Yesterday Sony finally showed off the design of the PlayStation 5 and all I could think upon seeing it was that it looks nothing like the developer systems which everyone seemed to think the actual hardware would resemble.
In two entries I covered this subject. In January I wrote “No, the PlayStation 5 is not going to look like this” where I explained via very straightforward logic, just why the system would not look anything like the development kits. The reasons were simple; it didn’t match the style Sony tends to go with in their consumer products, previous consoles almost never resembled any early development system, and the design was, quite simply, obviously terrible for a consumer product these days. Nothing about it would work in a home, and it clearly to me at least was nothing more than a development system. The real hardware would be something else.
At the time I figured it would be black and curvy, to contrast the PlayStation 4 design but still be “familiar.” I was only partially correct, and in April when Sony showed off the new controller for the system I got all the info I needed on the design style of the PlayStation 5 – curves certainly were in, but a black core with a white panel design was obviously where the system was going and yesterday my ideas were confirmed.
To quote my exact article titled “What The PlayStation 5 Controller Design Can Tell Us About The PlayStation 5 Console Design:
First things first, the color scheme — this white paneling on black base may well be the color scheme of the system as well. I’m imagining the core of the system being black, as it always have been, but the top and bottom panels being white, looking like they “float” over the dark core. Somewhat like the white 1215A model PlayStation 4’s, but with the black core more obvious. Honestly, as odd as I think the controller looks, I think this black on white design may look good, so long as the overall “feel” of the console is done properly.
Secondly, the curves. Much as the PlayStation 4 was angular, and its controller had a set of straight lines and a certain type of functional, rounded curve only where necessary, the PlayStation 5 controller and its more broad, constant set of curves may imply a more rounded design to the PlayStation 5 hardware. I still think it will likely be “flat” as far as the top and bottom go, but I’m imagining more sloping curves for the white panels more than the harsh angles that the various PlayStation 4 models have all had.
When you think of these two traits, something interesting happens — neither of these points exclude the “dev kit” design from being what the system winds up looking like. I still stand by my original entry that the system won’t look like that for the reasons stated in that article. Instead, I feel the system will follows a more curved variant of the later PS4 “slim” and PS4 Pro design, fitting with the above two points — curves instead of straight lines dominating, and a “white panel on black core” color scheme.
While I was a bit off on some of this, namely the “flatness” of the system, when you look at my description and turn the PS5 on its side – like how a PS4 typically sits as opposed to being “vertical” as shown in most pictures, you can see clearly that I was still very accurate and, most importantly, that the system in no way, shape, or form wound up resembling the developer kits.
I was right, and the reason I was right was because I simply thought about the proposition logically, instead of falling in to the typical hype mess that pollutes gaming. I took simple knowledge I’d gained over the years by paying attention to the trends and patterns of these companies, how designs have shifted over the years in a predictable ebb and flow, and especially once given the controller design as a basis to form an opinion on, clearly was very close. One could argue not exact which is silly – anyone expecting me to get it perfect would be asking for the impossible – but I could easily counter with “I was still far more accurate than anyone touting the dev kit design as the actual hardware appearance.”
The cute thing is, as with the PlayStation 5 Backwards Compatibility rumors I had someone want to argue with me about this as well.
I’ll be waiting for your apology, Mr. “Rhino Shark Studios” because guess what? I was right, you were wrong, and you wanted to make it into a big deal. One can follow the thread and see him double down and eventually deviate the conversation (as always happens.) Ah well, again, I was proven correct. Go me.
Really though, my gloating on this isn’t about me being right — it’s about the thought process I use to sift between rumors, hype, and lies, one that eventually results in me usually forming a pretty accurate prediction of the reality of something, being vindicated time and time again as a methodology which results in the most accurate prediction of trends in a hobby I once really enjoyed – Gaming.
To me all that matters are facts – I don’t care what you think something will look like, do, or be — I only care what it actually is and until that time any uneducated speculation is a waste of effort that can be spent doing literally anything else.
More to come, as always.