It’s just about six months since PlayStation 5 launched. In that time, PS5 has built a substantial lead over Xbox Series X and Series S despite Microsoft apparently packing its premium model with more power and undercutting Sony in the budget 9th gen. market.
Of course, console generations don’t occur in a vacuum. The PlayStation 5 began its run with a head-start on its direct competition thanks to the momentum of outselling their rivals for a decade and building broad brand loyalty in that time.
Investments in the right studios and the wisdom to leave them alone afterwards has furnished PlayStation consoles with games that people want to play. Games that people will upgrade to a new console just for the chance to play a future sequel.
Awareness of Complacency
Despite that head-start, Sony didn’t rest on their laurels. They had been burned before when possessing such advantages so Sony weren’t going to make the same mistake. PlayStation 5’s hardware and software are testament to how the company is attempting to build on that lead by keeping what works and refining or replacing what didn’t.
We referred to ‘attention to detail’ when we claimed that it was ‘very likely Sony’ who would sell more 9th gen. consoles in the coming years. Details like matching hardware innovation with gaming experiences to showcase their breakthroughs. Taking a lead with unique hardware features so third-party studios can build upon their ideas. Including a free game, pre-loaded, to wow new customers and celebrate the history of the PlayStation brand.
Handheld Hardware
The DualSense controller of PlayStation 5 has proven itself to be more than a gimmick. Exclusive titles exploit the controller to a greater degree than most third-party titles but its effects are always noticeable.
Astro’s Playroom is a display of DualSense’s power and precision straight from the box. Regardless of whether you appreciate its whimsy or the genre at large, it’s a delight for the senses while you load other titles.
Sony-published Returnal uses the haptic version of dynamic range to pull the controller into the back of your mind. The gentle patter of rain, the clicks of reload and the hum of machinery almost soothe the hands. Then you hit a horde and it’s the chorus of a grunge song; DualSense’s jerks and convulsions seeming the more intense once the action inevitably explodes.
Sony have obviously made a range of haptic feedback and sensations that third-party studios can just drop into their games. Engines revving, the trigger action of various firearms, footsteps – a few of the common effects I have felt a few times in six months. It becomes part of the ambience of gaming on PS5.
So to does the measured resistance and apparent click when firing weapons with the adaptive triggers. This is something that third-party devs who deal in shooters have embraced fully.
The adaptive triggers found their way to melee weapons and when used in tandem with haptic feedback, it can be strangely satisfying. It feels good in the hands as it suggests a heft and relays the clang of contact to the player.
A Question of Power
Microsoft can claim that Xbox Series X is the most powerful console in terms of raw specs. This has manifested itself in a few ways so far. A few frames here, a less aggressive resolution scale there. But it’s scarcely noticeable to the average user. The difference in visual/graphical quality in cross-platform titles across the bleeding edge consoles is likely at the lowest level of any generation.
As we stated in our six month judgement on Xbox Series X, the difference in loading times between the two consoles is probably more noticeable to a majority of people. Some games have 8th gen.-style loading screens on Xbox Series X that stand out like a sore thumb when familiar with the two versions.
Cross-platform titles tend to aim for parity but development houses will choose a lead platform. With PlayStation 5’s lead significant even at this early stage, it’s probably already ‘home’ to many third-party efforts. Xbox Series X will only show its power with exclusive games that are, as yet, not forthcoming.
Needs a Trickle to Become a Stream
So far, the only true examples of the possibilities of the generation at large have come on PlayStation 5. Demon’s Souls and Returnal are excellent titles for a number of reasons but as early console games go, they are amongst the all-time best. They serve as statements of intent, assurances to early adopters and a reminder of Sony’s commitment to allowing developers to make unique games on their terms.
Those two tentpoles have been supported by a small number of titles that wouldn’t sell a system on their own but do well at filling out a line-up. The aforementioned Astro’s Playroom and Destruction All-Stars are a fine tech demo and multiplayer filler respectively but that’s about it.
Additionally, the line-up is missing a few key pieces. In the short-term, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will fill in the ‘AAA family romp’ role but there is no fixed date for the first mature PS5-exclusive blockbuster, God of War: Ragnarok. Horizon Forbidden West also lacks a date as we approach the end of Q2 2021. Gran Turismo 7 has been moved back to 2022.
To Sony’s credit, they claim to be working on 25 games between their houses and as many as half of these are new IPs. These hold a lot of promise considering the quality of their output in the last decade. Sony’s track record and the trust it holds can only keep their customers happy for so long, though.
