Sony PlayStation 5 review: A gorgeous portal to next-generation gaming

The PlayStation 5 isn't simply the latest iteration of Japanese company Sony's highly successful series of gaming consoles, but a genuine leap in terms of possibilities in gaming. There are several changes, inside and out, that set up PS5 for a markedly different gaming experience from its predecessors. Let's dive into the details.

The PlayStation 5 comes in two variants: with Ultra-HD Blu-Ray Disc, and the Digital Edition -- which is also Rs 10,000 cheaper. Our review unit came with the disc drive.

DualSense Wireless Controller

PS5 Controller

The most highlighted (and rightly so!) aspect of the PS5 is the DualSense Wireless Controller. With its haptic feedback and trigger resistance, DualSense is more than just an accessory to the PS5, and in fact becomes an integral part of the immersive and realistic gaming experience that lets you 'feel' the game.

The haptic feedback's effects are most palpable in Astro’s Playroom, in which you can feel everything from the gliding sensation while skating on ice to the overpowering gush of wind, and the trigger resistance that comes with it. The game even manages to make use of the DualSense's touchpad and motion controls for certain activities. On the other hand, the trigger resistance made sure that I tired my hands out rather quickly due to overexertion and while that does add to the realism, it may not be suited for marathon gamers.

Even in terms of design, there are a few changes in DualSense. While the basic layout remains the same as the DualShock 4, DualSense is bulkier and more ergonomically designed. Besides, the space between the R1 and R2 buttons is done away with. In other significant changes, the controller now comes with a built-in microphone and charges via USB-C. In terms of compatibility, the DualShock 4 does work on the PS5, but only with PS4 games.

Design

The PS5 is on the bigger side of things -- both performance and size-wise. The gargantuan console stands at 15.4 inches tall and 4.09 inches wide and weighs 4.5 kgs. Unsurprisingly, it will need a dedicated space of its own. PS5 comes with a base that needs to be screwed in when oriented vertically or clipped to the side if placed horizontally.

It has a black glossy plastic flanked by white plastic fins that give PlayStation 5 a distinctive look. Add to it the blue LED lighting that illuminates the PS5's inner edges when switched on, the device looks extra-terrestrial or something that belongs to posterity.

For connectivity, you get a USB-A and one USB-C port on the front, beside which are the buttons to turn on the console and to eject discs. On the back, there are two more USB-A ports, an Ethernet port, a power 8 port, and an HDMI 2.1 port.

Performance and storage

The PS5 is powered by a Ryzen 8-core AMD Zen 2 3.5Ghz processor, with simultaneous multithreading, and a RDNA 2-based custom GPU clocking at 2.23GHz. It comes with 16GB of GDDR6 RAM. For connectivity, it has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, and HDMI 2.1 for TVs with 4k and up to 120 fps support. In short, you can play pretty much any game in optimum settings without worrying about a thing.

That said, it’s the solid-state drive (SSD) that might be the game-changer for PS5, with its almost non-existent loading times. It took me hardly 10-15 seconds to go from the main screen in to the streets of New York in 'Spider Man: Miles Morales'. It also beefs up the performance with features such as ray-tracing. The SSD comes with 825 GB of storage, of which only 667 GB is usable. Notably, any disc you insert will have its data copied over to the SSD before you can play the game.

The PS5 also boasts a large internal fan and built-in cooling vents, that keep the console cool and quiet, even during gaming for hours on end.

User interface

Sony has made some radical changes to the user interface as well. Games and streaming apps are now separated into two sections 'Games' and 'Media', which looks more streamlined and cleaner. The remaining options (Search, Settings, and profile) are located in the top-right corner. With the PS5, Sony has merged all the other options (game switcher, download progress, music, power menu, etc) which is now accessible with a single tap. Moreover, this is customisable. Another nice addition is the activity card with details of your progress and trophy achievements for every game on which the user hovers. Like its predecessors, the PS5 also lets you capture videos and screenshots, or stream to YouTube and some other OTT platforms.

Verdict

The PS5 is one powerful and well-designed machine, with the game-changing controller, incredibly fast load times, and a cleaner user interface being the highlights. On the other hand, the console’s massive size and relatively limited storage might be a concern for some while there aren't many PS5 exclusives at this point. And moreover, despite all the upgrades, priced at Rs 49,999 (the disc version), the PS5 doesn't come cheap. But if you can fork that out, It's truly an exciting portal to next-gen gaming in every sense of the word – and one that will likely only get better.