Hot on the heels of revealing (and releasing) a slimmer PlayStation 5, Sony is poised deliver a mightier mid-generation upgrade – the PS5 Pro.
Earlier this month, the market finally got a chance to literally check out a redesigned PS5, sporting a more compact and slimmer chassis. This not-so-slim PS5 doesn’t reduce the footprint as much as, let’s say, the previous “slim” iterations of older consoles. Is it an upgrade? Definitely not. But, if you’re on the market for a new PS5, this is the variant to get. Although, you may purchase the bulkier PS5 for a lower price if you take advantage of the Black Friday deals.
With the PS5 Slim finally out in the open, the market now looks forward to the PS5 Pro.
Insider-Gaming reported earlier this year that a souped up “Pro” variant intended to push gaming performance further was on the pipeline, but we haven’t heard anything about this since. In fact, the earlier leaks about Microsoft insisting that a new PS5 variant was on the way, didn’t talk about the mid-generation upgrade.
Sony started a new tradition last generation when it released a console refresh in 2016. The PS4 Pro delivered support for 4K visuals and HDR, bringing significantly more power under the hood. The timing suggests a PS5 Pro could arrive as early as 2023 based on the 2020 PS5 launch, but it’s looking like a late 2024 release date is more likely.
While Sony hasn’t confirmed anything, a recent job listing by the company did confirm that it’s looking for engineers to design new console chipsets. This suggests power upgrades in the works beyond the already formidable PS5 specs.
A potential PS5 Pro would incorporate cutting edge components to distance itself from the base model. It’s likely aimed at stabilizing the gameplay in higher display resolutions and frame rates with ray tracing enabled simultaneously for a no compromise experience.
As for pricing, the PS4 Pro originally launched at $399 – the base PS4’s starting cost. But with skyrocketing inflation, a straightforward $499 or upward of $599 appears more realistic considering the PS5 Slim now retails for $449. Either way, expect a premium over existing bundles.
However, the argument exists that the PS5 Pro is unnecessary. Most games have barely begun scratching the surface of the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X, especially if we discount unoptimized messes like Immortals of Aveum and Forspoken, among others. The likes of Alan Wake 2 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 help prove that the incumbent consoles possess tremendous capabilities still. At the same time, enhanced specs invariably enable better backward compatibility support as well as better future PS VR performance.
For those already enjoying what the PS5 can offer, the PS5 Pro offer negligible improvement. Yet as the next-gen library expands, the option to upgrade to superior hardware will encourage players towards the cutting edge, especially if Sony supports the ecosystem long into the decade, which is what it did with the PS4 and PS4 Pro.
With the PS6 not coming until 2028, the latest, the PS5 Pro will still have at least four years of strong sales if it launches next year. A mid-cycle Pro enhancement caters nicely to early adopters desiring the best available performance. Now having already realized the more compact PS5 Slim, the roadmap seems paved for a beefier, technically impressive PS5 Pro to drop sometime in late 2023 or 2024.
