PS5 could have one big advantage over Xbox Scarlett when downloading games

Another day, another PS5 leak. The rumour mill is churning around Sony's future flagship much faster, and more intensely, than its main rival the Xbox Scarlett. 

This latest leak comes from Wired and it looks at the method of installing games on the next-gen console, citing the enormous 60GB latest instalment of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare franchise as a prime example of clumsy installation. For context, it's over 125 times bigger than the original PS1 Call of Duty and takes over four hours to fully download and install. 

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Four-hour wait times are set to be a thing of the past. According to Wired, the PS5's new solid-state drive will accommodate partial game installation, in the same way PC gamers can. Don't want to wait an inordinate amount of time for a game to load, because you want to hurry up and play your mates? Just install the multiplayer mode and leave the single-player campaign for later, when you've got a bit more time on your hands. 

"Rather than treating games like a big block of data," system architect Mark Cerny
says, "we're allowing finer-grained access to the data." Partitioning the data like this allows for a customised installation – and deletion – process, giving the player control over which parts of the game download first and getting to the action as fast as possible. 

It could also save on disk space as well as wait times. Not enough room on the hard drive, given the huge nature of next-gen games? Simply delete the single-player campaign you've already completed and leave the multiplayer in case your mates come over. It's a perfect approach for party games and beat-'em-ups, which only really shine with a roomful of friends. 

Some Xbox titles are able to use a similar feature with the console's 'FastStart' update, but the feature is only available to use with a certain titles. It's unclear whether Xbox Scarlett titles will all be able to use partial installation, but if not, it may give PS5 the edge in the next-generation console war. 

We're excited to see what else the PS5 team have cooked up. Surely, given that we're approaching the one-year-to-go mark, an official reveal is imminent? Time will tell. Until then, stick to T3 for the latest PS5 news, leaks, rumours and more. 

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