Should You Upgrade Your PS4 to PS5?

While there's fear that the PlayStation 5 will be delayed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, right now Sony has the PS5 scheduled in for a holiday 2020 release. At the moment, it's unclear how much the console will cost, but current speculation suggests it will come with a $500 USD price point. A couple months ago, $500 seemed like a completely reasonable asking price, but with so much economic uncertainty, half a grand all of a sudden feels a lot bigger. All of this begs the question: should you upgrade your PS4 to PS5? In other words, will it be worth it? The answer is yes, but probably not at launch unless you simply have $500 burning a hole in your pocket.

Given everything we know about the PlayStation console, it appears like it's going to be a great investment, just like the PS4 was. However, with half-step iterations lengthening console generations, there's no rush to buy the PS5, whether it releases this holiday season as planned, or early 2021.

Whether $400, $500, or $600, the PS5 is going to be pricey no matter what. Add an extra controller, a few games, and a new 4K TV to match the gaming setup, and all of sudden you're looking at a huge investment. For some, this investment will be worth it, but for others waiting may be the best thing to do.

PS5 PRICE:

As mentioned above, Sony hasn't disclosed a price point for the PS5, and it likely won't until early summer, or even later if the console gets delayed. The latest report about the PS5's price claims the console costs -- roughly -- $450 to manufacture. That said, this is the cost before packaging, shipping wholesale, and retailers taking their cut. In other words, $450 isn't the final cost of shipping the PS5, it's just the beginning. As a result, it's safe to assume the PS5 will cost $500, at least at launch. This may seem like a lot of money -- it is -- however, it's actually not that much more than the PS4's launch price ($400) when you factor in inflation. To see how much a $500 price point compares to previous PlayStation console prices, click here.

For now, we don't know how much the PS5 will cost, but it looks like it will be a similar price to previous PlayStation console, again when factoring in inflation.

LAUNCH GAMES:

Every week the list of "Every PS5 Game Confirmed So Far" grows. Most games in development for PS5 are also in development for multiple platforms. Meanwhile, for the first couple years of the PS5's lifespan, many games will be cross-gen releases. In other words, they will hit both PS5 and PS4. However, there will be plenty of games exclusive to PS5 at and around launch, such as Godfall. And of course, every game will also look and run better on PS5 when compared to PS4.

At the moment of publishing, the following new games have been confirmed for PS5:

• Godfall
• Quantum Error
• Gods & Monsters
• Gothic Remake
• Outriders
• Rainbow Six Quarantine
• The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
• Watch Dogs: Legion
• Dying Light 2
• Cyberpunk 2077
• WRC 9
• Lords of the Fallen 2
• MicroMan

As for PlayStation's first-party games, there's a plethora of rumors pointing towards a Silent Hill reboot, a new Ratchet & Clank, a remake of Demon's Souls, as well as Horizon: Zero Dawn 2, a reboot of SOCOM, and a new Gran Turismo. However, for now not only is it unclear if these games are in development, but whether or not they will be launch games.

PS5 SPECS VS. PS4 SPECS

As you would expect, the PS5 is substantially more powerful than the PS4, which is largely outdated at this point given that it launched back in 2013. This also extends to the PS4 Pro, though less so.

PS5 Specs:

• CPU - 8-core, 16 thread, up to 3.5Ghz (variable frequency)
• GPU - 36 CUs at 2.23GHz, 10.3 TFLOPs (variable frequency)
• Memory - 16GB GDDR6
• Internal Storage - Custom 825GB SSD
• External Storage - NVMe SSD slot, USB HDD
• Optical Drive - Ultra HD Blu-ray
• Video Output - 4K at 120Hz, 8K

PS4 Pro Specs:

• CPU - 8 Jaguar Cores, 2.1GHz
• GPU - 36 CUs at 911Mhz, 4.2 TFLOPS
• Memory - 8GB GDDR5
• Internal Storage - 1TB HDD
• External Storage - 2.5-inch HDD, USB HDD
• Optical Drive - Blu-ray
• Video Output - 4K

PS4 Specs:

• CPU 8 - Jaguar Cores, 1.6GHz
• GPU - 18 CUs at 800MHz, 1.84 TFLOPS
• Memory - 8GB GDDR5
• Internal Storage - 500GB, 1TB HDD
• External Storage - 2.5-inch HDD, USB HDD
• Optical Drive - Blu-ray
• Video Output - 1080p

The PS5 is simply more powerful. While the PS4 Pro does offer 4K gaming, you aren't going to experience the same bump in framerate as you will on PS5. Meanwhile, the biggest difference between the PS5 specs and the specs of the PS4 Pro and PS4 is the former's SSD, one of the biggest advancements in gaming technology in quite sometime. In short, the PS5's SSD will drastically reduce loading times, download times, and allow developers to do things not possible on PS4 Pro and PS4. There's a reason developers are calling the PS5 "one of the most revolutionary consoles ever designed."

BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY

According to Sony, the PS5 will play the "overwhelmingly majority" of PS4 games. Meanwhile, at the moment it has not clarified whether the console will be backward compatible with the PS3, PS2, and PS1, however rumors are suggesting it will be. On this front, the PS5 is a big improvement on the PS4, which is not backward compatible with any PlayStation console.

• Here's Everything We Know About the PlayStation 5's Backward Compatibility

DUALSENSE VS. DUALSHOCK 4

The PS5 controller doesn't just boast a new look, but new features that make it different and an improvement on the PS4 controller. The DualSense features both adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, two things the DualShock 4 doesn't. You can read about these features -- and more -- via the link below.

Right now, it's unclear how much the PS5 controller will cost and whether it will feel better to use than the PS4 controller. Unfortunately, we won't know this until we get our hands on one, but for the PS5, Sony isn't just updating the console, but the controller.

• 5 Features PS5's DualSense Has That PS4's DualShock 4 Doesn't

IS PS5 BETTER?

Is the PS5 better than PS4? Of course, it is. It's not just newer, but more powerful. Is the 2020 iPhone going to be better than 2013's iPhone 5s? Again, of course it is. If you sink a lot of hours into your PS4, then the PS5 is going to be a worthwhile investment. However, it's not going to be an investment that needs to be made up front. There's currently a slew of rumors claiming the PS5 is having serious overheating issues, and it remains to be seen how its lack of power compared to Xbox Series X will translate to playing games on the pair of consoles.

In short, there's no rush. There was no great reason to buy a PS4 at launch in 2013, and there's no great reason to cop a PS5 at launch. And with many games scheduled to be cross-gen releases, you can certainly squeeze a couple more years out of your PS4. You may miss a few PS5 exclusives, but you can always return to these later in the generation.

The PS5 is a notable improvement on the PS4, but it's not going to be a revolutionary experience you will have serious FOMO over.

For more coverage on the PS5 -- including recent news, rumors, and leaks -- be sure to peep all of our past and recent articles pertaining to the console by clicking right here.