PlayStation 5 Review

Since the release of the Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) in November 2020, much has changed in the gaming world. However, one thing is certain- The PS5 goes toe-to-toe with Microsoft’s premium next-gen powerhouse, the Xbox Series X and shows no signs of falling behind its closest rival, despite issues with availability plaguing the early parts of the consoles release around the globe. The bar was set high given the huge success of its predecessor, the PlayStation 4, and in some respects- it has exceeded mine and many others’ expectations.

The PS5’s spec sheet reveals some pretty good numbers in terms of performance, yet it can’t quite match the raw power of the Xbox Series X. Both consoles utilise 8-core CPUs from AMD, but the Xbox clocks in at 3.8ghz compared to the PS5’s 3.5ghz clock speed. On the graphics front, the Xbox provides 12.8 teraflops of power, whilst the PS5 reaches 10.28 teraflops. However, having used both consoles for an extensive period of time now,it’s clear that in the real world, these differences aren’t as noticeable as the numbers suggest.

Onboard storage from the PS5 clocks in at 825gb and is lightning quick, with barely a load screen in sight (although usable storage comes in at 667.2gb once the software etc is accounted for). For a while however the only way to expand on this storage was externally via a USB drive. Thankfully, the PS5 always had the capability to expand storage internally via a M.2 SSD, and although it took more than eight months to become available for consumers to utilise, it is a welcome addition that now allows users to add their own M.2.

SSD drive via a simple enough opening of the PS5’s faceplate to reveal the SSD drive bay underneath. External drives can also be added in addition to this using the USB ports on the console itself. Whilst it is hard not to be critical of Sony for not allowing internal SSD utilisation from launch, M.2 SSD’s have seen a rapid reduction in cost since the console released. It’s now commonplace to find 1tb internal M.2 SSD’s that are PS5 compatible forunder £100, and so expansion of storage on the console is becoming less expensive as time goes on.

All the storage and specs are obsolete if a console doesn’t provide the next gen gaming experience that it needs to, so how has the PS5 performed in everyday use? Like a charm. Let me tell you now, this thing is no slouch. Load times are excellent, AAA games run fantastically well and when stressed, it no longer sounds like a jet engine taking off as the PS4 sometimes did under load. Some games are even capable of that crispy 120fps 4k resolution on the PS5, although admittedly they are still few and far between. An area of contention on resolution however- The PS5 didn’t natively support 1440p out of the box on release. So, users with monitor’s harnessing this ever more popular resolution like me have had to wait nearly 2 years for native 1440p support without the need for upscaling technology or resorting to playing at 1080p- something I wouldn’t actively recommend on a 1440p monitor if it can be helped. I’m glad it’s here now, but I can’t help but envy the Xbox Series X player base who had 1440p support on release day. Why such a long delay Sony!

The gaming experience on the PS5 nonetheless can truly be magical at times, no thanks in part to the ever-growing library of big exclusive titles. Demon Souls, Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, God of War: Ragnarök and Horizon Forbidden West to name just a few. Even Astro’s playroom, a game designed primarily to introduce the user to the PS5 and the capabilities of the DualSense controller, gave me a 4–5-hour experience that left a lasting impression on me. The use of Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers brought a new level of immersion that left me craving more experiences like the one from Team Asobi.

Many of Sony’s prior exclusives have begun to make their way over to the PC space over the last few years, a move that has both surprised, and excited me. Although I will mention that most of these games see a delay in release time between the PS5 and the PC, so if your anything like me and can’t wait for a PC port of God of War or Death Stranding, then you’ll likely opt for the PS5 as your console of choice for the experience. I think this doesn’t hurt the PS5, in fact it benefits Sony tremendously, sources claim the PC enterprise may bring in £300m in revenue in its first financial year.

One of the new features of the PS5 that certainly seems to be underappreciated is the share screen feature- it really is the ace up the console’s sleeve at times for me and my friends. Many of the PS5 exclusives are single player campaign focused games, so you are resorted to enjoying the experience on your own for the most part. But the PS5 share screen changes that. No longer do I need to try and explain where I am in the story of my game and struggling to explain to my friends in PS5’s party chat- no, with a simple press of a button I can share my screen to them. They receive a notification, and within mere seconds I now have my friends watching a stream of my gameplay on their screen. Better still- they can even pop it into a small window on any corner of their screen so they can carry on playing their game through too! Furthermore, compared to streaming services like Twitch for example, there is virtually no delay between my gameplay and the stream, essentially my friends are seeing exactly what I’m seeing in realtime. Opening packs on FIFA 23 and sharing the buzz and suspense with my friends or playing through my library of story games have now become an almost multiplayer experience for me and my friends. It’s a game changer, and one I’d opt for every time, it’s a big reason I choose to experience certain titles on the PS5.

The games the PS5 offers are great but do come at a cost. With games regularly pushing upwards of £60-70 In the UK, it sometimes becomes a ‘choose carefully’ matter in a tough economic climate like we are in today. But Sony have done a great job of including top quality games from the previous generation and the current generation in their free and paid services such as the PS Plus collection and their tiered subscription services. PS Plus Collection contains 20 free games from the PS4 era if you are a PS Plus member.

The PS Plus collection beholds some of the greatest from the PS4 such as Days gone, God of War 2018 and Detroit: Become Human, and the fact they come at no extra cost is a big win for PS5 owners. Unfortunately, you’ll have to be quick to claim them as the PS Plus collection closes on May 9 this year. Thankfully you can keep any you have claimed before then, so just add them to the library and you’re sorted, panic over. This is in addition to PS Plus monthly games, which include some great options evert month, again at no extra cost. PS Plus’s tiered services offer a huge plethora of games including some newer PS5 titles at a monthly cost, to compete with the extremely successful Xbox Game Pass. 3 different tiers offer varying levels of games and functionalities, and games are added on a regular basis to these tiers. If you don’t know what to play- but want to sink your teeth into Sony’s back catalogue as well as their newer options, then these services may be just what you need. I’m a big advocate for this, and I for one think Sony is going down the right avenue with the PS Plus model.

So, I think it’s time to answer the all-important question- Is the Sony PS5 still worth it in 2023? If you want the answer in short- Absolutely. We’ve got more big games in store such as Marvel’s Spiderman 2 along with Final Fantasy 16 and the like. PSVR2, Sony’s latest VR headset for the console sees stellar performance meet a price point that VR enthusiasts will understand, although new adopters may find the cost a bit on the hefty side. At the very beginning of the PS5 life cycle I’d have found it more difficult to recommend the upgrade, but fast forward to 2023 and we’ve got the makings of a true next gen console thatseemstobemovingonedirection-andthat’sonwardandupward. Right now there has never been a better time to upgrade to Sony’s latest offering if you aren’t already onboard.

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