It seems almost inevitable that we will see a PS5 Pro at some point in the future, but what can we expect from a more powerful PlayStation 5?
Sony started the trend of releasing mid-gen console updates during the PlayStation 4 generation with the PS4 Pro in 2016 – a more technologically advanced system that was capable of 4K footage and higher frame rates.
PS5 Pro: straight to the point
* What is it? A mid-gen PS5 update
* How much will it cost? We expect it to be the same price as a launch PS5 at $499 / £449
* When will this be released? 2023 maximum
The PS4 Pro was successful enough that Microsoft followed suit with its own mid-gen console update a year later. Xbox One X and just like the PS4 Pro, the Xbox One X outperformed the original Xbox one in almost all departments.
Nintendo has always had a habit of releasing updated hardware during a console generation, though the company tends to refine an existing design rather than making something more powerful. The Nintendo DS Lite, New Nintendo 3DSand Nintendo Switch OLED are all recent examples of Nintendo making improvements to its original hardware, but not revising the technical specs to any notable degree.
The PS5 may just be approaching its one-and-a-half year anniversary on sale, but that doesn’t mean Sony doesn’t already have plans to release a more capable model in the coming years. It’s unclear now exactly what a PS5 Pro could improve on – we haven’t seen any yet. 8K resolution support on PlayStation 5 yet, and we’ll have to wait for a PS5 Slim if we want to see a noticeably smaller console.
Still, it’s always fun to speculate and gather all the rumors, so let’s dive deep into the possibility of a PS5 Pro and make some predictions along the way.
PS5 Pro price and release date
We can make a guess as to when the PS5 Pro will launch along with its price based on what Sony did with the PS4 Pro. The PS4 Pro was released in 2016, three years after the original PS4 was released. This means we could see a PS5 Pro launch as early as 2023, as the PS5 launched in November 2020. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing component shortages could push the PS5 Pro launch into 2024 or beyond. .
Price-wise, the PS4 Pro launched at the same price as the original PS4 which was $399 / £349. The PS5 is $499 / £449, so it’s likely Sony could offer the PS5 Pro for the same price if you follow the same strategy as the PS4 Pro.
PS5 Pro Project
The PS5 is already a mammoth machine, which means that unless Sony can make drastic improvements, a PS5 Pro could match or even exceed the size of a regular PlayStation 5. We saw a similar situation occur with the PS4 Pro, which was larger than the original PlayStation 4 by some margin.
We imagine that, like the PlayStation 4 Pro, Sony’s design will build on the console’s existing futuristic look and feel, but could include some additional flourishes that aren’t present on the current system.
PS5 Pro specs
This is where things get a lot less easy to predict. The PS5 is already an extremely powerful console, capable of 4K gaming at 120Hz in specific titles, ray tracing and sumptuous visuals in general. A PS5 Pro would certainly help developers achieve even higher resolutions and frame rates, but it’s unlikely to represent a tangible leap as we’ve seen going from 1080p to 4K.
However, with the PS5 still unable to produce 8K games despite the feature being advertised on the console’s retail box, perhaps the PS5 Pro will target the next-gen resolution standard.
8K is not widespread at the moment, but in three years time, 8K panels will likely become more affordable and affordable for non-enthusiast consumers. Let’s not forget that Sony also makes TVs, and the Japanese company may want to use the PS5 Pro to boost sales of its 8K sets, just as it used the PS3 to help win the disc format war with Blu-Ray. .
The PS5 Pro may sport an AMD Zen 4 CPU and RDNA-3 GPU, but we’ve seen that Microsoft and Sony have decided to use a slightly improved version of the Xbox One and PS4 CPUs in their updated models. expect to see more GPU investment than CPU investment with the PS5 Pro.
But what else could the PS5 Pro offer? We expect the PS5 Pro to include a larger SSD over the original PS5 as well, as 825GB wasn’t exactly a generous amount to start with. A 1TB version would certainly help add more value, and we look forward to the ability to install your own NVMe SSD stay.
And what about a digital edition of the PS5 Pro? Will Sony also release a version without a disk drive? Maybe not. The PS5 Digital Edition serves as a cheaper alternative to the PS5 for those who are happy to do without, but releasing two versions of the PS5 Pro, which admittedly won’t please everyone, would likely be a little frivolous.
Do we really need a PS5 Pro?
Technically no, but in three years time, we could see developers encounter more hurdles due to the old PS5 hardware resulting in noticeable compromises in games such as lower framerates or resolutions. A PS5 Pro can revitalize many older games if they are improved as we saw in the PS4 Pro, and the added horsepower should ensure that newer titles aren’t held back either.
Should I wait for a PS5 Pro or just buy a PS5?
You’ll always get a better deal if you wait, that’s just the nature of technology. However, the PS5 is an excellent console that has some great games that you can play right now. Yes, a PlayStation 5 Pro will be able to provide a better overall experience, but think about how much fun will you miss out on waiting?
