PlayStation 5 feels great to touch, runs very cool, and is hardly audible while gaming: First PS5 hands-ons receive high praise while also revealing a mysterious SSD expansion latch

The much awaited Sony PlayStation 5 is not too far away from launch. However, there are still a lot of details that we do not yet know about this console. The tech press in Japan recently got a chance to take the PS5 for a spin and have posted several pictures and hands-on videos of the device though there were still restrictions in place on what aspects of the console can be showcased.

Japanese publication 4gamer posted several close-up shots of the PS5 in both horizontal and vertical orientations. According to the publication, the PS5's body (with the optical drive) has dimensions of 390 x 104 x 260 mm and weighs about 4.5 kg. The design seems to be more slimmer in real life than it looks in pictures. 4gamer notes that the intake vents can be seen when the console is installed vertically. The structure inside could not be confirmed, but there surely seems to be quite a capable fan inside of it.

While exact temperatures measurements are not expected to be available until the actual reviews come out, 4gamer could manage a limited run of Godfall and found that the exhaust was gentle and noise was minimal at an ambient temperature of 30 °C. If used vertically, the publication recommends a gap of at least 10 cm to 15 cm from the wall for adequate intake and exhaust.

The photos also seem to suggest a mysterious latching mechanism, which could probably signify a way to open the case for storage expansion. This is still speculation as Sony is yet to detail on how exactly SSD expansion works with the PS5.

Another publication Dengeki also had the chance to take the PS5 for a limited spin. Dengeki observed that the PS5 offers clear benefits over the PS4 in terms of haptic feedback and speed at which the overall game works in tasks such as being able to quickly switch maps. The publication also noted about the rather quiet operation of the fans while playing Astro's Playroom and Godfall. The body of the console itself seemed to be rather cool to touch even after a prolonged gaming session.

The new DualSense controller's combined haptic feedback and adaptive trigger feature seems to have offered a more immersive experience, which the publication describes as "rich but refreshing" (translated from Japanese).

4gamer said that the buttons felt less noisy compared to the PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 controller, which could probably be due to presence of a thick rubber padding behind the buttons. Apparently, Sony would be moving to using the "X" button for confirmation instead of "O", at least for Japanese players.

Both the publications were limited in the experiences they were allowed to share. There was no demonstration of the UI or dashboard, the back exhaust, and media were also not allowed to showcase any functionality of the Create button on the DualSense controller. Nevertheless, November 12 is not far away and we should be knowing more details in the run-up to availability.

More pictures and videos of the PlayStation 5, DualSense controller, and gameplay videos can be found at the Source links below.

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