Sony has officially revealed details of its tentatively-named PlayStation 5 console – which will be capable of 8K resolution and 3D audio.

The console will still use physical media – presumably Blu-rays discs – but System Architect Mark Cerny, in an interview with Wired, hinted that streamed gaming will also be a key feature. The current PlayStation VR headset will also be supported by the console, as well as backwards compatibility for PS4 games.

The console will boast a solid-state drive (SSD) with higher bandwidth, which could/should lead to the demise of loading times.

The 8K resolution will come via ray-tracing graphics, Cerny said, a technology usually used in Hollywood special effects, and occasionally in high-end processors. It means the PlayStation 5 will offer much better, and more realistic, visuals. Meanwhile, 3D audio will see users being immersed in audio from above, behind and from the side, according to Cerny –  and will be experienced best through headphones.

No specific release was given for the console beyond “2020”.

The console will go head to head with Microsoft’s next-gen console, codenamed Xbox Anaconda. It is widely believed that the two consoles will mark the end of tradional gaming hardware as the video games industry gradually transcends towards a streaming model, much in the same way music and TV/movies have.