For over seven years, Sony has been bringing joy to the lives of people all across the world with their revolutionary gaming console: the PS4. However, the system is starting to show its age with lengthened loading times and increasingly frequent glitches.

Even with all the software patches and bug fixes, the system is still dated, and the spotlight has switched positions. Released in mid-November, the PS5 dropped onto the stage for online purchase only. However Sony has decided to open sales online as well as at selected retailers.

In this new console is a whole host of improvements over the previous model. It includes some of the most cutting edge technology including an AMD Zen 2 custom processor. This processor was custom built for the PS5 and has eight cores with a 3.5 GHz.

The AMD Zen 2 is based on the graphics and architecture of AMD’s previous project, RDNA 2. In essence this means that the system as a whole runs with an efficiency previously unseen in any other gaming console.

The Playstation series of consoles has been known for its high efficiency systems, and their tendency to have better graphics than their competitors. However, in recent years Sony’s main competition, the Microsoft Xbox One, has been making incredible strides to catch up and eventually surpass the tech giants extraordinarily popular console.

One thing that is coming back is the controversial and disliked membership system, as previous consoles such as the PS3 and earlier had no such system. The membership system provides the user of the console  with access to online features, such as multiplayer.

From a business standpoint, the decision to bring back the subscription system makes sense. It provides a revenue source for Sony even after the console has been initially bought and paid for. It can also be seen in another light, as Sony is providing access to their servers and there is a price to be paid for this service.

The new console has made its mark on the gaming scene, and this is remarkable considering how recent it was released. The console is expected to last at least how long the PS4 has lasted. Now it’s time to say “goodbye” to the past in the form of the PS4 and say “hello” to the future of the industry.