With the PS5 now out in the wild, it's easy to forget what the roller coaster of 2020 has been for Sony. With a pandemic impacting the economy and disrupting supply chains, this isn't the most ideal year to usher in a next-gen console. But despite stockouts, delays to blockbuster games, a lack of in-person events, and a completely unpredictable reveal roadmap, Sony has managed to launch one of the most popular products in the world. 'year. Demand for the PS5 is still at its peak, two months after its release, and Sony continues to fight to get its next-gen console into the hands of more closed-off consumers as we head into the end of the year. While the road to the PS5 hasn't been easy, it seems like Sony took advantage of an unprecedented situation. So after a year for the history books, we're taking a look back at the 2020 PlayStation blockbuster, including the highs, the lows, and the sometimes outright divisor.
A deep dive
![]()
(Image credit: Sony) The start of 2020 has been pretty quiet when it comes to what's new on PS5. As PlayStation fans around the world clamor for information about the next console, Sony appeased the hungry crowds with a simple image of the PS5 logo, which ultimately became everyone's most beloved gaming post on Instagram. time, and it has done wonders in stoking fires. anticipation. It wasn't until two months later, in March 2020, that Sony hosted its first PS5 event of 2020, which ended up being quite intense and confusing. In front of an audience that may or may not have even existed, lead system architect Mark Cerny discussed the granular details of the PlayStation 5. While this isn't quite the PS5 presentation we were hoping for, and it was a bit dry at times ( there were lots of images of ears), this is where we learned that its SSD will "blink and you'll miss it", and that "almost all" of the PS4 library would be available thanks to backwards compatibility at launch. It's safe to say those promises have come true: Demon's Souls' nexus loading screens are virtually non-existent. After Cerny's deep dive, we're again looking forward to the next store announcement, which will hopefully finally give us a sneak peek at some PS5 games. But, while we waited for the next generation, there were plenty of great PS4 games to keep us afloat. Later in March, Persona 5 Royal refined one of the best RPGs on PS4 before Square Enix delivered another exclusive blockbuster in April with Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Back in April, we wanted more details on the new "super-fast" PlayStation. At this point, while we knew the kind of performance to expect from the PS5, we didn't even know what the console would look like, and we still wouldn't be for a few months. Sony finally revealed the PS5 DualSense controller in a blog post back in April, giving us our first look at the PS5's two-tone black and white color scheme and its potentially futuristic look. But it also raised Sony's ambitions, with the company touting the gamepad's haptics and ergonomics, suggesting an immersive future for the platform.
A divider design
![PS5]()
(Image credit: Sony) As the pandemic raged, Sony was forced to indefinitely delay its biggest game of the first half of the year, The Last of Us 2, which slipped from February to May and finally released. on June 19 in the sequel to an unfortunate barrage of pre-release story. spoilers that have set the internet on fire. Spoilers aside, critics and fans alike have been raving about the game and its complex characters, so much so that it recently won Game of the Year at the Game Awards 2020. With The Last of Us 2 out of the way, Sony began building out its PlayStation 5 marketing machine with its Future of Gaming conference in June. The June conference finally gave us our long-awaited first look at PS5 games, with Gran Turismo, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Horizon Forbidden West. We also got our first glimpses of Bluepoint's Demon's Souls and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, though it's unclear if either of these titles will be PS5 exclusives or available on other platforms. . What surprised during this showcase was the reveal of the PS5 design. The console's futuristic two-tone black and white look was a major departure from its predecessors and split gamers down the middle when it comes to the PS5's mothership panels and bulky stature. Keep in mind that small details like the engraved PlayStation badge quickly went viral. Even on the TechRadar team, there were those who loved the design and those who hated it. Sony also revealed that there will be not one, but two PS5 consoles at launch: the Standard Edition and a discless PS5 Digital Edition. However, the prices of both consoles (and when the pre-orders would go live) remained a mystery.
The future of virtual reality and the PlayStation on PC
![Iron Man VR]()
(Image credit: Camouflaj/Sony) In the fever of PS5 speculation and news, Sony released Ghost of Tsushima exclusively for PS4 in July, providing a serene answer to Ubisoft's open-world fatigue. Between blockbuster releases like this and the future of PS5 games, it's easy to forget that there was a VR-focused State of Gaming, back in August, too, but it's been a bit buzzed ever since. gap given that Sony "will they won't" approach a potential PSVR 2 on PS5. Iron Man VR, released in July, was a pretty good statement of intent, but while we're still waiting for an official word on Sony's next-gen VR plans, that doesn't seem like a priority for PlayStation at the moment. This period also saw the port of PlayStation exclusives to PC, for the first time, with Death Stranding making the jump in July and Horizon Zero Dawn in August. The elusive Bloodborne PC port is getting closer and closer…
September fever
![Sala de juegos Astro]()
(Image credit: Sony) September was the last big marketing push for the PlayStation 5, as Sony hosted another conference, revealing the news that the console would launch on November 12 for some regions and November 19 for the rest of the world. The company also (finally) revealed the pricing of its two consoles after a months-long game of chickens with Microsoft: €499.99 / £449.99 / AU$749.95 for the standard edition and €399.99 / £359.99 / AU$599.95 for the digital edition. . But with its divisive design and lack of a subscription service, tech spec comparisons gave Xbox a granular advantage on this point. Still, Sony seemed to be dominating the discussion with its launch lineup and slate of future exclusives. A closer look at launch titles like the inimitable Astro's Playroom and Sackboy: A Big Adventure yielded plenty for early adopters, as did confirmation of a new Final Fantasy exclusive game, which was also announced during the September issue. . Demon's Souls gameplay and a little sneak peek at God of War: Ragnarok wrapped things up with pre-orders going live unexpectedly soon after, ushering in The Great PS5 Scramble Of September 2020. Many have. burned, but some were glad that the stock was gone almost instantly, months before the November release. Scalping has become, and continues to be, a hot topic among the hordes of PS5 lurking around as Sony desperately tries to update its offering of new consoles. With the main details revealed, back in October we took a good look at the PlayStation 5 UI, which turned out to be an important part of the package. Sony explained how gamers can use the new Control Center to explore in-game content, removing glare through the discreet overlay. The icing on the cake? Those stuck with the aforementioned content could use the gameplay guides available through PlayStation Plus to train them through puzzles and grab those trophies.
The last push
![Ventas récord de acciones de PS5]()
(Image credit: Sony) By the time November 12 rolled around, Sony had all its ducks in a row ready for a successful (first) PS5 launch. Warehouses full of next-gen consoles as those who ran out of pre-orders prepared to gain another boost by grabbing a PS5 on launch day, though many were again disappointed as stock again flew off the shelves as scalpers ran. Despite the stockouts, the PS5 had a record launch, selling between 2,1 and 2,5 million units worldwide in its two-day launch (according to VGChartz estimates). But was the PS5 everything we hoped for? Here at TechRadar, we've been (and still are) very impressed with Sony's next-gen console. In our official PS5 review we said: “The PS5 is a great console that offers a compelling next-gen gaming experience, and one that will only get better as more titles are added to the lineup. The PS5 is powerful and well designed. A few small issues keep it from being a five-star product at launch, but otherwise it's a welcome upgrade for the PS4 and an exciting portal to next-gen gameplay. As we wrap up 2020 and look ahead to 2021, we're excited to see what Sony has in store for the PS5. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Gran Turismo, Deathloop, and Horizon: Forbidden Dawn are all on the way in the next 12 months, but we're sure Sony will have more surprises up their sleeves next year. Today's best Sony PlayStation 5 deals Sony VR 5-game bundle with ...