Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) launches its next-generation console, PlayStation5 (PS5), in seven key markets: the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. In fact, PS5 got sold out on major retailing sites in Japan, reports Reuters. In fact, the demand was so high that some of the retail sites even conducted lotteries to distribute their limited stock.
The PS5 console’s global rollout continues on 19 November, with launches throughout the rest of the world, including Europe, Middle East, South America, Asia and South Africa.
“Today marks a historic moment for the PlayStation brand, and all of us at SIE are pleased to celebrate the release of PlayStation 5 together with our community of fans, game developers, and industry partners. PS5 is a truly next-generation console representing the beginning of a new era for gaming. I’m thrilled for the new worlds that players will begin to experience today, and I’m equally excited for the lineup of games still to come for PS5 that will continue to propel the gameplay experience forward. We are humbled to work with a talented community of world class game developers. Their creativity will bring limitless possibilities to what the future of gaming can look like on PS5,” said Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan.
SIE is welcoming this new generation of gaming by lighting up iconic buildings and popular sites in 25 territories around the world, projecting images of the PlayStation shapes, the PS5 console, the DualSense wireless controller, and other PlayStation brand imagery. Cities such as Tokyo, New York, Auckland, Toronto, Seoul and Mexico City are already live, with more cities to come next week.
The PS5 Digital Edition will be available for a recommended retail price (RRP) of $399.99, and PS5 with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive will be available for an RRP of $499.99. With the exception of the Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive, both PS5 models offer the same specifications, so players will enjoy the same transformative gameplay experiences regardless of the PS5 they choose.
The breadth of PlayStation 5’s game library represents the lineup of launch day titles from SIE Worldwide Studios, including Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and Astro’s Playroom. PS5 owners can enjoy more than three dozen new games this holiday, including highly anticipated games from SIE’s publishing partners such as Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (Activision), Fortnite (Epic Games), FIFA 21 (EA), NBA 2K21 (2K), Godfall (Gearbox Publishing), Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin’s CreedValhalla (Ubisoft), and many more. Meanwhile, new titles from independent developers, such as Bugsnax (Young Horses) and The Pathless (Giant Squid/Annapurna Interactive) demonstrate the breadth of diverse content coming to PS5.
Beyond this holiday, PS5 owners can look forward to even more incredible games. Upcoming Worldwide Studios exclusives include Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal, Destruction AllStars, Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, and a new God of War game. Additional games launching first on PS5 include DEATHLOOP from Arkane Studios/Bethesda Softworks, Ghostwire: Tokyo from Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks, Project Athia (Working Title) from Luminous Productions/Square Enix, and Final Fantasy XVI from Square Enix. Resident Evil Village from Capcom and Hogwarts Legacy from Warner Bros. Games round out the lineup of highly anticipated PS5 titles.
At launch this November, PlayStation Plus members can enjoy a curated lineup of 20 PlayStation4 games that defined the generation with the PlayStation Plus Collection, available to download and play on PlayStation 5. The PlayStation Plus Collection features critically acclaimed games, including Batman: Arkham Knight, Bloodborne, Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicle Edition, Fallout 4, God of War, Monster Hunter: World, Final FantasyXV, Resident Evil7 Biohazard, Persona 5, The Last of Us Remastered, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and more.
Inspired by a global community of creators, PS5 will bring players into game worlds with unprecedented speed, visual fidelity and sensory immersion. Gamers will enjoy near-instant load times thanks to PS5’s ultra-high speed solid state drive (SSD), as well as breathtaking 4K graphics and silky-smooth gameplay up to 120 frames per second. With the enhanced haptic feedback and adaptive triggers of the DualSense wireless controller and the immersive soundscapes made possible by Tempest 3D AudioTech, PlayStation 5 heightens players’ senses, making them feel transported into their game world.
In addition to transformative gaming experiences, PlayStation 5 offers plenty of entertainment experiences, with a curated lineup of some of the most popular streaming services available at launch, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, Spotify, Twitch, YouTube, and more. There will be a dedicated space exclusively for media entertainment on PlayStation 5, making it fast and easy to switch between games and movie/TV.