The PlayStation 5 has been around for a while now and there is a lot of praise but also criticism. The shooter expert Sven Galitzki from MeinMMO sees 3 areas in particular where the PS5 should definitely improve in the new year 2021.
This may be the highlight of the year for some gamers: Many have been waiting for this for a long time. By now, Sony’s new next-gen console PlayStation 5 has been available for over a month and is already adorning some living rooms or gaming caves.
On November 12th, it launched in the USA and some other countries, and since November 19th, the PS5 is also available in Germany.
Many players have already had plenty of hands-on experience with the PlayStation 5 and made their own experiences with it. And overall, the PS5 is being well received so far, but there is also criticism – such as regarding some technical teething problems.
This is how I currently view the PS5: I, Sven from MeinMMO, have so far been completely spared from problems and teething troubles of the new console and have enjoyed every minute with the new console.
In short: I love the PS5. It has elevated gaming quality on consoles to a new level for me and rightly deserves to be called next-gen. The performance is strong, it is quiet, and the new controller is great.
However, there are still several things where I and some other players see potential for improvement with the PlayStation 5 and wish for enhancements in the new year. Currently, I see the most room for improvement in the following 3 areas regarding the PS5:
PS5 urgently needs a storage expansion
This is the current status: The PlayStation 5 has an ultra-fast SSD, but it only has 667 GB of free storage available for games, apps, or media.
You can connect external hard drives or SSDs to the PS5, but PS5 games cannot be stored on them. They only run on the internal PS5 SSD and can currently only be saved there, as they are designed for high speed. External SSDs or storage media are currently only suitable for PS4 games.
While you can generally expand the fast internal storage of the PlayStation 5 via a special slot for a PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD, this is currently not possible –only through a later update. Sony also plans to release a list of certified SSD models that can be used as storage expansion for the PS5, but that has not happened yet either. Until then, Sony itself advises against purchasing SSDs for the PS5.
That’s why I hope for improvement: The problem is: If you like to have several games on the PlayStation that you can enjoy, the 667 GB can fill up quickly.
For example: Besides
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare including Warzone
- Destiny 2
- The Division 2
- and Cyberpunk 2077
I can only afford smaller games like Dead Cells since the drive is otherwise so full that I can’t even install updates for CoD. My beloved Elite Dangerous or Anthem, which I still check in on regularly, have to stay in the library for now.
Moreover, there are other mysterious data that can occupy over 100 GB of the already scarce free SSD storage without any immediately apparent reason. This could mean you have even less space for games on your PS5.
Even if not everyone may have this problem – I personally urgently wish for an expansion of the fast storage for the PS5. When exactly that will happen is currently unknown. Many, including myself, are hoping for early 2021.
PS5 needs more supply
This is the current status: Sony’s new console was already available for pre-order in 2 waves before its launch. Even after the official launch, there were already 2 more waves of orders. But since the last wave of orders on December 3rd, the PlayStation 5 has been completely sold out. Once again…
The waves essentially sank in chaos – including the last one. There were technical problems with the suppliers, the quotas were apparently very limited, the times were poorly or not communicated at all, plus there were sometimes subsequent cancellations and delivery issues. The PS5 was also not available in retail.
Anyone wanting to get a PS5 now will essentially only find it with price-gouging resellers who used bots to snag masses of consoles and then sell them for astronomical prices on platforms like Ebay. The same goes for some original accessories like the 3D Pulse Headset or the charging station for the PS5’s DualSense controller.
That’s why I hope for improvement: Despite now having 4 waves of orders, not everyone interested or willing to buy has been able to secure a PS5 or the desired accessories.
In my gaming circle alone, it feels like more than half of those who wanted to buy a PlayStation 5 have come up empty so far. I am still waiting for the headset and the charging station myself. And it seems many others are facing the same situation.
Currently, it is unknown when the PS5 will be available for order again. Sony has promised more supply by the end of the year, but it is unclear whether that means the wave from December 3rd or if another one will follow in 2020.
I hope that Sony can deliver quickly here. Because currently, there are many players who are disappointed and still desperately waiting for a PlayStation 5 or certain accessories. Hopefully, the availability of the new console will improve quickly in the new year – and preferably as soon as possible. However, rumors suggest that both Microsoft and Sony may struggle with supply shortages for their next-gen systems until spring 2021.
PS5 needs real next-gen games
This is the current status: The PlayStation 5 can play thousands of PS4 games through backward compatibility. Either at the level of the PS4 Pro or even better – through next-gen upgrades. This enables not only faster loading times but also, among other benefits, a higher native resolution (4K), higher frame rates, or additional effects.
However, there were also one or two launch titles available at launch – either cross-platform or exclusive to the PS5, such as
- the “Demon’s Souls” remake
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Watch Dogs Legion
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- or Godfall
On December 10th, the highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 was also added.
That’s why I hope for improvement: However, there were reportedly only a few real highlights at launch in the eyes of many players. Additionally, some titles like Watch Dogs Legion (66 on Metacritic) or Godfall (62 on Metacritic) were only moderately received by players.
Personally, I have yet to see a (exclusive) title that makes me really say: “Wow, THIS is really next-gen!” Or: “Okay, I’m definitely buying a PS5 for this.” Besides Cyberpunk 2077, which has only received the first upgrade for the PS5 and will get another “real” next-gen upgrade, I have essentially only been playing old PS4 gems on the PlayStation 5 – just a bit prettier (and admittedly with much faster loading times).
But I’m still waiting for a true next-gen moment, a real next-gen experience (setting Cyberpunk aside). And if you sift through reviews, Reddit, and social media, I’m clearly not the only one who feels this way – as good as the PS5 may be.
There probably won’t be too much happening in 2020, but 2021 has a few potential (or exclusive) highlights in store – like “Horizon: Forbidden West” or “Gran Turismo 7”.
Hopefully, at least one among these titles will be a game that truly makes me feel completely immersed in the next-gen experience.
What about you? Do you see it the same way, similarly, or completely different? In which areas around the PS5 are you eagerly wishing for improvements?
