PS5 Makes Huge Improvement on One of PS4's Biggest Issues

The PS5 is releasing next week and when it does it will come with a desperately needed improvement on one of the PS4's biggest issues. One of the shortcomings of this console generation -- applicable to not just PS4, but Xbox One and Nintendo Switch as well -- is how long it takes to download games, which is an issue only exacerbated by insufficient download speeds that plague large swaths of the country. Of course, the Internet plays a role in download speeds, but so do the consoles themselves. And when it comes to slow download speeds, the PS4 is one of the greatest offenders.

Thankfully, on PS5, game download speeds are much faster. Of course, how much faster is dependent on a whole list of factors, but generally reviews and impressions are reporting download speeds are 5x to 10x faster. This not only means downloading smaller games with smaller install sizes will feel like an instantaneous process, but massive games with massive install sizes -- like Call of Duty, Red Dead Redemption, etc. -- won't take nearly as long.

How is this possible? Well, it largely comes down to the PS5's SSD, which, according to Sony, will not only drastically increase download speeds, but should allow for developers to shrink the download sizes of their games. Whether the latter will play out like Sony suggests, remains to be seen, but it would be great news for the millions that play games under the restrictions of a data cap.

The PS5 is set to debut on November 12 in North America, before releasing in other regions -- such as Europe -- on November 19. At launch, the console will cost $400 or $500, depending on the version.

"Now that hours upon hours have been spent with it, we can safely say that the actual experience of playing the PlayStation 5 is quite honestly a delight," reads the opening of our review of the console. "What I suspect will come to define the new generation of consoles, regardless of which one you're talking about, is relatively simple: beautiful graphics and seriously decreased load times."

For more coverage on the PS5 -- including all of the latest news pertaining to the next-gen console -- click here.