We explore whether it's worth it to purchase a PlayStation 5 at launch when it lands on shelves this holiday season.
Time flies when you're having fun. We're just about to welcome a new generation of video game consoles. This holiday season, it's about time to welcome the PlayStation 5 into the fold.
But we've also got the Xbox Series X on the horizon, which means some gamers will have to make the difficult decision regarding which console they want to pick up more.
So, is the PlayStation 5 worth buying at launch? To help you decide, we've put together a collection of data points and information to help you determine if it's worth your while.
Of course, keep in mind that we're still very early on in the system's life cycle, and there's still additional information we need to know about the console.
What kind of hardware will the PlayStation 5 feature?
Source: Sony
The PlayStation 5 will include an AMD Zen 2-based CPU, an AMD Radeon RDNA 2-based graphics engine that supports ray tracing, and 16GB of GDDR6 RAM. It will include 4K and Ultra HD Blu-ray capability, an SSD with supposed read speeds up to 5.5GB/s, and support for 8K and 4K video at 120Hz.
How big will the console be?
Source: Sony
Sony has yet to divulge exactly how large the PlayStation 5 will be, but it's estimated to have the dimensions of around 15.74" x 8.79" x 3.97". It can be stored on its side or vertically, though there's no official information about its weight or volume at this point.
What games are included in the PlayStation 5's launch lineup?
Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Right now, we don't know of many PlayStation 5 launch games just yet. Sony hasn't announced that many at this time, and release dates continue to change. There have been several delays ahead of the PS5's debut, and we're left with a relatively short list. Here's the list of launch games we know of so far:
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- Astro's Playroom
- Fortnite
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Out of these games, only Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Astro's Playroom, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart are new games.
Why aren't there very many titles on the list? Sony has yet to disclose additional games that will be launching alongside its new system. We're still waiting on a variety of announcements regarding what to expect on Day 1 with the PlayStation 5. We'll hopefully see more titles on the way soon.
What games and exclusives will the PlayStation 5 have?
Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment
The PlayStation 5 is getting several games that will also debut on Xbox Series X, but there are plenty of exclusive titles coming to the system as well.
There are a variety of first-party exclusive games on the way to PlayStation 5 as well, including the following:
- Astro's Playroom
- Demon's Souls
- Destruction AllStars
- Gran Turismo 7
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Returnal
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
There are a variety of confirmed titles heading to the PlayStation 5 (as well as other consoles) as well. Here are some of the games you can expect:
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- Aragami 2
- Astro's Playroom
- Bugsnax
- Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Control: Ultimate Edition
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Deathloop
- Demon's Souls Remake
- Destruction Allstars
- Dirt 5
- Destiny 2
- Doom Eternal
- Elder Scrolls Online
- Dragon Age 4
- Far Cry 6
- Fortnite
- Ghostwire: Tokyo
- Godfall
- Goodbye Volcano High
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Gran Turismo 7
- Guilty Gear Strive
- Hitman III
- Hood: Outlaws & Legends
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Jett: The Far Shore
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Little Devil Inside
- The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
- NBA 2K21
- Observer: System Redux
- Oddworld: Soulstorm
- Outriders
- Overcooked: All You Can Eat
- Planet Coaster: Console Edition
- Pragmata
- Project Athia
- Quantum Error
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Rainbow Six Quarantine
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil: Village
- Returnal
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- Scarlet Nexus
- Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One
- Solar Ash
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Stray
- Temtem
- Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2
- Unknown 9: Awakening
- Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2
- Watch Dogs: Legion
Will the PlayStation 5 be backward compatible?
Source: Sony
Yes, the PlayStation 5 will feature backward compatibility.
The PlayStation 4 launched bereft of this major feature, but the PlayStation 5 will be backward compatible with PlayStation 4 games. It's unclear if this will include titles from PlayStation Now across the PS2 and PS3 era, however.
In March 2020, Sony's Mark Cerny confirmed that nearly all of the top 100 PS4 games, ranked by playtime, would be playable on the PS5 at launch, but Sony hopes to make the majority of its PS4 games on PS5 backward compatible in the near future.
Sony has not confirmed the list of the top 100 games just yet.
How much is the PlayStation 5 and when can I preorder it?
Source: Sony
Though the holidays are just around the corner, Sony has yet to announce or confirm any official pricing information. Previously, the PlayStation 4 Pro debuted at $399.99 in November 2016, so we may see a higher price point given the PlayStation 5's robust specs.
Some estimates place the system at $599.99 or higher, but right now we have no way of knowing how much it will be if you want to adorn your living room with the system. As we get closer to the assumed launch date (which hasn't been announced), we can confirm pricing info and potential bundles very soon.
Right now, there are no avenues through which you can preorder the console.
Should you buy a PlayStation 5 at launch?
Source: Sony
Deciding whether to purchase a PlayStation 5 at launch is something you'll have to figure out for yourself. We know it'll be an impressive system with robust specs with a large library of titles releasing with it. Whether you want to try first-party titles or you want to see some of your favorite games brought to PS5, there are plenty of reasons to get excited.
To sum it up, we think it's absolutely worth buying a PlayStation 5 at launch due to the diverse selection of games to enjoy on the new hardware as well as the overall improvements made to the hardware.
Unfortunately, there's still a lot we're unsure of about the PlayStation 5. Be sure to keep checking back for additional information about the system in general. It's still early, and Sony will undoubtedly have more to say in the coming weeks.
We're ready to welcome the next generation of consoles with open arms, and we'll definitely nab a PlayStation 5 on day 1.
Will my Arctis headset work with PS5?
Good news! Any Arctis headset that is compatible with PS4 is next-gen compatible with PS5 (including 3D sound!), with no firmware updates required, so you can browse all SteelSeries PlayStation 4 headsets with ease.
Read more about next-gen compatible Arctis headsets.
If you don't already have an Arctis headset for next-gen, we reccommend the Arctis 7P:
Read more
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Want to discuss which consoles you plan on buying this holiday season? Join our SteelSeries Discord for some good, old-fashioned gaming discussion.
