While we might be five years into the current generation of console hardware kick started with the 2020 launch of PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, Sony has still maintained a clear lead in the market. Interestingly, however, the closest competitor to the PS5 is still the last-generation PS4. In an interview with The Game Business, Team Asobi studio director Nicolas Doucet believes that the PS4 owners should consider an upgrade.
Doucet, whose studio is responsible for the critically-acclaimed platformer Astro Bot, points out that, while late PS4-era games and early PS5 games may not be that different in terms of visual fidelity, the newer features on the PS5 make the console worth it. These features include the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, as well as the SSD used for game storage over the PS4’s considerably slower hard drive.
“When you put graphics side-by-side between an end-of-lifecycle PS4 game and early cycle PS5 game, you could argue, to an untrained eye, that it’s hard to see the difference,” said Doucet. “But early on [with PS5] we got the DualSense prototypes, with this haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. And we tried to understand what could be different about having this kind of trigger, so you can simulate pulling something, or cracking something, or crushing something… We tested all of that.”
“When you’ve gone through [that process], you get to appreciate the changes. There are some leaps, but they’re maybe less obvious than when we went to HD graphics. That’s something that you can just stare at the screen for a few seconds and understand. With the controller, you have to get it in your hands and get a feel for it.”
As for the leap in quality offered by the PS5’s SSD, Doucet also brings up games where players are likely to see frequent loading screens, like FromSoftware’s Souls series where player death is a common occurrence, which often tends to involve a loading screen before the player respawns.
“But I do think the PS5, between the DualSense and the SSD, really brought something special,” explained Doucet. “With the SSD… I’m thinking of things like the Souls games, where you die a lot. And when you die, you used to have to wait a long time before you get a second try. With the SSD, that becomes really, really fast. So, in terms of just the pleasure of play, that’s really increased.”
When comparing PS5 with PC as a gaming platform, Doucet also noted a major advantage that console developers tend to have: being able to target a single set of hardware. This, according to Doucet, “allows us to focus, because you’re not putting in time dealing with compatibility or permutations. It’s why I’ve always liked consoles.”
Astro Bot has been a massive hit for Sony, with Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Studio Business Group CEO Hermen Hulst praising the title in a business update from back in June. He referred to the PS5-exclusive platformer as one of the “most exciting recent successes” for PlayStation. For more details, check out our review of Astro Bot.
