The PlayStation 5 has a mission to achieve one of the most successful technology products of the past decade. The PlayStation 4 is a leader in this segment and has shipped 113.6 million units since its launch in 2013. It’s the second best console in history – it only loses to another PlayStation, the 2.
To keep the user base going, PlayStation 5 offers compatibility with most of the games from the previous video game – it’s known as backward compatibility. However, Folha’s test with a device provided by Sony revealed problems that may be related to this functionality.
The console had about six hours of operation. After installing and opening the game “Watch Dogs” launched by Ubisoft in 2014, the device showed errors. The graphics were no longer rendered. The intro scene only showed parts of the characters’ bodies amid colorful explosions, elements that are not part of the original game’s experience. Interestingly, the “Watch Dogs” game series is about hackers.
From then on, colored pixels were blocked on all screens. The games opened with various graphics errors for a few minutes until an error message appeared that closed the program. Even when playing games from discs, the problem persisted.
The Sony press office changed the device, but did not explain what caused the defect until this report was published.
New experiments under the same conditions were carried out on the new equipment. Another problem arose on a smaller scale. The game “Spider-Man: Miles Morales”, a new overproduction of the developer Insomniac with the Marvel hero, ended in a certain film (called “cutscene” in jargon). When reopened, the game would resume from the exact point at which it was stopped.
By making contact with the two consoles, it is not possible to scale the size of the problem and the percentage of units reached. Sony, the maker of the device, expects to sell at least 7.6 million units by March, when the fiscal year ends.
It can be on time, something that is limited to the test and done with an update done through a USB stick specially prepared for the press. Or in the other extreme case, a defect that can lead to a product recall. Between the two extremes there are interim measures that include software updates and temporary functional restrictions.
With or without flaws, the PlayStation 5 hits the market with expectations. Brazilians will be able to purchase the device in the version with a disc player from November 19, one week after its launch in the US and Japan, at a suggested price of R $ 4,699 – a model that Folha tested. Without entering physical media, the device costs R $ 4,199.
The new video game shows that Sony is putting its brand on the quality pole in contrast to the quantitative stance of Microsoft’s Xbox.
Via its studios, Sony invests in its own productions exclusively for its platform. It has strong intellectual traits up its sleeve, like “Horizon” and “God of War,” both with sequel in development.
One of the first titles, “Spider-Man: Miles Morales”, explores the graphics capabilities of the new device. The PS5 achieves a resolution of 4K at 120 frames per second and is equipped with ray tracing technology, which processes light effects such as reflections and shadows more realistically.
The most economical version of the Spider game costs R $ 250. Others are more expensive: “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla” costs R $ 300, “Demon’s Souls” costs R $ 350. The rise in the dollar has a direct impact on the price of games in Brazil; Gradual increases have occurred in the last few months.
In the service proposal with recurring fees, Microsoft tries to expose Sony. For the starting price of a game, you can subscribe months to Game Pass, the competitor’s Netflix game. You have access to hundreds of games.
Microsoft, which is also launching new video games this month, has significantly expanded its monthly service offering. The company is more interested in attracting users than it is in selling consoles.
With a 50% growth in less than six months, Game Pass has 15 million subscribers. It’s a third of what Sony puts in their PS Plus, a subscription that offers connectivity, two or three games a month, and access to 20 games from the launch of the PlayStation 5. This catalog features previous generation games that have garnered public and critical acclaim such as Bloodborne, Persona 5, and The Last of Us.
While analysts debate whether the future of video games will be dominated by the service model, software marketing is currently responsible for the largest share of this billionaire market. There are many manufacturers willing to develop multiplatform games and only a few device manufacturers. It is common in the industry to use the famous tactic of selling cheap razors to profit from disposable blades sales. The game is the expensive blade of the segment.
One of Sony’s bets to differentiate the experience on your system is control. Dual Sense creates tactile experiences that go beyond the vibration that has been typical since the 1990s. The vibration now reaches different intensities and regions of the joystick.
There are also adaptive triggers, which offer a higher resistance depending on the narrative, touch-sensitive region, built-in loudspeaker and microphone of the game. These are resources that, when used by developers, fuel innovative, richer experiences.
Another argument to encourage migration is the SSD storage system. The development of HD, SSD is faster and quieter.
The PlayStation 5 has a nominal capacity of 825 GB. Without the storage space for the operating system, 667 GB would theoretically be free for installing games. However, tests have shown that the video game requires approximately 20% of the capacity occupied in games and applications with “other”, memory that the system describes as necessary to keep it running.
The expectation is that the storage can be expanded using separately available external SSD drives. Sony is expected to release a list of compatible models.
One factor that can take up storage space is simply recording videos. By default, the device creates a 15-second clip when the player receives a trophy – on PlayStation 4 it was just a picture. You can disable it, but it’s a compelling record of the exploits carried out in the games. The easy integration with social media will make it easy to showcase the achievements – and of course the Sony brand.
The Spider-Man bug was just occurring when a trophy was unlocked. This functionality was activated. Other trophies did not cause any problems during the tests.
In terms of physical design, the device is the largest PlayStation ever released. In the upright position, it is 39 inches high (16 inches with the circular base to hold the device upright), 9 inches wide (excluding the 15 inch diameter base), and 26 inches in depth. It weighs a little over four pounds.
The theoretical format would make the device quieter, a weakness of the PlayStation 4. However, when a disc is inserted, sounds similar to the previous device are made in the console’s memory, even if the game used is different.
Regardless of the reason, Sony is giving up the discreet stance of its predecessors and adding a breath of air to the design of the PlayStation 5’s Jetsons. Now it’s up to you to watch the games. Without it, the PlayStation 5 is just a decorative object.