Sony PS5 buyers and owners (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Cooper]

Lame. Honestly, the only title I'm really pumped for at launch is Gran Turismo so it's not a huge deal for me. But, I think it may be the fact that I can't get one that is making me want one more lol.

Is GT7 even going to be a launch title? I haven't seen any information on a release date for it. I'm interested in it too. I'm even more interested in what the hell is going on with the Thrusmaster T-GT wheel. They made that one specifically for GT Sport on the PS4 with feedback technology that only works with that one game. It's been unavailable/out of stock everywhere for ages now, so I'm wondering if they're working on an updated version or something that works with PS5 and GT7. Seems very odd to make something for a wheel that only works with one game and not have it be compatible with future GT games.

 

[LeoA]

My impression is that Gran Turismo 7 is a ways off.

 

[John_Bilbrey]

That does seem to be the case from what I'm seeing...not sure where I got the idea it was going to be a launch title.

 

[Sam Posten]

Hands-On PS5 Footage Shows Off Devil May Cry, Godfall, And More

Japanese YouTubers got to play the PS5, and we even got a better feel for how large the system is.

www.gamespot.com

 

[Sam Posten]

Sony’s PS5 teardown video reveals removable sides, dust catchers, and storage expansion

Sony has designed its PS5 console to be easy to service

www.theverge.com

 

[Steve Y]

Some useful information was published by Sony today:

• Backward compatibility (PS4) on PS5
• Upgrading PS4 games to PS5

Although we all knew PS4 backward compatibility and game upgrades were a thing, these articles fill in some of the details of how they'll work. The list of unsupported PS4 games, while containing two I like (Hitman GO and Shadow Complex), is much smaller than I expected - only 10 PS4 games won't be supported at all.

 

[Ruz-El]

Some useful information was published by Sony today:

• Backward compatibility (PS4) on PS5
• Upgrading PS4 games to PS5

Although we all knew PS4 backward compatibility and game upgrades were a thing, these articles fill in some of the details of how they'll work. The list of unsupported PS4 games, while containing two I like (Hitman GO and Shadow Complex), is much smaller than I expected - only 10 PS4 games won't be supported at all.

I was surprised that Rock Band 4 wasn't on the list of those that wouldn't work. Shame there's no PSN emulation or compatibility for PS3 games. Beatles Rock Band shall forever be in limbo once the PS3's crap out.

 

[Steve Y]

I was surprised that Rock Band 4 wasn't on the list of those that wouldn't work. Shame there's no PSN emulation or compatibility for PS3 games. Beatles Rock Band shall forever be in limbo once the PS3's crap out.

Not purchasing a new copy of Beatles Rock Band when I had the chance is one of my gaming regrets. You can still buy games and instruments used, but the quality is deteriorating and the prices aren't necessary bargain basement like they used to be.

Related to the articles above: Some people are making the assumption that the PS5 "boost mode" will only be relevant to games that receive specific PS5 updates, but I don't think that's the case. PS4 Pro boost mode didn't require any specific patches to work, although the differences were sometimes subtle.

 

[LeoA]

I've glad everything I care about is backwards compatible. I do want to play TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2 just to check out that amazing circuit on public streets and roads that hosts the Ise of Man race each year, but was going to buy the XB1 version anyways.

It's my understanding based off what Sony announced late last winter, that there will be three game categories for PS4 backwards compatibility on PS5.

PS4 (Games run in PS4 legacy mode with the PS5 downgraded, presumably to PS4 slim style specs)
PS4 Pro (Games run in PS4 Pro legacy mode with the PS5 downgraded, presumably to PS4 Pro style specs)
PS5 boost mode (BC games that receive a PS5 specific patch to enhance them; PS5 running at full horsepower)

I'm sure there are generic improvements. I'd bet that even PS4 games running in PS4 legacy mode will hit their frame rate targets a bit more reliably and when running off internal storage, load significantly quicker on the Playstation 5. But it does read as if in order for backwards compatible games to fully exploit the advantages of the PS5, that they'll need to be patched in order to do so. This faq even says "select PS4 games" will benefit from the PS5 boost mode, which suggests it's not going to be a generic feature that's applicable across the board for BC PS4 games (i.e., a game probably has to be patched to utilize the mode).

That said, what I'm paraphrasing above about the three different modes is what was said back around when COVID-19 suddenly was getting our attention. The same time that they made a statement that had many people fearing that PS5 at launch would play the top 100 list of PS4 games and not much else right out the gate. We've seen in retrospect that either much has changed at Sony since then or they simply did a poor job communicating the meaning of their message back around March.

So take all this with a grain of salt 7 months or so later and wait for outlets like Digital Foundry to give us the full rundown.

 

[Steve Y]

This faq even says "select PS4 games" will benefit from the PS5 boost mode, which suggests it's not going to be a generic feature that's applicable across the board for BC PS4 games (i.e., a game probably has to be patched to utilize the mode).

PS4 Pro's "boost mode," when enabled, also affects "select" games only: mostly those with uncapped frame rates or dynamic resolutions. Notably (and confusingly), PS4 Pro's boost mode is automatically disabled for games with a PS4 Pro enhancement patch applied (also to "select" games). Patches are usually better than boost mode, and boost mode is usually better than standard.

For the PS5's backward-compatible library, my guess would be a similar "three-pronged" approach to performance:

• Game Boost disabled / no PS5 patch (will run like on PS4)
• Game Boost enabled / no PS5 patch (like PS4 Pro "boost mode" but better, only improving "select" games with uncapped framerates and dynamic resolution)
• PS5 patch (for "select" games that developers release patches for, with performance better than the above options, and passive "Game Boost" automatically disabled, as on PS4 Pro?)

Maybe they'll take a different tack here. We'll find out in November, I guess.

 

[AaronMK]

So what is happening with the audio with the PS5? It sounds like they have this great Tempest engine and dedicated hardware to simulate sounds in the game environment and generate all of this great 3D spacial audio... only to then force it to be down-mixed to headphones or "virtualized" speakers.

 

[Sam Posten]

 

[Sam Posten]

B'okay...

Burger King PS5 sweepstakes starts today in the US

Here's your chance to win a PS5 console -- full details below.

blog.playstation.com

 

[Morgan Jolley]

The ability to jump to specific parts of games and get hints right from the UI is really cool, but it seems like they're basically acknowledging that games are turning into a series of difficult checklists. I disliked Achievements and Trophies for doing that already, but this is just kind of accepting it's true.

Neat features overall but I'm not huge on the UI. It seems simple to look at but I don't get a sense of the organization/flow of the quick menu. Doesn't really matter, I assume it will just be a thing we deal with while getting games to load.

Also, neat seeing how quick you can switch between games.

 

[John_Bilbrey]

Seems very Apple-ish to me.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

So what is happening with the audio with the PS5? It sounds like they have this great Tempest engine and dedicated hardware to simulate sounds in the game environment and generate all of this great 3D spacial audio... only to then force it to be down-mixed to headphones or "virtualized" speakers.

From the Mark Czerny presentation earlier this year:

" Having this tech baked into the PS5 means the Tempest Engine will aim to deliver 3D audio through the PS5, not just leave it up to certain sound systems or headsets. But as mentioned, current TV and audio hardware won’t be optimised for 3D audio. So it might take Sony some time after the PS5 has launched to deliver 3D audio outside of dedicated audio kit.

The first goal was to create audio for everyone, not just VR users or sound bar owners or headphone users. That meant audio had to be part of the console, it couldn't be a peripheral,” explained Cerny. “The second goal was to support hundreds of sound sources. We didn't want developers to have to pick and choose which sounds would get 3D effects and which wouldn't. We wanted every sound in the game to have dimensionality."

Supporting lots of sound sources is one thing, but getting it to sound realistic to each person's unique ear shape, is another. This is where a process called Head-related Transfer Function (HRTF) comes to play in the Tempest engine.

Basically Sony put microphones in people's ears and played sound at them from an array of 22 speakers as the person is rotated. Doing this, Sony was able to sample the HRTF from more than 1,000 locations. Cerny said that using this process allows for audio to be rendered with “unparalleled quality.”

In essence, HRTF allows Sony to come up with a 3D audio system that can render sound from different sources in different ways, which should make for a more realistic experience.

 

[Steve Y]

So what is happening with the audio with the PS5? It sounds like they have this great Tempest engine and dedicated hardware to simulate sounds in the game environment and generate all of this great 3D spacial audio... only to then force it to be down-mixed to headphones or "virtualized" speakers.

Looks like the version of this tech which utilizes discrete channeling will arrive at a later time. I'm assuming the Tempest chip can handle it. I'm still glad the downmixed option is there at launch, since 3D audio through headphones is still really cool.

The ability to jump to specific parts of games and get hints right from the UI is really cool, but it seems like they're basically acknowledging that games are turning into a series of difficult checklists. I disliked Achievements and Trophies for doing that already, but this is just kind of accepting it's true.

I also don't care about achievements or trophies. They're fun when they pop up, but when I finish a game and see "9% complete" or whatever, I just shake my head. That kind of busywork is not for me. I have very little time and too many games.

Because the hint system will be up to each developer to implement (or not), I suspect we'll see big-name developers using it the first year. Over time I predict we'll see less of it, especially from smaller devs. Sounds like a lot of work to implement information that already available (in a less convenient format, but probably in greater detail) elsewhere on the internet.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Looks like the version of this tech which utilizes discrete channeling will arrive at a later time. I'm assuming the Tempest chip can handle it. I'm still glad the downmixed option is there at launch, since 3D audio through headphones is still really cool.

It sure is. I have the Audeze Mobius headphones and 3D audio works great with it.

Also, the current 3D Audio through the PSVR headset is quite impressive too. Can't wait to see what sort of visual/audio enhancements the PS5 will bring to PSVR gaming.

Apparently the latest System Update v8.0 for the PS4 brought VR Surround to watching movies 2D and 3D to the PSVR headset.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

PSVR does 3D audio by tracking your head as it moves. I'm really curious how they plan on implementing something like that on PS5 without VR. I'm also unsure how important it would be if you're playing a game on a TV, since you don't really move your head that much.

Still annoyed that there's no way to preorder.

 

[Sam Posten]

Reviewers are posting images on Twitter today of units showing up. Dean Takahashi got his and noted Microsoft has not sent him an Xbox to review