In November 2020, the PlayStation 5 was released to great fanfare. However, shortly after the launch, the first rumors about a Pro version of Sony’s new console emerged. In this article, we will take a look at what we can expect from an improved model.
It has now been almost exactly two years since the PS5 was launched. Since the lifespan of modern consoles typically lasts a maximum of seven to eight years, it is quite possible that the coveted console has already spent a quarter of its time behind it.
Recently, the announcement of the Pro controller for the PS5, the DualSense Edge, has reignited the question of whether and when there will be a Pro model for the console. The first rumors about an upgraded version of the console surprisingly emerged shortly after the release of the original PS5.
For this reason, this article will address why a PS5 Pro could definitely exist and what we could expect from it.
Here you can find the announcement video for the official Pro controller of the PS5:
Sony has always released mid-gen consoles in the past
Similar to Nintendo, Sony is also known for releasing what are called mid-gen consoles. These are modified or improved versions of the original consoles that usually appear after about three years. Examples include the slim versions that have actually been released for every single console in the PlayStation series, or the PS4 Pro.
Compared to the original PlayStation 4, it was capable of displaying better frame rates (FPS) and also 4K resolutions for the first time – a world first for consoles.
Microsoft released the Xbox One X a year later in November 2017, which was also a significant upgrade compared to the original Xbox One.
Since technological advancement is currently progressing rapidly, it has almost become unavoidable to release improved versions of the current console generation – not least to remain competitive.
This is also evident in the following quote from former PlayStation head Shawn Layden:
You start working on the next-generation platform almost the day after you release whatever the current generation is. The development of the PlayStation 5 is very far behind. (…) You always have to be a little ahead of things.
Shawn Layden
Accordingly, there have also been some initial rumors about a PS6:
Will a PS5 Pro get significantly more performance than the PS5?
What could make a PS5 Pro technically better? The PS5 is already enormously powerful. For example, it is capable of displaying certain games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 and Fortnite in 4K and with 120 Hz in addition to ray tracing.
However, the most noticeable enhancements may likely be a stronger GPU, further improved and more stable frame rates, and higher resolutions, such as the output of native 8K. The latter is, however, already promised on the packaging of the current console, yet there is not a single game that can run at this resolution on the PlayStation 5.
One reason for this might also be that 8K technology is still not widespread enough, and developers are therefore not programming their games accordingly.
However, since Sony also manufactures televisions, it would be conceivable that a truly 8K-capable PS5 Pro could also stimulate sales of TVs with this modern technology. A similar situation occurred with the PS3 and the then-new Blu-ray technology.
The storage is likely to be larger in a PS5 Pro
What upgrade does the PS5 Pro urgently need? Furthermore, the NVMe SSD of the PS5 Pro should undergo an upgrade. The storage volume of the PS5, with just 825 GB of built-in storage, is not particularly large. Of that, about 650 GB remains for installing games and software.
However, as triple-A games are becoming increasingly storage-intensive, it is imperative that the storage of a PS5 Pro should inevitably be increased. For example, the currently largest game for the console, “Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War,” with 225.3 GB, occupies nearly a third of the available storage on the PlayStation 5.
We therefore believe that Sony will opt for increased storage in a potential PS5 Pro. It may follow the example of the PS4 Pro, which had a 1 TB HDD. The option to expand storage with an additional SSD should still be available in a Pro version of the console.
With an additional SSD, you can significantly enhance the PS5. And you should definitely consider acquiring an additional NVMe SSD for your PS5:
The PS5 Pro may also change visually
How might a PS5 Pro differ in design from the original console? Clearly, the PS5 is a massive piece of hardware. Compared to a slim variant of the console – which may even be in development right now – it is quite possible that a Pro version could even gain a few centimeters and grams. This was already the case with the PS4 Pro, which grew considerably compared to the original console.
Nevertheless, it is likely that Sony will not abandon the polarizing design of the PS5 but rather build on the console’s futuristic look. This has also been observed in the past with mid-gen consoles.
When to expect a PS5 Pro
When might a possible release date for the PS5 Pro be? The regular PS5 is still hard to come by; is a PS5 Pro even realistic? Just recently, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan announced in Sony’s 2022 Business Segment Briefing that “more people want a PS5 than there ever were for the PS4”. Yet the demand still clearly outweighs the available supply. The main reason lies still in the supply difficulties caused by the Corona pandemic and the worldwide semiconductor shortage.
Additionally, the situation is further complicated by rising production costs due to inflation.
For these reasons, the shift to a new manufacturing process and thus also the release of a PS5 Pro in 2023, on the occasion of the three-year anniversary, currently seems difficult to imagine.
Nonetheless, one can be quite sure that there could be new indications of the improved console in the not-too-distant future. However, there is no official release date, and Sony has also not yet introduced a new console.
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