Just before a new console launches, often one of the most exciting things can be going eyes on with some technical demos that give you some sort of idea about what that new machine will be capable of. Sony’s PlayStation platform has been no exception in that regard either, so as its next generation machine looms, we’ve put together a digest of all the key tech demos for each PlayStation home console – from PSOne to PlayStation 5, so we can see how the times have moved on (or not, as the case may be).
All PlayStation Tech Demos
PSOne Tech Demos
Prior to its release in 1994 (1995 in the west), Sony had to prove indisputably that its PlayStation home console was leagues ahead of what the market leaders in Sega and Nintendo were pumping out of their 16-bit machines at the time. With an emphasis on full 3D worlds and polygonal character models that were a world away from the largely sprite based experiences of the 16-bit consoles, the tech demos for the PSOne were built around not just the machine’s 3D processing power, but the storage capacity of its CD drive and its ability to facilitate relatively clean FMV playback and stereo sound. It was the future back then!
PSOne Tech Demo – Dino Demo
Arguably one of the PSOne’s most recognizable tech demos, the dinosaur demo which was featured on an early sampler disc packed in with the console was an eye-opening showcase of the original PlayStation’s polygon pushing ability, showing off the console’s capability to render detailed models, textured skin and smooth, lifelike animation. That music too! Ooof.
PSOne Tech Demo – Developer Demo Suite
A suite of technical showcases for the PSOne, the PlayStation developer demo suite had a number of different demos to demonstrate what Sony’s new piece of hardware could accomplish. From the screen stuffed delights of the manta demo which showed a hugely detailed manta ray surrounded by dozens of fully modelled fish on screen to other technical showcases that show off the console’s ability to manipulate a variety of 3D shapes, it was clear that the Sony’s PlayStation console would offer a visual experience that the consoles of the time couldn’t hope to match.
PlayStation 2 Tech Demos
In much the same way that the original PlayStation was a massive leap over the existing consoles of its day, so too was the PlayStation 2 a much more powerful beast than its predecessor. With PlayStation 2 the leap over the previous console generation was very much centered around a rendering focus in which the main aim was making characters and environments that resonated with the player and so, enabled by the PlayStation 2’s custom ‘Emotion Engine’ CPU, PlayStation 2 was able to do just that.
PlayStation 2 Sizzle Reel Tech Demo
Sadly only available in somewhat messy, low quality, the initial range of tech demos for the PlayStation 2 focused much more on its ability to affect facial expressions on character models, making them much more lifelike than anything that had come before. Beyond that, other PlayStation 2 titles such as The Bouncer and Gran Turismo were shown off too, giving eager consumers an idea of just how big the visual leap PlayStation 2 would provide.
PlayStation 3 Tech Demos
Something of a technological monster, the PlayStation 3’s technical makeup was predicated around a highly capable CELL processor and equally capable Nvidia manufactured GPU unit. The end result was a console that produced some stunningly beautiful first-party exclusives such as the Uncharted trilogy, The Last of Us and God of War 3 to name just a few.
The extent of the PlayStation 3’s grunt would be shown in a variety of tech demos, and while it’s fair to say that a few of them certainly exaggerated the console’s capabilities somewhat, some still weren’t that far off the final product (especially in the case of titles like Killzone 2).
PlayStation 3 Quantic Dream Kara Demo
Engineered by Heavy Rain developer Quantic Dream to showcase the sort of facial animation and lifelike character movement that the PlayStation 3 would permit, the ‘Kara’ demo was a stirring display of the console’s capabilities in this regard to say the least.
PlayStation 3 Final Fantasy VII: Remake Technical Demo
Arguably the video that set it all off, one way that Sony decided to showcase its power of newest console was through a technical demo for a remake of Final Fantasy VII. It was an incredible showcase which showed off the game’s opening in a staggering amount of detail and would, for more than a decade, fuel the needs and wants of fans for a full blooded remake. It would take 15 years and a whole new generation of PlayStation for the game to become a reality.
Killzone 2 PlayStation 3 Tech Demo
A furious and jaw-dropping demonstration, Killzone 2 was arguably a highlight of E3 2005. However, the lack of a true UI and with animations that can be best be described as ‘canned’, it came as little surprise that the Killzone 2 was more an exercise of target render smoke and mirrors than anything else. That said, the final product did get pretty close all the same.
MotorStorm PlayStation 3 Tech Demo
Again, much like Killzone 2 tech demo, Evolution Studios MotorStorm E3 2005 showcase was yet another target render demo which was supposed to excite players about the concept and visual potential of PlayStation 3 more than anything else. Though, the sheer level of reactive detail, physics and staged animation all pointed towards a game that could never be realized quite like this on PS3, MotorStorm still ended up being a visually appealing and enjoyable off-road racer when it finally released in 2006.
PlayStation 3 Eye Toy Tech Demo
Obviously no display of PlayStation hardware in those days would be complete without then SIE big wig Phil Harrison and his ducks. A showcase of the PlayStation 3’s polygon pushing power and physics manipulation capabilities, the ‘Duckies’ Eye Toy demo also provided Sony with an opportunity to show E3 2005 attendees how the Eye Toy would work too.
PlayStation 3 Getaway Technical Demo
A demonstration of the PlayStation 3’s ability to render a lifelike cityscape with detailed buildings and well animated pedestrians and traffic, The Getaway PlayStation 3 demo was largely notable for the fact that a new title in the London based crime series would be on the way during that generation. Oh also – at the 1:23 mark of the video below, ol’ Phil Harrison talks about High Dynamic Range lighting being part of this PlayStation 3 tech demo too. Yeah, that didn’t happen either as HDR wouldn’t be seen on a PlayStation console until more than ten years later.
PlayStation 4 Tech Demos
With the next generation of PlayStation and the subsequent ascension of Mark Cerny to the position of lead systems architect, PlayStation 4 was (and is) a sleek, streamlined effort that cribbed from existing PC architectures to craft a stonkingly powerful (at the time) gaming console. With the ability to push higher resolutions, create more detailed environments and character models, all the while embracing a lot of other cutting edge visual tech at the time, PlayStation 4 needed some really good tech demos to show it off that were more than just smoke and mirrors.
The Sorcerer PlayStation 4 Tech Demo
On the eve of the PlayStation 4’s launch, Beyond: Two Souls studio Quantic Dream was back at the tech demo shtick again, this time with The Dark Sorcerer, a satirical gothic dark fantasy set showcase that did a cracking job of showing off the PS4’s higher definition visuals and potential for very highly detailed facial animations and environments.
Killzone Shadow Fall PlayStation 4 Tech Trailer
If there was ever a developer that you could rely on to properly demonstrate the grunt of Sony’s new console it was Guerrilla Games. Obviously still somewhat mindful of being caught on the hop so to speak with the smoke and mirrors Killzone 2 demo that was put out a generation before, the Killzone Shadow Fall tech trailer marked a dramatic departure to say the least.
Showing off the advanced effects work such as volumetric lighting and post processing which Guerilla’s Decima engine supported, the Killzone Shadow Fall demo was notable because this was exactly how the game would look when players got their hands on it at the launch of PlayStation 4. How refreshing!
Deep Down PlayStation 4 Tech Demo
Seemingly representative of Capcom’s new ‘Panta-Rhei’ graphics engine, Deep Down gave the appearance of a seemingly next-generation take on FROM Software’s legendary Dark Souls series, showing off a heavily armored warrior facing off against a brutal looking dragon in a series of moody locations. Sadly, though hugely impressive looking, nothing would come of Deep Down in the end, and while many players would still be interested in the game making a comeback, such a revival doesn’t seem likely at all at this point.
Agni’s Philosophy Tech Demo
Intended as a demonstration for its Luminous Engine that would power the likes of Final Fantasy XV and, well, not much else, Square Enix’s ‘Agni’s Philosophy’ tech demo was still not short of jaw-dropping moments. Less a bespoke PlayStation 4 tech demo and more an elaborate showcase of the middleware that Sony’s new console would use, the particle effects, texture detail and facial animation shown during the showcase was far beyond anything that the PlayStation 3 could accomplish.
Star Wars 1313 Tech Demo
Another tech demo that was meant to signal something bigger and better, we’re including the Star Wars 1313 technical demo here because it not only gave us a tantalising glimpse into what the next generation of consoles (and by proxy PS4) would be capable of, but it would also give us a case of the BIG SADS, as the game would be cancelled not long thereafter. An actual shame. A crying one, in fact.
Dying Light PlayStation 4 Lighting Tech Demo
By far the shortest of all the tech demos in this article, Techland’s Dying Light PS4 tech demo nonetheless made the most of its brief runtime. With an exclusive focus on the lighting enabled by Sony’s then next-generation console, the Dying Light lighting tech demo did a super job showing off the stunning lighting that folk would see when they eventually got their hands on the game in 2015.
Unreal Engine 4 PlayStation 4 Tech Demo
Of course, no release of new hardware would really be complete in this era without Epic Games bringing up the fore with a tech demo of its latest Unreal Engine technology, and so it was that more than seven months before the release of PlayStation 4 in 2013 that we were given a glimpse of what Unreal Engine 4 could do on PlayStation 4.
Showcasing a wide variety of cutting edge visual effects such as advanced specular effects, dynamic lighting and extremely detailed textures, though not a perfect demonstration by any stretch (ooof, *that* framerate), the Unreal Engine 4 tech demo for PlayStation 4 nonetheless set the tone for many of the games that would embrace the technology post launch.
PlayStation 4 Pro Tech Demos
A mid generation ‘refresh’ the PlayStation 4 Pro was built around the idea of supplying superior performance and 4K resolution (by hook or crook) to the PlayStation loving masses. Though not a generational leap (as indeed, it was never intended to be), Sony needed to get some eye-opening technical demonstrations out to folks to better illustrate just the sort of increased fidelity and performance that the PlayStation 4 Pro would offer over the base console.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20th Anniversary PS4 Pro Tech Demo
A timed exclusive for Microsoft’s Xbox One family of consoles, to say that the arrival of Rise of the Tomb Raider on PlayStation 4 was overdue would be something of an understatement. Regardless of its tardiness, Rise of the Tomb Raider was nonetheless leveraged as an evocative demonstration of the PlayStation 4 Pro’s newfound technical grunt, neatly illustrating how developers could offer players a choice between checkerboard 4K resolution, higher detailed visuals or a locked 1080p 60fps presentation.
Horizon Zero Dawn PS4 Pro Gameplay Tech Demo
Though having Rise of the Tomb Raider demonstrate what the PlayStation 4 could do from a third-party perspective was all well and good, it was really (and not surprisingly) Sony first-party studio Guerrilla Games that would impress players the most with its technical mastery of Sony’s new console with Horizon Zero Dawn. Boasting an absolutely stunning visual presentation, Horizon Zero Dawn (like fellow PS4 exclusive God of War after it), proved to be jaw-dropping demonstration of what the PlayStation 4 Pro would be capable of – even today.
PlayStation 5 Tech Demos
With the technical specification of the PlayStation 5 now out in the wild, the world has waited (a little too long) to see just what Sony’s next-generation console would be capable of; especially in light of the seemingly superior spec of Microsoft’s competing Xbox Series X console and its dreary third-party showcase which did little to get players enthused for the next generation of consoles.
On May 13th, 2020, that wait came to an abrupt end as Epic Games showed off Unreal Engine 5 running on PlayStation 5, after which jaws, appropriately, dropped.
Unreal Engine 5 PlayStation 5 Tech Demo
Encompassing a range of utterly groundbreaking visual features such as Nanite micropolygon technology that allows developers to render environments with razor sharp detail, the ability for artists to port over original assets at near zero visual degradation and a new dynamic lighting system called Lumen, the Unreal Engine 5 tech demo running on PlayStation 5 was our first real glance at what Sony’s next-generation console will be capable of. We can’t wait to see more.