The PS5 is already over three years old, would you believe it? While it’s still an incredibly powerful console, able to showcase the likes of The Last of Us Part 2 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 in all their glory, it’s not without its shortcomings. And with Sony admitting that the system is entering “the latter stage of its life cycle”, it’s time for a mid-generation refresh to spice things up. According to industry analysts, we’re getting just that: a PS5 Pro console is reportedly planned to launch before 2024 is out.
After Sony recently cut its forecasted sales figures for PS5 consoles from 25 million down to 21 million, analysts suspect this paves the way for amped-up hardware to plug the gap in the next fiscal year. According to Serkan Toto, the CEO of Tokyo-based games consultancy firm Kantan Games, Sony is preparing to launch the PS5 Pro “in the second half of 2024”, he expressed via CNBC.
With the leaked PS5 Pro specs offering up a stronger GPU and CPU, you can expect all the best PS5 games and new PS5 games to perform and play even better during the second half of 2024.
This wouldn’t be the first time PlayStation has taken this approach either. The PS4 Pro was also released around three years after the initial launch of the base console. In other words, it’s highly likely that Sony is indeed prepping for its mid-generation refresh.
However, Toto also rightly points out that releasing the PS5 Pro during the second half of 2024 would also put Sony in the best position for the GTA 6 release date window. “Sony will want to make sure to have a great piece of hardware ready when GTA VI hits in 2025, a launch that will be a shot in the arm for the entire gaming industry.” With GTA 6 expected to be one of the best open-world games ever, making PS5 Pro the best device to play it on will certainly convince more PS4 and base PS5 owners to make the jump and part ways with their cash.
Unfortunately, George Jijiashvili, senior principal analyst at Omdia estimates that Sony will not cut the price of the current PS5 console. With Sony’s latest earning call explaining that it seeks to “optimize sales with a greater emphasis on the balance with profits”, there’s a chance the base model won’t be reduced – even if there’s an upgraded version in the wild.
Nevertheless, we’ll all have to sit tight until Sony officially reveals its upgraded hardware. No doubt fans will rush back to all the best RPG games, best FPS games, and the best racing games to put its new tech to the test. After all, a recent Sony report suggests there won’t be any major new PS5-exclusive games until 2025, meaning old favorites will have to hold us over until fresh PS5 exclusives and GTA 6 arrive.