The PlayStation 5 is less than two years old, but that hasn’t stopped Sony Interactive Entertainment from creating a mid-generation refresh of the iconic console. Rumors of a PlayStation 5 Pro have circled for months, and while Sony is yet to 100% confirm the PS5 Pro is an actual thing, the rumors refuse to die down. In fact, several outlets have leaked what they claim to be the updated specifications for the face-lifted PlayStation 5 Pro. The new machine will be an absolute beast if those specs are accurate.
Sony released the PlayStation 5 in a worldwide launch on November 19, 2020, and the company’s timing could not have been worse. Initial sales were limited due to a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and a global shortage of semiconductors. However, by July 2023, Sony reported it had sold a staggering 40 million units worldwide.
PlayStation 5 Blows the PlayStation 4 Out of the Water
The PlayStation 5 marked a significant upgrade over its PlayStation 4 predecessor, particularly in its CPU, GPU, memory, and storage. The vast upgrades were lost on players using their console to enjoy betting apps with free bets no deposit but were a game-changer, literally, for hardcore gamers who wanted vibrant, detailed graphics. For example, the GPU of the PS4 could handle 1.84 TFLOPS of data compared to the PS5’s incredible 10.28 TFLOPS. Memory bandwidth improved from 176 GB/s to 448 GB/s, while IO Throughput went from a mere 50-100 MB/s to a staggering 8-9 GB/s if the data was compressed.
Possible PlayStation 5 Pro Spec Open the Door to Ray-Tracing
As previously mentioned, Sony has yet to confirm the PlayStation 5 is in development, never mind what its components may be. However, several industry insiders have begun releasing leaks on their social media and YouTube channels, which are serving to excite the Sony half of the console gaming community.
Rumors suggest the PS5 Pro’s CPU will remain the same AMD Zen 2 7-Core CPU but with a boosted clock speed of 3.6GHz. Some leakers suggest Sony could push the boat out, use a 3nm CPU instead of the current 7nm, and upgrade it to Zen 4 architecture, although that is more likely to happen if the PlayStation 6 comes along.
The most considerable boost will be in the GPU department if rumors are to be believed. The current GPU is a custom AMD RDNA 2 with 36 CUs, variable frequency up to 2.23 GHz, and capable of 10.3 TFLOPS at its peak. Currently, the PS5 GPU is akin to a 2070 or 2080 Super when running optimized games.
RedGamingTech is one outlet that suggests the GPU of the PS5 Pro is overhauled, will be clocked at 2.7GHz, and capable of around 23 TFLOPS, more than double that of the current PS5 and almost double that of the Xbox Series X. For comparison, the NVIDIA 3090 can handle 35.58 TFLOPS, allowing it to run 4K resolution complete with state-of-the-art ray tracing without breaking a sweat.
What Does the PlayStation 5 Pro Mean For Gamers?
The improved CPU and much more powerful GPU will open the door to new graphical capabilities for the PlayStation 5 Pro. While it is unlikely the PS5 PRO will turn into an 8K ray tracing monster, the rumored specs suggest that it will be more than capable of delivering silky smooth 4K with ray tracing, although it is likely to be locked at 60FPS instead of the Holy Grail of 120FPS.
Many modern titles leave gamers pondering whether to choose “Performance” or “Quality” mode on the PlayStation 5. Performance mode slightly lowers the graphics’ quality in favor of a faster, smoother framerate. Quality mode does the opposite; it produces the highest quality graphics but locks them in at a much slower framerate, usually 30FPS. The PS5 Pro will make those choices redundant.
It is also likely that older titles for the original PS5 will see some tweaking under the hood and be updated with a boosted version. This happened to several AAA PS4 titles when the PS4 Pro launched, adding more immersion and sharper graphics to those games. We would expect games such as God of War Ragnarok and Horizon: Forbidden West to offer such a boost.
Sadly, the PS5 Pro will likely see the end of new games being developed for the aging PlayStation 4. The PS4 is now ten years old, and game developers and studios have become increasingly vocal about how having to create games that work on the PS4 and PS5 hinders their ability. Just look at Cyberpunk 2077 to see the mess CD Projekt Red’s game was on the previous generation of consoles.
What Will The PlayStation 5 Cost?
There are no confirmed prices for the PlayStation 5 Pro, simply because Sony has yet to confirm that such a machine is in development. That said, it is possible to make an educated guess based on historical and current pricing data.
The PlayStation 4 cost $399/£349 at launch in 2013, with the PS4 Pro costing the same when it hit the shelves three years later. The PS5 set back gamers $399/£360 for the digital-only console and $499/£450 for the one with the Blu-ray disc drive. Sony increased prices by $50/£50, pinning the blame on exchange rates and global inflation. However, several retailers have recently offered PS5 game bundles for $599/£500, suggesting Sony has found a way to build the consoles more cheaply or is pushing the PS5 in the run-up to the holiday period.
We would suggest that the PS5 Pro will cost in the region of $700/£620 at launch due to the new hardware and the fact it will appeal to the more serious gamers out there. However, there are additional rumors that the PS5 Pro will have an optional disc drive, so opting for a version without one could reduce the initial cost by quite a large margin.
Conclusion
The PlayStation 5 Pro is arguably the worst-kept secret in the gaming industry right now. Although Sony will neither confirm nor deny such a console is coming our way, reports suggest the new, boosted PS5 Pro will hit the shelves no later than early 2024 but possibly in time for the crazy Christmas rush.
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