This Is the (Very Weird) PlayStation 5 Developer Kit

We’re nearing the end of the current game console generation, and that means the next-gen consoles already exist as “developer kits” in game studios around the world. We now have the first confirmed image of the PlayStation 5 dev kit, and it’s pretty weird. The real PlayStation 5 probably won’t look quite like this, but we can dream.

A Twitter user who goes by “The Drunk Cat” posted the image, which they claim came from a reckless game developer who is most likely going to get a talking-to from Sony. The newly leaked image shows two dev kits side-by-side, and they match a previously leaked design sketch. The PS5 dev kit is big, v-shaped, and covered in vents.

The Verge’s Tom Warren chimed in to confirm that, yes, this is the PS5 dev kit. If you’re wondering why it’s shaped so oddly, it’s apparently to improve airflow. Game developers sometimes need to have multiple machines running stress tests as they craft the first games for a new platform. These PS5 machines are stackable because they direct air out through the sides and the central v-shaped vent.

PS5 anyone? pic.twitter.com/cBggZTIty4

— The Drunk Cat™ (@Alcoholikaust) November 30, 2019

Rumors suggest the PlayStation 5 will have a new AMD-based CPU/GPU combo, 3D audio, and an SSD game drive that promises faster load times. The dev kit has a traditional disc slot, though. The dev kit also reportedly come with a camera, suggesting the final console may have one built-in for Twitch-style game streaming. There’s a small LCD on the front of the dev console, presumably showing diagnostic information. That most likely will not be part of the final design. We know more about the DualShock 5 controller than we do about the console, thanks to Sony’s unexpected candor. The controller will sport haptic feedback instead of crude rumble, and the triggers will have developer-adjustable tension.

Sony is aiming to launch the PS5 in time for the holiday 2020 shopping season. So, we expect to get more details at E3 in a few months.

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