PlayStation 5 Release Date, Specs Rumors: Sony's Next-Gen Console to Launch in 2018?
It was initially believed that Sony's next-generation gaming console would be launching sometime in 2020. However, given the success of the recently released Nintendo Switch and the looming launch of Microsoft's Xbox Project Scorpio, there's a big possibility that the PlayStation 5 could arrive as early as next year.
Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, Macquarie Capital Securities analyst Damian Thong predicted that the PlayStation 5 would arrive in the second half of 2018. Although Sony has yet to announce its plans, Thong is considered to be a reliable source for having correctly predicted the arrival of the PlayStation 4 Slim and PlayStation 4 Pro in September 2016.
Although gamers are undoubtedly excited with the prospect of seeing Sony's next-generation console, there are some who remain skeptical about its touted release window, especially with the PlayStation 4 Slim and Pro only having been released late last year.
Reports also noted that despite the Project Scorpio's launch during the upcoming holiday season, Sony shouldn't feel threatened because it still retains dominance in the video game console market, having sold more units of the PlayStation 4 than Microsoft's Xbox One.
In terms of technical specifications, not much is known about the PlayStation 5 at this time. However, Forbes speculates that instead of having a new architecture, the PlayStation 5 will most likely come with a more powerful multi-core processor and graphics processing unit (GPU), both from AMD, alongside increases in random-access memory (RAM) and built-in storage.
It's also possible that Sony could take advantage of AMD's newly released Ryzen central processing units (CPUs) and their upcoming Vega GPUs.
The upgraded system will enable a smoother, more seamless gameplay experience at higher resolutions, supporting up to 4K. Using the same architecture will also allow the PlayStation 5 to have backward compatibility with older PlayStation titles.
However, Sony has not officially confirmed the PlayStation 5, so information regarding its release date and specs should be taken with a grain of salt.
