PS5 Specs Reveal Recap: Backwards Compatibility, SSD, Load Times, And More Details

Sony's PlayStation 5 livestream earlier this week gave us a much deeper look at the tech and vision behind the company's upcoming next-generation console. Lead system architect Mark Cerny noted at the start of the presentation that he would be discussing the hardware and goals of the PS5, so we didn't get any new details about PS5's release date or its games. Cerny did, however, delve into the PS5's specs and revealed a lot of other technical details about the console, such as the fact that it won't have long install times like the PS4. We also learned PS5 will be backwards compatible with PS4's most popular games at launch, and PS5's storage doesn't use proprietary tech like Microsoft's rival Xbox Series X does.

If you missed the Road to PS5 livestream, you can watch a replay of it on the PlayStation Blog or via the embed below. We've also put together a look at the major PS5 takeaways that you should care about. The original story follows.

Sony is hosting a livestream to detail technical aspects of the PlayStation 5 today, March 18, via the PlayStation Blog. The stream is going on right now, and it's revealing a ton of hardware details about the company's upcoming next-gen console, including the PS5's specs. You can watch the presentation as it happens through the embed below.

The stream will be presented by PS5 lead system architect Mark Cerny, who previously revealed details of the PS4 and PS4 Pro at their respective events. The announcement was made on Twitter, with a follow-up from PlayStation Japan's account clarifying that the information was intended for GDC (which has been cancelled) and will only be in English. Given that this was intended to be a GDC talk, and the teaser refers to the PS5's architecture, it's looking likely that this stream will largely concern technical aspects, and not necessarily a price, release date, or launch game lineup.

PS5 Livestream Start Time

• 9 AM PT
• 12 PM ET
• 4 PM GMT
• 3 AM AET (March 19)

This announcement comes hot on the heels of a massive technical dive by Microsoft into its Xbox Series X, which detailed the final specs for the console, provided demos for Quick Resume, introduced the new Series X controller, detailed expandable SSD storage, and more.

Sony has been quiet on details for the PS5 by comparison, ever since revealing some details in a surprise report nearly a year ago. There's no confirmation on the extent of the information planned for the reveal, but it should give a better indication of how these two holiday-bound consoles are set to look up against each other.