Sony confirmed today that it will launch its next-generation PlayStation video game console in time for the holiday 2020 selling season.
“Since we originally unveiled our next-generation console in April, we know that there’s been a lot of excitement and interest in hearing more about what the future of games will bring,” Sony president Jim Ryan announced. “Today I’m proud to share that our next-generation console will be called PlayStation 5, and we’ll be launching in time for Holiday 2020.”
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In addition to confirming its launch plans, Sony revealed that it will ship a new controller with its PlayStation 5 console. There’s no official name yet—presumably, it will be called the DualShock 5—but there are plenty of details about the two major changes it’s making:
Haptic feedback. Sony is adopting haptic feedback to replace the “rumble” technology found in its previous controllers. “With haptics, you truly feel a broader range of feedback, so crashing into a wall in a race car feels much different than making a tackle on the football field,” Ryan explains. “You can even get a sense for a variety of textures when running through fields of grass or plodding through mud.”
Adaptive triggers. Sony is incorporating adaptive trigger technology into the new controller’s trigger buttons (L2/R2). This will allow developers to customize the resistance of the triggers so that you players feel tactile sensations when their in-game characters do things like “drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain.” It works in tandem with haptic feedback to “produce a powerful experience that better simulates various actions,” Ryan adds.