Sony has its latest gaming console, the PlayStation 5 launched earlier this year in India is now much more featured, powerful, & future-proof as compared to its predecessor, PlayStation 4. Among the main highlights are its 8K rendering, high-speed SSD storage, and new DualSense wireless controller all of these appear to be promising, here’s what we have to say in our Sony PlayStation 5 review.

Sony PlayStation 5 Specifications

• Software: Sony’s Custom PS5 User Interface
• CPU: 3.5 GHz AMD Ryzen Zen 2 (7nm) 8-Core, 16 Threads processor, variable frequency
• GPU: Up to 2.23 GHz AMD Radeon RDNA 2-based graphics engine, Ray Tracing Acceleration (10.3 TFLOPS)
• Memory: 16 GB GDDR6 256-bit, 512 MB DDR4 RAM (for background tasks)
• Bandwidth: 448 GB/s
• Storage: Custom 825GB SSD, expandable via NVMe M.2 SSD Slot, USB Support
• IO Throughput: 5.5 GB/s (Raw), Typical 8-9 GB/s (Compressed)
• Optical Drive (optional): Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital distribution (Ultra HD Blu-ray (66G/100G) ~10xCAV, BD-ROM (25G/50G) ~8xCAV, BD-R/RE (25G/50G) ~8x CAV, DVD ~3.2xCLV)
• PS5 Game Disc: Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100 GB/disc
• Audio: Tempest 3D AudioTech Engine, Dolby Atmos & DTS:X (Blu-ray video & UHD Blu-ray video), 7.1 surround sound
• Video: 8K rendering, 4K 120Hz TVs, VRR (specified by HDMI ver 2.1)
• Ports & Connectivity: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.1, Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB-C with USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1x HDMI 2.1
• Price: Rs 49,990 (DVD Edition), Rs 39,990 (Digital Edition)

Design, Build, & Ergonomics

One of the major changes in the PlayStation 5 is its design aesthetics, compared to the PlayStation 4, the PS5 appearance has transformed into an iconic dual-tone design matching with its DualSense wireless controller. It looks way too cool than all the other PlayStation generations to date and blends with the room due to its lively design.

The front and back have neat and clean looks while the sides are designed to look dynamic, more like a gaming rig. You can see two long air intake vents run along the front side, and heat exhaust vents dominating the rear side. The PS5 can operate vertically or horizontally with the help of the provided round stand in the box.

The outer shell is made from plastic, although of high quality. The wings are removable to access certain internal components such as the PCI-e 4.0 NVMe SSD storage expansion slot, the power supply, and the optional Blu-ray disc drive. Beneath the side panels are two dust catchers or you can simply say holes enabling you to vacuum out the dust collected by the cooling system.

It’s not something that you can carry wherever, it has about 4.5 kg weight of the Blu-ray version which is equivalent to the weight of twice a gaming laptop, whereas the PS5 Digital Version is slightly slimmer weighing 3.9 kg.

Compared to the previous PS consoles, this one appears to be larger in size, but the size has been attributed to ensure efficient cooling control and reducing the noise during gaming.

The front includes a USB-C port with second-generation USB 3.1 and a USB-A port with USB 2.0. On the backside, it has two USB-A ports, both USB 3.1 Gen 2, an HDMI 2.1 port, Gigabit Ethernet, and power input that uses a 2-pin cable.

DualSense Wireless Controller

The DualSense wireless controller is based on the DualShock controller but with modifications in the design aesthetics. The DualSense has a black internal block flanked by two white wings along its sides, each lit by blue LEDs.

It offers adaptive triggers with haptic feedback through voice coil actuators that can change the resistance to the player as necessary, supporting experiences such as virtually drawing an arrow from a bow.

A new built-in microphone array was added so players can speak to others using only the controller, the controller speaker has been improved. It has USB-C connectivity, a higher-rated battery, and an audio jack.

Software, Features, & Connectivity

The PlayStation 5 offers a new redesigned user interface and it’s far better than the one we saw in the PlayStation 4. There are two sections – Games and Media for pro gaming and interactive TV experience respectively. The interface is smooth with nice transitions, animations, and wallpapers making it more convenient to use.

The base version of the PlayStation 5 includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray optical drive, compatible with Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, standard Blu-ray discs, and DVDs. The Ultra-HD Blu-ray game discs for the PlayStation 5 can hold up to 100 GB of data, in contrast to PlayStation 4 games that usually came on dual-layer standard Blu-ray discs capable of holding up to 50 GB of data.

Furthermore, it integrates Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6 module 802.11ax, Gigabit Ethernet as well as 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB-C with USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1x HDMI 2.1 as connectivity options. On the audio side, the PlayStation 5 includes the Tempest 3D AudioTech Engine, Dolby Atmos & DTS:X (Blu-ray video & UHD Blu-ray video), and 7.1 surround sound.

Hardware, Performance & Gaming

The PlayStation 5 is powered by a custom CPU designed in tandem by AMD and Sony integrating a custom 7nm AMD Ryzen Zen 2 CPU equipping 8-cores running at a variable frequency capped at 3.5 GHz. This is equivalent to the CPU found in the new Xbox Series X gaming console.

About its GPU, the integrated graphics unit is also a custom chip based on AMD’s Radeon RDNA 2-based graphics engine with 36 Compute units running at a variable frequency capped at 2.23 GHz. It peaks around 10.3 TFLOPS in terms of raw performance and supports hardware-accelerated real-time ray tracing, a rendering technique that allows for realistic lighting and reflections.

On the memory and storage side, the console has as much as 16 GB of GDDR6 SDRAM (256 bit) with a peak bandwidth of 448 GB/s and comes with a custom 825 GB SSD storage that is super fast. The internal storage on the PlayStation 5 has a 12-channel interface achieving a raw throughput of 5.5 GB/s and 8-9 GB/s typical (compressed).

Mark Cerny stated that a fast SSD was the top request from game developers so the goal not only was to have a theoretical raw read speed 100 times faster than PS4 but to eliminate I/O bottlenecking so the performance target could be made effective. To this end, Sony designed a custom chip with multiple coprocessors to work in unison with the flash memory controller to reduce latency and channel data more efficiently around the system. At peak, the custom unit is capable of processing up to 22 GB/s of compressible data according to Sony.

In addition to that, the storage is expandable through an NVMe M.2 SSD slot and USB drives. Unlike the PlayStation 4, you have to install the main game in internal storage only, you won’t be able to move external storage like the PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 5 games must be stored on the internal SSD to be played, The April 2021 system patch enables you to move PlayStation 5 games to and from an external USB storage device, though the games must still reside on the internal SSD to be played.

Gaming on PlayStation 5

• DAYS GONE
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• Call of Duty Black Ops III
• HITMAN 3
• Rocket League

Verdict

Gaming on the Sony PlayStation 5 is impressive, the console offers stunning graphics and a great gameplay experience, the performance is splendid. The console also offers 8K gaming, a faster SSD, and a haptic-enabled DualSense controller for gaming in action.

Choosing the PlayStation Plus subscription could give you a handful of free games to play. The interactive TV experience with OTT apps like Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, Twitch, etc also adds to its features. If you want a fully-featured high-performance gaming console, the Sony PlayStation 5 is recommended.