We got our hands on a PS5 in India.
The console has an India price but not an official launch date.
You can purchase one for an exorbitant amount in the grey market.
Sony’s PS5 is one of the hottest and most anticipated pieces of hardware in 2020 and rightfully so. The console launched in the US on November 12 and on November 19, 2020, in some other countries. While India doesn’t have a release date, it does have an official price for the console. Those interested can pick up one from the grey market. We managed to get our hands on one and you can check out our unboxing here. Below are our impressions of the console, along with the answers to some common questions if you are purchasing or importing the console in India before its official launch.
The PS5 is huge and unwieldy and will occupy a lot of vertical space
First of all, yes, if you purchase the console from abroad, it works in India. No need to make any alteration to the power supply like the OG Xbox One. By now I’m sure you have seen enough product photos and videos showing the consoles huge size. But you actually need to see it in person. Sitting below my TV right next to the Series X, this is how it looks.
Needless to say, you will need to make some serious space for it. Till now, I have always loved PlayStation designs, yes, even the fat PS3. But with the PS5, I have mixed feelings. The glossy black in the middle of the 2 white plates is a fingerprint and dust magnet. Needless to say, you’ll be cleaning this a lot. The white plates on either side of the consoles aren’t exactly 'white' in colour. They are off-white or rather an egg white colour. They won't get dirty as fast as regular white but it's only something we will know in time.
The console is quite wobbly when placed horizontally but vertically it stands tall like the tower of Mordor. It's only at night that the white LED when gaming, blue when powering on and red when in rest mode makes the console look futuristic and classy. It’s obvious the console was designed to sit vertically but I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people don't have space to keep it this way. Needless to say, gamers with an entertainment setup will have to rethink their entertainment layout.
Comparatively, I prefer the cube-like design of the Xbox Series X. It's more functional, minimalist and blends into my entertainment centre. But the PS5 will definitely draw eyes. Lastly, the plastic base stand feels cheap. There’s no other way of saying it. But once installed, you can forget about it and get on to gaming.
The DualSense is the real game-changer, apart from the SSD
The statement says it all. Yes, the DualSense is more like the Xbox Series X controller in form factor than it ever was. However, in function, the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback are the real game-changers. It’s also the fact that audio from the speakers enhances that experience. The preloaded game on the console, Astro’s Playroom is designed to give you an in-depth look at the features of the new controller.
From drawing a bow to walking on metal, running in the rain and a hail storm and even walking on ice and shooting a gun. Each act has a unique feel to it and the accompanying sound adds to the immersion. The haptics in the controller vibrate at different intensities to make each surface you walk on feel different. The triggers have different resistance for the bow and arrow, for the gun and also for the monkey suit you find in the game. The feeling is incredible and one I can't wait to experience on games that exploit it fully.
However, it does seem to drain the battery. In 4-5 hours of playing Astro's Playroom, I lost about 50% battery. This means, just like the PS4, you will need to charge the controller regularly between play sessions.
The only concern I have is with the longevity of the controller and the mechanism controlling the Adaptive Triggers. This concern is one only time will address.
Speaking of the design of the controller, the slight plastic border between the shoulder buttons and triggers is no longer there. This is a small thing but adds to the comfort of moving from the shoulder buttons to the triggers. The face buttons also feel slightly more spaced out and are easy to reach. The chunkiness of the controller does give it a good grip. It feels a lot more premium than the Series X controller but not as premium as the Elite controller from Xbox.
The UI is beautiful and fluid with the right changes and some learning
Unlike the Xbox Series X, which wants to keep the UI familiar, the PS5 has redesigned the UI and it is snappy, fluid and looks stunning if you have the TV to show it off. Game art fills the screen when you navigate and everything feels snappy. This means there are no themes for the console, in case that’s something you liked changing now and then. Navigating the UI can take some getting used to especially for settings and your game library, but it's a small learning curve.
You can set an external hard drive as the default location for PS4 games and PS4 to PS5 upgrades (where applicable) appear in the game’s hub. Overall, the UI is a move in the right direction. All the other features, like pressing the PS button to bring up a menu rather than the home screen, etc. are exactly what we saw during the UI reveal demo.
No Dolby Vision for streaming services
Logging into Netflix via the Media tab I saw that the console doesn’t support Dolby Vision which is a bummer especially when you consider that the Xbox Series X supports it.
PlayStation Plus Collection works in India
Yes, it works. You need to be a PS Plus Subscriber to take advantage of PlayStation Plus Collection.
In the handful of games, we’ve played on the console, the loading is snappy, the experience is fluid and all-important functions work in India without any issues. Stay tuned as we will bring you our full review of the console soon.
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Sameer Mitha
Sameer Mitha lives for gaming and technology is his muse. When he isn’t busy playing with gadgets or video games he delves into the world of fantasy novels. View Full Profile
