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

Mark Cerny will host a livestream detailing the technical aspect of Sony's new console.

185 Comments

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.

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Zander80

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Sony fanboys 2013: haha PS4 has more teraflops than Xbone!!!

Sony fanboys 2020: Good sir, teraflops is not an accurate measure of power, we don't care about such things.

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mpeg3s

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Edited By mpeg3s

I love when the Sony fans start talking about superior load times.

Im sure you all remember old cartridges for Nintendo and older systems. They had faster loading too as it was mostly 64 bit 2D games.

Don't fall for the okidok. Better graphics has always had more loading time!

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aross2004

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I'm so thankful that I can afford all of the systems. Alleviates the nonsense for me, but I love to seee people lose their shit over all of it.

<Grabs popcorn>

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wtf_666

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@aross2004: Yup, I don't get all the whining about which is "better". Buy both and STFU.

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santinegrete

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I hope all the games I purchased in PS3 Psn can be played there.

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sladakrobot

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Ok,almost everybody,me included, expected a counter to the Xbox reveal...what happened?

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GamerBum

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Edited By GamerBum

The XseX shits on the ps5.

Raytracing, VRR and VRS will all be better on the XseX. Actually the ps5 doesn’t have VRS.

XseX also adds HDR to any game that doesn’t already have it.

ps5 doesn’t.

XseX has a 1 tb ssd

ps5 885 gb or something lol

XseX is clearly the better machine and by quite a margin.

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wtf_666

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@gamerbum: lol neither released yet...only shitting is you with no toilet paper!! How's that Kinect working out????

Buy both and quit whining....

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deactivated-64efdf49333c4

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@gamerbum: 7 Tizz, is that you?

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lonesamurai00

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Edited By lonesamurai00

@gamerbum: Sure, but it's software that sells consoles, not hardware. Sony's console could sell a bit cheaper, and they don't have that expensive proprietary SSD solution either, and... Sony has the games.

In the end it's still Microsoft who has something to prove. They have to build back trust and make people forget the very anti-gamer plan that got them pummeled in this still current generation. Also don't forget that Microsoft is building another console that Japan will continue to hate, and that hate will include Japanese devs.... again.

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imajinn

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This was a very interesting dive. I'm now very anxious to see this non load/lightning fast load in action, among other things he dove into. Definitely wanting to see more of what's to come.

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asnakeneverdies

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I was hoping for some demonstrations, but I enjoyed it. I hope my HRTF signature is close enough to their default. 🐍👂

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lonesamurai00

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Edited By lonesamurai00

@rickjamesia: You could build with an Intel 7nm CPU in early 2021, pair it with an RTX 3xxx series GPU and still be way on top in terms of graphics and performance, more than either console. I doubt that PCIe 4.0 will be needed for PC Gaming, but you could add that as well - I mean if you're able to go that route.

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lonesamurai00

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Why does that Mark Cerny guy remind me of Dana Carvey's Church Lady character.

Hmmm.... what's keeping us from revealing our new console, could it be SATAN!!!

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TwoGirlsOneCub

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Wow, Sony. For all the talk of audio you've been doing you seem to be completely tone deaf.

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GamerBum

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That’s it?? What an anti climax. I’m wish I hadn’t stayed up to watch this.

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egb72

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ZZZZZZZZ, I feel the need to take a nap after watching this.

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GamerBum

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‘You’ve entered the matrix’

Actual quote from Cerny LMAO classic.

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R34Vegeta

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Jesus, reading comments regarding this on live streams or on here is painful.

This is not like an E3 conference or reveal. This is basically what they'd discuss at GDC. Sony should NOT have tweeted this out to everyone at all. This is literally what they said it was. A "hardware architecture deep dive". So anyone expecting anything outside of a deep dive into the system architecture needs to just stop watching.

Sony is going to get so much backlash from end users and "gamers" because of this too. Only because they didn't get what they wanted or hear what they wanted from a reveal that wasn't meant for them.

Also...the crowd isn't fake ffs.

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GamerBum

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@R34Vegeta:

Mate your seriously defending sony for that showing?? 😳

They should know better. Their fans are chomping at the bit for something substantial.

That was a huge fail and they deserve all the backlash they get.

The XseX destroys this new playstation.

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