Sony's new console is expected to hit the market between 2019 and 2020. Support for 4K and virtual reality among the main features
The PlayStation 5 is no longer a mirage. In fact, it may come to market sooner than you might imagine. The November 2016 launch of the PS4 Pro, an updated version of the PS4 released in 2013, had led to speculation that the PlayStation 5 would be released in 2021-2022. But that won't be the case: the PS5 will hit the market in the second half of 2019, in 2020 at the latest. Ahead of the latest forecasts.
The console and video game market has managed to stay afloat during the economic crisis. There was a decline, but less than in other sectors. And as the economic recovery began, companies' revenues increased as well. This has allowed Sony to focus on the development of the PlayStation 5. As stated by one of Sony's top executives during E3 2017 (the world's most important trade show dedicated to video games) "the new PlayStation is coming". And you won't have to wait long. Calendar in hand, it could be less than 12 months away.
How will the PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 4 Pro has allowed Sony to take a generational step forward thanks to (partial) support for 4K. The arrival on the market of the Xbox One X, which in many respects is more powerful than the Japanese console, has forced Sony to accelerate the development phase of the PlayStation 5. The goal is to create a console more powerful than the Xbox One X, which is in step with the times and meets the demands of users. What will be the features of the PlayStation 5? The console will have an 8-core Zen CPU and a graphics card based on Navi (AMD). Supporting this could be Samsung's new GDDR 6 memories.
Surely there will be native support for 4K at 60 frames per second. Most TVs on the market now have 4K resolution and it's the perfect time to release a console that supports this feature. The other factor that Sony will focus on is the power of the hardware. To surpass the results recorded by the Xbox One X will aim to integrate into the console the best hardware components available on the market. It is rumored to have a power of 10 teraflops, practically double that of the PS4 Pro (teraflops is the unit with which we measure the power of hardware). The storage space will also be increased to hold more video games.
PlayStation 5, comes retro-compatibility
Making its users happy is the most important goal of any company. And to make happy the millions of people who every time buy a new console, Sony could decide to add retro-compatibility to the PlayStation 5. This is a feature present on the Xbox One X and that is very appreciated by users. And for this reason it could be present on the PS5 as well.
PlayStation 5, support for virtual reality
The trump card that Sony could play against the Xbox One X is support for virtual reality. The Japanese company has already launched a VR visor on the market dedicated exclusively to the world of video games, but with the arrival of the PS5 could present a second wireless version. Virtual reality will be one of the killer apps of the coming years and Sony wants to play in advance and impose itself on the market.
PlayStation 5, release date
An official date on the release of the PlayStation 5 still does not exist. But the latest rumors try to set a date for the possible presentation. A very accredited source has assured that Sony would provide some software houses with development kits to start making video games for the PlayStation 5. This would lead the Japanese company to present the console already at the E3 2018 in Los Angeles, which will be organized in mid-June. But it seems very difficult for Sony to organize everything in a few months. Much more likely that the PlayStation 5 will be launched on the market for Christmas 2019.
Price PlayStation 5
According to the latest rumors, relaunched by insider Julien Chièze, the PS 5 will arrive on the market in the second half of 2019, with a list price of $ 399 (320 euros at current exchange rates, but very likely that the figure becomes 399 euros). The cost PS5, in short, will be lower than that of the PlayStation 4: a move of the Japanese giant to combat the increasingly strong competition from Microsoft, which with its Xbox One X has played in advance.