PS5 GameStop page confirms key specs like backward compatibility and 8k
Could a more official unveiling be imminent?
Video game retailer GameStop posted a registration page where players can sign-up for the for PlayStation 5 updates that confirms several key specs for Sony's upcoming console. What the page details is enough to get Sony fans very excited, and it makes you wonder how close we are to an official reveal and pre-orders?
GameStop launched its landing page Thursday for the PlayStation 5 where anyone can sign up for notifications about the upcoming console's launch. The page includes a section detailing important PS5 specs like backward compatibility and 8k support. It feels essential when Microsoft outlined the Xbox Series X backward compatibility last week.
The listing notes that the PS5 will play both physical and digital media, something confirmed back in Wired's April 2019 reveal of the console. GameStop's registration confirms a lot from that article, including the fact that PS5 will have 8K support and 3D audio. Here's a quick list of specs GameStop provides in the listing:
- Full 8K TV support
- Bespoke 8-core AMD chipset
- 3D Audio
- Built-for-purpose SSD storage
- Backward compatibility with PS4 games/PSVR hardware
- Ray tracing capabilities
PS5 architect Mark Cerny detailed why PS5 supports 3D audio in that Wired's April reveal: "As a gamer, it's been a little bit of a frustration that audio did not change too much between PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4," he said. "With the next console, the dream is to show how dramatically different the audio experience can be when we apply significant amounts of hardware horsepower to it."
GameStop also highlights the console's 8-core AMD chip set, which is pivotal in supporting the aforementioned 3D as well as ray-tracing, a technique to vastly improve lighting that current-gen consoles don't currently support. The console's solid-state drive (SSD) is also noted here, which should vastly improve loading times but may create storage constraints.
The listing also covers the PS5 controllers, which will feature haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
The Inverse Analysis
These details serve a great reminder of what the PS5 will offer while including a few interesting new tidbits that we weren't previously sure about.
This listing cements the fact that the PS5 will be backward compatible with the PS4 and PlayStation VR. With no mention of the consoles before that, we could read this as confirmation that PS5 won't support PSX, PS2, and PS3 games — something Sony has not clarified yet.
The GameStop post doesn't contain many massive revelations just yet or confirm whether or not any of Sony's weird patents might be on PS5, but it's a confirmation of everything we know so far about the console. The focus here on backward compatibility is noteworthy given how robust the Xbox Series X's function sounds.
Microsoft's console is on par with everything listed by GameStop for the PS5. Gamers have proven that backward compatibility is important to them. We know that the Xbox Series X will be able to use some peripherals and play all games from the original Xbox through Xbox One, and will even automatically give players the enhanced version of the game they own thanks to Smart Delivery.
The PS5's specs are very impressive, but we haven't seen that "wow" feature that will really allow the PS5 to stand out yet. Outside of Wired or PlayStation Blog articles, Sony hasn't revealed much about the console yet, so many of the console's minute details are still shrouded in mystery. Microsoft, on the other hand, has been very forward-facing in regards to the Xbox Series X.
As such, Sony needs to pull the curtain back on its upcoming gaming system soon if the company wants to compete with Microsoft this early in the console war.
PS5 and Xbox Series X will be released fall 2020.
