The next November 19 PlayStation 5 will finally arrive on the shelves of our stores, officially starting the next-gen. Still, our beloved PlayStation 4, which has accompanied us for the past 7 years, will not be abandoned since Sony, which has indeed stated that it wants to support it at least until 2022. This new generation will bring us numerous technological innovations, such as 4K (8k?), 60 FPS, SSD and ray-tracing, but it could also generate many doubts in the consumer. What do all these big technical words mean? Will I still be able to play the titles I already own? And especially, Is it really the best choice to throw yourself headlong into the new generation right from the start? Don't panic: today Resources4Gaming comes to your rescue, to show you the pros and cons of the two consoles, and to guide you in the choice that best suits you.
PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4: hardware compared
From a purely point of view technical, the 7 more years of PlayStation 4 are felt by everyone. In terms of graphics power, in fact, from the 1,84 teraflops of the PlayStation 4 and the 4,20 teraflops of PlayStation 4 Pro we will move on to 10,28 teraflops of PlayStation 5, with a RAM that will double its power compared to the two predecessors: 8 to 16 Gigabytes, with a bandwidth of 448 Gb / s compared to the 8 Gb and 176 Gb / s of the previous generation. The new console will then be equipped with a brand new cable HDMI 2.1: the length of one and a half meters, already included in the package, it will be necessary to take full advantage of the potential of the hardware, if you already have a TV capable of supporting a resolution 4k at 120Hz. Especially for those who already own a 4K resolution TV, or even 8K resolution, you will notice a considerable step forward in terms of cleanliness and image quality. Last, but not least, PlayStation 5 will be able to count on the infamous ray-tracing, a means that will allow photorealistic lighting, simulating the physical behavior of light and taking into account the interactions of the rays produced by one or more sources with the various surfaces. However, if you are not interested in purchasing a latest generation screen in the next few years, or simply if the "graphic" is not what you are looking for in a video game, PlayStation 4 can safely still give you great visual emotions.
However, Sony's next-gen shows its muscles also from the point of view of memory and speed. The new console will in fact start from 825 gb against the initial 512 gb of PlayStation 4 and 1tb of PlayStation 4 Pro. PlayStation 5 then becomes strong with a chip Amd Zen 2 to 8 cores and 3,5 Ghz frequency, againstAmd Jaguar 1,6 GHz of the various versions of PlayStation 4 (always octa-core). The optical drive (of the version that has it) will be a 4k Blu-ray versus the older traditional Blu-ray version. The flagship of Playstation 5 is then theSSD, new unit that promises the much coveted by gamers total absence of uploads. The new Sony console will finally be able to count on 3D audio, much more immersive. Undoubtedly, therefore, moving to the next-gen we will find ourselves in front of a hardware, inevitably, superior. If you are looking for power in step with the times, PlayStation 5 is the answer for you.
Aesthetics, games, price
For design lovers, the new console completely transforms its livery, abandoning the square shapes and the black color. In fact, PlayStation 5 focuses on a white color in its two external components (which seems to be customizable), while it adopts a black one for the central body, near the air vents. A choice that goes beyond aesthetics, but which should allow the new console to be much less noisy. On the one hand, therefore, PlayStation 5 promises to solve the annoying fan noises that plagued PlayStation 4, especially while running heavy games like Red Dead Redemption 2 o The Last of Us Part 2. On the other hand, many have complained about the size of the PlayStation 5. If you already know your wife won't let you put that barrack in the living room, maybe the next-gen isn't the right choice for you.
The new controller must also be added to the general consideration Dualense. Unlike the old Dualshock 4, the new pad will be able to count on a more advanced haptic feedback able to modulate vibrations in a completely new way, as well as a longer battery life - which is recharged via usb type-c and no more microusb - and new triggers that vary the resistances according to the pressure. The DualSense will once again be able to count on the integrated microphone, which will now be able to transmit the voice of whoever is playing online with us, and on the key Create, which will allow you to make small gameplay videos and watch replays.
About the games, the heart of this important choice, the speech becomes decidedly personal. If you've skipped the PlayStation 4 generation fully, this console is sure to have a sizeable number of cartridges to fire. In particular, the selection PlayStation Hits will allow you to recover the most important titles of the last generation at a very low price. On the contrary PlayStation 5, although according to Sony it has the best launch line-up ever, it will guarantee only a dozen titles at launch, a much lower number. And, sore point, the price of these new titles will hover around 80 €, an undoubtedly high cost when added to that of the purchase of the console.
With an intelligent expense, PlayStation 4 will allow us to bring home a mountain of games at a low price, also thanks to the used ones and through the excellent discounts of the PlayStation Plus. From this point of view, however, the Plus also meets the PlayStation 5. The selection of free titles offered to those who choose the online subscription also on the new machine will considerably increase the quality and quantity of the next-gen stock of titles. The console must obviously be added to the total expense. PlayStation 5 will cost 499 € for the version with optical reader e 399 € for the full digital one (thus giving the consumer a double choice), while PlayStation 4 is currently around 250 euros, with the possibility of buying it also in bundles already different games, or being able to find it also used. So if safeguarding your wallet is one of your criteria for choosing, between consoles and PlayStation 4 games it clearly ticks.
Which one to choose?
After this brief but essential discussion, the answer to the age-old question of which console to choose is only one: it depends on you. Or rather, it depends on and kind of gamers you are. If you are a consumer of new technologies, PlayStation 5 is definitely the choice for you. The new console will in fact bring improvements in almost all fields, both software and hardware. Game speed and high performance thanks to 60 FPS and the use of SSD, improved graphics thanks to its powerful teraflops and the infamous ray-tracing, which truly promises to sparkle through an increasingly photorealistic use of light. All this during the first months of the console, but above all from next 2021, a year that promises truly “jawbreaker” titles. Not only that, 3D audio and the new DualSense will take the gaming experience to new levels of immersion never before achieved. On the other hand, at launch you will find a restricted library, which may not be your thing. Furthermore, if you are not interested in subscribing to a Plus subscription, you will not have access to the collection of the main titles of the last generation. A more venial consideration is then the monetary one. Although PlayStation 5 is offered in two versions, full digital or with optical reader, its price, as well as that of accessories and the video games themselves, is much higher. It is true that PlayStation 5 promises almost total backward compatibility with old-gen games, allowing the recovery of old titles and the ability to play some of them with performance upgrades.
If instead you come directly from the era PlayStation 3, if you are not interested in keeping up with the times, if you are looking for a console for your child, or if you simply want to save money, PlayStation 4, with the Pro version which is an excellent compromise, it is the best choice for you. You will find a vast list of titles to play that you can buy at a ridiculously low price, including new and used. Buying the same console will then save you at least 200 euros. Graphically, among other things, if the fat version reaches maximum full HD with 30 FPS, the PRO version with its 4K will give you graphics that are in step for some time, making you play titles that are still highly impactful, just think of God of War or Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 4? We have given you all the information, now it is up to you to sum up. The next-gen is now upon us and promises to revolutionize the concept of gaming, but the current one still has a lot to offer, both in terms of quality and quantity.
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