How can human beings create something so beautiful, I thought, as I looked down at what lay cradled in my hands.
‘You are mine at all costs; I will play with you everyday and you will have every last drop of my love’. With that, a single tear drop fell from my eye.
I was sat in bed watching the PlayStation reveal event on my iPad, and with the first glimpse of the stunning Gran Turismo 7, I fell in love, and knew I would have to buy the PS5.
The hour-long showcase from Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) was pre-recorded and streamed online – promising us ‘the future of gaming’.
Watching on laptops and smart devices, people of all ages, professions and social classes regressed in unison to a child-like state. I was overwhelmed with excitement. I wanted to be in a ball pit and had a sudden taste for chocolate ice cream.
What we were seeing was the future, and the future cannot come soon enough.
“With PlayStation 5, we are making a significant leap to deliver a truly new generation of transformative play experiences that will redefine expectations for what games can be,” said Jim Ryan, President and CEO of SIE.
“Worlds will be richer and more beautiful, they’ll captivate your senses in ways you didn’t think possible, and you’ll be able to experience them much more seamlessly, with lightning fast loading.”
The event focussed on what the PlayStation has always been known for – the games.
Where the Xbox has majored on backwards compatibility, multitasking and multiplayer gaming, and the Nintendo on providing a family-friendly gaming experience, the PlayStation has always been ‘for the players’.
We got first glimpse of first-party PlayStation Studios exclusives including: Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Insomniac Games), Gran Turismo 7 (Polyphony Digital), and Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games).
Reveals from third-party publishers included blockbuster franchises such as NBA 2K21 (2K, Visual Concepts) and Resident Evil™ Village (Capcom), as well as brand new console exclusives, such as DEATHLOOP™ (Bethesda) and Project Athia (Square Enix/Luminous Productions).
New titles from independent developers, such as Stray (Annapurna/ Blue Twelve Studio) and Bugsnax (Young Horses), demonstrated the diversity of content coming to the platform.
A surprising highlight for me was the return of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart from Insomniac Games. Not photorealistic like other titles given its cartoon-like design, but the hectic and feverish gameplay was enough to validate the unrelenting power of the console. If the footage of the third-person action shooter was typical of gameplay speed, with the characters moving seamlessly between vast and varied dimensions, we have much to be excited about.
It was also the first chance to see the console itself, which will of course, divide opinion. Like a TalkTalk wireless router housed in a white A4 ring binder, it did not scream something I’d necessarily want to display loud and proud in my living room.
But I thought similar of the PS4, and these days I strap that on top of my head and wear it to dinner parties.
There was also a slate of new PS5 accessories to behold including:
· PULSE 3D™ wireless headset – offering 3D audio support and dual noise-cancelling microphones;
· HD Camera – featuring dual 1080p lenses for gamers to broadcast themselves along with their epic gameplay moments;
· Media Remote – a remote control with built-in microphone to navigate movies and streaming services with ease; and
· DualSense™ Charging Station – for convenient charging of two DualSense™ Wireless Controllers.
We were left hanging on the cost of the console, rumoured to be in the region of £450. But having watched the reveal the cost was an irrelevance. I for one will throw my 99 with Flake to the floor and kick and scream until Mummy or Daddy buys it for me.
But let us take a few deep breaths, regain composure, and remember that some of the titles are likely to be cross platform, and many of the games featured will not be on sale at launch. Instead, we’ll have to wait until 2021 for the likes of Hitman 3, Resident Evil: Village, and Stray, and who knows what state the world will be in by then.
Your move Microsoft, whose event to showcase the Xbox Series X is set for July
