PS5 Price, Release Date, Specs, Games, and News

The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is Sony's successor to the PlayStation 4 video game console. Unlike the PS4 Pro, which improves graphics for PS4 titles, the PS5 has its own exclusive library of games.

When Was the PlayStation 5 Released?

The Playstation 5 was released for sale on November 12, 2020, in the United States. We've been impressed with the console's evolution; this version is worth the upgrade if you've got the bucks to spend.

What's the Price?

The PS5 has a $499 price tag for the Blu-ray disc version with the digital version (without an optical drive) priced at $399.

That puts it a bit above its Microsoft competitor, the Xbox Series X and Series S (digital version), with pricing of $499.99 and $299.99, respectively.

The Latest News about PS5

You can get more gaming news from Lifewire on all kinds of topics; here are more stories (and some of those earlier rumors) about Sony's plans for the PS5.

PlayStation 5 Features

In addition to online and local gaming, the PS5 supports the following features:

• 4K TV gaming
• HDR TV
• PlayStation VR games and headsets
• An online store with downloadable games and movies
• A Blu-ray movie player
• Streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu
• A power save option
• The new wireless DualSense controller features haptic feedback.

Sony and Microsoft are also collaborating to create a cloud streaming platform for online gaming. Information from MMO game servers is displayed on the PS5 home screen, so players can see what's happening in their favorite games and instantly join in.

PS5 Specs and Hardware

Sony's new PlayStation is the first video game console to come with an internal solid-state drive (SSD) on par with those found in high-end gaming PCs.

In addition to permitting 8K graphics at a 120Hz refresh rate, the SSD essentially eliminates load times for games. It has a GPU with 10.28 teraflops, which is supposed to give it a significant performance boost.

The PS5 is powered by an eight-core, third-generation Ryzen CPU. It also has a custom graphics card based on AMD’s Radeon RX 5000 series, which supports raytracing for more realistic 3D rendering.

The trailer for GodFall showcases the system's graphical capabilities.

PS5 Specs-at-a-Glance
Graphics	8K at a 120Hz refresh rate (custom graphics based on AMD's Radeon RX 5000 series)
Frame rate	120fps with 120Hz output
Optical drive	4K UHD Blu-ray drive
External storage	USB HDD support for PS4 games only
Expandable storage	NVMe SSD slot
Internal storage	Custom 825GB SSD
Memory interface	16GB GDDR6 / 256-bit
Memory bandwidth	448GB/s
IO throughput	(raw) 5.5GB/s, (compressed) 8-9GB/s
CPU	8 core, third gen Ryzen
GPU	10.28 TFLOPs, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz (variable frequency)
GPU architecture	Custom RDNA 2

PS5 Games and Backwards Compatibility

Not only does the PlayStation 5 play PS4 game discs, but PS4 titles will perform better on the new console. Both physical and digital titles work on both systems. As long as you use the same PlayStation Network account on both systems, you should have access to all PS4 purchases from the PSN store.

Get a look at the exclusive games coming for PS5.

Sony plans to release some titles, such as The Last of Us Part II, for both systems. Players can even transfer save data between the PS4 and PS5 versions of games. The company also has exclusive PS5 games.

Supported games include:

• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (read more about Miles here)
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Gran Turismo 7
• Returnal
• Sackboy A Big Adventure

You can see more games and sign up to find out about new game announcements.

The PlayStation 5 Controller

The PS5 controller, dubbed the DualShock 5, replaces the traditional rumble feature with advanced haptic feedback. For example, the resistance of the triggers increase or decrease when trekking though different types of terrain. Like its predecessors, the DualShock 5 includes a USB-C port and built-in speakers.

The controller is selling for $69.99 at most retailers (including Sony itself) with a charging station going for $29.99.

The PlayStation 5 Headset

Sony is very proud of its Pulse 3D wireless headset that offers noise-cancelling microphones, USB Type-C charging, and easy-to-use controls such as a dedicated mic monitoring button, master volume, and in-game audio to chat mix controls.

It's got a 3.5mm jack and can be used with mobile devices, too. It doesn't come bundled with the console, though, so be prepared to spend extra bucks on it. That will set you back another $159.

The PlayStation 5 Media Controller

The remote that comes with the PS5 sure is futuristically pretty. You can power on your console and navigate its menus with the remote, plus adjust volume and power settings on compatible TVs.

Box Contents: PS 5 vs PS5 Digital Edition

Both systems come with the same vital components in the box. You can turn the console on its side; but you can't just lay the console down horizontally.