Sony recently announced its next-generation gaming console — the PS5 popularly known as the PlayStation 5. Hardcore gamers are now counting down towards the arrival of both the next generation of video game consoles, Microsoft had clearly grabbed the initiative. Its reveal of the Xbox Series X at the Game Awards came out of nowhere, and Sony’s weak response at CES a few weeks later was to show off the PS5 logo. (It’s a PS4 logo with a 5 in it.)
Then the coronavirus hit, and all plans went out of the window. Sony stumbled by hyping a dense, tech-heavy presentation, which was intended to be a Game Developers Conference talk, while Microsoft pulled together a slapdash, wholly unimpressive collection of minor titles running on the Series X. E3 would have been the time for each company to make a major statement; instead, they’re making news on their own terms.
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Going into this week, the PS5 was a completely unknown quantity beyond the sort of tech specs that would have leaked by now anyway. What a relief, then, that Sony put its best foot forward. This was a confident presentation that included impressive games, strong production values, and even the console hardware itself. It almost felt like things were back to normal.
Looking at the hardware, the design is divisive. Equally obvious, Sony will have known it would be. As a fan of Sony’s outlandish gadgetry throughout the decades, I am glad that the PS5 looks more like the gleaming new wing of a Chinese airport terminal than a piece of AV equipment. I’m also glad that, unlike the Xbox Series X, it’ll actually fit into my TV stand horizontally. But taste is personal, as are living room setups, and it’s reasonable to be taken aback by Sony’s direction here. I’ll just note that game consoles stick around for a long time and even the weirdest usually end up feeling normal once they’ve been under your TV for a couple of years.
And that’s completely fine. Sony’s presentation was by far the best look yet at what we can all expect out of the next generation of video games, and the onus is now very much on Microsoft to show off its own vision for the future of the Xbox. But while Microsoft has shifted its focus to subscription services and play-anywhere compatibility, the strategy for the PS5 is exactly the same as it was for the PS4: make a box that’s easy for developers to get the most out of, support a wide range of games, and plunge a ton of money into exclusive first-party titles. That worked out pretty well for the PS4, and there’s no reason to expect the PS5 to be any different.
Now Sony and Microsoft, we just need to know the price.
