By King_Shinobi, New Zealand gamer and streamer

The PS5 has been desperately sought after across the world, with stories of droughts, waiting lines, even organised crime involvement to get hands on the next gen console. But is it worth it? And which is better?

In some aspects of the following comparison I actually prefer the PS4 over the PS5; let me explain:

Firstly, I really loved that the PS4 allowed for themes and customised icons with the UI being very similar to that of its predecessors, making the transition easier between the consoles. The PS5, months later after installing it, still has a learning curve to navigate regarding the UI; it can be infuriating sometimes. Indeed, this would be my prominent frustration with the PS5; features made simple in the previous UI are now much more difficult to navigate through.

However, overwhelming, if obvious, positivse with the PS5 are the games and gaming features; crispy clean graphics, 60fps at 4k and 8k res with practically either no load times and more ‘hidden loading’ screens are finally here! We have been longing for this in console gaming for years. This also includes greatly improved load times for PS4 titles and PS5 upgraded titles (not to be confused with PS5 made titles). 

As an example of the mentioned “hidden loading screens” I’ll use the latest PS5 version of the title God of War”; running along the tree’s branches, known as “Travel between realms”, is more of a cover for the world or area that you are travelling to load. I discovered this when I went AFK after entering “the realm between realms”; upon stepping back in, I noticed that the doorway (that I normally run around the brunch to) was sitting right in front of me (felt slightly annoyed that all the times previously I thought I had to run to the damn door). A little frustrating as I only found out in the last stages of the game…

The controllers: I absolutely loved the previous PS controllers, and have enjoyed many an argument with PS users who complained about them, with some even switching to Xbox simply due to the controller being bigger and more comfortable. Now that the PS5 controller is here, I somewhat understand what they mean. While I could not agree with them previously (can’t stand the Xbox controller layout and shape even though I owned an Xbox and Xbox 360), there is now no way I would revert back to the previous PS controller (unless absolutely forced to). 

With intersectional gold, the haptic feed, adaptive triggers, size and weight of the PS5’s Controller makes gaming so much more immersive. In FPS’s like Far cry 6, Modern Warfare or Battlefield, the triggers give the feel of holding an actual gun, from struggling with the trigger of a tight and heavy 50cal Barrett M82 to the light squeezing off rounds of my M9. Even the heavy draw of a bowstring is felt through the triggers! The incredible feel of the accurate haptic feedback of the PS5 controller means I seriously don’t know what else I could personally ask for.

So in brief…I don’t know – find out for yourself and Game On!

PS4 Pros: 

Console: 

• Was the First console to allow Native Streaming to both YouTube and Twitch. 
• Had 4K resolution at 30fps. 
• Games are played at 1080p. 
• Has a changeable “Theme” for the UI in the main menu. 

Controller: 

• Highly customizable, you can have skins (game or movie) and accessories i.e. (battery packs). 
• Had implemented a touchpad on the controller. 
• Incorporated a share button. 

PS4 Cons: 

Console: 

• Games take a very long time to install.
• No backwards compatibility for older PS consoles (Even though promised). 
• Subscription Service required to play online with friends. 

Controller: 

• Analog Sticks tend to break down after a time i.e. rubber coating degrades, mechanisms get stuck which affects gameplay.  
• The lightbar can not be turned off, only dimmed. 
• Battery life drains quickly.

PS5 Pros: 

Console: 

• Improved load time; load screens removed for PS5 titles. 
• Exponentially improved load times for PS4 titles. 
• Upscaled to 8k Resolution at 60 fps. 
• Redesigned UI; very slick look. 
• Is built around SSD (Solid State Drives). 
• Expandable M2 storage. 
• Amazing 3D Audio. 

Controller: 

• Introduction of adaptive triggers for PS5 titles. 
• Much more accurate haptic feedback than its predecessor.  
• In-built mic and speaker. 
• Bigger size, more comfortable to hold (in my opinion). 

PS5 Cons: 

Console: 

• The console is very big, even more so than the original X-Box. 
• No “Themes” or “Customizable UI” for the main menu at this time. 
• UI is difficult to get used to for longtime PS users. 
• Extremely hard to acquire/buy due to drought, shortages and global pandemic.

Controller: 

• The battery is still lacking in longevity. 
• Still no dedicated pairing button. 
• Trigger and shoulder buttons seem to break down often. 
• There are reports of the controller (joystick) drifting (I have not experienced this).

Credit to @Bubblemilktee and @iBibliothecaXI for their assistance in this article.