The new PlayStation 5 has arrived, just in time to jump to the top of a whole lot of Christmas lists. But let’s say you’re pretty happy with your current PS4. Is it worth upgrading to the PS5? Is there a lot of difference between the two consoles?
Yes, is the answer. The new PS5 is a futuristic gaming console that seriously upgrades everything you’ve ever done on your faithful old PS4. The PS5 makes everything look better, play better, and sound better. And with the all-new controller, the action even feels better.
We’ve compared the PS4 and PS5’s best bits below, to show you how much of an upgrade the PS5 really is. So, let’s ready up, and get started…
More powerful processor, better graphics
The PS5 console packs much more power than the PS4. In fact, its processor and graphics engine are twice as powerful. When you compare a PS5 game to its PS4 equivalent, everything is dialed right up. Basically, it feels like a different game.
The PS5 is capable of full 4k gaming at 60fps (and even super-smooth 120fps if the game allows it). The PS4 Pro, meanwhile, runs 4k games at 30fps. And that’s not all – the PS5 also has the potential for 8k gaming sometime in the future.
Plus, the PS5 is capable of using innovative ray tracing visual technology, which creates more accurate and realistic lighting and shadows in games. It really does help make games look spectacular, and the PS5 is the first PlayStation that can use it.
Sounds that surrounds you
The PS5 has a new 3D audio engine called Tempest, giving you all-round sound that’s especially impressive when you don your headphones. You can now hear the exact position of your enemies – even above and behind you. With the PS4’s traditional sound, you could only really hear enemies coming from the left or right. No wonder your mates were always sneaking up behind you!
Storage space and speedy loading
RAM is another feature that makes a difference to the speed of a console. The more RAM, the more tasks your PlayStation can handle at once. And while the PS4 has a decent 8GB RAM, the PS5 doubles up to 16GB.
When it comes to storage, the PS4 gave you the choice of 500GB or 1TB. The PS5 actually comes with 667GB available storage space, which isn’t quite as much – but the big advantage is that it uses a solid-state drive (SSD) instead of the PS4’s hard drive. That makes a huge difference in speed. Sony says the SSD gives the PS5 100x faster loading speeds than a typical hard drive. Games will load from scratch in seconds, levels will load faster in-play, and streaming will be much smoother.
Meet the PS5’s new DualSense controller
After years of trusty PS4 DualShock controllers, Sony has developed something different for the PS5 – DualSense controllers. Rather than using the same rumble technology that was on your old PS4 controller, they now use haptic feedback. This new tech in your PS5 controllers gives you an incredible range of sensations depending on what you’re doing. So for example, running across a roof will feel much easier than wading through a swamp. And firing a bow and arrow will feel a lot different to letting loose on a modern weapon.
The new PS5 DualSense controller also has a built-in mic, so you don't need a gaming headset to chat with friends online.
PS5 Games
We have over 30 PS5 video games available including God of War Ragnarök, Gran Turismo 7 and Final Fantasy XVI. The PS5 is backwards compatible with most PS4 games. So if you’ve invested lots of time and effort building up a collection, it won’t go to waste. You can continue your gaming adventures on the newer console, and some will look a lot better, thanks to improved frame rates and resolution.
Movies on the PlayStation 5
If you’re a movie lover as well as a gamer, the PS5 ticks all the boxes. The PS4 didn’t have the ability to play 4K Blu-rays. But you’ve guessed it – the PS5 does. You can choose between the PS5 with an inbuilt Blu-ray disc drive, or the digital version. Even though the digital version doesn’t have a disc drive, you’ll still be able to stream and download 4K content.
PS5 design
Design-wise, the PS5 has ditched the PS4’s all black colour scheme to a two-tone mix of white and black. The PS5 is also taller (and heavier) than the PS4. There’s a good reason for that, because inside the PS5 there’s a large fan and dust ports. These keep it as cool as possible and perhaps most importantly, it helps the PS5 run in near silence. If you’re a PS4 owner, you’ll probably be well aware of the heat and noise your console is famous for producing.
In conclusion…
The PS4 is still a great gaming machine. But the PS5 is a major upgrade on almost every level. It's an incredibly powerful console that’s completely future-proof, supports 4K Blu-rays, and has an impressive schedule of exclusive games coming up.
