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BloombergThe new game console sports the usual improvements to graphics and load times, but its controller is the true breakthrough.
COGconnectedPlayStation 5 is an outstanding piece of hardware. There are certainly areas Sony will want to build on where customization is concerned, but the bones are incredibly solid. It's silent, runs cool, has a great user interface, and a strong launch lineup. If you're interested in jumping into next gen this fall, the PlayStation 5 is a stellar option.
Comicbook.comAt this point, it's hard to say whether I would have personally shelled out the $499 to buy a PlayStation 5 myself. I don't think it's wild to say that a lot of people are currently in a position where that much money is an even more serious ask than usual. The promise of next-gen gaming is, however, extremely alluring, and I can safely say that after a largely positive experience with the PS5, it feels like the sort of thing where I would have absolutely eventually caved given some time to save.
Everybody's situation is going to be different, of course. If you're looking to really maximize your gaming experience, want to experience the best version of Miles Morales, are looking forward to games like Demon's Souls and Final Fantasy XVI, and have the cash? The PS5 seems like a good get this year.
Console CreaturesSony and Microsoft are doing things differently going into the next generation, and I think that's a great thing for consumers. If you want a traditional console experience, Sony's PlayStation 5 is going to scratch that itch and check all your boxes. Sporting a pleasant new UI, snappy menus that are easy to navigate and a wealth of accessibility options. After spending over a week transitioning from the PlayStation 4 Pro, it's hard to believe how different the experiences are at a system level.
And as for performance? The custom NVMe SSD powering the console is technical wizardry and I'm eager to see what developers can deliver to us over the next several years. Paired with the revolutionary DualSense controller, Sony achieves a new level of immersion thanks to the Adaptive Triggers and Haptic Motors tucked into the controller.
Sony is the best at delivering console-selling games and single-player, story-driven titles. Those games are going to continue to push PlayStation 5 into homes. Even though the console looks like a space station from the future, looking at the console in your living room puts a smile on your face.
DestructoidIf you one day have the option to choose between the Xbox Series X and the PS5 and want to feel like "next-gen" is upon you, the PS5 will probably be a better fit as it has several real exclusives and the new DualSense tech. Both consoles have far more positives than negatives and simultaneously look to the future as well as the past.
For that reason, it's hard to choose an early "winner." Amid all of this constant competition and innovation, we all win. Cheesy, I know, but we could all use some solace right now.
EngadgetWith the PS5, Sony has managed to deliver a truly next-generation console, even if it went a bit overboard on the design. Its controller is genuinely innovative, and it actually has a bunch of new games you'll want to play. But I won't say that Sony has won the next-gen war just yet -- maybe just the launch battle. Microsoft remains a strong competitor, especially with Game Pass, xCloud streaming and Bethesda under its wing. But in the end, it doesn't even matter if there's actually a decisive winner -- just be happy you've got two solid consoles to choose from that can take on gaming PCs.
EurogamerMicrosoft laid down the gauntlet and it's good to see Sony rising to the challenge. Sony may well be wedded to the notion of the console generation, but the PlayStation 4 library has not been left behind.
This is PlayStation 5 - and it's terrific.
GamesradarThe PS5 is already doing everything right. By gambling on a complete redesign of its hardware, controller, and key UI features, PlayStation has unlocked the next-generation of gaming. While the improved graphics and framerates are clearly a boon – and something we'll no doubt see evolve over the coming years – it's the improvements to gaming immersion that really define the generational leap. Wave goodbye to loading screens, and say hello to having more insight into your games at the touch of a button. There are quality-of-life improvements aplenty here, all wrapped up in a console that looks and feels like the future - even if not everyone will love the console design itself.
PlayStation's push for a more traditional console launch than Microsoft's approach has also paid off entirely. Having games that you can point at as clear launch titles is of huge benefit to showcasing what PS5 can do. This is just the beginning – and I'm already impressed.
Gamesindustry.bizIt's not just the technology. The boot-up sound, the UI... even the aesthetic of the console (like it or loathe it) with the lights that bounce off the white fins, looks like the outside of my local Cineworld. It feels premium.
Over the last five years, PlayStation has established this identity as the purveyor of huge, expensive blockbuster games, and PS5 is the console manifestation of that. For studios making those sorts of experiences, and gamers who enjoy those products, this machine is purpose built for them.
Game InformerThe PlayStation 5 is an incredibly powerful and sophisticated piece of gaming hardware, sometimes virtually eliminating the tedium of loading screens that have plagued console gaming for decades. Games look amazing thanks to new lighting techniques, especially on 4K displays, and a proprietary sound engine ensures an equally arresting aural experience. While its outward aesthetic is attractive, it's also overpowering, and the design won't please everyone. A slick dashboard is easy to use and smartly designed, and values what's important to you, most especially your leisure time.
Gamespot (Video)Sony has laid strong foundations for its new generation of gaming, but it's now up to developers to use all the tools laid out for them to build upon it. With what we've seen so far from the console's hardware, and games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Astro's Playroom, this next generation has the potential to be great for PlayStation. And I'm excited to see it.
God is a GeekAs mad as it sounds to say it, the new games actually feel new, and the controller and its features make everything feel special. Seriously, people are raving about the DualSense and it's for good reason. Sony are onto a huge winner here. The games are there already with more coming, the system is powerful and runs everything well and, honestly, I'm a little in love with the PS5 already. It's a great time to be a fan of games, that's for sure.
Hyped PixelsIn general, we feel that this is the best candidate for our go-to Next Generation console recommendation from the games and the hardware perspective.
IGN (Video)With a launch line-up dominated by games that are also available on PS4, and on the back of a generation already punctuated with incrementally more powerful hardware revisions like the PS4 Pro, the PS5 doesn't quite land as a knockout punch yet – but it's definitely got the power and speed to be a real contender (although the jury's out on the stamina of that tiny 667GB SSD). However, while the PS5's well-considered UI and blisteringly-quick loading times for PS5 games make it a pleasure to use, it's the DualSense controller that's proven to be the surprise haymaker I never saw coming; it truly leaves other controllers feeling primitive in comparison.
KotakuThis review has spent 3,000 words talking about the PlayStation 5, which is the most I've written about anything. It's as good a video game console as there has ever been. The combination of ultra high-definition video, increased framerates, high-end graphics techniques like ray tracing, and the lightning-fast SSD make it feel like a real-deal, next-gen successor to the PlayStation 4. And if you're not ready to give up on the previous console, the PlayStation 5 reliably runs a vast majority of the PlayStation 4 library, with many of those games receiving upgrades to fidelity, framerate, and loading times.
Metro GameCentralWe can tell you that right now the PlayStation 5 is an excellent console and well worth getting as soon as you can afford it.
NextGenBase (Video)The PS5 revolutionises what can be done with games thanks to that lightning fast SSD and the DualSense. It may sound like hyperbole, but don't knock it til you've tried it. A couple of quibbles that I have with the UI aside, it's a solid foundation that puts speed and ease of use at the forefront. If you're already in the PlayStation ecosystem, then the PS5 is a no-brainer of an upgrade at some stage, whether you want to wait until there are more native games available is up to you. As of the time of writing, we've only had hands-on time with the Xbox Series S, but if the PS5 is anything to go by, this is going to be one hell of a generation. It's a beast of a platform with plenty of early promise.
PlayStation UniverseAnchored by a willingness to push forward and embrace cutting edge technology that underscores the development of some of the best exclusives seen in the industry, PlayStation 5 looks absolutely set to continue Sony's trajectory as an industry leader that has always succeeded in marrying superb hardware to equally superb games.
PolygonThe PlayStation 5 isn't going to be the alpha and the omega of your entertainment ecosystem, but it will make games faster, smoother, and more striking, and that's all I really want from it.
Power UpAnd so, at the end of the day, my final take on the PS5 is this: across the board it's a step up in every way over the PS4 Pro (as you'd expect it should be, for the price you're paying). It's an expensive proposition, but the cost is outweighed by a product that has a distinctively premium look and feel, not to mention a number of worthy evolutions in the peripherals and gaming experience.
Both are fairly equally worth your time and money at this point. I doubt that fact will change for months or even years to come.
Press StartThe PlayStation 5 has definitely met and has the potential to exceed my hopes and expectations for the next generation. The DualSense controller brings more immersion and is a solid improvement on the DualShock 4, my first taste of higher framerates and ray tracing has been fantastic and the load speeds are absolutely wonderful. New UI elements such as Activities and Control Centre also make everyday tasks easier and open up new opportunities as well.
There's still a decent way to go in improving on things such as cloud saves and storage options, which will hopefully be rectified as time goes on. As a starting point and with the software line-up that it has for the remainder of 2020 as well as 2021, it looks like Sony isn't easing up on the stronghold it already had thanks to the PlayStation 4.
PushSquareWe're extremely enthusiastic about the future of this platform. The way we all play games is changing, with subscriptions gaining importance and titles retaining players longer than ever before. Yet with the PS5, Sony has created a console that feels very much prepared for the future, without forgetting what players love about PlayStation to begin with. This is the fastest, most convenient console the company's ever created; a cunningly designed upgrade that takes the best of the PS4 and improves upon it. But it's also got more than enough innovations beneath its popped collar to feel like something truly fresh as well.
T3Really, though, I think for PlayStation gamers there can be only one choice in the next-gen of consoles, and that is the PlayStation 5. It's a great system today and, when a few of its minor annoyances like low storage space are rectified in the coming months, I think it is a console that is going to deliver epic experiences for gamers for years to come. Technically this system is fantastic, but I would argue it is its more intangible X factor that Sony should be given the biggest hat tip for.
The Sixth AxisThe PlayStation 5 makes a phenomenal first impression with the sheer immersion that's possible through the DualSense controller, the compelling Tempest 3D audio engine and the gorgeous new graphical potential of its games, all of which are more connected than ever. There's quirks and a rigidity to some parts of the system software, and it could be a challenge to fit the PS5 into your TV set up, but this is a generational leap that could really make games feel different to play.
The Verge (Video)Reviewing a video game console before it's even out is always a tricky thing. There are just so many unknowns. Will developers really make use of the DualSense's unique features? Will games like Ratchet and Clank utilize the PS5's fast loading times to change the way game worlds are designed? And just how long will the UI remain uncluttered as more features and services are added? My experience playing the PS5 today will be very different compared to playing it in a year or two.
Physically, the PS5 is a brash, intimidating piece of hardware, one that is clearly meant to signal a major shift. But underneath, its changes are much more subtle — at least right now. This isn't the move from SD to HD, or watching Mario explore a 3D space for the very first time. Instead, it's a series of smaller — though still important — shifts, like faster speeds and a more immersive controller, which all add up to a markedly better experience compared to the PS4 by every conceivable metric (aside from the space it takes up). I can't tell you what the future holds, but right now, the PS5 is a great piece of hardware.
It might not be clear what makes the PS5 interesting just from watching trailers or live streams. But once it's in your hands, the next generation is a lot more obvious.
USGamerWhile the exterior makes a broad, powerful statement, the day-to-day use of the PlayStation 5 feels a lot like its predecessor. What you actually gain are 4K and 60fps as clear, consistent benchmarks for many games, drastically-reduced load times, and the new haptic features of the DualSense controller. And while Sony and its third-party partners come to grips with the PS5, you're able to play all your favorite PS4 games, some with impressive graphical improvements. This is a great foundation though, for Sony to repeat the great success the PS4 had this generation.
VenturebeatThe PlayStation 5 is a big investment, but early adopters won't regret their decision. Even in an era of diminishing returns, the PlayStation 5 manages to excite you.
It's not going to fundamentally change the way that you play video games. But it's going to offer a significantly better experience, thanks to its fast loading times and stronger hardware, than you had with your PlayStation 4. And the DualSense is one of the best controllers I've ever held. I just hope that other developers use it as creatively as those who made Astro's Playroom.
VG247Spending $499 on a new console is by no means a small outlay, and for that kind of money it's important to feel excited. I'm looking forward to getting a Series X, but I'm excited about the PS5, its superb controller, slick new UI, and that glimpse into next-gen with Demon's Souls. For me, if you're after that new generation thrill, PS5 is currently the only choice.
VICEThis is a lot of words to dance around a simple question: how does it play video games? Very well. It's a new, more powerful box to play new, more powerful games, and the rest is, to some degree, irrelevant. Maybe nobody else will take advantage of the DualSense, and 3D audio becomes an interesting footnote on Wikipedia. PS5 is an iterative console in a world where consoles are much like phones and laptops—mostly the same, but better.
Flourishes aside, the PS5 would still be a great way to play video games. It already is.
Washington PostWitnessing the full potential of the PS5 will take time, as developers tinker with the new tools, crafting novelties or pushing the boundaries of the console′s remarkable tech. But even just this glimpse into the future feels promising.
WccftechSony's entry into the next-generation console war is the one that feels like a proper next-gen system. Rather than simply expanding on the existing libraries, Sony has established themselves as the console that's going to bring gamers into a new era. The software and UI are both early on in their implementation, but it's the combination of Sony's new Tempest AudioTech, titles that can take advantage of the SSD, and the DualSense controller that truly make this console stand out among the rest.
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