A new report on the PS5 Pro has revealed alleged new information about the unannounced console.
In an article on Dealabs, reliable PlayStation leaker billbil-kun said the final name of the mid-gen refresh is indeed PS5 Pro, and published a sketch of its design based on what is claimed to be the final packaging box of the new console.
The sketch, above, shows a console design similar to the existing PS5 Slim, white in color and with two USB-C ports and a power button on the front. But there are three black stripes in the middle of the outer layer of the PS5 Pro that are not found on the base models. Billbill-kun noted that the PS5 Pro appears slightly thicker than the PS5 Slim.
The PS5 Pro seen by billbill-kun does not include a disc-drive. What’s unclear is whether Sony plans to also release a version of the console with a disc drive. A price is not mentioned. The controller remains the base DualSense.
billbill-kun expects Sony to announce a PS5 Pro during the first half of September 2024. IGN has asked Sony for comment.
A PS5 Pro has been rumored for some time, with reports indicating a release in November. In March, alleged PS5 Pro specs leaked online, specs IGN understood to be legit. The headline improvements are to the CPU, which is said to be identical to the standard PS5’s CPU but with a 'High CPU Frequency Mode. That reportedly amounts to a 10% increase to 3.85GHz. The GPU, meanwhile, is said to enable faster rendering and higher quality ray tracing powered by 33.5 teraflops. The standard PS5 offers 10.28 teraflops. However, a direct PS5 to PS5 Pro comparison would work out at around 10.28 vs 16 to 17 teraflops.
Of particular interest, the PS5 Pro is said to have an upscaling/antialiasing solution called PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution Upscaling), custom machine learning architecture, and an AI accelerator. Elsewhere, PS5 Pro has a detachable disc drive and 1TB of storage space.
This “souped-up” refresh is reportedly designed to boost interest in PS5 ahead of the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 in 2025. As IGN has reported, there is a lot riding on GTA 6, and not just for Rockstar and Take-Two.
Sony has form when it comes to releasing a Pro version of its consoles, of course. The PS4 Pro, for example, launched in November 2016, three years after the PS4 came out. A PS5 Pro launch this November would come four years after the PS5 launched in November 2020.
The release of the PS5 Pro comes amid declining sales of the PS5 itself. In May, Sony said PS5 sales had peaked after the console entered “the latter stage of its life cycle.”
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
