First details of Sony's next-gen PlayStation revealed

First details of Sony's next-gen PlayStation revealed

In an interview with Wired, Mark Cerny, the lead system architect of the PlayStation 4 (PS4), has revealed that the next PlayStation console from Sony will be faster, more powerful, and have improved audio compared with the PS4. In short, the new console will not just be an upgrade to the PS4, it will be entirely new.

So what do we know about the next-gen console?

Well first off, we don't officially know its name, although it is widely expected to be called the PlayStation 5. We do know that it will not be available this year, so consumers will have to wait until at least 2020 to get their hands on it.

The new console features a solid state drive (SSD) to reduce loading times, and an improved CPU and GPU making it faster and more powerful than the PS4. The GPU is based on a third-gen AMD Ryzen chip, which features eight cores of 7nm Zen 2 microarchitecture. It will support ray-tracing technology, which simulates the way that light behaves so that graphics look more realistic and accurate. It is a relatively new technology, and the next-gen Playstation will be the first console to have this capability.

As a result of the hardware improvements, the new console will also boast 3D audio for a more immersive experience.

ps4 pro.jpg

The PlayStation 4 Pro (Source: Sony)

So what about the PlayStation VR? Good news for virtual reality fans; the headset will indeed be compatible with the new console. Whether or not there will be a next-gen VR headset to go with the new console is yet to be revealed.

The next-gen console will still take discs, and is backwards compatible with PS4 games.

Sony will not be holding a keynote at E3 in June so don't expect to hear much about the new console then. We have yet to hear anything about the games that might be released on the new platform, nor do we have any idea about how much it will cost.

What we do know is that we are all very excited to find out more.
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Becky Cunningham
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