Advertisement
6 out of 10 GamesWirtschaftsWise are certain: the PlayStation 5 Pro is coming. Now the speculation is getting new fuel.
Update from April 16, 2024: That Sony Interactive recently took action against YouTube videos with reference to copyright violations has proceeded, can be seen as further evidence of the Streisand effect: The PlayStation 5 Pro is therefore not a mirage, but is actually being planned. The documents and specifications available to leading US media also speak for this.
Loud The Verge The PS5 Pro (codename: Trinity) is said to be equipped with more powerful graphics processors that enable more complex ray tracing effects such as reflections and shadows as well as higher resolutions and refresh rates.
Studios have already been asked to optimize upcoming and existing PS5 games with a view to the capabilities of the new series. Corresponding titles should be marked with a separate logo on the packaging. All games are of course still compatible with the classic PlayStation 5.
Advertisement
Observers assume that the PlayStation 5 Pro will be delivered in the upcoming Christmas season – accompanied by a price reduction for the currently available standard model PlayStation 5 Slim. The timing suggests that Sony Interactive will use Gamescom 2024 in August to make announcements could. However, no official confirmations or denials are expected for the time being: The PlayStation division generally does not comment on market speculation.
Report from March 18, 2024: First of all: This is still just 'insider information' – and bloggers, journalists and YouTubers have not been right with all the supposedly surefire tips 'business-related circles' appointed. However, the most recent information has (also) been confirmed in principle by usually well-informed sources, which is why the topic of US media that are considered reputable was picked up.
Accordingly, intensive preparations are still underway at Sony Interactive for a technically advanced PlayStation 5 console – the company's own PlayStation Studios have reportedly been working with the associated dev kits, i.e. the advance development environments, for months.
The PlayStation 5 Pro would be the counterpart to the PlayStation 4 Pro, which Sony announced in June 2016 and began shipping in November 2016. The model came onto the market three years after the PlayStation 4. Recommended retail price (RRP): €399.99 – at the time €100 more than the PS4 Slim, which sold for €299.99.
In the case of the rumored PlayStation 5 Pro, a little more time would have passed, because the PlayStation 5 has been on the market since November 2020 and is therefore approaching the second half of the usual marketing cycle. And the price structure is also likely to differ fundamentally from the previous model, as the PS5 list price is still €549.99, i.e. €250 above the PS4 cruising altitude.
As in the case of the PlayStation 4 Pro, the processors of the PlayStation 5 Pro in question should also provide substantially more performance compared to the basic console – resulting in noticeably better image quality and performance. In the future top model, the teraflop unit will triple, namely from the current 10.3 to over 30. As before, the console's standard equipment includes a 1 TB hard drive and a removable Blu-Ray drive – Sony is therefore not planning on using a purely digital one console like competitor Microsoft. In addition, the device is of course backwards compatible: all PS5 games also run on the PlayStation 5 Pro.
Christmas 2024 is once again mentioned as a possible date for the market launch – and thus in good time before the publication of Grand Theft Auto 5, which is currently being developed by Rockstar Games and is scheduled for release in 2025. This time window would also allow Sony to present the console to the public for the first time at Gamescom 2024 (August 21st to 25th) – mind you: everything in the subjunctive.
In any case, the majority of the games industry in German-speaking countries expect that a PlayStation 5 upgrade will take place over the course of the year: 61 percent of games economists – including dozens of publishers and developers – are assuming a new PS5 model in their annual forecast.
The software situation could prove to be an Achilles heel, as Sony itself has no PlayStation blockbusters out for the time being Spider-Man– or Last of Usleague that would benefit from the increase in performance.
Sony Interactive itself traditionally rarely if ever comments on rumors that arise on a regular basis. The listed company makes no secret of the fact that there is a fundamental need for action. The PS5 sales figures increased in the 4th quarter of 2023, but demand has recently stalled: the original planned figures for the financial year (ending on March 31) will foreseeably be missed. Due to the lack of attractive software, the price has to decide at the moment: In the weeks before Easter, Sony and dealers are offering massive discounts of up to €100 compared to the RRP.