As widely speculated, the price and release dates of the PlayStation 5 were announced on Wednesday, September 16 at Sony’s PS5 Digital Showcase.
Price
The price of the PlayStation 5 digital edition starts at $399 while the PlayStation 5 (with Ultra HD Blu-Ray Disc Drive) starts at $499. In a competitive pricing of things, this puts Sony’s PS5 at the same price with direct gaming rival Microsoft’s (yet to be released) Xbox Series X which is also priced at $499.
Release Dates
Starting on November 12, PS5 will be available in seven key markets: the U.S., Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea while the global roll-out will continue on November 19 with launches throughout the rest of the world*, including Europe, Middle East, South America, Asia and South Africa. With pre-orders available starting today at “select retailers”, according to PlayStation’s Twitter account.
New Games Announced
New games were also announced at the event, including Final Fantasy XVI, Hogwarts Legacy and a new God of War in a line-up that Sony claims represents the best in PlayStation’s history. Sony has also touted a guarantee on the same next-gen gaming experiences regardless of your console (i.e. digital-only experience or disc-based gaming).
It’s noteworthy that both PS5 models use the same custom processor with integrated CPU and GPU for high-fidelity visuals, including 4K graphics and ray-tracing support, as well as the same ultra-high-speed SSD with integrated I/O for lightning-fast loading. PS5’s 3D audio and the DualSense Wireless Controller will also provide the same heightened sense of immersion on all PS5s.
PS4 Upgrade
Owners of PS4 consoles weren’t left out of the list of announcements as PS4 versions of some of exclusives that include: Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Horizon Forbidden will launch on the PS4 so that PS4 owners will also be able to enjoy these experiences when they launch.
The announcement also reveals that the PS4 digital versions of launch games, include a free upgrade on both PS5 consoles, while the PS4 disc versions of these games include a free upgrade on the PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-Ray disc drive.
A look at the PlayStation 5 Specs
| CPU | x86-64-AMD Ryzen™ “Zen 2” 8 Cores / 16 Threads Variable frequency, up to 3.5 GHz |
| GPU | AMD Radeon™ RDNA 2-based graphics engine Ray Tracing Acceleration Variable frequency, up to 2.23 GHz (10.3 TFLOPS) |
| System Memory | GDDR6 16GB 448GB/s Bandwidth |
| SSD | 825GB 5.5GB/s Read Bandwidth (Raw) |
| Optical Drive | Ultra HD Blu-ray (66G/100G) ~10xCAVBD-ROM (25G/50G) ~8xCAVBD-R/RE (25G/50G) ~8xCAVDVD ~3.2xCLV |
| PS5 Game Disc | Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100GB/disc |
| Video Out | HDMI™ OUT port Support of 4K 120Hz TVs, 8K TVs, VRR (specified by HDMI ver.2.1) |
| Audio | “Tempest” 3D AudioTech |
| Dimensions | PS5: Approx. 390mm x 104mm x 260mm (width x height x depth)(excludes largest projection, excludes Base)PS5 Digital Edition: Approx. 390mm x 92mm x 260mm (width x height x depth)(excludes largest projection, excludes Base) |
| Weight | PS5: 4.5kgPS5 Digital Edition: 3.9kg |
| Power | PS5: 350WPS5 Digital Edition: 340W |
| Input/Output | USB Type-A port (Hi-Speed USB)USB Type-A port (Super-Speed USB 10Gbps) x2 USB Type-C® port (Super-Speed USB 10Gbps) |
| Networking | Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/axBluetooth® 5.1 |
Here’s a list of accessories that will also be launching in November and their Recommended Retail Prices (RRP):
- DualSense™ Wireless Controller (standalone) – US$69.99/CAD$89.99/¥6,980/€69.99 (RRP)
- PULSE 3D™ wireless headset – with 3D audio support and dual noise-cancelling microphones US$99.99/CAD$129.99/¥9,980/€99.99 (RRP)
- HD Camera – with dual 1080p lenses for gamers to broadcast themselves along with their epic gameplay moments US$59.99/CAD$79.99/¥5,980/€59.99 (RRP)
- Media Remote – to navigate movies and streaming services with ease US$29.99/CAD$39.99/¥2,980/€29.99 (RRP)
- DualSense™ Charging Station – to conveniently charge two DualSense Wireless Controllers US$29.99/CAD$39.99/¥2,980/€29.99 (RRP)
