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The 13 Biggest PS5 Launch Questions Answered

Millions are desperate to get their hands on the eagerly anticipated PS5. As desire hits fever pitch, here’s everything you need to know…

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Sony Playstation 5
Sony Playstation 5

Millions are desperate to get their hands on the eagerly anticipated PS5. As desire hits fever pitch, here’s what need to know with our 13 PS5 questions answered.

Although 2020’s been a fairly big flop as years go, it promises to end on a high with the release of the PS5. 

But with Sony still tight-lipped about some of the biggest need-to-know questions. We’re all still on the edge of our seats awaiting that all-important release date.

If like us, you’re tired of scouting around for the answers to all your questions. We’ve rounded up info from Sony, Tech Radar, T3, and other sites, to give you the most comprehensive info on everything we know about the PS5.

1. Is there a release date?

Not yet. But it’s anticipated to be between October and December 2020. With a mid-to-late November release seeming most likely.

2. What about pre-orders?

Rumours suggest that pre-orders for the PS5 may begin on September 9, 2020. This will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the release of the PS1. But nothing has been confirmed by Sony yet so this isn’t official.

3. Can I register my interest in a console?

Official Sony PS5 pre-order registrations have now opened in the United States. This means gamers there can enter their PlayStation Online ID on the PS5’s official website and register interest in pre-ordering. This doesn’t guarantee a console though. Sony says they will invite registered people to pre-order. This will be “based on previous interests and PlayStation activities”. This could mean that the more active a user you are, the higher chance you have of being able to pre-order.

There are also some retailers where you can register your interest. It won’t guarantee you a console, but you’ll be notified as soon as official pre-orders open so you have a better chance of securing one.

UK:

Game

ShopTo

Currys

Argos

Very

Amazon UK

USA:

Walmart

Amazon US

Best Buy

Target

Australia:

Amazon AU

EB Games

Big W

The Gamesmen

Harvey Norman

JB Hi-Fi

4. Is it true Sony is releasing two PS5 consoles?

It is, the PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition. The PS5 Digital Edition won’t have a disc drive.

5. Will there be a PS5 Pro?

No news yet on a Pro version – although the regular PS5 is already a high-spec console. With the PS4, the PS4 Pro was released around three years after the regular PS4 hit the shelves, so we wouldn’t expect a Pro version to be on its way any time soon.

6. What will the PS5 cost?

Still TBC, but predictions have placed it in the region of £449 / $499 / AU$749. As for the PS5 Digital Edition, some believe that its lack of a disc drive could place it as low as £100 / $100 / €100.

7. Can I play PS4 games on the PS5?

Sony has confirmed that the PS5 will be backwards compatible with almost all PS4 games.

8. Can I use my PS4 accessories with the PS5?

Mostly. The DualShock 4 controller will work with supported PS4 games. While officially licensed PS4 arcade sticks, flight sticks, racing wheels and some PS4 headsets will be supported.

9. Any new games on the way?

Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, and Resident Evil 8 are just a few so far.

10. Will PS5 have VR? 

Yes. The next-gen console will support current PSVR hardware, and there are also rumours of PSVR 2.

11. What are the console bundle options?

Nothing has been confirmed yet. But it’s likely we’ll see console bundles with one and two DualSense controllers. As well as options including the Pulse 3D headset, DualSense charging station, and HD camera. For games, we’ll almost certainly see bundles which include some of Sony’s first-party offerings. Think Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Forbidden West and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

12. What are the PS5 specs?

CPU: AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores at 3.5GHz (variable frequency)

CPU: 10.28 TFLOPs, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz (variable frequency)

GPU architecture: Custom RDNA 2

Memory interface: 16GB GDDR6 / 256-bit

Memory bandwidth: 448GB/s

Internal storage: Custom 825GB SSD

IO throughput: 5.5GB/s (raw), typical 8-9GB/s (compressed)

Expandable storage: NVMe SSD slot

External storage: USB HDD support (PS4 games only)

Optical drive: 4K UHD Blu-ray drive

13. Is it true that demand may exceed supply?

Reports state that the console is going to be so popular, Sony has had to double the production run to meet demand. The only guaranteed way of getting a PS5 at launch is to secure one in advance, meaning it’ll be first come, first served.


That was our 13 PS5 questions answered. Were there any questions you’d like answers to that weren’t on the list? Did we miss anything? Was this list useful? If so, leave us a comment below.


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Gaming News

Animal Crossing 2.0 – Review

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Nintendo

On November 5th, Animal Crossing 2.0 alongside the DLC Happy Home Paradise was released. It was the last major free update to hit the latest game in the franchise and added a host of new features to the game. After almost a month of playing it, here’s our review and everything new in Animal Crossing 2.0 from Nintendo.

Background

Animal Crossing has been around for 20 years, with its first release on 14th April 2001. Since then it’s released several versions of the game for the DS, Wii, and so on.

The latest version, New Horizons, came to the Nintendo Switch at just the right time; at the very beginning of Quarantine. It was easily the most popular Nintendo game last year. But it had a fatal flaw; rather than including everything upfront, Nintendo would release periodic updates where they would add to the game. The goal was to keep the game feeling fresh, but the result was that New Horizons felt unfinished. The game was bare-bones compared to past versions of Animal Crossing and didn’t have half as much to do. With the release of the last free update, New Horizons finally feels like a complete game. So what’s new? While there were a lot of things added and small things fixed, we’re just going to focus on the major gameplay changes and additions.

Brewster

The beloved pigeon, Brewster, has been in Animal Crossing since 2005. He runs a cosy coffee shop, The Roost, usually located in the Museum. But he has been missing from New Horizons. A fan favourite, his absence has definitely been felt. Brewster is one of the most demanded additions to New Horizons. With the update, you can find him gyroid hunting on one of Kapp’n’s Islands and invite him to your island, where he will set up the Roost once more. You will also find some of your residents and NPCs there and can invite current and past Animal Crossing characters to the Roost via Amiibo card.

Kapp’n

Speaking of Kapp’n, the turtle is back. In past versions of the game, Kapp’n is usually the one taking you to your new village at the start of every game. Whether it be by taxi, bus, or train, Animal Crossing typically kicks off with the retired seafarer. But New Horizons didn’t feature Kapp’n at all; until now. Now you can have him take you on island tours via his little boat off your dock. Some of these islands are extremely rare and feature exclusive items. He also sings you a little song while you make the journey..

Gyroids

Gyroids have, once again, been a part of every Animal Crossing game until New Horizons. They are little singing things that can be placed like furniture. In New Horizons, you can find a fragment on Kapp’n’s islands, bury it, water it, and a gyroid will grow the next day. Or some may be buried on your island after a rainy day. While past versions of gyroids have been annoying, the New Horizon’s gyroids are adorable and delightful. In New Horizons, Brewster is an avid collector. You’ll even get a Brewster gyroid after drinking enough coffee.

Cooking / Farming

Cooking has also been added to the game, something entirely unique to New Horizons. You can purchase crop starts from Leif, start a farm, and then cook the produce you grow. This opens up a whole host of fun recipes, and you can gift your creations to your residents. Eating a meal will make your villager stronger for longer, the same effect eating fruit previously had.

Group Stretching

You can also host a group stretching event in the plaza. Random villagers and NPCs will join you. You can use your controllers to actually stretch with them, or use the joysticks if you’re stuck with a Lite or don’t feel like standing up.

Harv’s Island

Harv’s Island was previously… pretty useless. There was really nothing to do there aside from taking pictures, which is fun once. Now you can help him build an open-air Farmers Market/Commune. For 100,000 bells each, you can invite NPCs to set up a permanent shop. Among these are Leif, Redd, Kicks, Saharah, Reese, and Cyrus, who have all been seen in New Horizons. But it also introduces the return of Tortimer, the mayor from past games. (Who some fans theorized was dead until now). Harriet, a hairdresser who introduces a ton of new hairstyles to the game. And the fortune-teller Katrina. This expansion to Harv’s island is a huge resource.

You no longer have to wait for these NPCs to come to your island to purchase goods from them. It also opens up more customization for previously uncustomisable items. And it’s another goal to work towards after you pay off your home loans.

Ordinances

You can now issue Ordinances through Isabelle in the town hall. These include things like adding a Bell Boom so that you find more bells and goods are worth more, but things also cost more. Or the Beautiful Island ordinance, which will have your villagers pick up weeds and trash and will cause your flowers to grow faster. You can also issue that your villagers wake up earlier or go to bed later.

Happy Home Paradise

In addition to 2.0, a DLC was added to the Nintendo Store. Happy Home Paradise allows you to “get a job” building vacation homes. You report to your boss Lottie for work, alongside your coworkers Niko and Wardell. From there, you choose a character and build a home for them. They will give you a theme and some items they want to see in their home. You can also design facilities, like a cafe or school and assign characters to work in them. Using an amiibo card, you can also design homes for NPCs like Isabelle or Tom Nook, where you will have free reign over the design.

Happy Home Paradise also introduces partition walls which allow for more design options in your house. It also includes a lot of new furniture. When you’ve designed enough vacation homes, you are able to then redesign the houses on your island.

HHP adds a lot to the game. Animal Crossing’s flaw has always been that it gets too repetitive. HHP adds some flavour and a lot more to do. So even long after you’ve paid off your home loan and made your island pretty, you can still really engage with the game. It adds to and boosts life on the island, but also extends the world a bit. You can interact with more characters beyond just your residents and have more interaction with NPCs beyond purchasing goods from them.

Overall

All in all, the 2.0 update and Happy Home Paradise have elevated New Horizons. It makes the game feel new and adds what many fans have been asking for. While they are both great, it’s hard to shake the feeling that this all should have been included from the get-go like past versions of the game. After playing a skeleton of a game for a year, we now truly have a new Animal Crossing game.


Do you like Animal Crossing 2.0? Do you agree with our Animal Crossing review? Let us know in the comments below.


We compare Animal Crossing with Stardew Valley HERE.

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