PlayStation 5

**PlayStation 5** is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is the fifth home console made by Sony and the fifth main product in the PlayStation console line, being a successor to 2013's PlayStation 4. It is part of the ninth generation of console, and launched in November 2020.

Unlike past PlayStation consoles, the PlayStation 5 launched with two models: a traditional, disc-based variation, and a slightly cheaper version titled **Digital Edition** which lacks an optical disc drive and focuses exclusively on digital releases. Both versions of the PlayStation 5 are backwards compatible with PlayStation 4 titles as well as the PlayStation VR headset and its games. The console's controller is called the DualSense, a spiritual successor to the DualShock line with an haptic feedback.

As with its predecessor, the PlayStation 5 was mainly designed by Mark Cerny, and it revolves around a customized solid-state drive for high-speed data streaming as to improve storage performance. Other core features of the hardware include the Tempest Engine for 3D audio effects, an AMD GPU capable of 4K resolution display at up to 120 frames per second, and ray-tracing implementation.

Since its release, the PlayStation 5 received critical acclaim for its technical capabilities, improvements over the PlayStation 4, and the advancements of the DualSense controller. The console's physical design drew polarizing reactions due to its unconventional appearance and size. The console has been success since release, selling over 4.5 million units by the end of 2020, and over 40 million units as of July 2023.

## Software

### Game library

*See: List of Sony Interactive Entertainment video games for the PlayStation 5*
Team Asobi's platform title *Astro's Playroom* comes pre-installed with every PlayStation 5 unit; the game is designed to introduce owners to the console's DualSense.

The PlayStation 5's first-party library is developed by PlayStation Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment's stable of internal developers and external partners. Early notable releases included Insomniac Games' *Spider-Man: Miles Morales* and *Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart*, Housemarque's *Returnal*, Bluepoint Games' *Demon's Souls*, Guerrilla Games' *Horizon Forbidden West*, Polyphony Digital's *Gran Turismo 7* and Santa Monica Studio's *God of War Ragnarök*, with all those games initially announced during the lead-up to the PlayStation 5's launch.

Notable third-party releases during the console's early lifecycle included Square Enix' *Forspoken*, *Final Fantasy XVI*, and *Final Fantasy VII Rebirth* (all which were released as timed console exclusives), Bethesda Softworks' *Deathloop* and *Ghostwire: Tokyo* (both released as timed console exclusives), Capcom's *Resident Evil: Village*, *Resident Evil 4* and *Street Fighter 6*, and Bandai Namco's *Tales of Arise*, *Elden Ring* and *Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon*.

As of July 2023, the PlayStation 5 served as platform for over 2500 individual titles.

## Reception

### Critical

The PlayStation 5 received considerable acclaim for its technical capabilities, improvements over the PlayStation 4, user interface and DualSense controller, though the console's design was met with polarizing reaction due to its asymmetrical shape and large size.

### Accolades

1. ↑ https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/17/21328533/playstation-5-astro-playroom-game-dualsense-controller-demo-geoff-keighley
2. ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/playstation-5-sales-surpass-40m-worldwide