You’re probably still watching Twitter frequently almost a year after Sony released its cutting-edge PS5 console, anxiously hoping to find one that isn’t part of a sure-I’ll-pay-$500-more combo. (Or an Xbox One S.) There will be no condemnation.) It’s never too early to start thinking about the next console you might not be able to get; after all, if something as nice or better is on the way, why not take a vacation from your Twitter trawling? As a result, speculations of a new PS5 Pro are circulating. The only tip-based leak at the time comes from the respected Moore’s Law is Dead (MLID), which alleges that Sony is working on a new, higher-specced PS5.
The rest is pure speculation, but it’s expected to arrive between late 2023 and late 2024, priced between $600 and $700, and featuring AMD’s next 6nm Zen 3 or Zen 4 architecture to support 8K gaming. However, the most likely successor PS5 is a VR model (named “PSVR 2”) for 2022, for which Sony has already shown off new hardware. There’s no reason Sony couldn’t consider it a “Pro” model and push the internal hardware upgrade to a PS6, despite the fact that it would be a departure from its PS4 plan.
No one is begging for 8K, as practically everyone has pointed out. However, using the enhanced technology to push frame rates above 120fps in 4K — or, to be honest, even to hit 120fps in 4K, because doing that appears to be a chore and only a few people can do it currently — is less flashy but makes a lot of sense.
And, while it’s unlikely, I’d love to see a less expensive “PS5 Slim” similar to the Xbox Series S, aimed at newcomers and budget-conscious players.
When will the PS5 Pro ship and how much will it cost?
The moniker “PS5 Pro” is derived from Sony’s improved PS4 console, the PS4 Pro, and there appears to be agreement on that. The 2023-2024 timeframe is estimated by MLID based on Sony’s release of the PS4 Pro three years after the PS4.
The price range of $600-$700 has been floated, based on assumptions of usual $100 price differences between models. But, given how little we know about what will be inside and when the current increasing price pressure created by shortages will end, guessing is nearly impossible. So, for a somewhat higher-end model, $600 is as good an estimate as any.
What will the PS5 Pro’s specs be?
No idea, however given the expected time range, Zen 4 architecture CPUs and RDNA 3-architecture GPUs would make logical.
