The PS5 has awoken. Several hands-on videos of the next-gen console were posted in the past few days, showing us how the PS5 looks in a real-world setting along with a sneak-peak at a few launch games.
Sony sent the consoles to a limited number of Japanese YouTubers and publications so they could go hands-on with the upcoming console. The demos give us our first official impressions of key aspects of the system, from its massive size to the new DualSense controller and quick load times.
Posted by respected outlets like Famitsu and Dengeki Online, the videos also give us our first good look at the console in the flesh.
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PS5 photos
We'll start with 4gamer, which published several high-res photos of the PS5 in vertical and horizontal orientations to get you a better idea of its size and shape. The first photo (below) shows the PS5 on its circular stand and a front view of the DualSense controller. The second image shows the console on its side while the third and fourth give us a head-on view. The site says the PS5's curves make it "feel slimmer than the actual size from almost any angle."
The folks at 4gamer say the PS5 was almost completely silent during a brief demo period and that you could feel very little heat on the unit. The publication wasn't allowed to take photos of the back, but it noted that the console takes air from the ventilation grilles and pushes it out the back of the hardware.
Real PS5 hardware up-closehttps://t.co/rqiT9kUAS0 pic.twitter.com/zThGk6wDR1October 4, 2020
PS5 size
Dengeki: "[...] what was shocking to me this time was how quiet the fan was. There must have been many people who were curious about this. It was so quiet!"They also note that they couldn't take a look at the PS5 OS or use the Create buttonhttps://t.co/S5hp6Utzar pic.twitter.com/FJ0Qiwk6wJOctober 4, 2020
We know the PS5 is the largest console to date (15.4 x 4.1 x 10.2 inches, 9.9 pounds), and now we know how large it will look next to a TV. Dengeki Online posted a photo of the PS5 next to a TV as part of a long hands-on report with the console.
What is clear from the image is that the PS5 will need to be in a horizontal orientation to fit in most entertainment centers. You might need to place the PS5 to the side of your TV or on the ground below it when it's vertical.
PS5 gameplay and performance
The select publications that got to spend time with the PS5 weren't allowed to see the UI or tinker with any of the settings. However, they did get to play about 2 hours of Godfall and Astro's Playroom. Most outlets praised the speed of the PS5, specifically noting how quickly you can restart a game after dying.
Dengeki Online said it takes only seconds to begin playing again and that switching between maps takes only about a minute. Dengeki wasn't the only outlet to highlight the PS5's performance.
"It can be said that the load stress has finally disappeared," Famitsu writes. "It is amazing how these data are read and a different world appears on the monitor in a blink of an eye."
PS5 DualSense controller
Game devs have already hyped the DualSense controller as one of the PS5 features that will change how you play. It sounds like the new controller could be a major upgrae based on the first impressions we've seen.
Many outlets described the feeling of using the controller's adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. Dengeki Online said the controller sends several different vibrations through your hand to make you feel more immersed.
"When you walk on the metal, a very slight strong vibration is transmitted with a unique metallic sound and you can hear a slightly slippery feeling on the glass," Famitsu writes.
"Haptic feedback predicted that the feel would change in 'real' places, such as underwater or swamps, but I was surprised to see even the subtle differences in flooring materials."
As a reminder, the PS5's DualSense controller adds haptic feedback to replace the old rumble vibrations along with adaptive triggers that can adjust the resistance needed to activate them under different gameplay scenarios. The DualSense comes with microphones and speakers and charges via USB-C.
The PS5 is set to launch on November 12 and we expect more impressions to trickle in between now and then. We will hopefully get a look at the new UI before more consoles go on sale.
