Sony PlayStation 5 review: A real game changer

With its soaring curves and massive frame, the PlayStation 5 looks more like an architectural wonder than a video game console. That's intentional. The bold silhouette is meant to give players a sense of novelty, a feeling of progress as they enter a console cycle when developers are clawing for new ways to impress players.

The visual jump from the PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 isn't as big as the ones from previous generations. It's not like going from standard definition to high definition or from sprites to polygons. In the PS5, players will find two big graphic upgrades that aren't obvious at first glance but will need a careful eye to discern.

A HIGHER VISUAL FIDELITY

The first visual upgrade comes in the form of ray tracing, which is a hardware-intensive rendering technique that lets developers model light on surfaces. It means you'll see accurate reflections on glass or fire that glows correctly around burning wood. The effect is subtle but it raises the realism of images to a Pixar-like level.

The second improvement is the frame rate. The upgraded hardware of the PS5's chips lets gamers play titles at up to 120 frames per second. Players need monitors with high refresh rates that support the technology, but once they see active gameplay, it reveals a discernible difference in silky smooth motion.The final system piece is the superfast hard drive. The custom PS5 tech dramatically speeds up load times, to the point where they are almost nonexistent.

THE TRUE MVP

While the console tech boasts meaningful but sophisticated changes, there is nothing subtle about the changes in the DualSense controller, starting with the adaptive triggers. It's a type of force feedback that creates tension when players pull on the main shoulder buttons.

Along with that, Sony added a microphone and better haptics to the controller. The microphone introduces minor value to games, depending on how well the processor can understand voice controls, but the improved rumble in the controller conveys more of what's going on the screen. It's a smidge better than what Nintendo did with the Joy-Con's HD Rumble.

Sony preloaded Astro's Playroom on the PS5 and the short but sweet platformer is the perfect showcase for the system. It highlights the fine force feedback that the DualSense can give off by replicating the feel of rain drops hitting an umbrella. It uses the adaptive triggers with a bow and arrow and machine gun, showing how developers adjust to the feel of a weapon. It even highlights the motion controls that are available but are infrequently used.

A SOUND INVESTMENT

The 3D audio adds more detail to the soundscape. It has a layered effect: Players can hear the chatter in a crowd through the roar of cars of a New York street. Again, it's subtle, but the tricks add to the immersion and sense of place.

The PS5's vision of the next generation doubles down on and refines what made its past console so great while adding innovations that will undoubtedly be adopted by others.