PlayStation 5 Disc Version (PS5) CFI-1200A Japan

PS5 SSD Size

The PS5 has an SSD, or Solid State Drive, with a maximum capacity of 825GB. This quick new drive can read data at 5.5GB per second. This might not be too impressive for longtime PC gamers, but this is the first time Sony put an SSD in a console instead of a spinning HDD. The difference is immediately noticeable.

SSDs have more bandwidth than HDDs, so data is loaded directly from the SSD when needed instead of potentially needless data overwhelming the RAM. The result is that your gaming experience is more seamless and immersive.

Sony made this change with loading speeds in mind. Whether that’s loading time to get into the game itself or loading screens between areas when you’re fast-traveling, having an SSD instead of an HDD makes those loading screens incredibly fast. This will significantly improve your gaming experience because you can spend more time playing and immersing yourself in the game.

That said, you only really have 667GB of storage for games. The PS5 OS takes up the rest. Many PS5 games, such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Demon’s Souls, and Horizon Zero Dawn, hover around 50GB each, so you might need to expand your storage sooner rather than later

PS5 CPU

The PS5 has an eight-core AMD Zen 2 CPU (Central Processing Unit) with a variable frequency (up to 3.5GHz). Variable frequencies are great so that your PS5 doesn’t always have to use the full 3.5GHz if it doesn’t need it to run the game smoothly.

PS5 RAM

The PS5 has 16GB of GDDR6 RAM or Random Access Memory. RAM is an active and essential component of any gaming console, and it’s nice that PlayStation has included the newest version, GDDR6, that has increased capacity and bandwidth.

As mentioned earlier, the PS5 also uses RAM much more efficiently now that it can load data directly from the SSD at much faster speeds.

PS5 Graphics

This is one category in particular that the PlayStation 5 shines in. Their graphics card is also custom-made by AMD. The PS5 has an RDNA 2-based GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, that promises up to 10.28 teraflops of power using variable frequencies of up to 2.23GHz.

In addition to the PS5’s GPU allowing for a much higher resolution in games, it also features ray tracing. If you’ve never heard of ray tracing before, here’s a quick synopsis. Ray tracing helps light look more realistic in video games; it mimics how light reflects on water surfaces, the way light breaks through overhead trees, etc. Developers that take advantage of this excellent feature will help make their games feel more lifelike and immersive.

PS5 3D Audio

The PS5 features built-in “Tempest” 3D AudioTech., Sony mentioned that it wants all players to experience immersive audio, not just those who could afford high-end speaker systems.

The 3D audio on the PS5 creates greater suspense while playing intense games or greater tranquility while playing peaceful games. Sound is an essential aspect of the video game experience, and this audio upgrade takes it to new heights.

How do PS5 specs vs PS4 specs compare?

One of the most considerable differences between the PS5 specs and the PS4 specs is the internal storage. The PS5 has an 825GB SSD, whereas the PS4 has a 500GB HDD. Aside from the difference in storage space, having a console powered by an SSD instead of an HDD makes it load so much faster.

PlayStation’s hardware lead, Mark Cerny, explained that it takes the PS4 about 20 seconds to load about 1GB of data. He stated that the goal with the PS5 was to load about 5GB of data in a single second. In practical terms, this means that load times were pretty much non-existent in our testing. There really is no comparison with older consoles here.

Besides upgrading from an HDD to an SSD, the PlayStation 5 also upgrades the CPU, GPU, RAM, I/O throughput, and the optical drive for discs. The PS4 had an eight-core AMD Jaguar CPU with a 1.6GHz, compared to the PS5’s eight-core AMD Zen 2 CPU; an AMD Radeon based GPU with only 1.84 teraflops in the PS4 compared to 10.28 teraflops in the PS5, and 8GB of GDDR5 in the PS4 compared to 16GB to GDDR6 in the PS5.

Overall, everything has received a massive upgrade, and you can expect games to look crisper, sound fuller, and load faster on the new PlayStation console.

What does the PS5 look like?

The PlayStation 5 features a sleek black and white design. You can also buy matte black plates from dbrand if you’d prefer a darker finish. While the console is usually shown (and looks best) vertically, you can also place it horizontally. You can switch the plastic base between the two layouts, so it should be (slightly) easier to fit into your entertainment center.

There are two different versions of the new PlayStation console. One version has a disc drive that can support Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, while the other is 100% digital with no disc drive included. The digital-only version has a slightly slimmer design due to the lack of a bulky disc drive.

I applaud PlayStation for trying something new and innovative with their design, even if it doesn’t please everyone. Sony has now revealed a few new colors for the DualShock controller, and new console covers in various colors will arrive in early 2022.