The PlayStation 5 has finally broken the cover in all its curvy glory.
Not everyone is convinced by its bright black and white blue design. But for many consumers, it's the games that matter rather than the aesthetic appeal of the box.
Dozens have been mocked at an online event. But Sony is speechless about the price of the car.
Any new console will have a hard time navigating the difficult economic waters ahead, but Sony's reluctance to tell us how much its next machine will cost won't help consumers understand if they can afford it.
But PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan thinks that games in general are relatively well positioned to overcome potentially difficult financial times.
The interview below has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you tell us a little bit about the design of PS5, because at first glance it looks more like something you could find in the furniture section of a shop rather than in its consumer electronics area?The PlayStation is located in the living area of most homes and we thought it would be nice to provide a design that would really beautify most living areas. This is what we have tried to do. And, you know, we think we have been successful in this.
How important are exclusives like Spider Man: Mile Morales and Gran Turismo 7 for this new machine?Exclusive games are obviously a point of difference between our system and others.
But I really call quality criteria rather than necessarily exclusivity. And when I look at our studios around the world, the quality of the work they produce really matters.
At the moment, we are talking about better graphics and faster loading times, but what else does the next generation offer?We think 3D audio is a paradigm shift. We think that the functionality of the new controller, which has yet to be tested to be fully appreciated, is a paradigm shift. Let's think about SSD [solid state drive] the storage mechanism and how it can actually help you move between game worlds and eliminate loading times is a paradigm shift.
You know, we did everything to show it with considerable length in the demo of The Ratchet and Clank. You saw the way Ratchet was moving from one world to another. In previous generations, the character would have had to walk down a corridor while loading took place in the background. Now it only happens instantly.
I know previous generations tended to have better graphics, you know, a bigger grunt in the CPU [central processing unit]. But we think we have a number of features that will improve the game's sensory experience and allow developers to do really interesting and different things.
There was a very varied mix of games in the presentation: big franchises for PlayStation, but also some small studio stuff, which seems like a pretty unusual decision for the first gameplay revealed for a new console.We wanted triple A games that fully demonstrated the power of the machine. But some of these smaller games are making very innovative and innovative use of the new console features. So we let the show get an idea of the vast gaming experience that will be available on PlayStation 5. And that's just the beginning. There are so many other games that we have in development.
The package itself is available in two different versions, a digital only version and one with a disk drive. Will there be a significant price difference?You won't hear anything about the price today. But many of our many of our consumers are shopping exclusively digital nowadays. We thought that we would do what we generally try to do and we will only offer the choice.
The PS5 event has been postponed for a week due to the unrest in the United States at the moment. Did that situation lead to changes in the content shown or something else in today's presentation?No, no.
And as we enter a period of economic uncertainty, is it a good time to release a new car?Conventional wisdom and history show that our business is one of the most recession-proof businesses. But I think this will strengthen our need to ensure that we focus on getting the correct value equation. And I emphasize the value compared to the price.
We need to be more careful than ever to ensure that the overall value proposition in terms of consoles and games - the range of games, the quality of the games, the quantity of games - makes this something that our community aspires to.
