During E3, chatter about both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett rose to new heights of excitement and anticipation. Plenty of fresh rumors came out at E3 regarding both consoles, but not a lot of new news concerning PlayStation 5. But it is a good time to go over what we know about PS5, as well as what we don’t know.
What We Know About PS5 So Far
PS5 Specifications
To begin with, let’s talk about what we know about PlayStation 5 hardware and specifications. Sony has announced that the CPU will be a 3rd generation AMD Ryzen 8-core CPU and that the console will feature a solid-state drive. Further, the GPU will be the AMD Radeon Navi. We still know nothing about the RAM. 8K resolution support will be included as well.
According to the most recent rumors, the PS5 will be more powerful than Xbox Scarlett. These rumors are still unconfirmed, but they seem plausible. But based on what we do know about the Xbox Scarlett, the two should be relatively well matched in terms of performance capabilities.
PS5 Backwards Compatibility and Cross-Play
Next, we can discuss backwards compatibility as well as cross-play. Sony’s goal is to make the transition between PS4 and PS5 as smooth and seamless as possible. To make this a reality, the PS5 will support cross-play with PS4. Additionally, the console will be backwards compatible with PS4 games. As of right now, it does not look like that backwards compatibility will extend to previous Sony consoles. In this respect, Microsoft continues to come out ahead.
PS5 Games
Sony has yet to announce the titles of any launch games for their next console. But Sony has a reputation for solid exclusives. So we can expect that they will do well in this department.
PS5 Release Date and Price
At the time of this writing, no release window has been mentioned for the PlayStation 5. But with Xbox Scarlett set to release in 2020 during the holiday season, it seems logical that Sony may select a similar release timeframe for the PlayStation 5.
Also unknown at this point is how much PS5 will cost. But the latest estimate from Michael Pachter sounds quite reasonable. According to the analyst, both the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett could be priced at around $399. This sounds a bit improbable given the hardware specifications of both consoles. But on the other hand, a higher price would likely put a major dent in initial sales. So it seems plausible in that regard, even if Pachter himself isn’t sure how they can get the price that low (which he isn’t).
We expect more rumors about PlayStation 5 to continue to surface over the months ahead. If you are looking to compare the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett, take a look at this article to see how they stack up against one another. Also keep checking our PlayStation news area for more rumors and updates on PS5.