This Wednesday I was finally able to order a PS5 without scalper tax. This Friday afternoon the Amazon package arrived.
Taking the console out of the huge box: Oh, it’s smaller than expected after reading so many complaints about it.
Holding the DualSense controller the first time: Wow, it fits perfectly in my hands… ergonomic heaven! I also love my Xbox controllers and Switch Pro controller and the PS4 controllers are okay, but the DualSense tops them all.
Putting it in my TV rack: Okay, it’s HUGE compared to my other consoles… but still smaller than my amplifier. It has enough room to “breathe” in my TV rack, so it’s all good, man.
I still would have preferred a complete black SKU, but it is okay. In a few days I’ll get used to it.
Attaching the stand for horizontal position: Only clipping it in? I doubt it will stay in its place, but so far it holds and fulfils its purpose.
Connecting the cables (USB-C for controller, HDMI2.1, power, ethernet,): took only a minute, everything works okay. To enable 4K 120 Hz HDR Adaptive Sync (for supported games) it is directly connected to my TV, the audio signals are sent via eARC to my amplifier.
All 4 HDMI2.1-ports of my TV are now in use: PS5, XBO X, PC GPU and the amplifier (passthrough for further HDMI devices like Switch dock and PS4 Pro in one direction, eARC audio signals in the other direction).
Turning the PS5 on the first time: no loud noises… I’m glad that I didn’t get a PS5 with the noisy fan.
Connecting external mass storage for (a lot of) PS4 games: after several failures (some USB HDDs weren’t detected, others were denied as incompatible), the 2 TB HDD of my PS4 Pro was accepted.
Damn it, Sony! Why do PlayStations have to be so choosy when it comes to extended storage? My PS4 Pro already denied a 240 GB SSD due to an arbitrary minimum of 250 GB. All these USB devices work fine with my Xboxes, they support even several mass storages at the same time.
Setting up the PS5: Oh, the PS App on my phone helps to setup the PS5… that’s convenient!
Transferring the user data and save games of my PSN accounts: The PS5 automatically detects my PS4 Pro in the same home network and offers to transfer the data… that’s convenient! I don’t want to transfer the game installations in this step, so I deselect them. The transfer starts and the time estimate is 9 hours…
WTF! That can’t be right? Certainly that estimate is for the full transfer including the deselected game installs! – A few minutes later and after a quick research it is certain: the estimate is correct. It would go much faster if I connected both PlayStations directly with an ethernet cable… but it is too late for that. I can’t stop the transfer now without the danger of bricking the PS5, so I can’t proceed and have to wait for the rest of the day.
So my first day as owner of a PS5 ended a bit sad and anticlimactic.
To be continued…
