PS5 Sales May Exceed 200 Million Units, As Per Japanese Analyst

ps5 dualsense

Even when things have gone very wrong for them like with the PS3 (especially in its early years), Sony have managed to enjoy incredible sales for their hardware in the console market. The PS5 looks set to be yet another success story for them, especially coming off of the massively successful PS4, but just how successful will it be in the long term.

According to Japanese analyst firm Rakuten Securities (via Takashi Mochizuki on Twitter), it might just be Sony's most successful console of all time. In a report published about the PS5, they predict that the console will probably go on to sell above 100 million units (which every PlayStation console with the exception of the PS3 has done), and might even exceed 200 million worldwide sales by the time all is said and done.

The report predicts that the console will sell 12 to 20 million by the time the current fiscal year is over (having raised its prediction from 10 million previously), and that the number might even exceed that if Sony manages to produce enough consoles to meet the demand.

This isn't the first time we've read reports about high estimates for the PS5's sales. A previous report by DigiTime suggested that the console would hit 120 million shipments in 5 years, and might get to as high as 170 million by the end of its life cycle. Read more on that through here.

The PS5 launches in select regions on November 12, and everywhere else in the world on November 19.

PS5 Patent Hints at Key Features in Overhauled UI

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Sony have said in the past that the PS5's user interface is going to be a 100% overhaul of the PS4's UI, but we're yet to actually see it for ourselves. That's bound to happen sooner rather than later, but before it does, a patent filed by Sony in March and published just a few days ago might give us some clues for what to expect from the console's new UI.

Discovered and surmized by a user over on ResetEra, the patent and some illustrations within it (which you can view below) hint at several new features. First off, there's panels for every game that give options such as restarting it, editing a party, jumping into specific in-game events and missions, and more. A dynamic UI that lets players directly boot into certain parts of a game from the console's home screen is something that has come up in reports previously.

There's also mentions of stats showing whether or not you've cleared a specific mission in a game, whether any of your friends have done so, and also potentially providing you with hints and tips on how to get past the hurdle- which, too, is something that has been described in previous patents.

Then there's other touches, like stat tracking (something else that's come up before), which can potentially show you your total play time. There's a dynamic background with particle effects, thumbnails for close friends that can be highlighted and augmented to show what they're currently doing, and more.

Various other PS5-related patents filed by Sony over the last few months have suggested at several user interface features that may or may not end up making it into the console, such as multi-screen viewing and a new news and content feed.

Recently, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan said that the PS5's UI would be revealed soon. With the console out in less than two months from now, presumably that reveal isn't too far away.

ps5 patent ui

ps5 patent ui

PS5 Images Show the Console's Massive Size

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With the exception of the Xbox Series S – which is supposed to be the smallest Xbox ever made – next-gen is going to be defined by beefy looking consoles. The PS5 and the Xbox Series X are both pretty large boxes, with the PS5 being marginally bigger. Sony have revealed the exact dimensions of their console, which demonstrate just how big it is- but sometimes you have to see it to believe it.

Images of the PS5 were recently published by the United States Federal Communications Commission (via Roberto Serrano on Twitter), giving the clearest illustration yet of how large we can expect the console to be. Simply put- it's pretty damn large. Take a look below.

As per Sony, the PS5's exact dimensions are 390 mm x 104 mm x 260 mm, weighing roughly 4.5 kg. Meanwhile, the PS5 Digital Edition is slightly smaller, with dimensions of 390 mm x 92 mm x 260 mm and a weight of 3.9 kg.

The PS5 launches in certain regions on November 12, and everywhere else on November 19. Pre-orders are live, but the process hasn't been the smoothest. Sony recently issued an apology for the same- read more on that through here.

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PS5 Promises "Faster and Smoother Frame Rates in Select PS4 and PS VR Games"

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The PS5 won't be running PS1, PS2, or PS3 games through backward compatibility, but as Sony have promised a number of times now, the vast majority (99%, as per PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan) of PS4 games will be playable on the upcoming next-gen console. And some of them will even run better on the PS5 than they natively did on the PS4.

Sony has mentioned a few times that the PS5's backward compatibility will allow some games to run at boosted frame rates thanks to system-level enhancements, and they're now touting that on the console's official web page as well. The page in question mentions that "select" PS4 and PlayStation VR titles will feature "faster and smoother frame rates" on the PS5. Take a look at the screencap below.

What "select games" entails in terms of quantity or which games will make the cut for this curated lineup remains to be seen, but it is a nice bonus to have for prospective owners of the PS5.

The PS5 will launch in some regions of the world on November 12, and everywhere else on November 19. Pre-orders are live now, but the situation has been a bit of a mess. Sony recently issued an apology for the same, while promising greater available through the end of the year- read more on that through here.

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Microsoft Will Reportedly Penalize Retailers Who Break Xbox Series X / Series S Pre-order Embargoes

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With the release dates of the next gen Xbox consoles and PS5 now set in stone, pre-order periods for the machines are here. PS5 pre-orders went live last week with little to no notice, leading to a situation that was, to put it mildly, horrible mismanaged by Sony and retailers alike (following which Sony even issued an apology).

Microsoft, however, seem to be adamant to avoid a similar situation. After having confirmed at the beginning of the month that Xbox Series X and Series S pre-orders would go live on September 22, they recently gave the exact details on pre-order timings and retailers per various regions. In fact, it also seems like they may have measures in place to ensure that retailers don't pull the trigger early like they did with the PS5.

According to Geoff Keighley on Twitter, Microsoft will be penalizing retailers who break pre-order embargoes for the Xbox Series X and Series S and open them up before they're supposed to. They'll be doing so be lower the allocations of both consoles to said retailers. Given Keighley's place in the industry, this is pretty reliable information as well. Here's hoping Xbox pre-orders go smoothly when they go live in a couple of days.

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will both be releasing worldwide on November 10.

Sony Apologizes for PS5 Pre-order Mess, Promises Greater Availability Through the End of the Year

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The PS5 pre-order situation has been a bit of a hot mess. After previously promising that they would give fans ample notice before pre-orders went live, Sony did the exact opposite, giving only a day's worth of warning to prospective buyers before doing so. On top of that, retailers went rogue and opened up pre-orders earlier than they were supposed to. All of that, combined with the fact that the console seemingly has limited stock at launch, meant that a lot of people who had every intention of getting the console on day one simply couldn't do so.

Surprisingly, Sony has very openly acknowledged its mistakes. Recently taking to Twitter via the official PlayStation page, Sony apologized for its poor communication and mismanagement, promising that more PS5 consoles will be made available for pre-orders over the coming days. Sony also stated that more PS5s "well be available through the end of the year."

It remains to be seen just how effectively Sony will manage this situation going forward, but they have said in the past that they plan on producing a lot of PS5 units at launch– so hopefully, things will go smoothly from here on out.

Meanwhile, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will be available for pre-orders starting September 22. Microsoft's messaging and communication has been refreshingly clear, with exact pre-order timings having been revealed- read more on that through here.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales Pre-Order Bonuses Include Two Suits and a Gadget

marvel's spider-man miles morales

Pre-orders for PS5 are live now (even though the whole thing has been a bit of a dumpster fire), and alongside that, so, too, are pre-orders for the console's launch titles. One of those is Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and if you're wondering what the pre-order bonuses for the game are, those have now been revealed.

An image was recently uploaded to the game's page on the official PlayStation site, and though it has since been taken down, a user on Reddit managed to snag it (you can take a look at it below). That and descriptions of the bonuses on the game's Target listing detail what pre-order bonuses you can expect.

Those who pre-order the game will get early access to two suits and a gadget (which will presumably also be unlockable through gameplay for everyone else). There's the T.R.A.C.K. Suit (or Time Response Activated Circuit Kinetic), which comes with the Untrackable Suit Mod, which will presumably have something to do with Miles' invisibility powers.

The second suit is a mystery for now, and Sony will likely reveal the details early on. Meanwhile, the pre-order gadget is the Gravity Well, which can be used to "pull enemies together to knock them down and disarm them."

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales will launch for the PS5 and PS4 on November 12. The game's PS5 file size was recently revealed- read more on that through here.

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Cyberpunk 2077's Main Story is "Slightly Shorter" Than The Witcher 3

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If Cyberpunk 2077's world and setting are as immersive and well-built as CD Projekt RED have been touting, and certainly as they seem in all that we've seen of the game so far, it's going to be a game that players are going to want to spend dozens upon dozens of hours in. But every good game must know not to overstay its welcome, and from pacing to even something as simple as how many players choose to stick around until the end, having a perfectly sized campaign can be crucial.

That's something that CDPR seem to be keeping in mind for Cyberpunk 2077. Speaking in the post-show segment of the recent episode of Night City Wire, the game's senior quest designer Patrick K. Mills said that Cyberpunk 2077's main story is going to be slightly shorter than the developer's previous game, The Witcher 3. This, Mills said, was done in response to criticism of The Witcher 3's long runtime, which resulted in a lot of players never getting to the story's ending.

"We do know that the main story run in Cyberpunk 2077 is slightly shorter than The Witcher 3 because we got a lot of complaints about Witcher 3's main story just being too long," Mills said. "Looking at the metrics, you see tremendous numbers of people played through that game really far, but never made it to the end. We want you to see the full story, so we did shorten the main story, but we have lots to do. And in terms of a completionist campaign, I just don't have that number."

With a main story that easily lasts between 50-60 hours, The Witcher 3 was by no means a short game, while if you decided to engage with its bevy of optional content, that number could easily go up to over 100 – or even over 150 – hours. More content in a game is always nice to have, of course, but it's good to know that Cyberpunk 2077 is looking to pace its main story better.

Cyberpunk 2077 is out on November 19 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and will also be playable on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PS5 (with some enhancements) on day one. A dedicated next-gen version will be releasing next year, while a Stadia release is also planned for later this year.

You can check out the recently revealed (and surprisingly modest) PC requirements of the game through here.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon's Souls PS5 File Sizes Revealed

marvel's spider-man miles morales

Sony has a pretty solid first party launch lineup ready to go for the PS5's upcoming launch, and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon's Souls are definitely the two biggest games that will be available for the system on day one. One thing that many have been concerned about with next-gen games is their sizes, which seem to be getting larger and larger progressively- and those two aforementioned titles are also going to have pretty hefty file sizes, as revealed on the individual pages for the games on the official PlayStation website.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales will require 50 GB of free storage space on your console's 825 GB SSD. Meanwhile, if you purchase the game's Ultimate Edition, which also includes a remaster of the original Marvel's Spider-Man, that requirement will go up to a whopping 105 GB. The Demon's Souls remake, meanwhile, it also a rather heavy game, and will require 66 GB of free storage space.

Both games will be releasing on November 12. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales will also be available on PS4. Meanwhile, after some confusion, Sony recently confirmed that Demon's Souls is a PS5 exclusive.

Marvel's Avengers Guide – All Chest Locations

marvel's avengers

Chests are present in almost every single mission and location of Marvel's Avengers. While not every chest will give you the very best gear (especially in late-game), it's still worth opening them in the initial playthrough. Let's take a look at all possible chest locations for each mission.

Getting the best possible Exotics and Legendaries in the game, along with hitting that coveted 150 Power level cap, will take some more time. Head here for tips on how to effectively farm the best gear and increase your Power. If you're still trying to max out all heroes, then head here for details on speeding up the process.