When will Sony’s next PlayStation console be released? Rumors have persisted about a target release window regarding the PS5, as well as the games that would be a part of the next-generation gaming device from the Japanese electronics giant. Earlier in May 2018, a report by the Wall Street Journal quoted Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO John Kodera saying that the PS5 console is unlikely to launch before March 2021.
However, it is expected that the company has big plans for the PlayStation 5, and wants to keep things under the wrap so that enough hype is generated before it opens the lift on its new device.
When Will the PS5 Release?
Yes, according to games industry analyst Michael Pachter, who has a hunch that the new console will likely be unveiled in 2020.
“Their [E3 2018] showcase was really hard to figure out, and they didn’t talk at all. My bias is that they will also launch [the PS5] in 2020, so no reason to announce any current generation exclusives other than the ones announced so far,” said Pachter.
Pachter had originally claimed that the release would be in 2019, but revised it to 2020. It makes sense as Sony currently enjoys a dominant position in the market, and there is no reason to hurriedly launch another console when the previous one is doing so well.
Going by the previous trends, one can assume that the PS5 release date would probably be around Q4 2020. That would give it a lot of time to be released along with some blockbuster gaming titles that are released around that period.
Will Starfield Be The First Game To Launch on the PS5?
Bethesda’s Starfield, a single-player RPG, was announced during E3 2018. According to the announcement, the game isn’t slated to release anytime sooner but would be coming to “next-gen”. Now next-gen should definitely indicate an upgraded version of the current consoles, so it might be likely that Starfield becomes the first game of the PS5 console.
Death Stranding May Also See a PS5 Release
Hold your horses, PS4 owners. Do not get worked up upon hearing the possibility of Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding releasing on the PlayStation 5. According to Pachter, Death Stranding will likely be a cross-generational game i.e. it will release on PS4, as well as the PS5. The game has been in development for quite some time now, and it doesn’t sound like a smart idea from Sony to skip the PS4 entirely to make the transition to the next one.
Will the PS5 Be Portable?
Looking at the runaway success that the Nintendo Switch was, Sony could make the next PS5 console to be a portable one. This was indicated by Kodera to Bloomberg earlier on in the year:
“In my opinion, rather than separating portable gaming from consoles, it’s necessary to continue thinking of it [portable gaming] as one method to deliver more gaming experiences and exploring what our customers want from portable. We want to think about many options.”
What Will The Specs Be Like For the PS5?
The Xbox One X currently has 6 teraflops of power, and it would be quite incredulous if Sony didn’t try to exceed that power. While people might think that the increased power would probably push up the price, one needs to consider the fact that the console is still a good 2-3 years away from being released, so 8-10 teraflops shouldn’t be a big deal by then.
Regarding the CPU, Sony is working with AMD yet again, on a Ryzen CPU. The PS4 uses a Jaguar CPU, which is considered to be a major drawback of the PS4 as well as the Xbox One, because it doesn’t allow enough processing power for 60 fps games. The Ryzen will certainly be a massive upgrade from the Jaguar.
How Much Will The PS5 Cost?
A realistic estimation of the price of a PS5 can be assumed for the past launch price of Sony’s consoles. The PS4 launched at a price of $399 in 2014 and the PS4 Pro was also released at the same price in 2016, so we can guess that the PS5 price point would be in that range only.