A number of high profile PS5 developers have shared their thoughts on how the ultra-high speed SSD and Tempest AudioTech engine will make games more immersive.
In a lengthy post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony asked developers to explain how these two technologies will help shape the future of gaming, and some of the quotes are quite exciting.
Speaking about the PS5’s SSD, Marcus Smith, the creative director at Insomniac Games and the team behind Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, had this to say: "The SSD and custom I/O architecture around it allows us to send players across dimensions with near-instant speed. It fundamentally changes the rules and allows us to think about ideas and game designs that are only possible on PS5."
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It sounds like the SSD will make the punishing Demon’s Souls a bit easier to take for newcomers and veterans alike, too. SIE Japan Studio’s creative director Gavin Moore said "utilizing the speed of the SSD to load data at blistering speeds" players will be brought "straight back into the action to avenge your many deaths". Note the word "many" there.
But what about 3D audio on PS5? Horror fans will be pleased to hear that the new sound technology will be included in Resident Evil Village. The game’s executive producer Jun Uakeuchi said "it’s almost as if 3D Audiotech was made specifically with horror games in mind".
The spatial audio will also feature prominently in Marvel’s Avengers, according to Jurjen Katsman, studio head at developer Nixxes. "Our game worlds have been 3D for generations now, but for audio we typically have been limited to 2D surround sound. When Iron Man is destroying a turret positioned above you, or Hulk roars as he takes on the enemies below you, you want to hear the sound coming from those directions."
For the patient players
Frustratingly, as cool as these PS5 features sound, they really need to be seen (or heard) first hand. The same can be said about the DualSense controller, which seems to have sparked the creativity of game developers in how it can be utilized.
With a launch date of "Holiday 2020", Sony is remaining tight-lipped when it comes to the PS5’s price and release date. The same can be said about Xbox Series X, which we know will arrive sometime in November.
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