PlayStation 5 review: a giant step towards the next-gen

Finally ! After months of waiting, we were able to get our hands on Sony's next-gen console, the PlayStation 5. If we've already presented its controller in detail, the DualSense, it's time to give you our impressions. after several weeks of testing.

PlayStation 5 review: a giant step towards the next-gen Read the conclusionSony PlayStation 5

The DualSense that could be a game changer if the games exploit it
The efficient interface while being beautiful and futuristic
A very quiet and well-cooled console
Super fast storage

The long press on the PlayStation button has disappeared...
An imposing size that will not please everyone
The share of usable SSD (670 GB)

All our tests were carried out on a final version of the material. On the other hand, the software part is not quite the same as that delivered with the retail consoles. Sony is expected to roll out the final version of the PS19 system by November 5.

In order to better appreciate the new "next-gen", we tested the PS5 on an LG Oled 55B9 TV compatible with HDMI 2.1.

Please note that we will enrich this test in the coming weeks when we have had time to properly test the PS5 services (PS Plus, PS Now).

A design that imposes

If the design of the Xbox Series X is effective although a little sober, Sony takes the trend against the current and offers an original design that contrasts sharply with the sobriety of the different PS4 models. Exit matte black, here the PlayStation 5 is all dressed in white. We will appreciate it or not, but the manufacturer offers a machine with real character. Personally I have some doubts about the shiny plastic edge, sandwiched between the two white fronts. It's pretty but it will be necessary to plan to dust regularly.

If you were expecting to discover a console of an imposing size when you feverishly open its packaging, hold on tight, because you won't be disappointed! The PS5 is huge, taller than the Xbox Series X, but thankfully thinner.

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In a horizontal position, the result is mixed...

Sony has provided a base to allow players to use their console vertically or horizontally. If the handling is relatively simple, it is obvious that the console was designed with an upright position in mind. That said, this possibility will allow the PS5 to be placed in a TV stand (with enough space around it to allow effective cooling). In terms of connectivity, only the addition of a USB-C port differentiates the PS5 from its big sister, the PS4.

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The PS5 next to the Xbox SX

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And top view

A technical sheet to make a PCist pale

Behind this enticing title (especially at Clubic), hides an obvious reality at the start of each console generation. If the high-end graphics cards of the moment are already more powerful than the PS5, only an ultra-high-end gaming PC costing several thousand euros will be able to produce a result similar to what the "small news from Sony.

Processor: x86-64-AMD Ryzen™ “Zen 2”, Variable frequency, up to 3.5 GHz, 8 Cores / 16 Threads

GPU: Graphics engine based on AMD Radeon™ RDNA 2, Ray tracing acceleration, Variable frequency, up to 2.23 GHz (10.3 TFLOPS)

System memory: 6GB GDDR16, 448Gbps bandwidth

SSD: 825GB, 5.5Gbps read bandwidth (Gross)

Disc drive: Ultra HD Blu-ray™, up to 100GB/disc

Video output: Compatibility with 4K 120Hz and 8K TVs, VRR (HDMI v. 2.1 specification), HDR10
Audio : “Tempest” 3D AudioTech
Dimensions: 390 mm x 104 mm x 260 mm
Weight: 4,5kg
Price: €499 (model with reader)
Availability: 19/11/2020 (if you're lucky)

Once plugged in, the PS5 automatically configures the best video settings for your TV. In our case, the YUV 4:2:2 standard has been applied, and the console clearly indicates that the display is compatible with 4K UHD (2160p) with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz in this resolution, all with HDR enabled. Own. On the other hand, there is no mention of the VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) yet provided for in the HDMI 2.1 standard. Three possibilities: the console is already compatible, but transparently for the user, with no option to activate in the menus, or Sony will implement it later via an update. Finally there remains the possibility that the manufacturer ignores this technology, but that would be a real shame.

Last point: at the moment the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) is not triggered automatically by the console, and you must therefore manually activate the game mode on your TV... weird when you know that the PS4 manages it perfectly ! Ditto for the 1440p resolution, currently unusable (on this type of screen the console performs an upscaling from 1080p), we bet that an update will quickly correct this.

The DualSense: for more pleasure

Sony offers a complete overhaul of its controller on the occasion of the release of the PS5, even to the point of renaming it to DualSense. If you want to discover in detail our impressions of this promising controller, we invite you to read our dedicated article below. We also offer you a video to best transcribe the sounds and haptic feedback produced by the controller during our test on Astro's Playroom.

Read also:
DualSense: we tested the PS5 controller on Astro's Playroom

Backwards compatibility: a good surprise

If backward compatibility has been Microsoft's workhorse from the previous generation, Sony has decided to catch up and has announced that the PS5 will be backward compatible with the vast majority of PS4 titles. Rather than presenting the list of compatible games, you might as well list those that will not be:

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Afro Samurai 2 Revenge of Kuma Volume One
TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2
Just Deal With It!
Shadow Complex Remastered
Robinson: The Journey
We sing
Hitman Go: Ultimate Edition
Shadow
Joe's Diner

We were able to test a selection of games in the video above, and we were pleasantly surprised by the improved rendering of these on the PS5. Indeed Sony had communicated on a minimum "service", ie an emulation faithful to the rendering and performance of the PS4 Pro versions. If we put aside the games that have already been patched and optimized for the PS5, a number of titles are already benefiting from improvements related to the higher power of the machine.. It is logically the games which have a mode whose framerate is unlocked which therefore offer a display in 60 frames / sec perfectly stable. This is the case of Monster Hunter World, and No Man's Sky for example. For Ghost of Tsushima and Days Gone, the developers have updated their titles to take full advantage of the PS5, and these display in 4K at 60fps for our viewing pleasure. On the other hand, major titles like Uncharted 4, God of War (in resolution priority mode), Bloodborn and Red Dead Redemption 2, are displayed identically to their PS4 version, neither more nor less. Hopefully the devs will release updates over time to improve support for the PS4 catalog.

Buy PlayStation 5

A futuristic and practical interface

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When the console starts, it emits the same characteristic "beep" as the PS4 - we remain on familiar ground - but the similarities end here. In effect the console takes less than 15 seconds to cold start, and half that time to wake up. Efficient. The interface is reminiscent of the PS4 but is fully rendered in 4K HDR, delivering shimmering colors, crisp text, icons, and images.

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You can directly access part of the game via the interface

While Sony has retained a display with a single line of tiles for its apps and games, the size of the tiles has been greatly reduced, to leave more space for the main content of the screen, contextualized according to the selected tile. For our part, we find that the tiles are a little too small, even on a 55" TV. When you select the tile of a game, a musical track from it plays in the background, reinforcing the visual experience.

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On the options side, we find most of the menus specific to the PS4, but some welcome new features are appearing. For example, a menu allows you to select the default graphics mode when launching a new game (priority to quality or performance), of course the games will have to offer these modes for the option to work. Such is the case with Spider-Man Miles Morales.

The console is expanding with new accessibility options, and sharing with the new DualSense "Create" button. Moreover, Sony has made efforts on the quality of gameplay captures in 4K, whose compression is very correct , allowing to approach the native rendering of the game, and this without time limit (apart from the necessary storage).

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We find all the most used apps

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The PS Store is instantly accessible, and it feels good!

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The PS Collection, a selection of PS4 hits playable via PS Plus

Finally navigation in this new PS5 interface is very fluid and pleasant, we quickly access the content and we only regret the disappearance of the long press on the PlayStation button, to quickly access the standby mode of the machine. Now you have to make a short press, and navigate to the standby button. Less practical but not too annoying either. Remember that Sony will be able to change its interface based on player feedback.

And the games in all this?

Now let's tackle the sinews of war: the games! As an appetizer guide, we offer you a gameplay compilation video of "next-gen" titles, at least titles optimized for the PS5:

Spider-Man Miles Morales
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition
Sack Boy
Godfall
NBA 2K21 Next

Of the launch titles we had access to, Spider-Man Miles Morales is clearly the one to take the first, next-gen leap. The title is sublime, with two display modes: 4K30 with ray tracing and 4K60 without ray tracing. If the two modes are excellent, our preference goes to the “loyalty” mode which highlights a very fashionable technology, but available for the first time on console: ray tracing. This technology allows much more realistic reflections and shadows than the rasterization methods used since the dawn of time (I'm exaggerating) in video games. To illustrate these words, do not hesitate to consult our comparison video below.

But the graphics are not everything, and the feeling of having passed a course towards the next-gen is reinforced by the use of the custom SSD so vaunted by Sony. It's very simple, in Spider-Man or Sackboy, our game loads in more or less 2 seconds. Impressive ! Likewise in game, no loading, no feeling of streaming/clipping when picking up, everything is fluid. Moreover, as soon as the games are downloaded and installed, we feel the efficiency of the storage since previously it was the speed of the hard disk which limited the download speed of the games on our 1Gb fiber.

Regarding 3D audio (Tempest Engine), strongly promoted by Sony, we were unable to test the manufacturer's official headphones, but all modern 7.1 headphones, via USB or mini-jack, are compatible. On Spider-Man, the precision of the localization of sound sources seemed correct to us, but not necessarily better than on some large AAA PCs on our SteelSeries Arctis 7.

Finally a word on a point eagerly awaited by PS4 players, exasperated by the sound volume of the ventilation of the PS4 fat and PS4 Pro. If Sony was the worst student on the subject of noise pollution of the previous generation, this time the manufacturer has learned from its mistakes and offers us an efficient and very quiet cooling solution! Phew. The PS5 is huge, but it is also to accommodate an imposing, yet ultra-efficient ventilation system. If the Xbox Series X does not emit the slightest sound, the PS5 produces an inaudible micro hum from its sofa, even with the sound of the TV muted. You will really have to get closer to 50 cm to hear something. An excellent point!

PS5 launch games:

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Astro's Playroom
Borderlands 3
bugsnax
Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War
Demon Soul's Remake
Devil May Cry 5 : Special Edition
DiRT 5
Godfall
Just Dance 2021
Maneater
Marvel's Spiderman : Miles Morales
Marvel's Spiderman Remastered
Mortal kombat 11 ultimate
NBA 2K21
No Man's Sky
Observer System Redux
Overcooked : All You Can Eat
Planet Coaster
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
The Pathless
Warhammer : Chaosbane Slayer Edition
WRC 9

PS5: the opinion of Clubic

The PS5 takes a promising leap towards the next-gen, with technical improvements that give hope for an era under the sign of 4K and 60 FPS. The DualSense brings a real plus to the gaming experience, and the console's interface is as beautiful as it is efficient. The PS5 offers a silent premium gaming experience, and we just have to wait for real "next-gen" games for it to quickly become indispensable!