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Digital Foundry Hardware Test - PlayStation 5 review: welcome to the next generation

nib95

nib95

Contains No Misinformation on Philly Cheesesteaks
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Oct 28, 2017
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Points of interest.

  • Very strong UI, quick, plus 4K/HDR
  • New system wide settings
  • Rest mode extraordinarily efficient using only 1.5w
  • Runs cooler than Series X
  • Very quiet
  • Has HDMI 2.1 but presently missing a few features, plus no 1440p output
  • Max power draw so far is Miles Morales at 200w (less than Gears 5 on XSX, and only slightly higher than God of War on PS4 Pro)
  • DualSense feels revolutionary
  • 3D audio interesting and additive, not a game changer
  • 667 GB of usable storage

www.eurogamer.net

PlayStation 5 review: welcome to the next generation

The Digital Foundry verdict: Sony has delivered a hugely impressive, premium machine with great games that really feels like it ushers in a new generation of gaming.
www.eurogamer.net www.eurogamer.net

Some snippets.

UI

It's certainly a treat visually, rendering at native 4K with precision text, artwork and iconography. In many ways, I'm reminded of the utility of the PlayStation 4 front end and the pristine, high-end feel of the PS3's particle-heavy XMB. Sony's vision of delivering the next generation of gaming entertainment is perfectly encapsulated in a UI that feels futuristic and deluxe, and polished to the nth degree. The fact that everything is presented in high dynamic range adds to the quality of the presentation.
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HDMI 2.1

only this time there is confirmation of HDMI 2.1 support - in the form of 4K 120Hz output recognised as a display spec point in the video output report. However, it appears that the user has no control over setting the console to 120Hz mode: this is engaged as and when a game requires it. In fact, one of the few disappointments I have with PlayStation 5 is that the HDMI 2.1 implementation as it stands right now is somewhat lacking in terms of embracing the full feature set. Beyond limited access to a display's 120Hz features, there is no sign whatsoever that variable refresh rate (VRR) is supported on PlayStation 5 right now - and that's a real shame.
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Noise levels

First of all, similar to Series X, I think that noise is basically a non-issue with PlayStation 5. Close-up to the console, you can hear the slight whir of the fan, but in living room, office or bedroom conditions, this totally disappears into the ambient noise. Fan speeds (and thus noise) also seem remarkably consistent, and even ramping up power draw as much as I could with Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales in photo mode - and then leaving the console alone for an hour - PlayStation 5 continued to be just as cool and quiet. The thermal photography of the system under load is literally illuminating.
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Heat

yM7vniz.png


the whole rear of the unit is basically a big vent and temperatures hit around 50 Celsius max here, generally. The hottest point in the thermal photography comes in at 57 Celsius on the LAN port, but I think that's just the nature of metal conducting heat and not anything to worry about. All told then, job done: PlayStation 5 is larger than Xbox Series X, but it is also cooler. The key point is that the days of jet engine acoustics emanating from your Sony console are a thing of the past.
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Power usage

On the front end, power consumption is quite high at 70 Watts but quickly drops back into the 60s, then as we boot into Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, we suddenly spike to around 200W. Dipping into Capcom's Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition, power draw also tops out at around the same figure. PlayStation 5's processor is based on the idea of a boost clock that fluctuates according to load, frequencies defined by a fixed power limit. Based on our tests, the evidence suggests that total system power consumption (without factoring in attached peripherals and such) is at the 200W level.

To put that 200 watts into perspective, God of War on the latest CUH-7200 PS4 Pro draws about 170 watts, and it's actually nudging 177W on a launch Pro. Perhaps more illuminating is that PlayStation 5 seems top out with the same level of power consumption as Xbox Series X running Gears 5 - the toughest work-out I could find for the Microsoft console.
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One final note on power: Rest Mode is extraordinarily efficient at just 1.5W average
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DualSense

DualSense feels revolutionary. Surfaces over which Astro walks can be felt through the pad, the wind and particles of a sandstorm are perfectly recreated, while the unique tension of a spring is uncannily represented. When it rains, it almost feels as if you can feel the individual drops hitting Astro. Part of the success of the experience is that DualSense uses both audio via the internal speaker and haptic feedback. I've long since muted the speaker on my PS4 DualShock 4 - 'remote' audio can come across as a gimmick and somewhat intrusive - but with Astro's Playroom, sound and sensation come together to create something extraordinary. This is HD rumble taken to the next level and I defy you not to be impressed by it.
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Conclusion

Xbox Series X presents the notion of latent power yet to be unleashed, and is almost conservative in its presentation - both in terms of its cuboid form factor and its UI, which is to all intents and purposes a smoother, slicker, faster version of the Xbox One interface. PlayStation 5 is an altogether different experience - a Buck Rogers physical design with system software that's fast, immediate, beautifully presented, and almost excessively eager to herald the arrival of a new generation of gaming, to the point where you're even given a pack-in game. Yes, Astro's Playroom fully deserves its Eurogamer Essential award, and strategically, it's a Wii Sports-style play from Sony that showcases a brilliant new controller - and it works.
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Last edited:

Scently

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,464
nib95 said:
Points of interest.

  • Very strong UI, quick, plus 4K/HDR
  • New system wide settings
  • Rest mode extraordinarily efficient using only 1.5w
  • Runs cooler than Series X
  • Very quiet
  • Has HDMI 2.1 but presently missing a few features, plus no 1440p output
  • Max power draw so far is Miles Morales at 200w (less than Gears 5 on XSX, and only slightly higher than God of War on PS4 Pro)
  • DualSense feels revolutionary
  • 3D audio interesting and additive, not a game changer
  • 667 GB of usable storage


Some snippets.









yM7vniz.png
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Can you add a link to the article?
 
Izanagi89

Izanagi89

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Oct 27, 2017
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No more Jet Engine is basically what next gen is all about for me lol
 
Lom1lo

Lom1lo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,444
It's really sad that we can't just be all happy that ms and Sony did a home run on their devices. It's really exhausting reading most of the threads.
Not sure if any review mentioned something like this but I have to say I'm a bit surprised. Despite the that hardware is this time relatively much more impressive than ps4/one at their time, Im way less impressed by the graphics in comparison with Killzone and Ryse
 
gofreak

gofreak

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Oct 26, 2017
7,818
Sounds brill.

Notable, like other journos alluded to, DF does not have a single third party multiplat they can test for both systems yet. I wonder if comparisons will have to wait til after launch.
 
finalflame

finalflame

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Oct 27, 2017
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Hmmm -- no video covering the content of the article? :P I'm bummed, love their video content. Will, of course, give this a read.
 
sumo

sumo

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Oct 30, 2017
636
I'm happy to hear about the efficiency of the rest mode, I may actually use it.
 
xem

xem

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Oct 31, 2017
2,043
OP should take out like 1/2 of whats in that post yeesh. loving this review.
 
RivalGT

RivalGT

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Dec 13, 2017
6,437
Can someone with a LG CX test if VRR is active, the TV has a secret menu that will tell you if VRR is active.
 

Deleted member 11637

Oct 27, 2017
18,204
Great news about the Rest Mode power draw, I never leave my PS4 in Rest because of its ridiculous inefficiency.
 
xem

xem

Member
Oct 31, 2017
2,043
did DF get the external storage wrong too? geez whos right?
from the article:
Sony whitelists a compatible drive or two for use with the PlayStation 5. The alternative is to hive off your legacy titles to an external USB drive, and to shuttle your PS5-specific games to and from the drive should you manage to fill up primary storage.
 

Deleted member 8784

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Lom1lo said:
It's really sad that we can't just be all happy that ms and Sony did a home run on their devices. It's really exhausting reading most of the threads.
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I agree, and it's really disappointing, this.
I don't think we've had two competing consoles this well designed since the PS2 / Xbox era. They both sound superb in their own way, and the difference doesn't come down to which is "better". Everyone wins, here.
 
Praedyth

Praedyth

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Feb 25, 2020
6,637
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LOL. The PS5 really love some drama when you insert a uncertified SSD.

"Auto destruction in 30... 29... 28..."
 
OP
OP
nib95

nib95

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On a side note, much has been made about PS5's variable clockspeeds which can downclock in the rare event that a game hits the PS5's power limit.

Given the PS5 has a 350w power supply, efficiency etc aside, if the highest peak power usage Digital Foundry tested was 200w, I think it's fair to say games hitting the PS5's power limit, isn't likely to be a common thing lol.
 
EssBeeVee

EssBeeVee

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Oct 25, 2017
22,784
is there any talk of a possible firmware update before launch or is what the media is getting is the final one?
 

Deleted member 27751

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It is absolutely great to hear about both consoles just doing so damn well. It really sets up a more positive generation then the one we just had. Granted, if you deliver the best you deserve the rewards, so I do believe Sony deserved last gen as a win. Just glad we have decent bloody consoles this time.

Though prices suck in Australia. Reason why I am going XSX, simply because of their plan coupled into phone company.
 
Biggersmaller

Biggersmaller

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I'm extremely curious about the range/signal strength of the controllers. I hide all my consoles/AV equipment about ten feet away from the couch behind a wall in a broom closet, so all anyone sees is my TV and speakers. My wife and I like a minimalist approach to laying out the room. The Switch/PS3 work great, but the PS4 signal strength always gave me trouble. I had to place it in a very awkward spot for me to be able to use it.
 
Webbo

Webbo

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Nov 27, 2017
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Sounds awesome! really pleased it's quiet and the combination of the DualSense features, 3D audio, SSD etc... is going to make for some amazing experiences.
 
yumms

yumms

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So what was the "surprise"?
 
DanielG123

DanielG123

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Jul 14, 2020
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On a side note: I absolutely love that we're getting two beefy ass consoles from day 1 this time around, and a very capable, budget friendly alternative also. Regardless of whatever platform you go with, or if you've gotten both, Microsoft and Sony have created some truly A+ hardware with very, veeeery little compromises.
 
Loud Wrong

Loud Wrong

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Feb 24, 2020
14,524
nib95 said:
BC games on the whole running better on the PS5, and BC games on the whole loading quicker on the Series X. It's pretty funny really.
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Isn't that because Xbox One X was running native resolutions and the PS4 Pro was running checkerboard, so in the move to next gen it was much easier for the PS5 to run at a solid 60? That was the impression I got from watching their Sekiro analysis. Checkboard rendering is definitely the way to go.
 
OP
OP
nib95

nib95

Contains No Misinformation on Philly Cheesesteaks
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
18,498
Loud Wrong said:
Isn't that because Xbox One X was running native resolutions and the PS4 Pro was running checkerboard, so in the move to next gen it was much easier for the PS5 to run at a solid 60? That was the impression I got from watching their Sekiro analysis. Checkboard rendering is definitely the way to go.
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PS5 was running 1800p CB, and XSX 1800p native (same as PS4 Pro and One X). In reality both should easily be hitting 60fps locked.
 
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