Sony removes still-unmet “8K” promise from PS5 packaging
The new PS5 packaging, as seen on the PlayStation Direct online store, is missing the "8K" label in the corner. [credit: PlayStation Direct ]
When we first received our PlayStation 5 review unit from Sony in 2020, we reacted with some bemusement to the "8K" logo on the box and its implied promise of full 7630*4320 resolution output. We then promptly forgot all about it since native 8K content and 8K compatible TVs have remained a relative curiosity thus far in the PS5's lifespan.
But on Wednesday, Digital Foundry's John Linneman discovered that Sony has quietly removed that longstanding 8K label from the PS5 box. The ultra-high-resolution promise no longer appears on the packaging shown on Sony's official PlayStation Direct store, a change that appears to have happened between late January and mid-February, according to Internet Archive captures of the store page (the old "8K" box can still be seen at other online retailers, though).
A promise deferredThis packaging change has been a long time coming since the PS5 hasn't technically been living up to its 8K promise for years now. While Sony's Mark Cerny mentioned the then-upcoming hardware's 8K support in a 2019 interview, the system eventually launched with a pretty big "coming soon" caveat for that feature. "PS5 is compatible with 8K displays at launch, and after a future system software update will be able to output resolutions up to 8K when content is available, with supported software," the company said in an FAQ surrounding the console's 2020 launch.