Why it matters: Getting hold of the latest gaming hardware hasn't been easy for PC or console players as of late, so the arrival of a PS5 Simulator should certainly help pass the time until the dust settles. Of course, with dozens upon dozens of unboxing videos and reviews on YouTube, there's nothing new to learn from this virtual experience, though the PS5 Simulator does have its own goofy take on the entire setup process, including fixing a smoking router with a wrench.
Considering that he couldn't afford Sony's latest console, game developer Alex Grade set about making a PS5 Simulator to get that hardware unboxing and ownership experience for himself virtually.
Unlike PC Building Simulator, where players can spend hours fiddling around with hardware for assembling that perfect rig, this game is about opening and setting up a PS5, so the experience is a lot more casual, though amusingly realistic in a few places.
There's a gaming all-nighter to be had, for instance, and holding up the PS5 after its rather abrupt unboxing takes up quite a bit of the game's first-person view. Luckily, the console's cables are connected out of the box, but it's not simply a plug-n-play affair as the player is required to find, grab and connect several power extensions, all of which frustratingly have a single outlet.
Once the power and display have been sorted out, the PS5's DualSense controller and charger mysteriously arrive at the doorstep, along with a couple of "wrong" gamepads. After an instant charge of the DualSense, the player is then interrupted by a broken Wi-Fi connection, which needs fixing in order to complete the initial setup process. Turns out the culprit located upstairs is a smoking PS4 Pro look-alike router from Asus. With everything in place, including a disc of Knack 3, the final objective brings to light the console's speedy SSD that's blazed through the entire game and is now rolling the credits, all in the brief time it took to grab some crisps.
The PS5 Simulator builds upon one of the most hyped products of this year with quirky mechanics and happenings that, to some extent, reflect real-life hands-on experiences of some actual owners.