Francis ParcoOn this day in 2020, the PlayStation 5 debuted to start the latest generation of PlayStation gaming. Only two days following the November 10 launch of Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S consoles, the PS5 launch also came at a time when the world was plunged into the first months of arguably the worst global pandemic since the Spanish Flu of 1918. So much has happened during the past five years, and this anniversary is a good point to start looking back at the the PlayStation 5 during the past five years…
Next Gen Around The Corner
Already at the beginning of 2020 (some 2 1/12 months before the COVID-19 pandemic) Sony started gearing everyone up for the coming of the PlayStation 4’s successor. But this start didn’t happen with particularly exciting news. What I mean by this is, one of Sony’s first steps of the year in the road to PS5 was to reveal the PS5 logo (as reported by Business Insider). Sony’s Jim Ryan made the logo reveal at the annual CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas… and again, not the most exciting news. Just like the PS3 and PS4 logos, the new PS5 logo just used the same font and placed a new number.
However what was more exciting news is that a few months later in April, Sony revealed the new PlayStation 5 controller. It’s the DualShock 5… right? Well, not quite. While Sony’s had the DualShock line of controllers since the PS1 days, they went in a different direction with the next gen controller: the DualSense.
A slew of major improvements were made in following up from the PS4’s DualShock 4 controller, ranging from a built-in microphone, 3D Audio for greater immersion, repositioned controller lights around the touchpad, and haptic feedback in the L2 and R2 triggers, especially useful in giving players the sensation of feeling the tension of a bow for example. Plus, unlike the standard black color that the consoles and the controllers have been using since the PlayStation 2 and the DualShock 2, the DualSense controller switched the color situation up by choosing white as the new standard color.
Console Design Reveal
Fast Forward to Summer 2020 and the much awaited reveal of the PlayStation 5 console design. This reveal would come as part of a showcase for the console including several of its launch games and others to follow… though the showcase would get delayed by a week from its original June 4 date. After the upcoming games were revealed, the showcase hit the finale everyone’s been clamoring for during the past several months: the console reveal.
I still remember that moment when I reacted to the reveal. The visuals of multitudes of tiny spheres/orbs forming together. The music accompanying the reveal. Just like the controller, the console sported the new standard white color, and the blue led lights acting as accent lighting. The console was stood vertically by a stand (which could be repositioned for horizontal console placement), as well as the PS5 being Sony’s largest ever console by vertical height (stand included). Additionally, new accessories were also revealed, as well as a Digital Edition model that obits a built-in Blu-Ray disc drive. The price(s) of the PS5 would be a later announcement, though. But otherwise, PlayStation was getting more primed for next-gen alongside Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S consoles as its respective next offering (which was already revealed at the end of 2019, by the way).
PS5 Launch Games
Fast forward some more to Thursday November 12, 2020, and the PlayStation 5 finally launched (just two days after the Xbox Series X|S). The console leapt out the gate with an impressive list of launch games… which Push Square has compiled. Since there’s too many to list at once, here’s a look at some of these PS5 launch titles…
Astro’s Playroom – It’s the fourth game in its series developed by Team Asobi. Serving as a tech demo for the PS5’s hardware and controller, the game takes place inside of the console, with levels themed not only after past PlayStation consoles, but also themed after certain aspects of the PS5 hardware including the super-fast SSD and the graphics/cooling system. Best part of the game… it’s completely FREE and PRE-INSTALLED with every PS5 console, whether Standard or Digital Edition. Look back at our review here.
Bugsnax – A quirky PS5 launch title. Perhaps an oversimplification, but the basic gist of the game is catching bugs. It’s kinda like Pokémon in terms of the premise, but not like Pokémon at the same time.
Fortnite: What else is to say about this online game by Epic Games, most known for its Battle Royale mode? It’s Fortnite. It’s still popular after more than eight years after launch (or over three years by the time of the ninth console generation). Fortnite kids are still around, still eating up countless collabs from Star Wars and Marvel to DC.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – Oh yeah, NYC’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has returned two years after his hit PS4 title. But hold up… Peter Parker is not in the limelight either. It’s the holidays in NYC and the new Spider-Man (Miles Morales) is holding down the fort at the Big Apple while Pete’s away for business.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered – The 2018 Marvel gaming hit received a graphical improvement for the PS5. It was released as part of the Ultimate Edition of Mile’s solo adventure.
Five Years Of The PS5
With the pandemic bringing so much economic hardships worldwide, these hardships still extended to gaming. With semiconductor shortages plaguing consumer tech from cars to game consoles since the pandemic, it took roughly 2-3 years for the PS5 and its Xbox competitor to get their supply issues stabilized. During the first few years, both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X/S were hit hard by scalpers. So much so that so many regular consumers either had to pay exorbitant amounts of money or just be lucky to snatch one before the scalpers do (via the BBC). It also took me until around mid November 2022 to finally get my PS5 console without paying scalpers.
Even after the pandemic ended and the semiconductor shortages were over with, major developments still hit the PS5, especially from 2023 to present. During Fall 2023, Sony revealed their latest iteration of the console: the PS5 Slim. The new model made some aesthetic improvements from the original… reducing the weight and height, increasing the standard SSD storage to 1TB, and including tiny legs to stand the console horizontally. IMO, the PS5 Slim could’ve used some kind of kickstand instead… perhaps, built-in. A separate new vertical stand is sold for $30, as opposed to the original PS5 that included a vertical/horizontal stand in the box.
The new PS5 model also sports an optional detachable disc drive for $80. However, Sony has never provided any potential fixes to address reports that the detachable disc drive requires an internet connection for the pairing (according to VGC). This is potentially problematic down the line if/when internet servers for pairing the disc drive go offline, particularly when the PS5 gets eventually discontinued one day. Why couldn’t the detachable disc drive just pair regularly… or at the very least, require something like Bluetooth for the paring/verification? Is the internet requirement secretly an excuse to hasten the obsolescence of physical media?
Shortly after the PS5 Slim launched, Sony also launched a handheld device for the console, called the PlayStation Portal Remote Player. This offering gives gamers a device to stream PS5 games away from the TV screen, provided you have fast and stable enough internet signal.
Heading into another year, the PS5 launched the PS5 Pro model on November 7, 2024 barely a year ago. While aesthetically similar to the PS5 Slim (aside from extra grills on the side), the Pro offered enhanced graphical capabilities that aims to play games at 4K and at a higher framerate. But unlike the Slim, the PS5 Pro is now roughly the same height as the original launch PS5 design.
December 2024 also marked the 30th anniversary for the brand (in Japan) while September 2025 was the 30th anniversary in North America and later on, Europe. Even Team Asobi released the Astro’s Playroom sequel Astro Bot in September 2024 ahead of the 30th Anniversary.
Despite the pandemic era being well over, Sony still hit the console with price hikes. The first major price increase took place back in 2022 for multiple regions except for the USA, citing inflation and other global economic factors. Sony went at it again with the price hikes in August 2025. With the new prices ranging between $499.99 to $749.99 depending on model, the PS5 five years later is at the same price range as back at launch, if not even more expensive than at launch. This time, the USA gets hit with the price hike.
The Future?
As of now, early speculations have been brought up for a PlayStation 6. The waters are muddy at the moment, with speculations of PS6 seeing the light of day as far down as sometime in 2027. The gaming waters are also muddy when considering how the console landscape might be like by then. Despite Microsoft buying Activision-Blizzard in October 2023, which included the former PlayStation mascots Crash Bandicoot and Spyro The Dragon being picked up, Microsoft has ended up doing something of a swap. Just this year, three iconic Xbox exclusives: Forza Horizon, Gears of War, and Halo, have been (or are being) ported over to PS5… with the latter only being announced recently for release sometime next year.
Will PlayStation still have a main Microsoft competitor in the 10th console generation? Would a successor to the Xbox Series even be a conventional console? Will PlayStation exclusives end up going to Xbox/Nintendo in the coming years? As boring of a line that this is, the saying is still true: only time will tell. Time will also tell how the PS5 will continue to be like in the next year or two years, with the current economic conditions and all.
What do you think? Do you have any favorite (or least favorite) PlayStation 5 moments from the past five years? Let us know below!