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Insider says PS5 has serious performance problems

Published Apr 3rd, 2020 12:08PM EDT
PS5 release date
Image: Joeri Mostmans/Shutterstock

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  • Sony hosted a PS5 deep dive in March to discuss the system architecture of the next-gen console.
  • We learned about many of the most important specifications of the PS5, but we didn’t get to see the console in action or the actual hardware itself.
  • An industry source claims the reason Sony is taking so long to fully reveal the PS5 is that the hardware has a high failure rate and a release date delay is inevitable.
  • Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

The longer Sony waits to fully unveil the PlayStation 5, the more concerned its fans are going to become. Obviously, Sony is under no obligation to show us what the PS5 looks like or how it works, but none of us expected to wake up on April 3rd knowing as little as we do about the next-gen console.

There are a number of possible explanations. The most plausible is that Sony decided months ago that the full reveal would be better suited for later in the year. There’s also a chance that the coronavirus pandemic forced Sony to adjust its rollout of information on the fly. But as weeks go by without any news from Sony (save for a repurposed GDC talk in March), some have started to wonder if the reason that we know so little about the PS5 is that development isn’t progressing as smoothly as expected. And now reports saying as much are popping up online.

Earlier this week, Windows Central executive editor Daniel Rubino shared a YouTube comment (I know, we’re not off to a great start, but stick with me) from Jeff Rickel, who claims to work in the video game industry. Rickel says that we should expect the PS5 to be delayed and that it will have “heating problems to rival the Xbox 360.” He then states that the hardware is failing at an alarming rate and that the system can’t “maintain its clocks.” Sony supposedly needs to redesign the console, but the company doesn’t want to copy the tower design of the Xbox Series X.

If this sounds like fanboy drivel to you, you’re not alone. Kotaku’s Jason Schreier, who has countless connections in the industry and has been the source of many notable leaks in the past, somehow got caught up in the conversation and noted that “the person making these claims has a long history of tweeting about how PlayStation is doomed.” In other words, no matter how detailed the report might seem, we should take it with a grain of salt.

That said, Rubino revealed in his responses to others that he and Jez Corden (another Windows Central writer) have “heard similar things from others too.” He doesn’t go as far as to confirm that Rickel’s leaks are legitimate, but, at the very least, they make for entertaining fodder to discuss as Sony continues to keep us in the dark about its upcoming console. And even if the leaks are only partially correct, it would explain why Sony has let Microsoft build up such a massive lead with the reveal of the Xbox Series X and its key features and specifications.

Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.