PlayStation 5 Launch Day: What we know so far

Sony's PlayStation 5, the flagship for next-generation gaming, was just released in major markets worldwide on Nov. 12 and is set to launch on Nov. 19, 2020 for the “rest of the world.”

The rest of the world, excluding the Philippines, that is. We will have to wait a whole month before it even hits store shelves.

The PS5’s gameplay has no limits, but our wallets do. The delayed release may give us a bit more time to save up. At any rate, here’s what we know so far about the most highly-anticipated console of the year.

What is the PS5?

The PlayStation 5, or PS5, is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced in 2019 as the successor to the PlayStation 4.

The PS5 is part of the ninth generation of video game consoles, which includes the Nintendo Switch and Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S. The console is expected to usher in a new era of gaming.

Official release dates

The PS5 was released on November 12 in the following countries: the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.

While the rest of the world is expected to get it on November 19, local retailers have announced that the PlayStation 5 will be available to gamers in the Philippines by December.

Video game stores Datablitz, i.Tech, GameXtreme, and Game One, as well as toy store Toy Kingdom, have announced on their social media channels that Sony's next gen machine will be available on Dec. 11, 2020. According to the announcements, pre-orders are not yet available.

How much will the PS5 Cost?

There are two versions of the PS5 available to purchase - the high-end PS5 Standard Edition and the discless PS5 Digital. In international markets, the PS5 is priced at $499.99 / £449.99 while the PS5 Digital Edition retails for $399.99 / £359.99.

In the Philippines, the retail price point has been announced at P27,990 for the Standard Edition.

No official price has been announced yet for the Digital Edition locally, but it should cost roughly 100 dollars less than the standard version.

Difference between PS5 Standard and Digital Editions

PS5’s Standard model comes with an Ultra HD Blu-ray-compatible optical disc drive, while the Digital Edition lacks the drive. Both systems have the same power and performance, but the lack of a disc drive makes the Digital Edition cost significantly less and serve as a lower-cost variant for consumers who prefer to buy games through digital download.

Gamers will not be able to play game discs or any DVDs or Blu-rays they might have collected over the years on PS5 Digital Editions. Buying games might get more expensive depending on how you shop and what your preferences are.

Specs and features

Earlier this year, PS5 released a global ad promo providing a glimpse into the console's specs and features. PS5’s three new features: haptic feedback, adaptive triggers and 3D audio will work together for a fully immersive gaming experience.

Spec-wise, the PS5 rocks an AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores at 3.5GHz, 16GB of GDDR6 memory and a custom RDNA 2 AMD GPU that puts out 10.28 TFLOPs of processing power. It will have an SSD for fast loading, ray-tracing, and a built-in 4K Blu-ray player.

In terms of internal storage space, the PS5 comes with a custom 825GB NVMe SSD, but if you account for the operating system and other default files and updates, users will have 667 GB of storage left for games.

Backwards compatiblity

According to Sony, about 99 percent of PS4 games will work on PS5, allowing gamers to play thousands of titles in the PS4's game library.

Some PS4 games will even receive next-gen upgrades via Game Boost, allowing them to take advantage of the new system's improved hardware. This makes the Standard Edition a better choice for those planning to upgrade from PS4 soon.

Take note that PS3, PS2, and PS1 games are, unfortunately, excluded from the next-gen’s backwards compatibility.

PS5 accessories

Alongside the launch of the PS5 are several new peripherals and accessories, including the brand-new DualSense controller. The prices for the PS5's various accessories which will launch alongside the console are as follows:

• DualSense™ Wireless Controller (standalone) – P3,990
• PULSE 3D™ wireless headset with 3D audio support and dual noise-cancelling microphones – P5,590
• HD Camera with dual 1080p lenses – P3,290
• DualSense™ Charging Station which can charge two DualSense Wireless Controllers – P1,690

While PS4 controllers will work on the PS5 to navigate the system's menus and play backwards-compatible PS4 games, they can't be used to play games that were specifically designed for the PS5.

Confirmed PS5 launch titles

All PS5 systems come with one free game pre-loaded: Astro’s Playroom, which serves as a demonstration of what the DualSense controller is capable of.

A number of PlayStation 5 launch day titles have been confirmed available for play starting November 12th (or shortly after) for worldwide audiences including:

• Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
• Borderlands 3
• Bugsnax
• Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold war
• Demon’s Souls
• Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
• Dirt 5
• Fortnite
• Godfall
• Maneater
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered
• Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate
• NBA 2K21
• No Man’s Sky: The Next Generation
• Observer: System Redux
• Overcooked: All YOu Can Eat
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure
• Watch Dogs Legion

According to a press release by Sony, these are the specific titles that will be available on the day of the Philippine launch on Dec. 11:

• Astro’s Playroom (Japan Studio) – pre-installed on PS5
• Demon’s Souls (Bluepoint Games / Japan Studio) – P3,490
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Insomniac Games) – P2,490
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition (Insomniac Games) – P3,490
• Sackboy A Big Adventure (Sumo Digital / XDEV) – P2,990

Highly-anticipated and upcoming PS5 games for 2020 and beyond

A number of PS5 titles are still currently in development and are expected to drop either later this year or in 2021. 

• Cyberpunk 2077 – 10 December 2020
• Immortals: Fenyx Rising – 3 December 2020
• Outriders – Holiday 2020
• Rainbow Six: Siege – Holiday 2020
• Hitman 3 – January 2021
• Far Cry 6 – 18 February 2021
• Deathloop – QC 2021
• Final Fantasy XVI – 2021
• Hogwarts Legacy – 2021
• Resident Evil 8 – 2021
• Horizon: Forbidden West – 2021 (tentative)
• Gran Turismo 7 – 2021
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart – 2021 (tentative)
• God of War: Ragnarok – 2021
• Grand Theft Auto 6 – TBC
• The Elder Scrolls 6 – TBC
• Dying Light 2 – 2021

The end of 2020 is shaping up to be a great one for PlayStation fans the world over.

(Images by Sony)