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Sony announces PS5 name, release, and haptic feedback features

Gabe Gurwin
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Up to this point, Sony hadn’t officially confirmed the name or when to expect the release of its next-generation game console. That changed today, however, with confirmation that its next-generation console will indeed be called the PlayStation 5 and it’s scheduled to release in the holiday season of 2020. While we won’t get our hands on it for about a year, it’s packing some very interesting technology under the hood.

In a story by Wired, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said that the console will stick to the simple naming conventions of past consoles, and it will release in the holiday season of next year. Ryan was joined for the interview by system architect and Knack mastermind Mark Cerny, who clarified that ray tracing will be possible on the system through GPU acceleration.

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The PS5 will come with a 4K Blu-ray player and discs will be 100GB in size. This should eliminate most needs for more than one disc on retail releases, though certain titles could cross that threshold — this generation’s Red Dead Redemption 2 narrowly missed being that large at launch last year. You’ll be able to choose what you install from a game, however, meaning if you are only interested in the campaign, you won’t have to waste time with the rest of the game and have it take up space.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The PlayStation controller will be getting something of an overhaul for the PS5, as well. It will feature “adaptive triggers” with resistance based on your activities as well as haptic feedback that is more lifelike than the rumble found on most controllers today. This can even affect the analog sticks, and the larger battery being installed in each controller should help with the poor battery life that has plagued the DualShock 4 this generation.

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The PlayStation 5 is shaping up to be a powerhouse that can go toe-to-toe with Xbox Scarlett, and development kits are in the hands of developers right now. Among them is longtime Sony partner Bluepoint Games, which said it is working on a “big one,” but did not clarify what that meant. Past projects have included remastered and remade versions of games like Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Shadow of the Colossus. Some have speculated its next project could be a new version of Demon’s Souls, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

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Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
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