Before fanboys and fangirls sharpen their jagged teeth in order to bite chunks out of this article in disgust, let it be known that this article doesn’t pull down or denigrate the PlayStation 5 in any way. This article simply asks a question that we should have all considered at least once. It is like parents hovering over a beloved child and wondering if they should send it to a psychologist because it keeps pushing marbles up its nose. The PlayStation 5 is awesome, it is a king among consoles, and should be beloved. But, before buying, we should calmly look at the facts and ask if it was rushed.
The Smoking Microsoft Xbox Console
You may have seen the fake news posts about the 2020 Xbox smoking because it gets too hot. Turns out it was fake news. The truth is that the Xbox does run exceedingly hot, but the smoking videos are fake. You can achieve it by blowing vape smoke into the inlet at the bottom, letting the fan expel it from the top. Yet, amidst the rumors, many people said that perhaps the Xbox jumped the gun. So it begs the question: did Sony rush their PlayStation 5 out, too?
Racing to the Finishing Post
There is no doubt that both Sony and Microsoft were under the gun to release their consoles at the same time, and obviously before the Christmas rush, Black Friday, and so forth. Yet, PlayStation has been playing their cards pretty close to their chest over the course of 2020. Some people blame this on the COVID outbreak and a delayed release. But is it because the console has been rushed to completion? Were they showing us so little because they hadn’t much to show?
The Look of a Cheaply Made Device
Your PlayStation 5 console feels heavy, especially when you take it out of the box. Yet, the white flourishes on the side feel thin and maybe even a little brittle. Sure, they were added to pretty up the console, but it almost feels like putting lipstick on a pig. However, after playing, it is possible that the design flourishes were added to stop you from putting your PS5 somewhere confined. Just like the Xbox, this device is very power-hungry and also gets very hot. By making the device psychically more difficult to store in a confined space, they may have helped avoid overheating.
Demonstration consoles in kiosks have been showing messages saying that the PS5 is too hot and that it needs to be turned off until it reaches a safe temperature. Now, this is obviously a problem because the kiosks put PS5s in confined plastic boxes. This is likely to exacerbate the problem. Yet, it is rather telling that the device has an in-built hotness safety feature. It again suggests that Sony rushed with the manufacturing process before they could fix the overheating problem.
Rushing Out Consoles Has Happened Before
Perhaps the PlayStation 4 was not rushed out. But anybody will admit that the PS4 Pro is the device we should have received in the first place. The loud fan of the original model was yet another sign that the device was getting too hot. Play a game like Days Gone (a great game), and even the PS4 Pro can be heard grinding as it works to render the graphics on your 4K TV.
Are we going to receive a PlayStation 5 Pro in two years? Is the console industry trying to mimic the Smartphone industry where devices have to be upgraded yearly? Are big AAA games going to struggle to run on the 2020 PS5?
A Sign This Was All Planned
Perhaps the PlayStation 5 was bang on schedule, and the device works 100% as expected. Even if it was not, the developers were certainly on the ball this time.
When the PlayStation 4 was released, there were very few games for it, and the launch title was “Knack.” If you do not know Knack, its reviewer tagline was “Knack is Kak.” In fact, the PS4 didn’t become worth getting at all until the PS4 Pro came out and games like Red Dead Redemption 2 were kicking around.
Yet, upon the release of the PlayStation 5, not only did we receive constantly updated lists on how many games from the PS4 we can actually play on the PS5, but we also have Assassins Creed Valhalla as the release title. This is no game about some dumb piece of garbage smashing stuff up (that was literally what Knack was about). This is a AAA franchise game, highly anticipated, and coming off the success of Origins and Odyssey. Suffice it to say, this is not something Sony scraped off its shoe, so even if the PlayStation 5 engineers rushed to get the device finished, the game developers have clearly got all their ducks in a row.
Should You Still Buy a PlayStation 5
We are still in the midst of the global pandemic, and luxury items are in low demand, thus, the production shouldn’t be rushed. But, if you are wondering if the PS5 is a flop, then “No,” it is not a flop. If you happen to have the money spare, then getting a PlayStation 5 is not a terrible idea. If you are lucky to find one in stores near you, that is.
The aforementioned game “Days Gone,” may look great on the PS4 Pro on a 4K TV, but it sends a churlish rush of giddy excitement seeing it on the PS5 with a better depth and range of colors and contrasts. If you have the cash, but you want to offset the cost a little, then checking your PS4 trade in value would be a good idea, and Gadget Salvation is here to help.
