to choose between visual quality and frame rate. Even at performance mode, games on PS5 look amazing and much better than any 8th gen console. The combination of high-speed SSD and powerful hardware of PS5 offers an amazing next-gen experience. The jump in graphics is not that evident on YouTube video but once you see the gameplay you know that it truly is next-gen. Is PlayStation 5 worth it for its graphics?

Performance

Despite being a powerhouse PS5 is quiet. Even in silence, you can barely hear the console. Playing even next-gen games on it does not makes it louder. The console is big due to its gigantic cooling system and it seems to be working fine. The large size and vents on PS5 certainly keep it cool even when running the latest games for hours. The temperature of the console is also low and it does not get hot. For the amount of hardware packed under the hood, PS5 is amazingly quiet and cool. The console might start facing problems as it starts to get dusty with time. Proper clearing should keep it running for a long time. In terms of heat and noise, it is a great improvement over its predecessor.

PlayStation 5 in Nut Shell

Is PlayStation 5 worth it for its specs? PlayStation 5 is Sony’s next-gen console that is bringing a big generational leap in gaming. The console is going head to head with Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S. The generational leap between PS5 and PS4 is bigger than the PS4 and PS3. Major additions are SSD and Ray Tracing. The inclusion of SSD brings the opportunity for new types of gameplay mechanics.

Everything in the game has been improved drastically. Cooling was the major problem in PS4 which was not that much of an issue on the PS5 unless you put it in a small space with no airflow. PlayStation 5 is a big console which makes it harder for some to put in an appropriate location. It’s is the biggest console ever and smashes the perception regarding the size of consoles. The design is flashy which might not be what some players want.

The DualSense controller is a major addition to the console. It brings more immersion to games than ever before. Adaptive triggers and haptic feedback works great in delivering a new level of immersion. The revamping of the operating system and UI brings a fresh change to the PS5. The card system in the PlayStation 5 brings more accessibility to the console. 3D audio adds another level of immersion that is going to improve over time. The combination of powerful hardware and the immersive nature of the console brings a brand new gameplay experience. Graphics of games looks great even for the cross-gen games. There are even reports of some serious problems with the console. Such problems are common in launch units of consoles.

Verdict

Despite all these amazing features, there isn’t a lot to do on the console at launch. There is only one next-gen game and all other games are cross-gen. The true potential of the console will shine once more next-gen games are out for the console. As we move into the era of 9th gen console we will see better graphics. Games prices for next-gen consoles have increased which is something that happened after a long time. As more next-gen games start to release we will see the potential of PS5. Demon’s Souls Remke is just a start and things are going to improve from this point onwards. The immersion and hardware of PS5 will combine to give us a true next-gen experience.

Is PlayStation 5 Your Type of Console?

Let’s answer the question “Is PlayStation 5 worth it?” If you are looking for a console to experience the immersion of gaming then PS5 is the console for you. If you want a console that offers amazing performance at fraction of a PC cost then PS5 is the console for you. In case you are looking for a console with exceptional graphics and high-speed SSD then PlayStation 5 might be the console you should get. If you want to play exceptional exclusives then PS5 is the right choice due to their extensive history of amazing exclusives.

If you are planning on experiencing the glory of next-gen games, then you are in for a disappointment. There aren’t enough next-gen games available for console at launch. It also not the console for players who want a cost-effective solution for games such as Game Pass. In short, it is the next-gen console for all the PlayStation players.

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