PS5 launches today – but SA waits

It’s a day of celebration for gaming fans as Sony launches its next-generation console, the PlayStation 5, in seven markets: the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. The PS5 console’s global rollout continues on November 19, with launches throughout the rest of the world, including Europe, Middle East, South America, Asia, and South Africa. 

“Today marks a historic moment for the PlayStation brand, and all of us at Sony are pleased to celebrate the release of PlayStation 5 together with our community of fans, game developers, and industry partners,” said Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). “PS5 is a truly next-generation console representing the beginning of a new era for gaming. I’m thrilled for the new worlds that players will begin to experience today, and I’m equally excited for the lineup of games still to come for PS5 that will continue to propel the gameplay experience forward. We are humbled to work with a talented community of world class game developers. Their creativity will bring limitless possibilities to what the future of gaming can look like on PS5.” 

Taking a page out of the Xbox playbook, which saw iconic buildings lit up in green at launch on Tuesday, SIE is welcoming this new generation of gaming by lighting up iconic buildings and popular sites in 25 territories around the world. It is projecting images of the PlayStation shapes, the PS5 console, the DualSense wireless controller, and other PlayStation brand imagery. Cities like Tokyo, New York, Auckland, Toronto, Seoul and Mexico City are already live, with more to come next week. 

The PS5 Digital Edition will be available for a recommended retail price (RRP) of $399.99, and PS5 with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive will be available for an RRP of $499.99. With the exception of the Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive, both PS5 models offer the same specifications, so players will enjoy the same high-end gameplay experiences regardless of which PS5 they choose. 

The PlayStation 5’s launch day game library is extensive, and includes Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and Astro’s Playroom. PS5 owners can enjoy more than three dozen new games this year, including highly anticipated games from SIE’s publishing partners such as Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Fortnite, FIFA 21, NBA 2K21, Godfall, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Meanwhile, new titles from independent developers, such as Bugsnax and The Pathless demonstrate the breadth of diverse content coming to PS5. 

Beyond this year, PS5 owners can look forward to more games like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal, Destruction AllStars, Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, and a new God of War game. Additional games launching first on PS5 include Deathloop from Arkane Studios/Bethesda Softworks, Ghostwire: Tokyo from Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks, Project Athia (Working Title) from Luminous Productions/Square Enix, and Final Fantasy XVI from Square Enix. Resident Evil: Village from Capcom and Hogwarts Legacy from Warner Bros. Games round out the lineup of highly anticipated PS5 titles. 

At today’s launch, PlayStation Plus members can access a curated lineup of 20 PlayStation 4 games that defined the generation with the PlayStation Plus Collection, available to download and play on PlayStation 5. The PlayStation Plus Collection features critically acclaimed games, including Batman™: Arkham Knight, Bloodborne, Fallout® 4, God of War, Monster Hunter: World, Final Fantasy XV, and Resident Evil 7 Biohazard. 

Inspired by a global community of creators, says SIE, PS5 will bring players into game worlds with fast loading times, visual fidelity, and sensory immersion. Gamers will enjoy near-instant load times thanks to PS5’s ultra-high-speed solid-state drive (SSD), as well as 4K graphics and gameplay up to 120 frames per second. With the enhanced haptic feedback and adaptive triggers of the DualSense wireless controller and the immersive soundscapes made possible by Tempest 3D AudioTech, PlayStation 5 heightens players’ senses, making them feel transported into their game world. 

In addition to transformative gaming experiences, PlayStation 5 offers plenty of entertainment experiences, with a curated lineup of some of the most popular streaming services available at launch, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, Spotify, Twitch, and YouTube. There is a dedicated space exclusively for media entertainment on PlayStation 5, making it fast and easy to switch between games and movie/TV. 

For more information, visit www.playstation.com