Sony’s PlayStation 5 arrived in November 2020 with the usual spec flex, but five years later it’s obvious the console did more than win a launch window. It forced the rest of the industry to rethink storage speeds, controller feedback, and how fast premium hardware should iterate. With more than 92 million units shipped by early 2026 (75 million sell-through), the PS5 remains the benchmark for living-room gaming—and a useful case study for where the next hardware cycle is headed.

SSD-first design killed load screens

The PS5’s custom 825 GB PCIe 4.0 SSD pumps data at 5.5 GB/s (raw) and scales up to 2 TB on the PS5 Pro. That matters because developers no longer have to duplicate assets across spinning disks or hide transitions in elevator rides. Lead architect Mark Cerny has said repeatedly that the SSD brief came directly from first-party studios and partners like Epic Games, who were tired of IO bottlenecks. Today’s fast-travel sequences in Spider-Man 2 or Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart feel instantaneous because the hardware finally caught up to developer ambitions.

Graphics, audio, and the RDNA jump

On paper the PS5’s RDNA 2 GPU delivers 10.28 TFLOPS, while the PS5 Pro jumps to 18 TFLOPS with RDNA 3/4 features for ray tracing and AI upscaling. That translates to 4K/120 support, hardware-accelerated reflections, and noticeably better temporal reconstruction in games like Horizon Forbidden West. Audio matters too: the Tempest Engine and new Dolby Atmos profile let devs map positional sound in 3D space, which is as important for horror pacing as it is for competitive shooters.

DualSense changed how inputs feel

The DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers and granular haptics are still unmatched. Pulling a bowstring in Aloy’s latest adventure feels distinct from squeezing the trigger in Helldivers 2, and the feedback becomes a design pillar rather than a marketing bullet. Even PC players are adopting the controller for Steam games because the haptics add texture that rumble motors never could.

Backward compatibility and digital momentum

Sony brought nearly the entire PS4 library forward, plus PS VR support, which softened the blow for players with big physical collections. At the same time, launching a Digital Edition signalled Sony’s long-term pivot toward online distribution. Belgian retailers still report strong disc sales—especially for collectors and households with data caps—but subscription bundles like PlayStation Plus Extra are now the default pitch in EU marketing.

Hardware revisions: Slim and Pro

The 2023 Slim refresh shaved weight and volume off both disc and digital models without touching performance, making it easier for European households with compact media cabinets. The PS5 Pro followed in November 2024 with a 2 TB SSD, Wi-Fi 7, and beefier ray-tracing cores. Developers get more headroom for path tracing experiments, while players get steadier performance in VRR mode.

Belgian and EU market impact

Belgium mirrors global trends: the FPS Economy report estimates 650,000 PS5 consoles in circulation locally, and Sony’s retail partners routinely tie console bundles to marquee showcases like the latest State of Play. French- and Dutch-language support arrived quickly thanks to regional distributors, and Sony’s Benelux office now treats Brussels and Antwerp as go-to demo hubs for PS VR2 and PlayStation Stars activations.

On the developer side, Belgian studios such as Larian, Happy Volcano, and Fishing Cactus cite PS5’s SSD and controller APIs as reasons to prioritise the platform for premium releases, even when shipping on PC simultaneously. Access to the DualSense feature set is increasingly a marketing point with local PR teams.

Sales, strategy, and the arms race

Sony’s decision not to ship a low-powered Series S equivalent looks vindicated: Jim Ryan has said that “reduced spec” consoles become obsolete too quickly, and current sales back that up. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the platform’s top first-party seller at 16 million copies, while third-party hits like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Helldivers 2 benefit from a large, relatively premium install base. With Microsoft leaning harder into subscription/cloud strategies, Sony is framing PS5 as the high-end local experience that complements streaming rather than competing with it.

What’s next?

Sony is already experimenting with AI-assisted accessibility tools, cloud-rendered PS5 games, and new DualSense colorways. The bigger question is how long the PS5 Pro keeps the ninth generation fresh before rumours of a PS6 harden into roadmaps. For now, expect more first-party showcases (another State of Play is rumored for June) and continued investment in proprietary tech that keeps developers tied to the PlayStation ecosystem.

Takeaways

• Custom SSD design redefined load times and level design expectations.
• DualSense haptics remain a unique selling point—and an API Belgian studios actively target.
• Belgium and the wider EU enjoy simultaneous hardware/accessory launches, keeping the region in Sony’s first wave.
• PS5 Pro extends the generation with better ray tracing, Wi-Fi 7, and 2 TB storage for media-heavy players.

Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment filings, PlayStation Blog, Wikipedia