PS5 six months after launch
Although the situation in the console market seems rather static in this first half of the year, in reality there have been several interesting facts, in addition to the release of some more than valid titles. So let's go back to what happened, summarizing both the announcements made by Sony, the video games currently present on Playstation 5, the evolution of services and everything that surrounds the new generation console of the Japanese house six months after its launch on the market. A couple of days ago we made a similar point of the situation for Xbox Series X | Yes, which of course we invite you to read.
Availability and design
Unfortunately, one of the most important problems that we have brought from the launch until now is linked to the availability of Playstation 5. We are experiencing a very special situation in which there has been a huge increase in the demand for electronic components. This has put an entire sector in crisis, which is currently in great difficulty due to the lack of hardware components and the enormous demand that has arisen in recent months. According to the latest news, the situation is still critical and will not improve significantly until 2022, so from this point of view we certainly do not bring you good news.Sony on the other hand has repeatedly confirmed its commitment to optimizing the production and distribution chain of consoles with the aim of maximizing sales now that demand is skyrocketing. Despite everything, Sony still managed to sell 7.8 million consoles overall, beating the record set by Playstation 4 in the same period of time. We are sorry to tell you that in the coming months you will not easily find the Playstation 5 on Amazon or any other specialized technology and video game store.
Contents of the Playstation 5 box Those who managed to put hands on the new generation console, have now become accustomed to its particular design and rather generous dimensions. Months later, the console still looks pretty flashy in our living room, especially for the overall size of the body. The modern design with very particular lines undoubtedly helps to refine its appearance, making it more elegant. We have noticed how placing it vertically is much less bulky, while horizontally it is closer to an old VHS recorder if it were not for the aforementioned curvatures. In short, we don't want to complain too much about its design, especially now that it has held a place of honor in our living room for several months. We have gotten used to its shape and we no longer notice it as in the first days after launch, but it remains a rather eye-catching object that easily catches the eye.
Updates and services
Logos of Playstation Plus and Now As always happens with new generation consoles, the hardware tends to have some problems at launch. We have already talked about the drifting problem linked to the Dualsense controller as well as the famous coil whine due to a rather conservative choice of components dedicated to heat dissipation. However, there were also some hitches on the software, such as the "Rest Mode" bug that caused the Playstation 5 to freeze and other small headaches fortunately solved with the recent updates.The news brought by Sony in the recent firmware released in April have been very much awaited by users. Among all the new functions available it is finally possible to use an SSD or external hard drive to store Playstation 5 video games. This helps us to better manage the 667 GB of actual storage space offered by the console, which, however, in most cases they did not pose a problem in the first six months after launch.
After the well-deserved success of the Playstation Plus Collection dedicated to all owners of Playstation 5, Sony has continued to expand its two services Playstation Plus and Playstation Now. We have already talked about how these could evolve in the future, thanks also to increasingly fierce competition. Really important titles such as the exclusive Final Fantasy VII Remake and Days Gone have landed on the Playstation Plus. Likewise, the Playstation Now continues its evolution with continuous updates of the extensive catalog offered. The particular situation due to the pandemic in progress has also given way to a pleasant initiative called Play at Home with which Sony has given all users (subscribers and not) numerous video games often also very valid to help them spend time closed in their own homes.
Video games
Finally, let's talk about video games, the real strength of this Sony console. Playstation has been able to give us some excellent exclusives at launch to satisfy any type of gamer. There was Spider-Man Miles Morales, an evergreen for everyone, Demon's Souls for the more hardcore gamers and Sackboy: A Big Adventure for the more casual users. Subsequently in February the negligible Destruction All-Stars came out, fortunately given with the Playstation Plus and not sold at full price. In the month of April, however, we saw the debut of Returnal, a truly original and well-made title, praised in the review by our Francesco Serino.There were also third-party video games which were able to fill the gaps between one exclusive and the other. In December we were able to get our hands on the discussed Cyberpunk 2077, which although it represented several problems, on Playstation 5 it was still enjoyable. There was also no shortage of classic titles from popular series such as Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and NBA 2K21. In February we were able to appreciate the Playstation 5 version of Control, a title nominated for the Game Of The Year award in 2019. In the month of March, however, we went to Japan with Yakuza: Like a Dragon, another more than discreet title to slowly enrich the catalog Playstation 5.
The next six months
In this particular situation it is really difficult to make predictions for the future. The roadmap of many upcoming video games has been completely compromised by the difficult development conditions in smart working. For example, the highly anticipated Gran Turismo 7 and the equally desired Hogwarts Legacy have already been postponed to 2022. Other titles such as God Of War: Ragnarok and Horizon: Forbidden West initially announced for 2021 still remain without a launch window. definitive, therefore with a good possibility of postponing to next year. Among the next confirmed releases we have instead the revolutionary Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, probably the first true new generation title, which takes advantage of the speed of the SSD and the features offered by the Dualsense controller. In August, however, always among the exclusive Playstation Studios, the original Kena: Bridge of the Spirits awaits us (albeit with some doubts about the actual overall quality). Let's also remember that in the next month Sony will probably organize a State Of Play to announce new video games, define the launch dates of those already presented and surprise us with new trailers and gameplay videos.During the summer there will also be the Expected support for internal memory expansion slot with M.2 SSD. So we can finally add storage space to our Playstation 5, without sacrificing the speed of the SSD. Sony is also updating the hardware of its servers to improve the technical level of Playstation Now, bringing the resolution to the much requested 1080p. Speaking of peripherals and accessories, Sony has also announced the new Playstation VR with decidedly more modern controllers similar to the competition. The official Back Button for the Dualsense controller could also be on the way, thanks to which additional buttons could be added to the back of the pad.
In short, we are just at the beginning of this promising generation of video games. Despite the period of uncertainty due to the pandemic, we are sure that Sony will be able to pick up the situation and define a roadmap for the release of its exclusives, peripherals and accessories, ensuring as soon as possible the effective availability of the console for all. We expect big announcements and confirmations in the next month, so keep following us on our pages to receive all the news regarding the bright future of Playstation 5.
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