While the PlayStation 4 launched with 500GB of HDD storage and the PS4 Pro topped 1TB, the PlayStation 5 will host 825GB of internal storage on a solid-state drive (SSD). The console’s Lead System Architect, Mark Cerny, explained this detail during this morning’s PlayStation 5 presentation.
According to Cerny, in traveling the world to visit with publishers and developers, there was one common request with regards to next-gen hardware. More than anything else, developers wanted an SSD for new consoles. It seems Sony aims to deliver said request in spades. Whereas the PS4’s HDD takes approximately 20 seconds to load 1GB of data, the SSD for the PS5 will allow 2GB to load in 0.27 seconds. For gamers, this incredible speed means no load screens. Better still, players should expect to hop right back into the experience after their character dies. Fast travel should occur at a “blindingly fast” speed, too, Cerny teased.
The SSD will impact other facets of the overall gaming experience, as well. Notably, PS5’s SSD will greatly decrease the amount of time it takes to download game patches and updates.
During his talk, Cerny spoke on another hot topic–backwards compatibility. At launch, such functionality will work with “almost all” of the top 100 most-played PlayStation 4 games. Apparently, this number is due in large part to the fact that the PS5 runs too fast for some PS4 experiences, requiring plenty of adjustments and testing. Consequently, backwards compatibility must be implemented on a title-by-title basis.
For now, it’s unclear as to when Sony will unleash further details about its next-gen hardware. Still, PlayStation 5 is expected to hit stores shelves later this year during the holiday season.
[Source: Eurogamer]
