At some time in the future, we may anticipate a PS5 Pro to be released, but what improvements can we hope to see in a more powerful PlayStation 5?
The PlayStation 4 Pro, released by Sony in 2016, was the first home console to provide a mid-generation update. The machine was capable of 4K graphics and faster frame rates.
One year later, Microsoft released the Xbox One X, its own mid-gen update that mirrored Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro. The Xbox One X was an improvement over the original Xbox One in practically every way, much like the PlayStation 4 Pro.
Nintendo has a long-standing tradition of delivering new hardware at the beginning of each generation of consoles, albeit the firm often just improves upon current designs rather than creating something significantly more potent.
You can see this in the Nintendo DSi, New Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Switch OLED, all of which are upgrades to the original hardware without a major rethinking of the underlying technology.
Considering that the PS5 has already been on the market for over a year and a half, it’s safe to assume that Sony is already planning the introduction of a more powerful successor.
There’s no telling what a PS5 Pro might improve upon at the moment; the PlayStation 5 has yet to have support for 8K resolution, and we’ll have to wait for the PS5 Slim to see a significantly smaller system.
It’s still entertaining to make wild guesses, so let’s go into the rumor mill around the PS5 Pro and see what we can come up with.
Price and Release Date
Based on Sony’s release schedule and pricing for the PS4 Pro, we can make an informed judgment about when the PS5 Pro will be available.
There was a three-year gap between the release of the original PS4 and the release of the PS4 Pro in 2016. Since the PS5 was released in November of 2020, a PS5 Pro might potentially arrive as soon as the following year, in 2023. The PS5 Pro release date may be delayed until at least 2024 because of the Covid-19 epidemic and persistent component shortages.
The PS4 Pro was released at the same pricing as the original PS4 ($399) and the PS4 Slim (£349). Sony has announced a price increase for the PlayStation 5, citing rising inflation throughout the world as the reason.
The new prices are £479.99 (€549.99) and AU$ 799.95 (£799.95). If Sony sticks to the same method it used for PS4 Pro, it’s possible that the PS5 Pro will also be available for the same price.
Would you buy a PS5 Pro? pic.twitter.com/Wvr8YkjAMj
— Dave (@GamewithDave) December 19, 2022
Specs
Now it becomes far more difficult to foretell what will happen. The PlayStation 5 is already an exceptionally potent gaming device, with support for 4K gameplay at 120 frames per second, ray tracing, and typically lavish graphics in all games.
It’s probable that the jump from 1080p to 4K in visual quality is an exception, and that a PS5 Pro would allow developers to achieve even higher resolutions and frame rates.
It’s possible that the PS5 Pro may aim for the next-gen resolution standard, as the PS5 has so far been unable to output any games at 8K despite the functionality being stated on the console’s retail box.
The Tourist is one of the few games we know of that runs in 8K at 60 frames per second on PS5, yet unfortunately, it can only be seen at 4K at this time.
However, three years from now, 8K panels should be more reasonably priced and readily available for use by individuals who aren’t tech enthusiasts.
Remember that Sony also makes televisions; the Japanese firm may utilize the PS5 Pro to boost sales of its 8K models, just like the PS3 pushed sales of Blu-ray players and ultimately helped the format win the disc format war.
The PS5 Pro could include an AMD Zen 4 CPU and an RDNA-3 GPU, but we’ve seen both Microsoft and Sony have opted for marginally improved versions of the Xbox One and PS4 CPUs in their updated models.
To that end, the PS5 Pro’s graphical processing unit (GPU) is likely to receive more attention and resources than the console’s central processing unit (CPU).
Design
Since the PS5 is already a massive piece of hardware, a PS5 Pro may be on par with or even larger than the original PlayStation 5. This is assuming that Sony is able to make any noticeable enhancements. In a similar vein, the PS4 Pro’s larger size caused confusion with its predecessor, the PS4.
Those who need a more compact system may rest certain that the PS5 Slim will be released at around the same time. We expect Sony’s design to build upon the futuristic aesthetic established by the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro, but to perhaps include flourishes not found in either of these consoles.
What Else Could PS5 Pro Offer?
Since 825GB wasn’t exactly a fair amount, to begin with, and certain titles have heavy file sizes, we anticipate that the PS5 Pro will contain a larger SSD than the original PS5.
A 1TB model would be a welcome improvement, and we anticipate that users would still be able to use one of the finest SSDs for the PS5.
What about a digital version of the PS5 Pro? Does anyone know whether Sony plans to provide a disc-less variant? Perhaps not. The PS5 Digital Edition is a more affordable option for people who don’t mind sacrificing certain features, but it seems unnecessary to release two different models of the PS5 Pro, as not everyone would want one.
Is a PS5 Pro Really Necessary?
In a purely technical sense, no; nevertheless, in the next couple of years or so, we may see creators face additional roadblocks owing to the PS5’s aging technology, resulting in games with visible compromises like lower frame rates or resolutions.
The PS5 Pro’s increased processing power has the potential to breathe new life into many backward-compatible games, and it should also prevent any slowdowns in the performance of next-gen games.
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