Lackluster launches and the release of less than finished games has plagued this console generation. With the advent of the Xbox One X and rumored PlayStation 5, hope may be on the horizon in terms of raw power. The arrival of the PS5 has not yet been set in stone. However, recent posts suggest its going to be a juggernaut and this will be huge for sports gaming.
PS5 Is Coming To Play
Current discussions regarding the PS5 is all hardware. During an exclusive from “Wired”, Mark Cerny explains the PlayStation 5 will be no simple upgrade. At its core, the system will be running a custom GPU with a CPU based on the AMD Ryzen. In addition, the PS5 will be using a top of the line solid state drive. The tweet below sums up the article in a few key points:
First details on PlayStation 5 https://t.co/d42bF6OLpQ
– Backwards compatibility with PS4 games
– Supports 8K
– CPU based on AMD Ryzen, custom GPU based on AMD Radeon Navi, ray-tracing support
– SSD
– Supports PSVR & physical media
– Won’t release this year pic.twitter.com/7ZoO8Uocxi— Wario64 (@Wario64) April 16, 2019
Sports Gaming in the Next Generation
Of course, all games stand to benefit from the hardware improvements of next generation consoles. However, we like to focus on the sports. First and foremost, realism, enhanced visuals and balance are always appreciated in sports games. The PS5 will offer 8K support and while TVs typically aren’t built for that, yet; this mean 4K support will be the standard, if not, common. It’s easy to see this will have heavy impact on TV presentation games like Madden NFL or WWE 2K.
The console’s support for ray tracing also means there will be leaps in improvements in terms of immersion. If you don’t know, ray tracing is a technique that mimics the travel of light to simulate complex interactions in 3D spaces. This technique is a staple in Hollywood visual effects. Unfortunately, due to the computation power needed to perform the task, no console has been able to support it, until now.
Cerny explains ray tracing for games can and will go beyond visual implications. It can be used in ways to improve the overall immersion of games, especially in terms of audio. The end result becomes life like environments with enhanced audio that will make worlds come alive. Remember the affects of crowd composure in later NCAA Football games? Imagine that coming through your speakers as if you were there. Players can actively began to experience the difference between a super bowl crowd or a preseason game. For combat sports, “a big fight feel” won’t just be said to them on the screen, but they will truly be able to feel it.
Rolling in Size
Both Wired and VG24/7 mention the PS5’s onboard SSD. Additionally, both mention the true specs for it have not been released. What we do know is that, according to Cerny, it’s custom and faster than anything available on PC. This has huge implications. Storage devices do more than just hold things. The SSD is estimated to be roughly 19 times faster than the PS4. This means larger worlds load faster and remain consistent.
Sports games typically don’t have a free roam or open world aspect, but with career modes changing and innovating, they just very well might in the future. This is the hardware to support it. Modes like franchise, WWE Universe and so many more will have the chance to innovate well beyond what we’ve seen before. Most importantly, the specs virtually eliminate the excessive loading screen time between modes.
Fluid menus, single digit load times, 4K sports TV presentation and life like audio awaits sports games. Now, it’s just a matter of when will it all be available.
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