Despite being on sale for over two years, the PS5 can still be hard to find. If you haven’t gotten your hands on one yet, you’re better off waiting, as rumors are circulating that Sony is making a more premium version of the gaming machine called the PS5 Pro.
So what could a PS5 Pro console offer? Who says it is likely? How much can it cost? How would it compare to the standard PS5? And when can we see it? We’ll try to answer all these questions and more as we break down everything we know about the PS5 Pro.
Will there be a PS5 Pro?
It looks quite likely, although of course Sony hasn’t said anything on the subject. But look at Sony’s recent console history: the gaming giant launched a PS4 Pro in 2016, at the same time as the PS4 Slim – which came three years after the original PS4.
But don’t just take our word for it – TV maker TCL seems to think so too. At a conference last summer, it predicted that Sony would launch a PS5 Pro, and even speculated on some specs. It also said that Microsoft would launch a new Xbox console around the same time.
It’s pretty common for consoles to get a midlife refresh. With the PS5 turning three this year and a rumored lifespan of at least seven years, Sony could very well have a PS5 Pro in the works.
PS5 Pro release date rumors
With the PS5 likely approaching the middle of its lifespan, we could see a PS5 Pro sooner rather than later. According to TCL, the console could launch as early as this year – after all, Sony only waited three years in the life of the PS4 before announcing the PS4 Pro. And it did the same with the PS3 and PS3 Slim. Which would make 2023 the year of the PS5 Pro.
Though TCL has hedged its bets somewhat, also suggesting a 2024 launch would be likely.
Sony has previously said that 2023 will be “a very important time” for the PS5 (via Insider gaming). Which certainly sounds like a hint to us.
Could Sony launch a new controller to go with its new console? It only recently announced the DualSense Edge, a premium controller aimed at serious gamers. What is often referred to as the PS5 Pro controller release date has been set for January 26. Therefore, it is unlikely that we will see a new control panel dedicated to PS5 Pro.
PS5 Pro price predictions
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And the price? As with the PS4 Pro before it, we could imagine the PS5 Pro launching at the same price as the PS5 is currently being sold for. Note: That’s not the same as the PS5’s original launch price. The price of the PS5 was recently increased to £479.99 / €549.99 / AU$799.95, while it cost £450 / $500 / AU$750 at launch.
Sony blamed inflation for the price increase. With inflation currently reaching a 40-year high in countries around the world, don’t expect prices to drop anytime soon.
Rumors about PS5 Pro specs
As for what to expect from a PS5 Pro, there are no concrete answers. TCL thinks native 8K support and 120Hz refresh rates are on the horizon, along with an improved GPU.
Of course, this would all make for a better gaming experience. 8K support would mean much higher resolution graphics, while 120Hz would mean smoother motion with less blur and judder – especially noticeable during fast-moving games. But is it realistic?
8K TVs are now on sale, but 8K content is few and far between. It’s also perhaps asking too much of a console that probably won’t cost more than the current price of the standard PS5, so we may have to wait until the PS6 for full 8K gaming.
Instead, Sony could focus on making ‘true’ 4K. At the moment, games can be played in 4K, but the resolution will be lowered if the action gets too hectic. True 4K means no loss of resolution, even during the most frenetic scenes.
The claim of a more powerful processor is also questionable. The PS5’s current AMD chip is based on technology from 2019. Moving from that to AMD’s current range of chipsets (the Zen 4) would increase processing power and make the console more energy efficient. But due to potential backward compatibility issues, Sony could simply increase the clock speed and use a more powerful graphics processor for the PS5 Pro, just like the PS4 Pro.
We can also expect a step up from the PS5’s 16GB of RAM. Again, that was the course of action for the PS4 Pro. And an increase from 825 GB of storage to 1 TB seems sensible, as the file size of games continues to grow.
PS5 Pro early verdict
It’s still early days – Sony hasn’t even confirmed it’s making a PS5 Pro, let alone what the specs will be, when it launches or how much it will cost. But given Sony’s history in gaming consoles, we’d be surprised if these rumors miss the mark.
Let’s hope they aren’t, as they point to a faster, more powerful and overall more capable console, all for the same price you’d currently pay for a standard PS5. Which will certainly make gamers very happy…
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