Sony PlayStation 5
Home Cinema Choice|February 2022
THE PLAYSTATION 5, in case you've been living under a rock this past year, is Sony’s latest games console. It launched in the UK on November 19 2020, in two versions: a ‘Digital Edition’ without a disc drive, and a standard version with a disc drive. Given that the disc drive plays 4K Blu-rays as well as game discs, guess which one I went for…
John Archer
Sony PlayStation 5

1. The console packs an 825GB SSD drive offering super-fast read times

AV INFO

PRODUCT: 4K HFR-capable games console

POSITION: Disc-playing version is Sony's flagship; there's also a 'digital-only' model

PEERS: Xbox Series X

TIME ON TEST: 14 months

REVIEWER: John Archer

LONG-TERM TEST

The digital and disc PS5s launched at £360 and £450 respectively – and that’s still what they cost today. Although many people desperate to own a PS5 may find they have to pay much more.

What’s good about it?

When the PS4 launched, it disappointingly didn’t have the horsepower to keep up graphically with the latest specifications supported by modern TVs. In short, it felt out of date from day one. The PS5, on the other hand, is cutting-edge. In fact, at launch only a handful of screens existed that could take advantage of its most important new feature: 4K resolution gaming at high frame rates.

This 4K 120Hz support really is a glorious thing. Being able to pan around landscapes at 120Hz transforms your immersion in the game and, even better, your performance. You no longer ‘lose’ enemies between frames. Input lag (the time TVs take to render graphical information received at their inputs) basically halves when gaming in 120Hz versus 60Hz, too.

This story is from the February 2022 edition of Home Cinema Choice.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the February 2022 edition of Home Cinema Choice.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM HOME CINEMA CHOICEView All
AV Avenger
Home Cinema Choice

AV Avenger

You should think twice before accepting an invitation to play Resident Evil 4 with spatial audio in a haunted prison, warns Steve May

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2023
Catalogue classic Star Wars: Ep. VI - Return of the Jedi → Ultra HD Blu-ray, Disney
Home Cinema Choice

Catalogue classic Star Wars: Ep. VI - Return of the Jedi → Ultra HD Blu-ray, Disney

Forty years on from the movie's cinema release, Anton van Beek ponders what might have been if things had gone a little diff erently during the making of Return of the Jedi…

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2023
Feedback
Home Cinema Choice

Feedback

Got an axe to grind? Need to comment on current tech? Want to share your knowledge with our readers? Team HCC is here to help

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2023
M&K Sound V12
Home Cinema Choice

M&K Sound V12

TIME ON TEST: Three years REVIEWER: Steve Withers

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2023
Sony 'bar demands to be upgraded
Home Cinema Choice

Sony 'bar demands to be upgraded

This well-specified Dolby Atmos soundbar may have a mid-range price tag, but you'll soon want to spend more, cautions Steve May

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2023
Short and sweet
Home Cinema Choice

Short and sweet

Marantz's compact AV receiver returns with a new look and boosted features – Jamie Biesemans slips it into his AV rig

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2023
Discreet delivery
Home Cinema Choice

Discreet delivery

A slim, stylish Scandinavian on-wall system impresses Mark Craven with its handling of the sweet stuff

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2023
One project, two rooms
Home Cinema Choice

One project, two rooms

Dan Sait reports on a custom install where a JVC PJ/ Atmos system is joined by a stylish media den

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2023
THE KING OF B RDA HOLLYWOOD
Home Cinema Choice

THE KING OF B RDA HOLLYWOOD

Three of his movies have taken over $2billon at the global box office, he's pioneered SFX and 3D technologies, and he's been to the very bottom of the Pacific Ocean. That's James Cameron by the way, not Anton van Beek

time-read
10+ mins  |
May 2023
System selector!
Home Cinema Choice

System selector!

Given three similar budgets, Mark Craven, Steve May and John Archer assemble three different AV setups focused on movies, streaming and gaming

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2023