When Sony promised its next generation of console would have no loading times, it really meant it.
Despite the era of the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch still being in full swing, the battle to be king of the next generation has already begun. On the one hand, it feels as if we still know very little about what Sony's next offering will be. However, on the other hand, it seems as if we are being treated to fresh conjecture with each passing day.
We know that it will almost definitely be called the PlayStation 5, although to be honest, we didn't need the help of Sherlock Holmes to deduce that detail. We also know that Sony is likely aiming for a November 2020 release date and that the next generation's price point could be in the region of $499, so pretty reasonable.
The other thing Sony has promised is "no loading times," but what does that mean exactly? Well, footage recorded by The Wall Street Journal's Takashi Mochizuki reveals exactly what that means. At a meeting in Japan this week, Sony executives used Marvel's Spider-Man to demonstrate how fast the PS5's loading times will be compared to the current ones on the PS4 Pro.
As you can see, the difference is astounding. During the first clip, a PS4 Pro takes a little more than eight seconds to load up. The next generation of PlayStation will apparently be able to do the same thing in less than an eighth of that time. 0.83 seconds, to be exact. The second clips are even more telling. We are shown footage of the streets of New York. When it speeds up, the Pro begins to struggle. The next-gen footage does nothing of the sort.
Honestly, before all of this hype, loading times weren't something that particularly bothered us. However, when you see the potential difference side by side, it's hard not to be a little excited. Not only does it mean less time spent staring at loading screens, but it also bodes well for the speed of the game in other areas. Any console that can promise me that it will eradicate lag entirely will have my vote and my money.