Come next fall, players will be treated to new experiences made possible by next-gen consoles’ more powerful hardware. Both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Scarlett will feature custom CPUs and GPUs made by AMD, and both of them are expected to pack speedy SSDs rather than spinning HDDs, as is the case for the current generation of consoles. Both Sony and Microsoft detailed the specs of their upcoming consoles, although we’ve heard more things about the PS5 when it comes to performance, especially on the SSD side. The new solid-state drive should make loading times a thing of the past on new consoles, with a developer already envisioning how games might take advantage of the faster speeds to eliminate loading screens and replace them with better cinematics. The more powerful hardware, meanwhile, is expected to support the creation of more realistic worlds for games.
Fairy Tail RPG producer Keisuke Kikuchi talked to GamingBolt about the PS5, revealing that he’s optimistic about what lies ahead, but also cautious. The SSD speed will help developers create more elaborate cinematic sequences, which the developer believes will be needed to give gamers time to pause before moving to the next chapter:
I think that for customers, the unnecessary loading time will be eliminated, and the range of depictions will be increased, such as cinematics that go back and forth between multiple scenes, but I think that it is necessary to give players some time/breaks during gameplay, so I think that it will become necessary to devise ways in game design to intentionally prepare these moments of time/breaks.
Looking at the processing capabilities of the PS5’s Zen 2 architecture, Kikuchi said that developers will have more freedom when it comes to painting more life-like settings in games, but they’ll have to find a balance between better graphics and efficiency so as not to tax the silicon too much:
I am glad that it will greatly broaden the range of depictions and operations, so I look forward to being able to have more natural depictions, and especially those that feel realistic as if you are there. But, the higher level of depictions will also consume clock speed, so I am also preparing myself that things may not go according to expectations.
The developer did not say what games his company might be working on for the PS5, but the PlayStation 5 will also be backward compatible with the PS4. With that in mind, Fairy Tale — which launches next year on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC — will also run on PS5.
The new PlayStation 5 should be unveiled at some point in February, according to recent rumors, and it’s expected to hit stores in early December 2020.
