PS5 Pro: The latest on specs, price and release date speculation
While the PS5 Pro has yet to be officially revealed by Sony, it’s looking increasingly likely that we’ll see a mid-generation upgrade soon – possibly as early as this fall (2024).
Sony, of course, has had previous form when it comes to releasing new mid-generation console variants, going back to the original PlayStation. In fact, just last year we saw the PS5 launch model replaced by the PS5 Slim on retailer shelves . Even more notably, however, the console giant released a more powerful variant of the PlayStation 4 last generation – the PS4 Pro – which offered a higher-performing machine and one that could deliver improved and enhanced experiences with nearly all PS4 games.
Sony is keeping officially confirmed details under wraps and has yet to publicly say anything about a new PS5 console. However, rumors and well-researched information are piling up, and much of it points to a more powerful console, potentially offering better performance in terms of framerates, upscaling, and ray tracing. This console is expected to launch in late 2024. Here’s everything we know about the PS5 Pro.
PS5 Pro: Get straight to the point
- What is it? The successor to the mid-generation console is an upgrade to PlayStation 5
- How much is it? To be announced
- When would be a good time? To be announced
- What are the upgrades? TBA, but more powerful hardware with improvements in CPU power and speed, GPU power and speed, and advancements in ray tracing are almost certain. A boost in storage capacity is also a valid prediction.
PS5 Pro release date and price
Neither a PS5 Pro release date nor price have been confirmed – we should say that right away. However, the latest well-substantiated PS5 Pro spec leaks are strongly hinting at a launch in time for, or ‘on’, Holiday 2024.
Looking back at the PS4 Pro timeline, the console was announced in September 2016 and released just two months later in November 2016. If Sony were to follow a similar pattern, we’d be in for a bit of a wait for news.
As for the PS5 Pro price, it’s very much a guessing game given that we have nothing to go on. We’ve seen the price of the PS5 increase recently, with Sony attributing this to rising global inflation, so the PS5 currently costs £479.99 / €549.99 / AU$799.95. If we really had to hazard a guess given the extra power potentially delivered by the leaked specs, we’d guess that the PS5 Pro won’t follow the example of the PS4 Pro which launched for the original price of the base PS4 – we’d guess the PlayStation 5 Preo could launch for something like $599 / £549 / AU$900-1,000. We’d like to stress that this is a bit of a guess! Hopefully we’ll get more concrete pricing information soon.
PS5 Pro Specifications
While this has been an area that’s historically been harder to predict, the latest PS5 Pro spec leak and information at least gives us something of moderate substance to point to. The leak reportedly comes direct from the internal Developer Network, and is thus wrapped in a veritable authenticity, featuring a list of facts about the new console that clues developers in to the specifics of the machine.
One promising line from the source was that “PlayStation 5 titles on Trinity can support higher resolutions and frame rates.” Additionally, other specs and details were highlighted:
- 45% increase in raw rendering power over base PS5
- Two to four times higher ray tracing
- Sony’s own patented upscaling technology – “PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution”
- Support for 8K resolutions
- “Customized architecture for machine learning”
- A GPU that delivers a massive 33.5 teraflops of power
PS5 Pro design
There’s a good chance that the PS5 Pro will be physically larger than the standard PS5 if we’re making the jump between, say, the PS4 and PS4 Pro. Given that the PS5 is already a big boy thanks to its curved side plates and tall structure, a PS5 Pro could potentially be physically larger and thicker to compensate for both potentially heftier hardware inside and any required increase in the size of the cooling solution.
This would reflect the PS4 Pro’s increase in size compared to the PS4 and PS4 Slim launch consoles. Given the cooling demands of modern consoles in particular, it’s a little tricky to guess at design features without the specs known.
It’s unlikely that Sony would completely ditch the PS5’s side plate design, which makes it easy to open the console for cleaning the fans, allows for the installation of an SSD for the PS5 (something that won’t be removed from any PS5 Pro design), and allows for the side plates to be customized with separately available colored plates.
PS5 Pro – Frequently Asked Questions
Do we even need a PS5 Pro?
Technically no, but developers may run into more obstacles in the future due to the PS5’s aging hardware, resulting in noticeable compromises in games like lower framerates or resolutions. A PS5 Pro could breathe new life into many older games if they’re improved like we saw on the PS4 Pro, and the extra horsepower should ensure newer titles aren’t held back either.
Should I wait for a PS5 Pro or just get 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 with great games that you can play right now. Yes, a PlayStation 5 Pro might offer a better overall experience, but think about how much fun you’re missing out on by waiting?
Does the PS5 Pro support 8K?
It wasn’t that long ago that Sony began removing the “8K” logo from PS5 packaging, a feature of the console that always seemed a little over the top.
Could Sony be ‘saving’ the 8K logo for a PS5 Pro though? Perhaps, but native or ‘true’ 8K gaming seems like a huge leap for a mid-gen refresh console to be able to pull off. Our honest guess at this point is that it won’t be able to output a true 8K resolution.
To be clear, and just like any other home console at the moment, you can use a PS5 or a future PS5 Pro of an 8K TV – then it’s just not a real 8K image.
Does the PS5 Pro have better graphics than the PS5?
This is a good question that gets to the heart of the matter: is it worth upgrading from the PS5 to the PS5 Pro when (and if) it comes out?
Generally speaking, whenever a more powerful console comes out – whether it’s a generational jump or a mid-generation upgrade – games tend to look better and benefit from better graphics. ‘Graphics’ comes in a few forms, whether that’s overall quality, photorealistic fidelity, higher framerates, or even specific things like reflections, lighting, and smoke accuracy. We’re expecting the PS5 Pro to offer a boost in all of those elements, most notably ray tracing, which should improve the real-time rendering of lighting and reflections – notoriously power and resource hungry – without sacrificing overall quality or performance.
