The PlayStation 5 Pro is the video game industry’s worst-kept secret. If we believe all the rumors, the official announcement of the PlayStation 5 Pro is now just a matter of “when” and not “if.”
Multiple sources in Cologne, Germany, attending Gamescom 2024, are hinting that a handful of developers have already received specifications for the upgraded ninth-generation console. This suggests that an official reveal is right around the corner, possibly ahead of the Tokyo Game Show on September 26.
If Sony follows a similar timeline to the PS4 Pro launch, we might see the console announced in September followed by a November release.
The introduction of a more powerful PS5 Pro creates an opportunity for PlayStation to diversify its product lineup and cater to different segments of the gaming market. More importantly, it’s an opportunity to cash in on the most wonderful time of the year, or so the song says.
By reducing the price of the standard PS5, Sony could attract the more budget-conscious gamers while offering the Pro model to enthusiasts seeking cutting-edge performance.
Sony has a history of lowering prices for older console versions upon the release of new iterations. The Japanese console manufacturer has consistently done this across all PlayStation generations, including the notoriously expensive PlayStation 3, which saw price cuts despite initial losses for the company.
Now in its fourth year, Sony can afford a substantial price cut for the PS5, potentially bringing its retail price closer to the launch price of the PS4.
The eighth-generation console remains popular to this day, and many developers, including Techland, are still making games with its hardware in mind.
A PS5 price cut that sees it cost much less than it already does could help clear the existing inventory in preparation for the PS5 Pro model’s arrival. It also incentivizes PS4 owners to finally make the jump and upgrade, helping accelerate the transition away from last-gen consoles and encouraging more developers to focus on creating games that fully utilize current-gen hardware capabilities.
With Microsoft’s controversial Xbox Series S offering a more affordable entry point for next-gen gaming, Sony may counter with a more competitively priced PS5 as it chokes the Xbox out of the market while its chief rival misses out on popular multi-platform titles and welcomes “unoptimized” exclusives while losing some of its exclusives over to PlayStation.
All of this is to say that a PS5 Pro announcement paired with a PS5 price cut creates the perfect scenario for Sony. With consumers looking for deals and gift options as the holiday season approaches, a more affordable PS5 could drive significant sales and help expand Sony’s user base. Additionally, a lower entry point for the PlayStation ecosystem could encourage more players to invest in games, accessories, and subscription services like PlayStation Plus.
While the exact specifications of the PS5 Pro remain unconfirmed, leaked info hints at significant improvements in performance. The new model is rumored to offer a massive boost in rasterized rendering, enhanced ray tracing capabilities, and even a custom machine learning architecture. These upgrades could address some of the performance issues faced by current-gen games, especially when running at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second.
Immediately, this upgrade will be felt by games like Black Myth: Wukong and Final Fantasy 16, while establishing the mid-cycle refresh as the go-to console for Grand Theft Auto 6 when it finally comes out.
Sony currently hasn’t confirmed anything about the PS5 Pro, but all signs point to a confirmation sooner rather than later.
