That PS5 start-up sequence video is officially a fake

(Image credit: Sony)

We're less than a year away from the PS5's release date and, with Sony keeping fairly tight-lipped regarding further details for now, the rumor mill is working overtime. But, some rumors are more believable than others, and this isn't one of them.

An unlisted video was posted to YouTube, which claims to show the PS5's start-up sequence. The video was spotted by a user who posted it to Reddit then proceeded to send it far and wide to publications directly and on social media. We were not convinced it was the real deal for a number of reasons and, it turns out, we were right. 

Check out the original video below:

PS5 New Boot? from r/consoles

Connecting the dots

So what does the video actually show? Seemingly recorded on a mobile phone, the footage shows two monitors with a black, slightly PlayStation-like box beside them. On one of the screens, the PS5 logo appears with a nice wavey, blue background and a calming boot-up sound, followed by the Sony logo.

After the PlayStaion's usual photo sensitivity warning, a QR code (which is unreadable) appears along a plus sign and PlayStation symbol sign. The Google Play and Apple Store logos sit in the corner, but there's a large part of the screen blocked by a black bar.

If the video got you excited, we understand. It's a lovely sequence, but it's a fake. We were already sure of this for a number of reasons.

To start, the unlisted video 'leak' that is supposed to be an accident has been up on YouTube for two days at time of publishing. If this was an actual leak, and someone messed up, that video would be down in a heartbeat. There's no way they wouldn't have noticed it was still up by now. Our guess is that whoever made the sequence, and the video, is waiting until it picks up more momentum. 

We also noted that the YouTube poster in no way mentions working at Sony, or a Sony-affiliated company.Instead, they seem to make a lot of videos and renders. 

(Image credit: Lets Go Digital)

It's also odd that the Reddit poster is pushing so hard to get it in front of so many people's eyes, in our experience that's not something that happens often with legitimate leaks - because no individual benefits from that. 

However, if you made your own video then you would want as many people to see it as possible and maybe, just maybe, think it's the real deal. But everything feels staged about this leak, from the description, to the random sock puppets accounts commenting things like: "Can't wait till this dude realizes the video is public"

That brings us on to the video itself. The PlayStation 5 that's supposedly sitting on the desk is nothing like the dev kits we've seen and someone on YouTube pointed out it looks like a Blu-Ray player. In addition, the start-up sequence seemed to take too long to boot up considering the PS5 is meant to essentially do away with loading screens. None of this video added up and that's for a very simple reason: it's a fake.

The YouTuber who originally posted the leaked video has since released a video called "How to win the interwebs - make a PS5 video". In this new video, the creator of the fake sequence goes through how they actually made it - and props to them, it took a fair amount of work, even if it didn't fool everyone.

You can watch the VFX breakdown below:

But this does go to show that not every PS5 rumor is a winner and, here at TechRadar, we aim to use our expert knowledge to help you sort the wheat from the chaff and avoid any unlikely PlayStation 5 rumors.

TOPICS
Freelance writer

An award-winning games journalist, with seven years of experience in games journalism and a degree in journalism from City University, London, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer, The Telegraph, VG247, Dot Esports and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel, as she’s previously appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Ulster and more. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.

Latest in PS5
Astro Bot PS5 bundle
Sony officially announces new Astro Bot PS5 bundles and they're available from PlayStation Direct right now for bargain prices we can barely believe
The artwork for The Last of Us Limited Edition DualSense controller
Where to pre-order and buy The Last of Us Limited Edition DualSense controller today - UK pre-orders are live but stock has sold out already
PS5 Midnight Black Collection
PS5 Midnight Black collection pre-orders are live now - stock readily available
The Helldivers 2 Limited Edition DualSense artwork showing off the controller
Where to buy the Helldivers 2 Limited Edition DualSense: stock is now live in the US and the UK
PS5 console deal
Hurry! UK shoppers can still get a discounted PS5 at PlayStation Direct, but there's only a few hours left of the sale
A PS5 console on a green background with black and purple cyber monday deals text.
The Cyber Monday PS5 deals are officially over, but there are a bunch of my favorite discounts still running on PS5 and PS5 Pro games and gear
Latest in News
Lenovo | Thinkpad T14s Gen 6 Snapdragon
Windows 11’s latest patch declares war on BIOS updates for some Lenovo laptops, blocking them as a security risk in a bizarre turn of events
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream screenshot showing a Mii smelling some fresh flowers.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a sequel to my favorite 3DS game, and I think it's already packing the charm that inZOI lacks
Google Pixel Watch 3 side dial and button
Google Gemini reportedly spotted on Wear OS – could a rollout be close at hand?
Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con up-close from app store
Nintendo's new app gave us another look at the Switch 2, and there's something different with the Joy-Con
cheap Nintendo Switch game deals sales
Nintendo didn't anticipate that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was 'going to be the juggernaut' for the Nintendo Switch when it was ported to the console, according to former employees
Toni Collette in Hereditary
Everything leaving Netflix in April 2025 – from the scariest movie ever made to a beloved DreamWorks animation with 99% on Rotten Tomatoes