The PS5 design, specs, and game lineup are now available. However, there is still much we don't know about Sony's next-generation gaming console as we approach its year-end 2020 launch. Besides the two big question marks of price and release date, there are a number of smaller things that Sony would be wise to resolve before the new system starts hitting store shelves.

We know that the PS5 will play PS4 games, but which games? And while some of the system's exclusive titles have been confirmed, what else will be coming soon? Here are some of the biggest questions about the PS5 that we hope will be answered before its launch.

Sony unveiled a large number of PS5 game titles at its "Future of Gaming" event on June 11, but it's not clear exactly which of these titles will launch along with the PS5. We do know that the cutesy platformer Astro's Playroom will be pre-installed on the console, but the rest of the launch lineup is a mystery at this point.

Major exclusives "Spider-Man: Miles Morales" has a vague "Holiday 2020" release date, the same as the PS5 console, but it is unclear if "Miles Morales" will be a launch title; "Assassin's Creed. Madden NFL 21 and NBA 2K21 seem like safe bets for launch, given that the current-gen versions will be released before the PS5. It seems like a safe bet. However, with no confirmed release dates for these games or the PS5 itself, it remains to be seen what will actually be available for purchase at launch.

Sony has already confirmed that the PS5 will be backward compatible with the "overwhelming majority" of the more than 4,000 PS4 titles currently available. The company also expects that backward-compatible games will run at "boosted frequencies" and may have improved frame rates and resolutions, but has yet to reveal specific optimizations for specific games. It is also known that third-party titles such as "Cyberpunk 2077" and "Madden NFL 21" will offer free upgrades from the PS4 version to the PS5 version, but it is unclear if Sony's first-party games will take a similar approach.

So many questions still remain: will PS4-exclusive titles such as The Last of Us Part II, God of War, and Ghost of Tsushima be enhanced on PS5 at launch? Also, while system architect Mark Cerny elaborated on the legacy mode of the PS4 Pro during his Road to PS5 presentation, it is not yet clear how PS5 will upscale PS4 games to 4K.

Microsoft has been more transparent in terms of backward compatibility, stating that the Xbox Series X will support all Xbox One games and all Xbox and Xbox 360 games already optimized to run on Xbox One. The company even promises that some of these titles can run at 4K resolution and frame rates as high as 120 fps. With this in mind, I would like to hear more about the PS5's approach to playing older games.

The PS5's exclusive software lineup is already quite promising, with "Spider-Man: Miles Morales," "Horizon: Forbidden West," "Gran Turismo 7," and "Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart" coming in the next few years. Rift Apart" will be released in the next few years. However, there are still several major Sony franchises and studios that we would like to know more about.

A PS5 sequel to the 2018 blockbuster "God of War" reboot is almost certainly in development, which would make Sony's new console even more of a must-have whenever it is announced. It will also be interesting to see where the once popular "Infamous" series is headed and what surprises genDESIGN ("Wanda and the Colossus," "Ico") has in store. And while the "Miles Morales" game will be released this year as a stand-alone spin-off, news on an official sequel to "Marvel's Spider-Man" is still awaited.

But perhaps the biggest question is what's next for Naughty Dog, the studio behind the critically acclaimed "Uncharted" and "The Last of Us" series. Since these two series seem to have run their course, I'd like to see this veteran developer return to his roots with a colorful platformer like "Jak & Daxter" or a title that is completely different from the gritty modern action/adventure (perhaps a sci-fi game...). Whenever Naughty Dog releases a new game, expect it to make a big splash.

We already know that the PS5 will be compatible with the PlayStation VR headset, which should allow us to play titles like "Resident Evil 7," "Iron Man VR," and "Astro Bot" in virtual reality: in other words. Resident Evil 7," "Iron Man VR," and "Astro Bot: Rescue Mission" should be playable in virtual reality on the new console. But what does the future hold for VR on the PS5?

Thorney told Wired in 2019 that "VR is very important [to Sony]," so a next-generation PlayStation VR seems plausible. And with new PSVR titles like "Star Wars: Squadrons" and "The Walking Dead Onslaught" on the horizon, Sony would be wise to beef up its virtual reality headset to compete with the many strong options available on the PC. would be wise.

This is a question that could make or break Sony's game console: the official price of the PS5 has yet to be determined, with leaks and projections putting it at $400 to $600. Some analysts also expect the Xbox Series X to cost up to $100 less than the PS5, so it is critical that the PS5 comes at a price that is not hard to swallow - especially in the current uncertain economic climate.

We know that both the regular PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition will be available, but it is unclear how much cheaper the latter, undisclosed console will be. For reference, the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition is currently $50 cheaper than the standard Xbox One S, which costs $299.

Less important, but also very important, is the PS5 release date. Based on previous PlayStation launches, the PS5 is expected to launch in mid-November before the Thanksgiving/Black Friday sales season; the PS4 launched a week earlier than the Xbox One in November 2013, so it is possible that Sony will take a similar approach this year and get ahead of Microsoft for early sales could be gained.

Hopefully, the months leading up to the PS5 launch will provide definitive answers to these questions.