A longtime PlayStation fan, I had been putting off getting a PS5 until the three following milestones occurred: 1) a reduction in size of the console 2) a reduction in the price of the console 3) a reduction in the price of games for the console I thought that the introduction of the PS5 Slim last fall would spur my purchase, but Sony didn't cut the price, and even older PS5 games were still selling for $70. But finally, during the Days of Play event this spring, Sony knocked $50 off the console's price -- I didn't want the Spiderman or COD bundles, not my favorite games -- and I decided to act. Four years is a LONG time to wait to play a new RC title, after all! So here are my thoughts on the PS5, now that's in my house: 1) Setup is remarkably easy, including wirelessly transferring game save information from a PS4. It did take me a while to figure out how to turn off the female voice heralding all my actions (under Accessibility options). 2) The PS5 runs like a champ. So far, I have not been aware of any fan noises or clouds of warm air exhaust spewing out. 3) The DualSense controllers had weaker rumble than I expected. It turns out that the rumble motors default to the "weak" setting if you have the controller's microphone enabled. I turned off the mike, and the rumble was back at full force, but with more finesse than that experienced with the PS4's DUALSHOCK controllers. If I'm not mistaken, the precision of the DS controller actually seems to improve my game scores... 4) The new user interface is kind of a mess. In particular, leaving the POWER button off the Home page was a boneheaded move. One of my first issues with the new console was -- how do I turn this bloody beast OFF??? I wish that the controller battery gauge was on the Home page as well. 5) It was a brilliant idea making the disk drive detachable. The one problem I had with my PS4 involved the machine's failure to read disks after a few years, which I am guessing was an issue of a dirty reading head; I sent the console to Sony to be fixed, and it came back working perfectly in one week. Now I assume I can just repair or replace the removable drive without sending in the entire console for repair... 6) Now that the PS5 packs 1 TB of memory, I was wondering how soon I would need to add more memory. Currently, I have plenty of memory to switch back and forth between a number of games, including Ratchet Clank Rift Apart, plus several from the PS4, including WRC Generations, Far Cry 6, and Resident Evil 4, as well as the Pinball Arcade. One good reason I wanted the disk version of the PS5 was to minimize the size of game downloads to preserve memory. 7) The audio/video performance of the PS5 to play back DVD's and Blu-Rays is outstanding. And I was happy to find that the excellent Bluetooth PDP media controller I got for the PS4 works with the PS5 as well. Yea -- that made me feel better about spending $30 for the PS5's vertical stand instead! 8) And some of the PS5 titles are FINALLY coming down in price: Rift Apart and the latest Star Wars game, for example -- two AAA titles -- are now available for a far more affordable $30. So if you have been putting off upgrading to a PS5, it may be time at last to make the move, provided you can catch a special promotion. And to those who say, "Game consoles' days are numbered," I say -- as long as many of us prefer to play games sitting on a couch, enveloped in booming 3D sound and watching our dazzling big-screen TV's -- long live PlayStation consoles -- especially those that serve as a 2-in-1 machine, with built-in (or detachable) disk drives that also play DVD's and BR's!

This is Sony’s ninth generation video game console and the follow up to the ps4. This time Sony offers a true 4K gaming console. The unit comes with the console, an hdmi cable, 1 dual sense controller and the power cable plus instructions. Set up is fairly straight forward however your tv determines a lot. First it needs to be 4K compatible. Also the ps5 has settings that only work if your tv has that. Something like vrr (variable refresh rate). So a high end tv maybe a Sony 4K Bravia is a must. Ps5 itself for almost all games offers different graphics modes. Usually a 4K option at 30 fps or a performance mode that has upscale 4 k at 60 fps. It is user preference. The controller is Sonys dual sense controller a natural evolution of the dual shock 4. The haptic feedback it gives in the triggers is a great feature. The controller is very comfortable for me. There are higher end controllers available but the system doesn’t come with it. Overall it is a nice system. It is a noticeable bump in graphics and performance over last gen. The performance mode can make things run smooth and truly look next gen. Some of the internal menus looked recycled from ps4 which kind of makes this look like a mid gen refresh, I wouldn’t have done that personally but it will be familiar to ps4 users. Cooling is essential so be sure to keep the system in a good ventilated area. The console has a fan and internal Liquid Metal cooling but even still at least 4-5 inches clearance is recommended.

I do love the console, though. I use it and my series x (again, got super lucky again, but on wally morts website that time) about the same amount. The ps5 is indistinguishable verses the series X in terms of power that I’ve seen. They’re both powerful consoles and outshine my aging 1070ti pc by a ton (that’s been the hardest to upgrade for me). The UI is a fresh look and functional enough. I like the store is just there to select when you feel and it doesn’t have to “load” the store like on ps4 and ps3. I like that it has a pull up *task* bar, for lack of better words, that you can quickly pull up and make on the fly adjustments to the sound control, accounts, etc. The best upgrade are the new controllers, imo. Haptic feedback is a neat feature, though honestly not a deal breaker if games don’t utilize it. It’s cool to feel different guns in games have different trigger feel/pull. My favorite part is the size and shape redesign. Fits my semi larger hands much better, but my 11 year old has no issues, either. It just feels better, if you know what I mean. The one downside I’ve found here is battery life. Absolutely a downgrade verses the PS4 controllers. The ssd is fast and does a good job. The only downside, and it’s kinda big, is the super specific drive you have to buy if you want to upgrade the internal drive. They’re crazy expensive, much like the series X, but more so. Who knows how long we have to wait to see larger than 1TB affordable drives that will work. The console itself is a chonker, so make sure you have the space for ventilation. Not a huge fan of the design, but you can see the design and make your own decision.

I love my Playstation 5, even though it was super hard to get one for a long time if you were trying to avoid the scalpers. The PlayStation 5 is more than just a gaming console it's a masterpiece of design and engineering that represents the future of interactive entertainment. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or a casual player, Playstation 5 is sure to exceed your expectations and provide countless hours of gaming bliss. The controller is awesome. The DualSense controller adds a new dimension to gameplay that must be experienced to be believed.ying to avoid the scalpers. The PlayStation 5 is more than just a gaming console it's a masterpiece of design and engineering that represents the future of interactive entertainment. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or a casual player, Playstation 5 is sure to exceed your expectations and provide countless hours of gaming bliss. The controller is awesome. The DualSense controller adds a new dimension to gameplay that must be experienced to be believed