Rumor: PlayStation 5 Pro in Development, Could Release in Late 2024 - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 14 March 2023 / 4,843 Views
Sony Interactive Entertainment is rumored to be developing a PlayStation 5 Pro with a tentative release window of late 2024, according to sources who spoke with Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson.
Details on this rumored PS5 Pro are light as the sources didn't provide details on the specs.
Insider Gaming also believes the next-generation PlayStation, the PlayStation 6, won't launch until at least 2028. This would be eight years after the launch of the PS5, which is one year longer than the gap between the PS4 and PS5.
Henderson is the one who previously reported on the updated PlayStation 5 with a detachable disc drive that is rumored to release later this year.
The detachable disc drive will be connected to the PlayStation using an extra USB-C port on the back of the console. This updated PS5 is also rumored to not have any major hardware changes from the original PS5.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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I'm 100% certain that both MS and Sony are working on mid-gen upgrades. But, that doesn't mean that they will decide to release them. They're working on them so that they have something ready if market conditions dictate that an upgrade is needed/wanted (if either of them announce an upgrade, the other will definitely follow). But, if the market doesn't send that signal, they won't do anything beyond the usual slim-type refreshes.
That is very much likely, they have the next gen being under development and possibly the mid-gen refresh in the work and at this time it is likely finished on the hw itself.
Microsoft seemed very clear in the 2020 Eurogamer interview, and with the Digital Foundry people, that they did not anticipate mid-gen refreshes this generation. Better process nodes have continued to produce size and wattage savings, but are no longer producing cost savings to the degree that they used to. That was the whole reason they released the Series S, the fact that they expected the PS5 and Series X to stay relatively expensive throughout this generation. Microsoft sees architectural improvements as the only economical way to significantly increase power, going forward.
We'll see if they're right, but I absolutely don't share your 100% certainty that they're both planning a "pro" console this generation. We might end up with the fascinating result that Sony produces a PS5 Pro, whereas Microsoft may launch the next-gen earlier than Sony. Not without precedent, as the 360 launched a year before the PS5, something that Microsoft felt was to their benefit.
It would be utterly fascinating to see how the market responded to Sony extending the generation with a suped-up Zen 2/RDNA2 console, whereas Microsoft moved on to Zen 4/RDNA 3 (or whatever).
Agree with what you said. But I'm pretty sure both MS and Sony have some RD regarding a pro mid-gen refresh (even more on MS case as they want the no generation, continuous improvement of HW, mindset) if they produce a prototype and/or launch a product is a complete different thing.
I'm 80/20 that Sony is investing R&D in a pro console, just in case. But I'm only 50/50 on Xbox is also doing so. I think Sony may be investing in that to hedge their bets. But because they launched with S and X, I don't think Microsoft want a third level this gen.
Plus Microsoft gained so much by launching the 360 a year before the PS3. So I think Microsoft may be hoping that Sony launches a PS5 Pro, while Microsoft ignores that possibility and instead invests all their R&D in coming out with next-gen consoles with an improved architecture (Xbox) rather than a juiced-up version of the current architecture. If Sony releases a PS5 Pro, and Microsoft skips that and releases a new architecture 1-2 years later, then Microsoft may feel that works to their advantage.
We may get a mid-gen refresh for the Series S (perhaps slightly more powerful and/or an optical drive) and the Series X (slightly smaller and/or a disc-less version). But a "pro" version of the X, that I think is unlikely.
That is a possibility. But there is the other possibility on the case of Xbox "no generation", that would be Series S retiring, Series X being the lower entry point (pretend here that they can get the price to 300 by end 2024, sure removing the disc would be minimal saving but chip could be reduced, don't think it will be enough though) and Series Y is the new premium.
Yeah, that's also a possibility. The reason I don't think that's the case, though, is that Microsoft was able to make the Series S with overall more performance than the One X, and yet the Series S was smaller/cheaper/lower wattage.
So if Sony comes out with a "pro" that's a suped-up Zen2/RDNA2 in 2024, yet Microsoft waits until 2025 or 2026 and brings out a backwards compatible system based on a more efficient architecture (Zen4/RDNA3, or what have you), they might again be able to eek out a cost advantage over what a "pro" console would cost them to manufacture. And if they can, I think they would prefer to.
Gotcha, whatever they (both companies) decide to do we will be here to look how it turns out and I'm sure we will get better games from it.
The advantage of a "pro" console is that you can ensure full compatibility without a significant performance increase. For a next-gen console with full compatibility Microsoft would have to go big enough that it can run the game under emulation.
Microsoft kind of cheated with the Series S, by making it run only the One S version of the game (any "enhanced for Xbox One X" games don't run on the Series S with those enhancements).
I suppose they could do that again, with an inexpensive next-gen console running the Series S version under emulation, and the deluxe next-gen console emulating the Series X version.
That assumes they go with a two-SKU strategy again, but I think they would (having done so with the Xbox One, and the Xbox Series).
I doubt that either of them really want to do a mid-gen upgrade. But, these are mega companies with huge businesses we're talking about here. They are definitely investing in the R&D necessary to make sure that they can match each other in the event that one of them decides to do a pro model. And, especially with how unpredictable market conditions have been over the last few years, I think they would be foolish not to have something in the pipeline for just about every reasonably possible scenario.
We know that Microsoft is sitting on a streaming device. I bet Sony is too, or is at least pretty well down the R&D path such that they could get one out in a year or so if it seemed like that's what the market wanted. The same thing is almost certainly true of pro models.
Maybe. but Microsoft's answer to the PS4 Pro was a year later. So if Microsoft brings out the next-gen 1-2 years after the release of a theoretical PS5 Pro, they might be happy with that as an answer even if it's not a "pro" Xbox console. Especially if that allows it to be significantly more powerful than a PS5 Pro would be, while also being cheaper to manufacture. They could design a next-gen S that's broadly in line with a PS5 Pro (but cheaper), and a next-gen X that's even better.
To achieve true 4k@60fps with RT then I hope
Yeah, the main reason to launch it would be with RT in mind. However, there was an obvious push towards towards "pro" consoles because the Xbox One and the PS4 were unusually weak compared to contemporary PCs in 2013, and 4K TVs took off really quickly, so there was a strong reason for "pro" consoles.
Most consumers understood the benefits of 4K, though. I'm not sure enough of them understand RT.
I would say that since TVs don't mention RT nor general media consumption the RT improvement mentioned in adds will be totally lost on general public.
Agreed. Just the uber-geeks among us (myself definitely included!) even know it exists.
Last gen was different because the Ps4 and especially the Xbone were underpowered since day 1, but this gen isn't like that so I don't really see the point. A slim model is definitely needed though.
I'm really not a fan of these mid gen upgrades.
I don't think they are needed, but I don't take issue with it as it doesn't really take away anything from us.
I agree with you that they're not needed, and that they don't take away from owners of the base model.
The PS4 was better than the Xbox One and One S, and the PS4 Pro wasn't as good as the One X. So those of us going from a base model One all the way up to the One X were getting a lot more of a boost than people upgrading from the PS4 to PS4 Pro.
If I'd had a PS4, I might not have bothered with the PS4 Pro. But the upgrade to the One X was really satisfying for me. :)
Pro was also faster on the UI and starting apps or games for me, plus more stable so I can't complain but yes for most users almost worthless upgrade =]
Yeah, the Pro and the One X both had faster load times because their suped-up CPUs decompressed transferred data more quickly.
Not sure how Xbox was on this regard, but PS4 was slow as hell to open the store.
I don't have a PS4 to check. Now you've got me curious. The Xbox One consoles felt a little laggy to me in general, which was one of the reasons I bought a Series S at my earliest opportunity as it was an immediate and inexpensive (overall) upgrade over the One X, and unlike the PS5 and Series X it was broadly available. The fast UI and dashboard was a big part of the appeal of the Series S upgrade.
In some cases Series S load times are actually better (loading only 1080p system menus instead of 4K, loading smaller textures and other assets in games despite just as fast an SSD and a nearly identical CPU, etc.).
Makes sense that S would get this benefit over X due to UI, although Pro isn't that fast to load menus, apps, etc it is less problematic than my base model, at least that was my impression.
I noticed game loading times on the One X were improved over the One S, but not UI speeds. But that was my impression, I wasn't timing it. :)
I dont mind if they want to do a Pro, but please have a Slim as well
Wouldn't expect otherwise.
It's kind of funny that Nintendonhas released "pro" type systems before (GBC, New 3DS), but the one time it's expected they will, they don't. Meanwhile their competitors now do, despite never really doing it in the past (outside of very modest increases in clockrate or RAM)
Don't forget the DSi. :)
I don't recall any examples of it from Nintendo's competitors before the Xbox One S (modest increase) and the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X (powerful mid-gen refreshes). Not even in the PS360 era where any kind of increase was badly needed by the end of that generation!
I'd like them to reach the midpoint of the PS4 Pro (2x speed) and Xbox One X (4x faster).
How about 3x faster this time. $600 if necessary.
it was needed with PS4 and xbox one because they come out around the time everyone owned or was upgrading to a 4K TV so 1080p was outdated from the start but not many are rushing to upgrade to 8K
Not to mention that a console that can run a game in 8k, probably would at least cost 4k to make. Even a RTX4090TI would struggle with 8k gaming, unless it's Tetris.
Slim edition, please.
I know they are making new consoles but I don’t think we could see a pro as the cost of living is getting out of hand n if they did release a pro version who is really gonna buy since the price is gonna be a lot considering things are going up at a rate we haven’t seen since World War One. Not sure about the rest of the world but over here in the uk things have jumped almost 14% and it’s not looking like it’s gonna curb next year either
Not necessary, but I will likely buy because I like HW and well having the original for the other room or my son to play is a bonus.
I’ve Never been happier with the tech level,of these current gen consoles, but if this gen of consoles can’t handle good game capture???? Then a pro version of the PS5 and SX that has good game capture will be fine by me.
I want a minimum of Shadowplay level game capture from these mid gen consoles.
So are games going in increase in price again to run on the new Pro and X versions? Serious question.
Not likely as the base system won't change and it will be mostly less compression on assets and more stable performance.
