The techENT Download is back for another exciting week in tech! This week’s tech news round up has everything from dramatic reveals, painful hacks to sad cancellations!
This week we had the pleasure of speaking to Hasnul Hadi Samsudin of the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). You may recognise him from the many, many press appearances he’s done and also from our social media and around the internet.
Hasnul Hadi is currently the Vice President of the Digital Creative Content Division over at MDEC. He has spent nearly a decade advocating and championing the game development and creative industry in Malaysia. He and his team have been tirelessly working away behind the scenes pushing policies and connecting companies to build the creative industry. Aside from his dedication in making Malaysia a creative powerhouse in the Southeast Asian region, he’s also an avid gamer. He’s spent many hours honing his gaming skills behind a keyboard, on a controller and on-the-go!
In this episode, we sat down with Hasnul to speak about the recent unveiling of Sony’s upcoming gaming console, the Playstation 5and the growing Gaming and Creative industry in Malaysia. Hasnul shares with us his insights into the industry and shares how much the industry has grown over the years as well as some of the plans his team has for Malaysia’s LEVEL UP Gaming Conference which is still slated to happen this year!
It is hard to believe when we say that the Sony PlayStation 4 platform is already about 7 years old now. When it was launched, it was ‘The’ next generation console to get your hands on. It was supposedly less powerful than the Xbox at that time, but it came with a chock-full of exclusives that made the Xbox look boring.
In its 7 years of service, there has been some great games that was made on the PlayStation platform. Plenty of the titles that came even later in its life cycle was very respectable titles still. Games like Grand Theft Auto V that was launched about the same time the PlayStation 4 was launched gained high praises for its graphical prowess and gameplay. That still holds true even today. Then there is games like God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Last of Us. These games launched just a few years ago still held up to the standards of games today. These games are still regarded as some of the best games today even when you compare them to games you can play on PC.
Mind you, all these games that are filled with praises and great graphics are played on 7-year-old system. That is a testament to the prowess of the system itself in Full HD 1080p gaming. They’ve launched a specific model to accommodate the rising trend of 4K televisions though, the PlayStation 4 Pro with 4K Ultra HD capabilities but limited to 30fps. That is okay though because most TVs do not go over 75Hz in refresh rate. Still, pushing the original PS4 hardware to take on 4K gaming also adds some heat issues and a slightly different power regulation measures. The PS4 Pro handled that nicely and is still a benchmark in 4K gaming. Heck most PCs still maintain their gaming resolution to 2K. That is also to keep the refresh rate higher though at 120Hz at least to get 120fps.
Seven years on and it is time for the PlayStation 5. It is time for the next generation gaming console. It has also been teased since 2018 technically and we have seen renders of the PS5 floating around in the world wide web. None of them, in our hopes, was true renders though. PS5 finally revealed some things early on in the year and just about a month ago. They revealed that, like the Microsoft Xbox, the PS5 console platform will feature AMD’s latest chips with RDNA 2 and Ray Tracing. It is touted to be less powerful than the Xbox too, just slightly. They claim that the Sony PS5 is about 10x faster than the previous generation console thanks to the more powerful hardware and cleverer SSD storage management and usage. People from Epic Games claim that the PS5 console is more powerful than any current generation gaming PC with an Unreal Engine demo.
There was a lot of hype around it especially after Sony revealed the Dualsense controller. Mind you, we have already seen how the other competing gaming console looks like. The Microsoft offering is black and box; purposeful. The renders of the next-gen Sony console does not look promising with weird valleys in the design and huge bulges that is less than attractive. At least he controller looks good though. It looks bulkier with more ergonomics as a part of the design consideration. It looks more comfortable than before. It looks better than before too. It departs from the traditional Sony Dualshock design that became an icon of a controller in the gaming world.
With the console and controller mix too they promise an even more immersive gaming experience with not just ultra high-resolution and sharp graphics, and pulling horsepower; but also with immersive 3D audio even without purpose built audio systems. They are building that immersive audio into the Dualsense controller too. More than that, the trigger buttons on the PS5 are now adaptive to the games you play and its requirements. Now, we are more excited than ever to see the PS5 console itself. We hoped, we prayed that the new console does not look like anything that has been in the renders.
Source: Sony
Fast forward to way too early this morning and our prayers were answered with the reveal of the PS5. Thank the heavens, it does not look like anything the renders put out. Thank heavens, Sony was able to keep the project under wraps for such a long time. Thank heavens, they have lined up a bunch of exclusives to be released within the first year of the PS5 launch in the late 2020s to the early 2021s.
The Sony PS5 looks like nothing in this world. It looks more like a sculpture than anything else you can put your finger on. It is a far cry compared to the sharp, boxy slate design we are used to with the PS4. Instead, the sharp boxy design continues only with the Microsoft Xbox Series X, a boxy bin like structure that is more purposeful and stealthy. The PS5 is made so that you can really show off.
It comes in two variants too, a regular PS5 with a Blu-Ray disc insert for the usual Blu-Ray media that we are used to since the PS4. Then there is a curious PS5 with no disc tray. They call it the Digital Edition and that starts to make a little bit of sense since games are purchased online and digitally these days.
Source: Sony
Still, in its first launch phase, you are getting the first generation of Sony’s anticipated Dual-sense controller. There will be a Sony PS5 headphone to purchase as well. We assume that this is going to be fully optimised with Sony’s proprietary Tempest audio engine. There is also a Nintendo Wii-esque controller that we assume would be a VR or AR motion controller that you need to pair with a tracking camera which they are also selling together later on when the PS5 launches. There are no PS VR headset in sight just yet.
Back to how it looks. There are plenty of smooth curves on its body that is standing tall. The only sharp edges are the two plates on each side holding everything upright and in its place. Those plates reveals a black cutaway cross structure that holds the integrity of the PS5 and encases all the horsepower inside. There are plenty of ventilation holes revealed here too, presumably for cooling and airflow: important in something that holds as much power as a very high-end gaming PC in less space than a mini-ITX build. We wonder at its thermal performance and throttling now though.
Source: Sony
In a sense, this looks beautiful. This looks more like a show piece with its large white panels and distinctive, yet muscular curves and grooves. It looks powerful, yet elegant and modern. It looks like it belongs on your coffee table as a centerpiece more than in your TV shelf as a gaming device.
We still do not know how it will actually perform though. All we know so far are just numbers. From the demos, it is looking good too. The only issue is that we are not directly having our hands-on with it just yet, so it is difficult to say.
Still, like when they launched the PS4, they lined up very compelling titles out of the box within the first year of its release. We can expect even more than what they have already showcased too. Within the announcement itself, we are already excited to place our wallets on the counter for one PS5.
Source: Sony
First of all, the announcement starts with Grand Theft Auto V (GTA). Yes, it is an old game. As old as the PS4 itself. But Rockstar is not announcing any new GTA titles anytime soon and the best we will get at this time is GTA V. Rockstar and PlayStation announced that the title will be available for free to current GTA V players on the PS4 console. Players on PS4 console will also be getting 1 million in-game currency every month until the PS5 launches. Great deal? Great deal.
Then they continue with not just a handful of games to be released just for the PS5. It looks like they announced a whole year worth of games if you play them one by one. It is as though they are giving you a reason to buy the console at least to keep it for a year worth of binge gaming.
We have our highlights of course, and we are lovers of exclusive titles. One of the ones we are really excited about is Horizon: Forbidden West. We love the first title, and we are still playing it (we suck at games, please forgive us). The award-winning Spider-Man on PS4 is followed up with Spider-Man: Miles Morales too. Then, there is Grand Turismo 7 (we are also quite big on racing games). We are unexpectedly excited for Sackboy: A big Adventure, because we played Little Big Planet 3. Then there are titles like Resident Evil VIII: Village, and Hitman III. If those titles do not get you excited, we don’t know what will. Best of all, you can still play all your titles from the PS4 if you already have them, thanks to backward compatibility this time. They are still based on the Blu-Ray media system anyway. The list of PlayStation exclusive titles that will be launched within the first year of the PS5 release are listed below.
Exclusive Games 2020/2021 Release
Spider-man: Miles Morales
Grand Turismo 7
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Project Athia
Stray
Returnal
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Destruction: All Stars
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Goodbye Volcano High
Oddworld: Soulstorm
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Jett: The Far Shore
Godfall
Solar Ash
Hitman III
Astro Playroom
Little Devil Inside
NBA 2k21
Bugsnax
Demon’s Soul
Deathloop
Resident Evil VIII – VIllage
Pragmata
Horizon: Forbidden West
The Sony PlayStation 5 will be launched later in the year 2020. We are looking at the fourth quarter of the year for the highly anticipated console. We kind of know which console we will get our hands-on first with this reveal. Still, as per said by plenty of sources in Sony, we can expect prices to land somewhere near the US$ 500 mark, most likely more than that, but less than US$ 600 hopefully. We are keeping our eyes open, so stay tuned. What do you think of the Sony PlayStation 5 now that we have seen it? Which would you get? Comment below.
Sony has unveiled the final design for the upcoming PlayStation 5 controllers. The first thing to take note of: it’s not the DualShock 5. Sony is renaming its controllers to DualSense; and for good reason. The new controllers are pioneering new features we’ve not seen in any DualShock controller of the past. In fact, we may have not even seen them on any XBox or Nintendo controller to date.
The aesthetics of PlayStation controller of the past is also out the window with DualSense. The new DualSense controllers will now come with a two tone finish. A change that we are excited about. The new two tone finish puts a rather futuristic finish on what was once a drab single tone coloured design. However, we’ve seen Sony toy around with this idea in some of the later editions of the DualShock 4 controllers.
“DualSense marks a radical departure from our previous controller offerings and captures just how strongly we feel about making a generational leap with PS5. The new controller, along with the many innovative features in PS5, will be transformative for games – continuing our mission at PlayStation to push the boundaries of play, now and in the future. To the PlayStation community, I truly want to thank you for sharing this exciting journey with us as we head toward PS5’s launch in Holiday 2020. We look forward to sharing more information about PS5, including the console design, in the coming months.”
Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Of course, aesthetics aside, we know that Sony is focusing on the gamer experience when it comes to the PlayStation 5. In fact, the company explained, at length, the technology in the PS5 which includes a new focus on audio called Tempest 3D AudtioTech. The same considerations for immersive gaming came into play with designing the PS5’s DualSense controllers. The new controllers will be the first from Sony to feature haptic feedback. The adoption of haptic feedback technology will allow developers to enhance the gaming experience by increasing the level of detail when it comes to touch. Sony touts the grittiness of driving a car through mud as one of the examples.
In addition, Sony has also brought some change to the design of the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controllers. The L2 and R2 buttons will also have adaptive technology. Sony’s new adaptive triggers will allow developers to program finer details into the triggers. Resistance and perhaps multi stop functionality will probably come with the adaptive triggers. The angle of the triggers have also been adjusted for better ergonomics and to make space for the many components of the controller.
Sony has also replaced the Share button with a “Create” button. Sony claims that they are “…once again pioneering new ways for players to create epic gameplay content to share with the world..”. However, they didn’t elaborate on what they meant – yet. Sony has also included a built in mic array to make it easier for gamers to communicate. That said, the company said that the feature shouldn’t replace a proper gaming headset in the long term.
The new DualSense controller also features a redesign which takes the traditional DualShock design and throws it out the window. Gone are the rounded tops with conical protrusions. Instead, Sony has opted to go with a more boomerang like design that looks more ergonomic than previous designs. The company also reassures us that the controller is smaller than it looks. Another major change is the placement of the lightbar. Instead of being front and centre like the DualShock 4, the lightbar is now flanking the touchpad on either side. Smaller details such as the analogue control design has also been changed. According to PushSquare Sony has changed the analogue sticks to have a textured outer rim with a smoothed center section.
Overall, the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller builds upon the successful base of the DualShock 4. It also holds Sony’s intention of pushing “the boundaries of play” when it comes to their new console. The PS5 is set to launch later this year. To be specific – during Holiday 2020.
The war between gaming consoles are about to start again. It
is the new generation of consoles that are going to be involved in the fight. Microsoft’s
new Xbox Series X, and Sony’ brand new PlayStation 5 that was just about teased
last night (in Malaysia’s time).
We would elaborate specifically on the Microsoft Xbox Series
X, but they are not actually available officially in Malaysia. So, we would do
a hard pass on that and focus on the Sony PlayStation 5, which will be
available in Malaysia and most parts of the world. We are also PlayStation
users, currently on the PlayStation 4 Pro; needless to say, we are quite
excited about PlayStation 5 (PS5) launching at the end of 2020.
Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment
The announcement last night was called ‘The Road to PS5’. That
is Sony’s way of saying also that this is not technically an unveiling of the new
hardware, rather a glimpse of what we can expect the new hardware to pack. We
have seen renders here and there of the PS5, but there is no definite shape of
it just yet. Sony is doing a good job in keeping mums about it too. All we know
though; we can expect it to look quite different from Xbox’s boxy tower design
language.
Despite not talking about design, we can sort of understand
the challenges when it comes to designing a console. They’ve elaborated on the
main challenge of designing a gaming console with ultra-powerful processors too
– cooling and powering them. If you really think about it, this was also an
issue in the early days of the PS4. This issue is not even native to Sony’s console,
it is a concern for almost any powerful gaming rigs. We will get to cooling and
power supply a little later though.
For now, we get to the meat of this content – the specs of
the PS5. Here it is; It is packing a lot of power from a AMD Ryzen Zen 2 architecture
CPU. That AMD processor will come with 8 cores, 16 threads, and will clock at up
to 3.5GHz. Sony says that the processor will run at about 3.5GHz most of the
time by default. At this point you might start looking up at the Xbox and find
that the Xbox runs faster at 3.8GHz. They are running on the same CPU, so why
is the one on Xbox more powerful? All I can say for now is ‘power supply’ and ‘cooling’.
Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Then there is the GPU, the graphics processor. It clocks at up to 2.23GHz with 36 CUs and is based on AMD’s Radeon RDNA-2 engine. It is supposed to be able to have Ray Tracing Acceleration, and the combination is also supposed to process at 10.3 teraFLOPS. Wait a minute, that is not as powerful as the Xbox with the same RDNA-2 based engine with 52 CUs at 1.825GHz that can do 12 teraFLOPS.
You are absolutely correct in that comparison. From a
hardware standpoint then, the PS5 is quite shorthanded in the fight. They have
the shorter stick compared to the Xbox at this point. We can only speculate as
to why that is, and we are suspecting cooling and power supply to be an issue
too.
On the Sony PS5 you are also getting a larger RAM compared
to before, faster too. It is a 16GB DDR6 RAM that is said to be better
optimised to deliver better game experiences. GDDR6 is of course known for its
speed and the one on the PS5 can go at 448GBps. The PS5 also comes with an
upgraded 825GB drive. It is not a traditional HDD though, it is an SSD this
time that can read at up to 5.5GBps. Also smaller than Xbox’s 1TB SSD.
There is an upside to all these numbers though. For one, it is still a big leap from the PS4; heck even the PS4 Pro. All the hardware means that it can now easily support 120Hz 4K gaming, push itself on 8K TVs (if you can afford one), and they say that it is about 10x faster than the previous generation console. In that, we believe. It is also backward compatible with Sony’s previous PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro; what a delight.
Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment
There is more, if you can believe it. Where they skim down
in graphics and process handling, they put into something called “Tempest”. For
you Mass Effect fans, calm down. It is not the “Tempest” spaceship we see in Mass
Effect 4: Andromeda (not that great of a game, by the way). It is their latest
3D Audio processing chip; their AudioTech.
In its basic form, it is just another processor that is
lodged inside the PS5, making the new upcoming Sony gaming console effectively
a three-processor system. Its core design is very similar to that of a GPU. Within
the presentation though, Sony seems to give a very big emphasis on audio. They
say that while harnessing processing power for graphics is hard, processing an
audio can be quite complex too. That is the reason they are transforming a GPU
to an APU (Audio Processing Unit).
The idea of using “Tempest” is to create a 3D audio experience
on any platform. To be very fair, PlayStation users would be using the console
in almost all kinds of conditions. The most common would be plugging them to a
generic TV and rely on the TV speakers as their means of audio. There are those
who might spend a little bit more and buy headphones for their console. Then
there are those who has a theatre grade system with 3 or more speakers placed
around them. Sony recognises all of that and wants all of us to get the same
treatment and experience.
Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment
We have said before that audio is a very big part of any
gaming, or even movie watching experience. It is not just music. Sound designs
do play a big role in bringing us closer to the whatever intended experience
there may be. Sony knows this too, being one of the big players in high-end
audio. That is why the “Tempest” is born. They utilise something called Head Related
Transfer Function (HRTF) for audio reproduction. You can, of course Google that
term because it is a whole complex audio science in itself. All you need to know
is that the Sony PS5 is going to give you 3D audio wherever you go. We are thinking
of having an editorial specifically on sounds and sound engineering; do comment
and let us know if you are interested.
Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment
The presentation ends there though. There are no new renders on the hardware, nor even the controller. We sort of have an idea of how they might look like, but all of us could be wrong. Still, we are optimistic. The slightly less powerful hardware may make the Sony look a like a worse deal than the Xbox, especially when they are rumoured to be about the same price. Still, in Malaysia we are only going to be able to touch the Sony PS5 when they are launched. So we will see. Both are expected to launch sometime later in the year 2020. You can watch the whole announcement after the break.
