What are the Playstation 5 specs? PS5 features explained

So let's get into the nitty-gritty of SSDs and disc drives and see how exactly they can make the next generation of games play better than ever before.

PS5 Pre-orders are now live, but beware stock is going fast - we're keeping an eye on who has what PS5 stock though.

You can also see our Black Friday PS5 preview, as well as the best PS4 deals ahead of the sales event.

What are the PS5 specs?

The specs were one of the first things we knew about the PS5 after they were revealed in an event all the way back in March:

• CPU: AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores at 3.5GHz (variable frequency)
• GPU: 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
• Optical drive: 4K UHD Blu-ray drive

As you can see the PS5 is a pretty powerful beast, enough to compete with several top-end PCs and make the upcoming PS5 games look more realistic than ever.

However, for those who get a bit lost in numbers and abbreviations, we've broken down how exactly these fancy-sounding specs will translate to better gameplay:

What features will the PS5 have?

One of the biggest selling points of the PS5 is the custom SSD rather than a hard drive. This means the PS5 will be able to read data quicker and more efficiently, meaning bigger open worlds, near-instant load times and fewer texture pop-ins. Essentially the SSD means the PS5 is going to be really fast - around 100 times quicker than the PS4.

The PS5 will also support the much-hyped new feature ray tracing. This means light can be recreated realistically for the first time in video games by simulating each ray individually, allowing for the most lifelike lighting, shadows and reflections yet.

As if that wasn't enough, the PS5 will also reportedly 120fps with selected games. Bearing in mind that 30fps is the current standard, this will allow for smooth and fluid gameplay unlike any we've seen before.

Will the PS5 support 4K HDR and 8K?

Yes, like the PS4 Pro before it, the PS5 will run in 4K on compatible TVs, as well as supporting HDR (High Dynamic Range) meaning it can produce a greater and more vivid range of colours.

Sony appears to be getting ahead of themselves by bragging about the PS5's 8K support also. However, put an asterisk next to this feature - we're still a fair way off 8K gaming just yet, and the PS5 may well need to do some upscaling to achieve this resolution.

Can the PS5 play PS4 games?

Yes - with a slight caveat. Sony has revealed that the PS5 will be backwards compatible with selected PS4 games - namely the top 100 - meaning that the biggest PS4 games will be playable on the PS5, if not necessarily all of them.

Will the PS5 play 4K Blu-Rays?

Yes! Playstation has always been leading the charge when it comes to media playback on their consoles, so it was curious that the Ps4 and PS4 Pro were missing 4K Blu-Ray Support. Thankfully the PS5 has rectified this with the ability to play 4K Blu-rays - so long as you get the disc drive edition of course.

However, both the Ps5 and the Ps5 Digital Edition will support 4K streaming through services such as Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+.

What features does the PS5 controller have?

Officially called the DualSense, the Playstation 5 controller is quite the departure from previous consoles - and not just because of the eye-catching black and white design.

Haptic feedback is set to work the same way as the HD rumble in the Nintendo Switch, allowing detailed vibrations to simulate in-game events such as rain. Adaptive triggers, on the other hand, allow the resistance of the back triggers to change according to activities in the game - making actions such as shooting a bow and arrow feel more realistic than ever before.

Should I wait for the PS5?

If you want you can buy a PS4 now:

• Buy PS4 at Argos
• Buy PS4 at Currys PC World
• Buy PS4 at Amazon
• Buy PS4 at Very

While now is a great time to get a cheap PS4 and play some truly great exclusive games, you can also wait it out for the PS5. The PS5 will be supporting new games for years to come with features such as high-speed SSD and ray tracing. Alternatively, the PS4 price will reach hot new lows following the launch of the PS5.

You can see more options on our PS4 and PS4 Pro deals page.