With the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One now in its fifth year, it’s only natural for most gamers to think ahead to the future. And in this case, that means the PS5. If Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4 is any indication, it seems we’re on the cusp of Sony’s new console, or at least devs are working on it as we speak.
In the latest release of the Unreal Engine 4 game engine, a platform named “Erebus” was found in the engine’s supported platform list, and it’s even abbreviated “TST2” as you can see in the image below.
Path: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.20\Engine\Plugins\Online\OnlineSubsystem\Source\Public\OnlineSubsystemNames.h
Erebus is also being utilized alongside the PS4 and Xbox One; here’s a pic of it “seen” side by side the two existing platforms.
The screenshot above puportedly shows the Unreal Engine 4 checking if the game supports cross platform play, which could mean that the Erebus system having the potential to cross-play with current-gen consoles.
Path: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.20\Engine\Plugins\Online\OnlineSubsystemUtils\Source\OnlineSubsystemUtils\Private\PartyBeaconState.cpp
There’s also the tag in the image “bPS4SeenOtherConsole” which suggests that the Erebus is an actual console.
So why is this being linked to the PS5? According to Wikipedia, Erebus is from Greek mythology and the description reads:
In Greek mythology, Erebus /ˈɛrɪbəs, -əb-/, also Erebos (Greek: Ἔρεβος, “deep darkness, shadow”), was often conceived as a primordial deity, representing the personification of darkness; for instance, Hesiod’s Theogony identifies him as one of the first five beings in existence, born of Chaos.
Aside from the number “five” being mentioned (PS5, get it?), Sony also has a history of using Greek names for its consoles. Case in point? The PS4 was codenamed the “Orbis” before, and the PSVR was known as Morpheus before being officially named.
Of course, these are all conjecture at this point, so take it with a grain of salt. Just to further add fuel to the fire, we reported a few months ago that PS5 devkits were being sent out to third-party developers already. Finally, back in April, the first PS5 info regarding its tech specs made its way online from a reliable source.
Should we expect a PS5 announcement anytime soon? If past console announcements are anything to go by, don’t be surprised to hear about it next year.