We’ve all been there before – you’re in the shops looking for the coolest piece of new tech but with no actual clue what you’re looking for.
After hearing about the specs and other complicated matters, the next thing you know you are outside of the store with a brand new £300 video game console – and perhaps a bit dazed and confused.
So, with Sony releasing the PlayStation 5 towards the back end of last year, people all around the world have been keen to get their hands on it – but how much do you really know about the console?
To help you with just this problem, here is a simple review of four key points to help you decide whether or not to buy the Sony PlayStation 5.
For: Exclusives
The PS4 defined a generation of gaming through its exclusives, in a period that saw it become one of the best-selling consoles of all time.
It was a strategy that looked strong last time and this generation it looks like they are playing it safe as they unveil a list of interesting console exclusives looking to win the war of consoles once again, once they actually add them.
Sony hit the ground running with the spin-off of the highest spelling superhero game of all time, Spiderman PS4, Spiderman Miles-Morales.
Game: #SpiderMan: Miles Morales
Developer: @insomniacgames #VirtualPhotography #PS5share #MilesMorales #Ksnapshots pic.twitter.com/NeELfDy12N— Kate (@kaytanaa) April 6, 2021
The also announced another instalment in the God of War franchise, with the 2018 chapter hitting new heights for the game, and it is no surprise to see fans salivating at the thought of playing through a brand new chapter in the book of Kratos in the form of 2021s; God of War: Ragnarök.
2017 saw Guerrilla Games release one of the biggest PlayStation exclusives, Horizon; Zero Dawn and with that game receiving a 9.3 from IGN and 4.5 stars out of five from GamesRadar+, it is no surprise to see it making a return in the form of Horizon Forbidden West, scheduled for a 2021 release as it looks to be the biggest PS5 exclusive.
Learn more about the list of PS5 exclusives here- https://www.psu.com/news/all-best-ps5-exclusives-a-complete-list/
Against: Availability
The overwhelming issue with the console has been its availability. Whenever you go to buy it, it is simply not there – unless you happen to be awake at 3am on the right day and get lucky.
We first saw the console’s Microsoft counterpart in December of 2019, while we didn’t see any announcement of the PlayStation until June of 2020.
With people working from home, and therefore the console having a larger audience than initially indicated, it is obvious to see why the console has been in much demand.
According to the Independent, in March, Sony Interactive Entertainment chief executive Jim Ryan said to Russian news agency TASS: “I spent much of the last year trying to generate enough demand for the product, now in terms of my executive bandwidth, I’m spending a lot more time trying to increase that supply on meet that demand.”
More on the availability of the consoles can be found here- https://www.whathifi.com/advice/ps5-price-and-pre-orders-how-much-will-the-playstation-5-cost
Finally, ordered online at Argos at 06:00 this morning. Failed to get pre order in September and have waited in queues and on websites for almost every drop at every UK store. Today I got lucky. #PS5 #ps5stock #argos pic.twitter.com/ao9WUPKJvp
— Phil W (@1philsafc) March 12, 2021
For: The HUD update
The PlayStation HUD has been due an upgrade for generations. Following the release of the PlayStation Portable, every console released by Sony since then, has followed the exact same format.
However, the PS5 has seen a major overhaul to the homepage, with it changing to reflect a layout more similar to that of a smartphone, grouping apps together in a way that makes sense, it has just made the whole thing a lot easier to navigate.
Not sure why #fredmcgridd is on the #PS5 homepage but I can dig it. @RoFlo pic.twitter.com/CR7Ijv385E
— DatOtherPapaya (@Sizzlinpapaya10) December 6, 2020
Against: The backwards compatibility
The backward compatibility ability of the PS5 may seem good in isolation, but when you consider the fact that you can still play Xbox 360 games on the new Xbox Series X, it is clear to see there is some competition.
The feature allows for players to play iconic games from the last title like the Assassins Creed games, Batman: Arkham City and Black Ops 4, to name a few.
But there have been some issues – and you can find out more about these here- https://screenrant.com/ps5-backward-compatibility-problems-playstation-4-games/
I wish ps5 could play ps1, 2, and 3 games. Xbox series x can play games from the OG, 360, and one so why can't Playstation do it. I get ps3 architecture is weird and difficult to work with so you can't really do backwards compat but you literally made it
— Horizon (@Horizon25_) March 28, 2021
Verdict
If PS5 is the face of the new generation of gaming – it’s fair to say it’s a nice one to look at.
The console promises to be a major player in this generation of gaming too, with the exclusives scheduled and the improvements to the console itself, the future of the console looks promising to say the least.
With that being said, with all the best of the console still yet to come, unless your current console is on its knees, there is really no need to upgrade at the moment. With the lack of availability of the console, you may struggle to anyway.
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