PS5 Vs. PS4: 5 Missing Features Sony's New Console Can't Do

Sony's PlayStation 5 has finally arrived, and it's got all the next-gen bells and whistles you've been hoping for. But, between all the ray tracing and super-fast load times, there are some mainstay PS4 features that currently aren't available on the new box. While some of these may arrive in future firmware updates, here are five obvious missing features the PS5 can't accomplish at launch.

1) Expandable Storage: The PS5 has an expandable storage bay that allows you to add space without sacrificing the 667GB storage on the stock drive, but there currently aren't any SSDs Sony has okayed for use with the new system. When the PS4 launched in 2013 it was possible to swap in an extra 1TB drive from day one if you needed more space. This is not true of the PS5.

2) PS5 Games on External Drives: Also related to storage, it's not possible to play PS5 games using an external hard drive like many PS4 owners might be used to today. You can easily plug in your PS4's external to instantly have access to any PS4 games stored on there, but it's basically useless with regard to PS5 software. You can't store PS5 games on an external and transfer them over to system storage to play them, and you certainly can't play PS5 games directly off an external. That means when your hard drive fills up you'll have to fully reinstall or redownload games as necessary. We're sorry about your data cap!

3) Backing up PS5 Saves: For those who didn't want to pay for PlayStation Plus, it was possible to back up PS4 saves on a USB stick in case you lost them or needed to clear out some space. You can still transfer PS4 saves to USB on PS5, but any PS5 saves are forever stuck to your system storage or hidden behind the PS Plus cloud paywall. This situation is very similar to the Nintendo Switch, which also restricts backing up saves to a paid subscription.

4) 1440p Output: We're working in a bit of an exception for this one because the PS4 Pro technically doesn't support 1440p video output options either, but both systems darn well should. Lots of PC monitors still top out at 1440p, and folks may want to lower their resolution slightly to potentially eek out an extra bit of hardware performance from certain games. Our guess is that developers have the ability to render a game at 1440p if they choose, but it should be a selectable option for users as well.

5) Media Player app: It took almost two full years for the PS4 to get basic media file playback through the Media Player app, so it's no surprise the feature isn't here for PS5 at launch. Those who might have a backup catalog of digital movies will be forced to stream them through Plex instead, which is currently available as a day-one app. The situation could be far worse, but we personally liked playing video files from USB to avoid any potential pitfalls that may happen with streaming.

Sony's PlaySation 5 is available now in North America and November 19 for the rest of the world.

What are your thoughts on the PS5 launch so far? Are you fine with these five missing features not being available at launch? Tell us in the comments section!