PS5 news: Over 4,000 games being tested for backwards compatibility; console weight revealed; PlayStation 5 is not the only next-gen console that looks like a router

In an interview with CNET, Sony’s Jim Ryan has been discussing the PS5 backwards compatibility situation. PlayStation fans have hoped that the next-gen console could offer some sort of backwards compatibility, even via emulation software, all the way back to the original PlayStation One, and there may be a future announcement made in regard to just how backwards compatible the PS5 truly is. However, fans should be pleased with the fact that Ryan has made it clear that testing of over 4,000 PS4 games is ongoing and the company is “happy with the progress that’s been made”.

An apparently official listing for the PS5 has appeared on Amazon France. There is no price offered but the listing does reveal a weight: 4.78 kg (10.5 lbs). Keep in mind that’s the “item weight”, so it would include the box, DualSense controller, cables, etc. However, the majority of that weight would relate to the PS5 console itself, yet again demonstrating that it’s not a svelte or petite device. For reference, the original PS4 weighs in at 2.8kg (6.2 lbs), the PS4 Slim is a lightweight 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs), and the beefier PS4 Pro packs 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs). The listing also states a release date of December 31, 2021 – but the Amazon post is clearly a work in progress.

Xbox Series X fans and those who simply don’t like the controversial design of the PS5 have frequently described the hardware as looking too much like a router. However, it has been pointed out that Sony’s creation is not the only next-gen console that resembles a router. The Linksys Velop Intelligent Mesh Wi-Fi System, which conveniently comes in either black or white, could easily be mistaken for Microsoft’s console. Looks like PS5 console design haters will have to resort to comparing it with Sauron’s tower from The Lord of the Rings movies or “a new expensive campus performing arts center that replaced three academic arts departments and cost $60 million” (see embedded tweets below).