The PlayStation 5 has maintained its reputation as a forward-looking console of the next generation. In my original launch review, I said, “The powerful new PlayStation 5 console towers over its predecessor, both physically and in its forward-looking graphics capabilities … The design is bold [and] the new controller is a big step forward, in terms of ergonomics and features. ‘
But that does not mean that the PS5 is flawless. An early problem with machines going into sleep mode was fixed, and after we were almost forgotten at the oblivion, we finally looked at what virtual reality on the PS5 will look, thanks to some new images from PSVR 2 controller. Another new wrinkle is the possible loss of future Bethesda games, now that publisher Fallout and Elder Scrolls part of the Microsoft empire.
In addition, this is our biggest current issue with the PlayStation 5.
Read more: PS5 review: exclusive games drive Sony’s sky-high space age console
Limited expandable storage
The largest PS5 elephant in the room is the limited storage space for games. There is basically just less than 700 GB of available SSD space. Most PS5 games last between 40 GB and 80 GB, and some like Call of Duty Black Ops blow past the 100 GB mark.
This means that adding new games can mean removing old games, which you have to download again to play again, which takes time and eats up a lot of bandwidth. Just plug in an external USB drive, right? Think again. As Sony itself says:
“You can download PS4 games and add-ons directly from PlayStation Store to the extended storage and move games from your PlayStation 4 storage to extended storage. You can play PS4 games directly from an extended storage, giving you more space on your PS5 system storage for PS5 games. “
This means that you cannot play PS5 games from an external disk, nor can you save the files there. However, this is good for PS4 games from the last generation.
Even worse, there is an M.2 expansion slot for accessories built right into the back of the console. But … it is currently eliminated. Sony is reportedly going to do something with the port this summerunlocks it presumably to sell extended hard drives, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Dan Ackerman / CNET
Administrator drives
Some PS5 gamers almost immediately claim that they experience controller drift, which means that one or both analog joysticks have a registered motion, even if you do not touch it. This is a known issue with many game controllers (including Nintendo’s Joy-Cons) and our have previously written about this.
Why is this happening? No matter how fine a game controller is, he probably uses off-the-shelf joystick parts that tend to wear out. The ever-excellent team of iFixit took a deep dive into the DualSense controller and found that a joystick assembly can have a useful life of between 278 and 417 hours, which can affect serious players within a few months.
For what it’s worth, I’ve never had any drive issues so far, and for me the DualSense is still the most impressive part of the PS5 hardware package.
Look at this:
5 issues the PS5 has yet to fix
5:59
You still can not buy one
Five months into the PS5 era, it’s still impossible to buy one. We stop PS5 reload very carefullyoffers updates where possible, but even that did not help many players get a PS5. If it does not crash bad retail sites immediately, it will give retailers a limited supply for resale at high prices.
Stocks for both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are expected to be limited to at least summer 2021, and even President Biden has taken action. signing an executive order to review the supply chain of the semiconductor chips, which is at least partly responsible for the deficit.
Still a freaking giant monster
The PS5 is about 447 cubic inches of gaming power, formed in a high-design box that is virtually guaranteed not to fit wherever you want to place it. It’s just over 15 inches long and 10 inches wide and 4 inches deep, while the Xbox Series X is a little less than 12 inches long. There is a somewhat awkward standard with which you can place the PS5 horizontally, but it is still the size of an early generation DVD player.
Ironically, the Xbox Series X is not much smaller, but the compact rectangular shape makes it a easier to fit in all kinds of media cabinets.
The PS5 next to a PS4.
Dan Ackerman / CNET
PlayStation Plus is not on Xbox Game Pass
It is rare to find a product that is priced almost universally, but Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass is the closest I’ve seen in a long time. At $ 10 a month for console or computer versions, or $ 15 a month for both, plus Xbox Gold online access and EA Play, this is fantastic value. This is even true, as many Bethesda games are part of the catalog, and new games like Outriders are added on Day 1.
Its PlayStation version is PS Plus, which is $ 10 per month, or $ 5 per month if you pay annually. It’s actually also an excellent value to add fantastic games like Final Fantasy VII Remake and a small but impressive back catalog called the PlayStation Plus Collection, featuring God of War, Monster Hunter: World, Uncharted 4 and other classic offerings offer.
But it pales in comparison to the 300 plus games Xbox Game Pass catalog, plus console / computer crossplay on some games and the still-in-beta xCloud play feature with which you can stream some games online. Sony also has a cloud-based service, but it’s completely separate (and is an extra $ 10 per month or $ 60 per year), called PS Now, and does not get much noise.
I will admit that it took a while to think of even five things that really bothered me about the otherwise excellent PS5. This is a good sign for the console’s long-term prospects, and it was definitely a lot less meager than any previous console launch I covered, and returned to the Sega Dreamcast.