Bizarre Fan Theories About The PS5
The PlayStation 5 has been hotly anticipated for quite some time. As video game generations are stacked upon each other and the line between console gaming and PC gaming becomes harder to define, the three big players in the console market have to be even more tactful in setting their systems apart from each other. The Nintendo Switch has already delivered a very unique experience by offering home and portable play in one, leaving Microsoft and Sony to come up with ways to stand out in the gaming powerhouse arena.
Much has been leaked about the PlayStation 5, providing Sony fans insight into many of the unique features its fifth system will offer. And while the PS5 certainly seems to be entering the arena with plenty of reasons to keep gamers from leaving their consoles behind once and for all, the company promises even more surprises to come. With so much secrecy and fans waiting for such a long time, it's only natural that strange rumors would be making the rounds. Here are some bizarre fan theories about the PS5.
Hidden clues in a weird ad
The video game industry is no stranger to odd advertising. With that said, have you seen Sony's strange ad for the PlayStation 5? Weird, right? And creepy. Could there have been some hidden meaning in this ad? At least one person out there who thought so.
CCN's Thomas Bardwell offered his own ideas as to some possible interpretations. One related to the ad's proximity to Valentine's Day. Another saw it as a possible statement regarding the excited emotions fans will experience as the launch date draws closer. Another fan, however, proposed something a little more in-depth in a since-deleted Reddit post.
This fan claimed that the ad contains hidden insight into Sony's fifth console. Beginning with the number of soldiers, the person behind the theory pointed to two lights in the background of the scene that appear about 35 seconds into the ad. Five soldiers and two vertical lights brought the fan to the conclusion that the numbers "5" and "11" were supposed to mean something. Putting the two together, a speculative release date emerged — 5/11, or May 5.
Clearly the PS5 did not launch on May 5, so it would appear as if this bizarre fan theory was just a theory and nothing more.
In-depth UI
Patents can often inspire some wild speculation whenever a new console is on the horizon. A few registered by Sony have certainly caused imaginations to run amok with strange and interesting ideas regarding the future of the PlayStation 5.
In one patent, which has existed since 2018, evidence points to a possible feature where players can load a save state directly into the action, bypassing the title screen and menus. Such a method could in theory be used even in multiplayer matches. The possibility of jumping right in without having to wade through menus is an exciting prospect for gamers. Another patent suggests that the PS5 might possess machine-learning abilities, which could deliver personal coaching for players struggling with certain sections in their game.
Whether these are real or not, they are some pretty crazy features. And while these UI theories may be closer to reality than some of the others floating around, fans will have to wait until the system hits store shelves to really know the full capabilities of the PS5. Even though these features may not be earth-shattering, small quality-of-life improvements could add up to make Sony's fifth console even more compelling.
Copy and paste logo
Do you feel underwhelmed when you look at the logo for the PlayStation 5? You're not alone. Sony's pretty much been regurgitating the same design since the PlayStation 3. But if you think that's lazy, a fan theory suggests that the PS5 logo could be even lazier than you would have imagined.
It's bad enough to think Sony is simply erasing the "4" and adding a "5," but what if the designers couldn't even be bothered to draft up a new 5? A video clip surfaced on Reddit after the logo's reveal that demonstrated how plausible it was the "5" was simply copied and modified from the "P." Upon closer examination, Creative Bloq's Jim McCauley dispelled this rumor by comparing the logo in the video to the final logo. While the "5" in both were indeed quite similar, they were not an exact match.
This bizarre fan theory definitely seemed to make sense. Unfortunately, the subtleties in font design debunk this fun bit of speculation. Sure, Sony may have taken the lazy route with the PS5 logo, but it appears the company is not that lazy.
A high price to pay
A big question on consumers' minds whenever new tech is announced is the price. Throughout the PlayStation 5's development, many have debated on how much it would cost. With some estimates ranging from $300 to $500, fans would likely add the new console to their shopping lists without much hesitation. But would you still consider purchasing the PS5 if it had a $1,000 price tag?
As far fetched as that may sound, at one point it was believed the PS5 would cost $1,000. And considering how higher-end gaming PCs can easily exceed that price, the PS5's comparable architecture may have lent credibility to such a strange theory. While Gamestingr's Rhys Boulton appears to come up with this figure as a total after factoring in controller costs, this alleged price tag has popped up before.
In 2019, pre-orders for the PS5 on a Swedish online retailer had the system priced at the equivalent of about $1,050 USD. After factoring for inflation, consumers have seen similarly priced consoles in the past, but not for a very long time. And though some have worried they could face such a high price of entry, the rumor has fortunately been completely debunked.
Invasion of privacy
Could the PS5 spy on you while you play? Many fans appear to think so. With the integration of a microphone in the new PlayStation 5 controller, a growing number of gamers are concerned with the potential invasion of privacy it presents.
The PlayStation 4, like other past systems, required a separate headset for online chatting. But with the new built-in microphone, users may no longer have the option to choose when their conversations can and can't be heard. Even if there's a way to deactivate the feature, the very fact that the mic always exists in your controller is enough to cause gamers to feel their privacy could be violated. This functionality also puts the onus on developers to design games with the mic off as a default setting.
Another unsettling feature is voice recognition, which is offered through the guise of filtering background noise. With Sony's poor reputation for protecting sensitive information, fans are justifiably worried their vocal behavior will be recorded and collected. However, concerns over this bit of fan speculation may be a little silly considering how much this generation is already plugged in and the existing outlets that can record behavior in homes and pockets.
Backwards compatibility
Just imagine the possibilities if PlayStation 5 could go all the way back to the beginning of Sony's console library. The sheer volume of games would be dizzying, and could easily intimidate the competition. Backwards compatibility has already been confirmed on the PS5, but just how far back will it go?
We already know PS5 will support PS4 titles, but the question remains as to whether PlayStation Now will be available on the PS5. If so, gamers will have access to games all the way back to PS2. But some are even more optimistic than that.
Early claims of full compatibility all the way to PS1 caught a second wind after some unexplainable rating updates by PEGI emerged listing a number of titles as PS3 instead of PS4. The very fact that these games received new ratings is enough to raise some eyebrows, but could it possibly have to do with the PS5's backwards compatibility? It is known that most of the PS4 library is covered, but are more consoles getting support?
Sony hasn't announced anything on this front yet, but if the PS5 can indeed play games from every other PlayStation console, that would be a huge piece of news.
Controllers measuring biometrics
How would you like it if your controller measured your heart rate? Well, by the looks of it, that's the plan for the future of gaming in the eyes of Sony.
A patent revealed Sony's intention to integrate biometric measuring capabilities in the PlayStation 5's "DualSense" controller. This includes a way to measure a gamer's heart rate and sweat output as they play games on the console. Forbes' Dave Thier theorized that the purpose of this new technology is to deliver a more personalized gaming experience for PS5 users. What this means is the game can grow more or less intense based on biofeedback, immersing you even deeper into the experience. There's even the possibility that this feature will cross over into VR.
The purpose of this technology has yet to be fully determined, though considering how past systems experimented with and used similar features only in the context of games requiring physical activity, this theory is fairly credible. Whatever the case may be, gimmicks such as this don't usually last beyond a brief novelty period. Time will tell how biometric measuring will be used on the PS5 and how far it will go.
Move over, R.O.B.
A toy robot companion that plays video games with you may have made sense in the '80s, but would you believe such a peripheral would be viable in this generation? Some fans sure seem to think so.
One of the more peculiar patents has gamers predicting a future where robots make a comeback. Well, in the unlikely event the hypothetical device is a success, that is. The toy robot friend detailed in this patent would be designed to sit on the couch next to you and not only watch you play games but watch movies with you as well. It's even supposed to react to what it sees. In a way, this robo pal would serve as a cheerleader of sorts. Perhaps Sony thinks that human friends are a thing of the past?
The robot, known as Hikoemon, could see store shelves considering Sony sold a toy robo dog peripheral named Aibo in the US in 2018. Will consumers actually see this odd robot come to life? Will this mark the beginning of the inevitable robot takeover? Whatever the case may be, this bizarre bit of fan speculation is definitely on the creepier end of the spectrum.
Create button creates endless possibilities
The function of taking in-game clips and images is nothing new. But what if you could do more with those video clips? What if you could actually interact and play out the action in those shared recordings? If the theories based on patents for the DualSense controller are correct, you just may have that kind of freedom.
The new create button is said to replace the "share" feature found in the DualShock 4, and with its introduction, a whole new world of possibilities could potentially open up. The rumor is the create button will essentially serve as a real-time editor, allowing gamers to make and edit their own cinematic visions out of gameplay. But there's even more to it than that.
TweakTown's Derek Strickland suggests that, with this button, users can actually take their own moments from gameplay and create playable demos to share across the network. Such capabilities would open the door to a deeper level of interaction, allowing PS5 owners everywhere to make or discover personalized hints, revel in victorious moments together, and sample unique scenarios before buying a game. Such an exciting prospect will surely have fans hoping it's more than just a theory.
It's heating up!
One must not forget that Microsoft and Sony are still major rivals, competing in corners of the market where Nintendo may not be much of a threat. With that said, malicious rumors can still spread among direct competitors, and the PS5 was not immune to such misinformation.
For a time, many fans wondered why Sony maintained radio silence on the PS5's look. And when a company remains silent, opportunities arise for carriers of falsities to come out of the woodwork. Word on the street, according to TweakTown, was that delays in the console's reveal were due to overheating problems, forcing Sony to design around the issue as a way to accommodate a better cooling system.
This, of course, has been recognized as a devious tactic to shift consumer interest away from the PS5 and direct it toward the Xbox Series X. The rumor came from a Twitter comment with virtually no evidence to back the claim. The originator of the comment, Jeff Rickel, has been outed as a pusher of anti-PlayStation rhetoric. Fortunately, most gamers saw through his thin allegations, and it is generally believed that none of what he said was true.
Stranger than fiction
It's something out of a science fiction nightmare, and it is a rumor many fans across the internet believed to be true. When the PlayStation 5 reveal event finally happened, anxious gamers everywhere got to see what the powerhouse console looked like. But its look wasn't all people were talking about.
As viewers saw the hosts appear before them, some thought there was something not quite right. They believed they were experiencing the phenomenon known as "uncanny valley." Many who watched were convinced they were not looking at real humans, but instead CG renderings of the hosts as a way to showcase the power of Sony's new console. And when viewers read the disclaimer that every bit of "game footage" was generated by PS5 hardware, they assumed the presenters were included.
Surely such a stunt would have been a brilliant and stylish way to brag about the PS5's capabilities. And if it were true, Sony would have undoubtedly wanted to take ownership of the clever tactic. But the company laid to rest any speculation by denying its validity in a statement to Polygon. It's quite remarkable that fans were so determined to prove this bizarre theory that they convinced themselves real humans looked fake.