Despite being on sale for over two years, the PS5 can still be hard to find. If you're yet to get your hands on one, you could be better off waiting, as rumours abound that Sony is making a more premium version of the games machine, dubbed the PS5 Pro.
So what could a PS5 Pro console offer? Who says it's likely? How much might it cost? How would it compare to the standard PS5? And when could we see it? We'll attempt to answer all these questions and more as we run down everything we know about the PS5 Pro.
Will there be a PS5 Pro?
It's looking quite likely, though of course Sony hasn't said anything on the subject. But just look at Sony's recent console history: the gaming giant launched a PS4 Pro in 2016, at the same time as the PS4 Slim – these came three years after the original PS4.
But don't just take our word for it – TV maker TCL seems to think so too. At a conference last summer, it predicted that Sony would launch a PS5 Pro, and even speculated on some of the specs. It also said that Microsoft would launch a new Xbox console at around the same time.
It's quite common for consoles to get a mid-life refresh. With the PS5 turning three this year, and a rumoured lifespan of at least seven years, Sony could well have a PS5 Pro in the works.
PS5 Pro release date rumours
With the PS5 likely approaching the mid-point of its lifespan, we could see a PS5 Pro sooner rather than later. According to TCL, the console could launch as soon as this year – Sony only waited three years into the PS4's life before announcing the PS4 Pro, after all. And it did the same with the PS3 and PS3 Slim. Which would make 2023 the year of the PS5 Pro.
Though TCL hedged its bets slightly and also suggested a 2024 launch could be likely.
Sony has previously said that 2023 "will be a very important time" for the PS5 (via Insider Gaming). Which certainly sounds like a hint to us.
Could Sony launch a new controller to go with its new console? It only recently announced the DualSense Edge, a premium controller aimed at serious gamers. What's often called the PS5 Pro controller release date is set for 26th January. Hence we're unlikely to see a new, PS5 Pro-dedicated control pad.
PS5 Pro price predictions
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And the price? As with the PS4 Pro before it, we would imagine the PS5 Pro would launch at the same price that the PS5 currently sells for. Note: that's not the same as the PS5's original launch price. The PS5 recently had its price increased to £479.99 / €549.99 / AU$799.95, whereas at launch it cost £450 / $500 / AU$750.
Sony blamed inflation for the price increase. With inflation currently running at a 40-year high in countries all over the world, don't expect prices to drop anytime soon.
PS5 Pro specs rumours
As for what to expect from a PS5 Pro, there are no concrete answers. TCL reckons native 8K support as well as 120Hz refresh rates are on the cards, along with an enhanced GPU.
This would all make for a better gaming experience, of course. 8K support would mean much higher resolution graphics, while 120Hz would make for smoother movement with less blurring and juddering – especially noticeable during fast-moving games. But is it realistic?
8K TVs are now on sale, but 8K content is thin on the ground. It might also be asking too much of a console that will likely not cost any more than the standard PS5's current price, so we might have to wait until the PS6 for full 8K gaming.
Instead, Sony could concentrate on making it 'true' 4K. At the moment, games can run at 4K, but drop the resolution down when the action becomes too frantic. True 4K would mean no loss in resolution during even the most hectic scenes.
The more powerful processor claim is also in doubt. The PS5's current AMD chip is based on 2019 technology. Moving from that to AMD's current crop of chipsets (the Zen 4) would increase processing power and make the console more power efficient. But because of potential issues with backwards compatibility, Sony could just increase the clock speed and use a more powerful graphics processor for the PS5 Pro, as it did with the PS4 Pro
We could also expect a step up from the PS5's 16GB of RAM. Again, that was its course of action for the PS4 Pro. And an increase from 825GB of storage to 1TB would seem sensible, with game file sizes becoming bigger all the time.
PS5 Pro early verdict
It's early days – Sony hasn't even confirmed that it's making a PS5 Pro, let alone what its specs will be, when it will launch or how much it will cost. But considering Sony's history in gaming consoles, we would be surprised if these rumours were wide of the mark.
Let's hope they're not, because they point to a faster, more powerful and altogether more capable console, and all for the same price you'd currently pay for a standard PS5. Which is sure to make gamers very happy indeed...
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