The company didn’t give further explanation regarding why the role was recast. Bryan Intihar, a director on Marvel’s Spider-Man weighed in on the update in a tweet. “… As we discussed the franchise’s future and moving to the PS5, it quickly became apparent that even more believable-looking characters made finding a better facial match for Yuri Lowenthal — who we all love as Peter — a necessity,” Intihar said. He added that he understood fans’ surprise, and said the decision wasn’t made lightly.

Aside from Peter Parker’s new look, we can also expect updated graphics to include ray-traced reflections, ambient shadows and higher-fidelity details on characters. Spider-Man has three new spider suits to traverse New York City in. Further, the game includes a new photo mode initially developed for the upcoming spinoff Marvel’s Spider Man: Miles Morales.

Other updates take advantage of the PS5’s capabilities, like near-instant loading, Spatial 3D audio on compatible headsets, and the DualSense controllers’ vibrations and adaptive triggers. Furthermore, the updated game — and Peter Parker’s new face — will be rendered  at 60 frames per second.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered will be available November 12th when you purchase the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition physically or digitally for $69.99. It’s not clear yet whether you’ll be able to by the remaster on its own yet.

If you didn’t get a chance to snag a PlayStation 5 when initial pre-orders went live last week, you’ll have a chance to try and buy one tomorrow. GameStop says it will have additional PS5 stock available to pre-order on September 25th both online and in store.

We are pleased to announce that further quantities of PS5 consoles will be made available to pre-order at https://t.co/hfsGYTcy0V and in GameStop stores tomorrow, Friday 9/25. pic.twitter.com/EbRMkAe5RW

— GameStop (@GameStop) September 24, 2020

In a subsequent tweet, the retailer said it’s working on securing more Digital Edition units for people to pre-order, but tomorrow’s availability will only include the more expensive $499 model with disk drive. Neither tweet mentions when online pre-orders will go live. So we’ve reached out to the company for more information and we’ll update this story when we hear back.

Sony’s PlayStation 5 hasn’t really appeared in live photos, making it difficult to gauge the size of the console. However, the game console has finally made a real-world appearance in a filing at Taiwan’s NCC (via The Verge) — and it’s clear the PS5 isn’t meant for small cabinets. While Sony hasn’t been shy about mentioning the PS5’s 15.4-inch length (or height), 10.2-inch depth and 4.1-inch thickness, the NCC’s photos put those dimensions into context. You’ll have to make room for this beast, whether you’re buying the Digital Edition or the disc-based model.

As we pointed out in our specs comparison, this should be the largest console to date. It’s much larger overall than the Xbox Series X (if not as thick), and still bigger than legendary behemoths like the original PlayStation 3, the first Xbox, and the Xbox One. Sony also hasn’t included the stand or the “largest projection” of the PS5’s body into its figures.

Sony effectively surprise-launched pre-orders for the console. They were supposed to be available on September 17th, but many retailers started pre-orders soon after the PS5 showcase event ended — many gamers were caught unprepared and missed out on a system. Gizmodo also noted that individual retailers had their own headaches, with Amazon warning customers that they might not get their PS5 units on launch day. We’ve also seen reports of retailers cancelling orders.

Microsoft appears to organized a more coordinated campaign, with Xbox Series X and S pre-orders starting on September 22nd at a specific time (11AM Eastern) and stores honoring that schedule.

This is a problem console makers want to have, to some degree — it makes clear that PS5 demand is high. Still, it’s not the greatest start to sales for one of Sony’s most important products.

PlayStation 5 — $499

Sony

The regular PlayStation 5 will cost $499, and comes with the console, a DualSense controller, all the cables you need and a pre-loaded copy of ASTRO’s PLAYROOM, a platformer designed to teach new users about the features of the PS5’s gamepad.

Buy PlayStation 5 at Best Buy – $499 Buy PlayStation 5 at Amazon – $499

At launch, there is only one storage option available, and that’s an ultra-high speed 825GB SSD. We expect PlayStation 5 games to be, in general, the same size or smaller than PS4 games, as the more capable hardware will allow developers to compress files more, and only unpack them when the game needs them.

There’s no getting around it — the PS5’s $499 asking price is quite high. Both the PS4 and the PS4 Pro launched at $399, and the $100 hike for the “full fat” console this time around might put some users off. If this asking price bothers you, it’s worth considering the cheaper Digital Edition.

At present, there are no bundles worth talking about, so your choice of retailer comes down to your preference. If you absolutely have to own a PS5 on launch day, it’s worth getting in a pre-order at a trusted retailer like Amazon soon. 

If you’re looking for the best deal, though, there are likely to be more competitive bundles available closer to launch, especially around Thanksgiving. If you choose a retailer like Amazon that doesn’t charge until shipping, there’s nothing to stop you from placing a pre-order now and canceling it if you find a better deal later. Of course, we’ll be updating this guide periodically and highlighting the best deals on PS5s as and when they appear on our site and the Engadget Deals Twitter account.

Update (9/17 8 PM ET): Walmart.com has indicated it will restock PS5 pre-orders for the standard console and digital edition at 9 PM ET tonight.

Buy PlayStation 5 at Walmart – $499

PlayStation 5 Digital Edition — $399

Sony

The PS5 Digital Edition is exactly the same as the regular PlayStation 5, but it doesn’t have a disc drive, and costs $100 less. With every game requiring installs and hefty patches to be downloaded, nowadays a disc is essentially a “key” that allows you to play a game on your console. That means the value of buying a game on disc is almost entirely monetary these days.

Buy PS5 Digital Edition at Best Buy – $399 Buy PS5 Digital Edition at Amazon – $399

And so, the main downside of the Digital Edition is that you’ll almost certainly be paying more for your games. Even new physical media is typically discounted faster after a game launches, and the second-hand market brings the price down even further. With the Digital Edition, you’ll be entirely reliant on Sony’s store. Sales are fairly common, but rarely hit the lows of discs.

Gaming aside, the PlayStation 5 is the first console from Sony that plays UHD Blu Rays. (Microsoft’s consoles have had the feature since the Xbox One S launched.) While basically every streaming service at this point offers 4K movies and shows, none of them get close to the quality of physical media, thanks to the reduced bitrates required to send digital media from the cloud to your home. If this is something that bothers you, paying the extra $100 might be worth it.

Our advice when choosing which option to go for is to look at your current habits. If you don’t ever buy discs for your PS4 or Xbox One, and also don’t watch Blu Rays, then this is a no-brainer. Save yourself $100 and get the Digital Edition. If you’re buying a console for your kid, though, the reduced cost of games could save you a lot of money in the long run, and they’ll have the benefit of being able to borrow games from friends.

Just as with the regular PS5, we expect bundles to appear closer to launch, so pre-ordering is more about ensuring you get a shiny console on November 12th, rather than deal hunting. As we said before, though, you should choose a retailer that doesn’t charge until shipping, which will allow you to jump ship if you find a better deal closer to launch.

Update (9/17 8 PM ET): Walmart.com has indicated it will restock PS5 pre-orders for the standard console and digital edition at 9 PM ET tonight.

Buy PlayStation 5 at Walmart – $399

Storage upgrades

Western Digital

With the PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro, users can either upgrade their internal storage, or add a secondary harddrive over USB. Both options are technically available for the PS5, but with some caveats.

While the internal SSD is upgradable, the specs of Sony’s option are so high that very few SSDs on the market will meet Sony’s specification at launch, and those that seem likely to match it will be incredibly expensive. For example, a solid 2TB Gen4 PCIe SSD currently goes for around $380. Sony has pledged to release a list of SSDs that are compatible with the PS5 at some point, but the pricing of Gen4 SSDs means that none of them are going to be a realistic option for most gamers in 2020. 

When it comes to USB storage, this generation that’s only really an option for your PlayStation 4 library. Sony says the “overwhelming majority” of PS4 games will be playable on PS5, and if you plan on taking advantage of that feature then it’s probably worth adding some storage. The last thing you need is a bunch of old games taking up space on a high-end SSD they can’t take advantage of. 

Luckily, there are plenty of external drives for you to choose from, and none of them are particularly pricey. A decent USB HDD should set you back around $80 for 2TB. SSDs, which are silent and will load games faster, start at around $75 for 500GB or $140 for 1TB. Here are a couple of our top picks: 

Buy WD 2TB Gaming Drive at Amazon – $80

Buy Samsung T7 500GB SSD at Amazon – $80

Buy Samsung T5 1TB SSD at Amazon – $140

If you’re really strapped for cash after ordering a PlayStation 5, and you happen to have a 2.5- or 3.5-inch internal drive laying around, you could always buy a USB 3.0 enclosure for it. This shouldn’t set you back more than $10 for the smaller drives, and given there are so many options out there, we’d recommend looking for a brand you recognize and reading user reviews to choose between them. Here are a couple to get you started:

Buy Sabrent 2.5-inch enclosure at Amazon – $9

Buy AmazonBasics 3.5-inch enclosure at Amazon – $24

PlayStation Plus — $59.99 annually

Sony

A PlayStation Plus membership is almost a necessity these days. While there are a couple of games — such as Fortnite — that can be played without the subscription, virtually every online game requires it. If you’re already a member, your PS Plus membership will carry over to your PS5. If you’re not, you’ll be able to sign up directly on your PlayStation 5, but you’ll find the best prices available online, with retailers regularly running deals on 12-month memberships.

Buy PlayStation Plus (12-month) at Amazon – $60

DualSense Wireless Controller — $69.99

Sony

The DualSense is Sony’s replacement for the DualShock. It does a bunch of new stuff that the DualShock doesn’t, but the only thing you need to know is that it’s the controller you need to play games on PS5. And if you’re coming from an Xbox, you don’t need to worry about batteries — like the PS4’s controller, the battery is internal and non-replaceable. The DualSense will set you back $70, which is a helluva lot of money for a controller. Given there’s a controller in the box, you don’t need a second gamepad unless you’re planning on playing local multiplayer games.

If you’re serious about your gaming, “pro” controllers from brands like Scuf, Nacon, Hori and Razer will be launching soon enough. We’ll be taking a closer look at all of these options once they launch.

Buy DualSense controller at Best Buy – $70

DualSense Charging Station — $29.99

Sony

This is a very cute controller cradle produced by Sony, but it doesn’t do anything beyond reducing the number of cables you need to have laying around. If that’s important to you, the Charging Station costs $30. And if that’s too rich, you can be sure Amazon will be filled with dozens of cheaper third-party options that do the exact same thing soon.

Buy DualSense charging station at Best Buy – $30

PULSE 3D Wireless Headset — $99.99

Sony

Sony is pushing 3D Audio hard with the PlayStation 5, and you can be sure that its in-house PULSE 3D headset will do an optimal job with that. However, Sony has said it’s already working on bringing 3D audio to all headphones, and even regular TV speakers. Additionally, the PS5 controller has a regular headset port, so if you already have a headset you’re happy with, there’s no need to rush to upgrade just yet.

Buy Pulse 3D headset at Best Buy – $100 

Media Remote — $29.99

Sony

As the name suggests, the Media Remote is a basic remote control for when you’re watching Netflix or playing a Blu Ray. This accessory is purely for convenience: there’s nothing the Media Remote can do that you won’t be able to do with your gamepad.

Buy Media Remote at Best Buy – $30

HD Camera — $59.99

Sony

Sony has been producing cameras for its systems since the PlayStation 3, and the PS5 is no exception. The primary use case Sony gives for this new option is game streaming. Where the PlayStation 4’s camera topped out at 800p, the new one can handle 1080p. Just like the old camera, it will also track your PlayStation VR headset, which is compatible with PS5. If you already own a PS4 camera, we’d recommend holding off until reviewers are able to judge how much better the HD version is and whether it’s worth the upgrade.

Buy HD Camera at Best Buy – $60

At $400, the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition offers everything the regular PlayStation 5 does, except the disc drive. With AAA games looking likely to cost around $70, the price you pay for this one is locking yourself into the often-more-expensive digital versions of games you want for an entire generation.

At $500, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X go toe to toe. The Xbox looks to be more powerful, and also has an additional 175GB of listed storage, although neither manufacturer has confirmed how much space will be available for game installs on their console yet. On the other hand, the PS5 seems to have the stronger set of exclusive titles right now.

If you have any doubts about which console is right for you, perhaps the answer right now is that none of them are.

The Xbox Series S and X currently have no truly exclusive titles scheduled for launch. Apart from Yakuza: Like a Dragon, every confirmed game so far will be available the same day on another console. And even Like a Dragon will only be an Xbox Series S and X exclusive in the US for three days, as the Xbox One and PS4 version arrives on November 13th. (The title is already available in Japan on PlayStation 4, and a PlayStation 5 release will arrive at some point.) There are, of course, a huge number of exclusive titles which will be available via backward compatibility, so if you skipped Xbox this generation there’ll be plenty to play on Game Pass.

Looking further down the line, Forza Motorsport, Fable and Avowed are among the confirmed Xbox Series S and X “console exclusives,” but none of these titles are anticipated to arrive any time soon. The console port of Microsoft Flight Simulator also seems likely to be exclusive to Microsoft’s next-gen machines, given how difficult it is to run smoothly on a gaming PC. 

Then there’s PlayStation 5. Twenty-four hours ago, the best reason to get the console in the short term was Spider-Man Miles Morales. That was, until it was confirmed for a same-day (November 12th) launch on PlayStation 4. That leaves two confirmed launch exclusives for PlayStation 5. Demon’s Souls, the Bluepoint remake of the title that started the Souls franchise, is the big hitter, while Destruction AllStars is also a video game. Sackboy: A Big Adventure similarly arrives on launch day, but will be available on PS4 as well.

Looking forward to 2021, Horizon Forbidden West was probably the most anticipated PlayStation 5 release, although it’s yet another title that’s now confirmed for PS4. Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo are probably the biggest PS5 console exclusives confirmed for next year. Final Fantasy XVI and Gran Turismo 7 are also on the way, but given Square Enix and Polyphony’s respective track records for timely releases it’s probably safer to put them to the back of your mind for now.

One selling point for PlayStation 5, much like Xbox Series S and X, is that you can play last-gen titles on it, so if you skipped PlayStation 4 you’ll have plenty to dig into. These last-gen titles should play just as well, if not better, than they do on PlayStation 4 Pro. Sony also announced a perk for PS Plus that effectively makes many of the best PS4 exclusives free, with confirmed titles including God of War, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Ratchet & Clank, Days Gone, Until Dawn, Detroit: Become Human, The Last Guardian, The Last of Us Remastered and Persona 5. Notably missing are more recent exclusives like The Last of Us Part II, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Ghosts of Tsushima.

The common theme between both consoles is that, right now, the best reason for buying one is if you don’t own its predecessor. There are of course, benefits to jumping in now. Ambitious games like Cyberpunk 2077 are going to look and/or run better on next-gen, while competitive titles like Rainbow Six Siege will support 120 frames-per-second gameplay, if your TV can handle it.

There will be truly compelling reasons to buy in. We’ll start to see cross-platform titles like Resident Evil Village coming exclusively to next-gen consoles next year, and at the same time it’s likely the 2021 editions of popular series such as Call of Duty, FIFA and Assassin’s Creed will offer a cut-down or otherwise hampered version of the game for PS4 and Xbox One. Until that happens, until you have your reason for joining the next-gen, the best thing you can do is wait. 

Disclaimer: The author of this article has already ordered three next-gen consoles.

So yes, you can technically play next-gen games for $299. Or $399, if you prefer the PS5 ecosystem. But realistically, you can’t. The digital version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, for example, currently demands 185GB on a PS4 or Xbox One. The much-anticipated Cyberpunk 2077, meanwhile, is expected to be an 80GB download. That’s already more than 250GB. There will be smaller games, of course, and some titles, like Rare’s Sea of Thieves, have been cleverly shrunk post-release.

Sony

Mark Cerny, the lead architect on the PS4, has also suggested that game sizes could get smaller on the PS5. On a traditional HDD, commonly-requested game elements — a car or mailbox that appears on every road, for instance — are duplicated so they can be quickly retrieved and loaded into the game. A faster SSD, meanwhile, shouldn’t require these duplications. In theory, this means the same game could have a smaller file size on the next set of consoles.

That’s a big assumption, though. Developers could also use the extra space to pack even more detail into their titles, negating the efficiencies of the SSD and creating file sizes that are similar to what we have now.

So here’s the big question: how many ‘triple-A’ games can the Xbox Series S actually hold? If file sizes don’t fluctuate, eight or nine seems likely.

The situation won’t be much better on the PS5, either. The 825GB SSD is better than the original PS4, which only shipped with a 500GB HDD. But again, you’re probably looking at 10 or 12 games max on a drive that size.

How many ‘triple-A’ games can the Xbox Series S actually hold?

Both of these predictions are based on the assumption that all of the advertised storage will be available to users. If huge chunks are taken up by the operating system and basic apps, then you can expect to squeeze even fewer games onto each console’s SSD.

Microsoft and Sony are fully aware of this problem. And the solution, just like previous console generations, is expandable storage. Microsoft has teamed up with Seagate on a 1TB expansion card that supports Velocity Architecture, a combination of features that ensure developers get the best performance out of the Xbox Series S and X. For now, it’s the only SSD that will support next-gen games, though you can use a cheaper drive for older titles, as well as stor

Ryan also defended the $399 price for the digital edition that’s $100 higher than Microsoft’s $299 Xbox Series S. “We want to future proof them so that they know the console they buy will be relevant in several years time,” he told the WaPo. In response to a question about the Xbox One Series S, he also told Yahoo Japan (translated) that “lowering specs in order to reduce the price of a device doesn’t have a happy history. We’ve had that experience and so have other companies.”

Contrary to an earlier Bloomberg report, Sony said that it won’t have any supply issues when the console goes on sale on November 12th in the US, Japan and other launch regions, and November 19th elsewhere. It didn’t say exactly how many units would be available upon launch, but Ryan said there would be more PS5s than there were PS4s when it launched in 2013. At that time, the company sold 2.1 million PS4s in the first two weeks after launch, and 4.5 million between launch and the end of the year.

As part of its PlayStation 5 showcase on Wednesday, Sony featured a new campaign trailer from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, talking up its support for ray tracing, 120Hz refresh rate and HDR on the new console. However, before it comes to the PS5, the developers announced a PS4-exclusive multiplayer Alpha test happening this weekend, “complete with multiple modes, maps, and a preview of the Create-a-Class and Scorestreak systems.” If you can’t wait a couple of days, then just read through Jessica Conditt’s experiences in Cold War’s neon-tinged multiplayer setup that posted last week.

Surprise! Get your hands on the #BlackOpsColdWar PS4 Multiplayer Alpha this weekend!
Watch for pre-load and more details tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/vF01SUGVML

— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) September 16, 2020

According to developer Treyarch Studios players can expect more details tomorrow, which is also when the test program will be available for preloading to help players maximize gaming time instead of downloading and installing. You can start your preloads on September 17th at 11AM ET, before the test is available between Friday afternoon (9/18 1PM ET) and Sunday afternoon (9/20 1PM ET).

If you’ve seen enough and you’re ready to put money down on Sony’s new-generation console, then the time is now. We don’t know what the supply situation will be like for the PS5, but now that the price has been announced ($500 with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive, $400 without), and despite Sony’s initial statement that pre-orders will start tomorrow, retailers are lining up to take your money.

Posts on social media have indicated GameStop locations are doing in-person pre-orders, albeit with very limited availability, while online a couple of retailers have started to offer the console. Pre-orders were briefly available on Walmart.com earlier but now appear to be sold out, and as of this writing the $500 console is available on Target’s website, but that will probably change soon.