Guide: PS5 FAQ - Everything We Know So Far

All the information on PlayStation 5

It's time to start talking about the PlayStation 5. Now that Sony has finally begun lifting the lid on its next-gen console, we now know a whole lot more about what to expect going forward. Of course, we don't know everything just yet, but thanks to some revealing reports from Wired, we have a much clearer picture of what PS5 will be capable of. So, what information do we have on Sony's upcoming machine?

In this guide, we'll go through some common questions about the future of PlayStation.

What will the PS5 be called?

A bit of an odd question this, but a common one all the same. Will Sony's next-gen machine be called PlayStation 5, or something else entirely?

Jim Ryan has confirmed it will be called PS5. It was fairly obvious, but at least now it's official.

What is the release date for PS5?

PlayStation 5 is scheduled for release during the holiday period of 2020. Now you know what to add to your 2020 Christmas list.

How much will PS5 cost?

The price of the PlayStation 5 hasn't been nailed down yet. Mark Cerny had this to say with regards to cost: "I believe that we will be able to release it at an SRP [suggested retail price] that will be appealing to gamers in light of its advanced feature set." It's hard to judge what this means, but we imagine the PS5 will cost somewhere between $399 and $499.

According to a much more recent report, however, the PS5 price could be high. Sony is supposedly having trouble with manufacturing costs as parts and pieces are on the rise in price. This means that the price of the PS5 could be closer to $500 than we originally thought.

What does the PS5 logo look like?

Take a look at it for yourself above.

The PS5 logo is incredibly familiar. It's identical to the PS4 logo, save for the updated digit at the end. It's exactly as expected, and instantly recognisable as part of the PlayStation brand.

What does the PS5 console look like?

For starters, probably nothing like the PS5 dev kit. The developer-issued unit is our best look at the hardware so far, but it's unlikely to be indicative of the PS5's final design. We would expect something closer to the form factor of the PS4, but at this point, the console's physical appearance is anyone's guess.

When will Sony reveal the PS5 console?

It is looking highly unlikely that Sony will host a PS5 reveal event in February 2020. Despite numerous rumours pointing towards the month in question, we are already close to its halfway point without any concrete details. We expect a reveal before E3 in June, but it's anyone's guess as to when it'll take place during that time frame.

Is PS5 backwards compatible with PS4 games?

Yes, PlayStation 5 will be backwards compatible with PS4 games. It has been confirmed that, because the PS5 is based partly on the PS4’s architecture, it will be able to run PS4 software. This will include physical and digital games.

Is PS5 backwards compatible with PS3, PS2, and PSone games?

We don't know. It's backwards compatible with PS4, which had no real backwards compatibility itself, so the answer for now is probably not. There have been some recent rumours that suggest PS5 will be able to run older PlayStation games, but there's nothing concrete out there. We'll update this guide if we learn more.

Will PS5 support physical games on disc?

Yes. As mentioned above, PS5 will accommodate physical media, meaning disc-based games as well as digital.

Will PS5 support 4K Blu-Ray discs?

Yes, the PlayStation 5 will have a 4K Blu-Ray disc drive. This means it will be able to play back 4K movies.

Will PS5 be compatible with PSVR?

Sony has said that PlayStation VR will run on PS5. Whether the company is working on a successor to its first virtual reality effort is unknown, but it's almost a certainty. Until then, PSVR as we know it will work with PS5.

What games will be on PS5?

Two PlayStation 5 games have been confirmed at the time of writing. Those are Godfall and Outriders.

Meanwhile, Techland has confirmed it's working on a next-gen version of Dying Light 2. Bluepoint says it's working on a "big game" for PS5. It's possible this is the heavily rumoured Demon's Souls remake.

There aren't many PS5 games we know about, but some of Sony's in-progress projects could come to the next-gen console, meaning they'll release on both PS4 and PS5. It's speculated that games like Death Stranding, The Last of Us: Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, and CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 could fall into this camp.

There are also a few unannounced games that are almost certainly in the works, and we imagine they'll be PS5 games. Sequels to God of War, Marvel's Spider-Man, and Horizon: Zero Dawn, for example, are likely to be next-gen titles.

Click here to read more about confirmed and rumoured PS5 games.

Will PS5 have PS Plus?

Yes, Sony will continue its PlayStation Plus subscription service on PS5. To what extent the service will change is unknown at this point, but you can count on your membership carrying over to the new console.

Will PS5 have PS Now?

As with PS Plus, PlayStation Now is confirmed to play a part on PS5. If you've subscribed to the on-demand service, you'll almost certainly be able to carry everything across to PS5 with no trouble.

What are the technical specifications of PS5?

While we don't have exact details regarding the PlayStation 5's inner workings, there are a few bits and pieces we can talk about. Here's a quote from Wired's story on the technical side of PS5: "The CPU is based on the third generation of AMD’s Ryzen line and contains eight cores of the company’s new 7nm Zen 2 microarchitecture. The GPU, a custom variant of Radeon’s Navi family, will support ray tracing, a technique that models the travel of light to simulate complex interactions in 3D environments."

The AMD chip apparently allows for 3D audio, fundamentally changing the way you'll experience sound in games. We also know PS5 will feature an extremely fast SSD. This fancy drive will have much, much higher read speeds than regular hard drives, resulting in dramatically faster load times, or the ability to move through a game much more quickly. There's still lots we don't know about the tech specs of PS5, but it's sounding like a beast so far.

Will there be a new controller for PS5?

Yes, Sony is developing a new controller for PlayStation 5. Likely named the DualShock 5, the next-gen pad is set to include some fancy new features that will enhance immersion. Haptic feedback has been implemented, and will replace the rumble motors Sony has relied on for so many years. Instead of your controller vibrating the same way every time, the haptic feedback will give you the sensation of different textures and surfaces.

In addition, we also know that the triggers, L2 and R2, will be adaptive, meaning developers can apply differing levels of pressure to them. One example given is using a bow and arrow, and having the trigger tense up as you pull the bow's string back.

The new controller will feel a little heavier than the DualShock 4 PS4 controller, will use a USB Type-C wire for charging, and will have larger batteries.

Do you have any other questions regarding PS5? Get hyped for next-gen in the comments below.