The PlayStation 5 though is the exact opposite, in that it is clearly very different from the PlayStation 4, while still maintaining backwards compatibility. The PlayStation 5, as is by now well established, is gigantic and although we’re beginning to turn against the design of the machine (in total darkness it still gives off too much light) it is at least something new. Rather than what it looks like, the most important hardware question for the PlayStation 5 is how much noise it makes, given how distractingly loud the fan got with its predecessor. We’ve not got all the launch games in yet to test but nothing so far has caused it to make any unusual amount of noise. It seems to be at least as quiet as the Xbox Series X, with both being effectively silent when you’re sitting at a normal distance from the conso
Like the Xbox Series X, the PlayStation 5 is also able to quick resume a game if you turn it off and come back to it later. Although the Switcher icon that some noticed on the Home menu is basically just a history button, showing you the last few games or apps that you used and starting them up from scratch if you want to play them again. Sony has spent quite a bit of time promoting the PlayStation 5’s new 3D sound system but nothing we’ve experienced so far seems particularly extraordinary, whether using headphones or not. Instead, the most impressive aspect of the PlayStation 5 hardware is the new DualSense controller, which is a major improvement on the DualShock 4 and a definite rival for the Xbox as the best gamepad ever.