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The PS5 launched in 2020 with the promise of a dazzling new era of gaming, boasting lightning-fast load times, next-generation visuals and immersive, haptic feedback in the form of the innovative DualSense controller.
More than three years later, Sony’s behemoth has cemented itself as this generation’s must-have home console. So, with a newly updated, slimmer design and a much larger catalogue of games (and with those infamous stock shortages a thing of the past), is it still worth investing in the PS5 in 2024?
Last year saw Sony replace the original PS5 with the PS5 Slim, a slightly more compact version of the console but one that’s not radically different from the device Sony launched in 2020. Under the hood, the newly redesigned PS5 still runs on the same punchy hardware specifications, giving it roughly similar performance to its main rival, the Xbox series X.
That means you’re getting 120 frames per second at pin-sharp 4K resolutions, or up to 60 frames per second at 8K, as well as advanced visual effects such as ray-tracing. The custom SSD also allows for whip-fast loading times – games such as Spider-Man 2 used this feature to great effect, letting you fast-travel across the city in fractions of a second without having to so much as glance at a loading screen.
Sony also expanded the PS5’s appeal with new peripherals, most notably the PSVR2, the virtual reality headset that’s still the only way to play Horizon Call of the Mountain. Meanwhile, the PlayStation Portal offered players a way to access their PS5 games from anywhere with a fast enough wifi connection. So, how does the PS5 hold up in 2024?
How we tested the PlayStation 5
Our tester’s very own PS5 console has been well and truly put through its paces
(Steve Hogarty)
We’ve been playing games on the original PlayStation 5 since shortly before it launched in 2020, comprehensively testing and comparing its capabilities alongside this generation’s other two contenders: the Nintendo Switch and Xbox series X. Over the course of nearly three years, we’ve considered its performance and graphics, as well as Sony’s library of exclusives.
We also fully tested and reviewed Sony’s second foray into the world of virtual reality, the PSVR2. You can read our full review of the PSVR2 to find out more about the add-on, which unlocks new games and experiences only possible on PS5.