Sony Playstation 5
The Playstation 5 has finally arrived. But does Sony’s next-gen console have the measure of its Xbox rival?
Seven years after its predecessor appeared, the Sony Playstation 5 is here at last. But, while the PS4 proceeded to dominate utterly its competition, the PS5 has an uphill battle to convince everyone it’s a necessary purchase. It isn’t a gateway to gaming in a new resolution and you don’t even need to buy one to play the latest games – there are currently just two that can’t be played on PS4.
The PS5 is priced £450 – the same as the Xbox Series X. There is a more affordable PS5 Digital Edition (£360) which, Sony says, is identical to the standard PS5 in terms of performance and specs, but lacks an optical disc drive.
Standing vertically, Sony’s console is 9cm taller and 11cm deeper than its Microsoft rival; it is also big enough to cause issues for those with limited space in their equipment racks.
Marmite reactions
In terms of the PS5’S looks, Sony has induced a Marmite-like reaction. For every person who likes the PS5’S style, there is at least one more who hates it. You can position it vertically rather than horizontally if that better suits your furniture. The PS5’S controller is the first real indication that Sony has opted to go beyond processing power and aimed for a more holistic upgrade encompassing the way the games feel and sound.
The new Dualsense is a huge step up on its Dualshock predecessors, and is packed with technology that helps immerse you in games in new and inventive ways. It’s all down to a series of motors that provide haptic feedback as well as resistance in the triggers. Pull down the left trigger to aim a gun in Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and the resistance varies, depending on the weight of the weapon. Pull the right trigger and the first movement is light before you get to a bite point.
The Dualsense is bigger than the PS4’S Dualshock 4, and quite weighty, too. The general shape and button layout is the same, though. Another addition is the Dualsense’s integrated microphone, which allows you to plug any pair of wired headphones into the controller.
In the battle of the spec sheets, the PS5 appears to lose out against the Xbox Series X. Both have 8-core CPUS from AMD, but the Xbox’s are clocked at 3.8GHZ while the PS5’S are 3.5GHZ. Both consoles also use AMD graphics processors, with the Xbox’s providing 12 teraflops of power to the PS5’S 10.28 teraflops. Microsoft offers a terabyte of storage to the PS5’S 825GB, but the way Sony has designed and integrated the PS5’S storage makes it more than twice as fast as that of the Series X, and essentially boosts overall performance.
But as with the Xbox Series X, the PS5 has no 8K output option within its menus. Instead, 4K at 60Hz is the broad performance target, with 120Hz available via some games, often at the cost of resolution or graphical features. This new console generation brings with it a feature called ray tracing, which improves lighting, shadows and reflections and has the potential to make games look vastly more realistic.
Disappointingly, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) aren’t supported at launch, but Sony has promised the latter will be added via a future software update.
For many, a console needs to be an all-round entertainment device rather than simply a pure games machine. The PS5 obliges with a selection of streaming apps and a 4K Blu-ray player. Dolby Atmos isn’t supported at a system level. Instead, 7.1-channel PCM is the highestquality audio delivery that can be selected in the console’s menus. You can enable Atmos for discs by accessing a menu within the Disc Player app. However, Dolby Vision isn’t supported.
The Disc Player app is able to override the system’s frame rate and dynamic range settings. If you play a standard Blu-ray movie, for example, it will be output at 24fps and in SDR. Every streaming app, though, outputs in line with the console’s main settings, so SDR films are upconverted to 60fps and HDR. That might not sound like a bad thing, but it can result in some judder and the exaggeration of contrast and colours.
In terms of app selection, the PS5 is on a par with the Xbox Series X. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV are all here in 4K and with HDR. Disney+ is on board but is currently only in Full HD and SDR (although the console will upscale to 4K and upconvert to HDR). UK owners also get Now TV, BT Sport and TV from Sky but, of the terrestrial catch-up services, only All 4 is included.
Screaming newness
As soon as you turn the PS5 on, it’s clear this is a next-generation console. While the Xbox Series X seems determined to convince you that it’s just like the Xbox One before it, the PS5 screams newness from its 4K HDR user interface to its new home screen with game ‘cards’ that fill the display. The icons, logical layout and snappy operation aid its usability, too.
The PS5 has a next-gen trick up its sleeve, in the form of Astro’s Playroom, which is pre-installed. Not only is this a great little platforming game, it also serves as an introduction to the Dualsense controller’s features.
We move on to Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, which is a great showcase for the next-gen consoles. By default, the game runs in 4K at a consistent 60 frames per second, but you have the option to either further enhance the visuals by enabling ray tracing, or enhance the performance by enabling 120Hz. Competitive gamers should go for the responsive 120Hz mode, while those who prioritise cinematic spectacle will want to enable ray tracing. Switching between Call Of Duty on PS5 and Xbox Series X, it’s difficult to spot any differences in the presentation or the performance. If one is a better performer than the other, it’s not obvious here.
Taking a break from gaming, the PS5 serves as a capable streamer and disc-player. Jack Ryan streamed from Amazon Prime Video is punchy, dynamic and naturally balanced in its colours. The Apple TV 4K produces a slightly more sophisticated and nuanced delivery, but the PS5 is close behind and certainly a match for the Xbox Series X.
Switching to the 4K Blu-ray of Blade Runner 2049, we’re impressed by the depth, solidity and three-dimensionality of the PS5’S delivery. That has benefits across the whole picture, particularly in terms of drama, dynamism and colours. But the PS5 still isn’t a match for even the most affordable dedicated 4K Blu-ray players when it comes to subtlety of shading and stability in motion.
Spinning up the bombing-run scene of Unbroken via Blu-ray, the PS5 does a good job with Dolby Atmos soundtracks. It doesn’t have the crispness or dynamic punch of a dedicated player, but produces a room-filling sound with clarity and well-placed sound effects.
While Dolby Atmos isn’t an option for games, it is still the optimal way to enjoy game soundtracks. We test the PS5’S bespoke 3D audio system using a pair of B&O Beoplay H2 on-ears and the high-end Grado GS2000E over-ears plugged into the Dualsense controller, plus the official wireless PS5 Pulse headset, and the Tempest Engine delivers open, spacious and atmospheric sound with good placement of effects and a convincing three-dimensionality.
There is a slight synthetic note to the presentation and the processing can’t quite place effects directly in front or behind you, but if you don’t already have a surround sound package, the PS5’S 3D audio is an excellent solution that makes use of headphones you may already own.
While the PS5 and Xbox Series X both suffer from a lack of exclusive games, the PS5 makes a better case for next-gen. It feels fresh and new, has a new controller and bespoke 3D audio tech. None of this can be said of the new Xbox.
The PS5’S credentials as an all-in-one entertainment device are rather dented by the lack of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos and the slight app gaps, but most people will buy a next-gen games machine for next-gen gaming and the PS5 delivers this most effectively, in terms of new game-changing tech and a dazzling user experience.