PlayStation 5 Release Date Rumor: PS4 Successor Might Be Launched This Year
The next-generation console by Sony the internet currently refers to as the PlayStation 5 will reportedly arrive much, much earlier than expected.
According to a report by SemiAccurate as picked up by Resetera, the so-called PS5 could be here before the year ends as Sony has apparently been giving out developer kits already.
This stage in the development process usually means that the console is almost ready for its big unveiling. In the case of the PS5, it will reportedly be on track for a launch this year.
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Despite what is being deemed as a premature release, the PS5 will pack quite the punch in the power department, as per the same report. Sony recognizes that virtual reality (VR) is the future of gaming and is reportedly taking note of that by baking in VR-related tech on the console at the silicon level.
Finally, the publication claims that the follow-up to the PS4 will be home to an AMD graphics processor based on the Navi architecture bolstered by a central processing unit (CPU) designed as a custom variant of the AMD Zen line.
A 2018 release for the PS5 is deemed way too early, especially since it has not been long since they revealed the PS4 Pro to the world.
Although its name begs for hesitation and doubt, SemiAccurate actually has a decent track record when it comes to insider leak so it is hard to dismiss the report as not credible.
As per NDTV, the publication accurately reported on Nintendo teaming with Nvidia for the Switch console before it was confirmed. It was also among the first sources to correctly list the specifications of the PS4 before it saw the light of day.
If this report is anything to go by, a launch for the PS5 this early might be unwise for Sony. If it comes out this year, the PS4 Pro will just be almost or a little over two years old, depending on the exact date of the outing.
It would feel less like a next-generation console, which is what gaming fans hope to see, and more of an upgrade. NDTV adds that with the current-gen console still doing well commercially and the fact that a slew of PS4 exclusives are coming later this year ("God of War," "Marvel's Spider-Man," and "The Last of Us Part II" all of which expected to boost the sales of the console), adding the PS5 on top of that feels like overkill.
At the moment, however, there is no way to corroborate the report. It would no doubt be surprising if Sony ends up lifting the veil off the PS5 in the next few months.
Before this report came to light, the general expectation was that the PS5 will not see the light of day until the year 2020. By then, video game technology should be miles ahead of where it is now, even though it is not that far away from now, allowing for more tangible and noticeable upgrades from the PS4.
