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- Sony is expected to launch the PS5 Pro in the last quarter of 2023.
- This console will soon become the world’s most powerful gaming system as it dethrones the Xbox Series X.
- Based on PlayStation’s history, a starting price of $550 for the digital model seems reasonable.
Last generation, PlayStation broke away from the trend of releasing new console hardware every 6-7 years, providing a more powerful console dubbed the PS4 Pro.
Sony is expected to continue this trend for the PS5, with rumors pointing to the existence of a PS5 Pro. While this mid-gen refresh is not official yet, leaks from reliable sources have already given us a good idea of what this console will look like.
Here’s everything we know about the PS5 Pro so far, including its release date, pricing, and specifications.
PS5 Pro Mid-Gen Refresh Specifications
This console should offer a noticeable bump in performance over Sony’s existing hardware. The most reliable report on specifications first came from Tom Henderson, who pointed to 30 WGPs(Work Group Processors) and 18,000 MT/s memory.
This translates to around 60 AMD CUs(Compute Units). For reference, the PS5 ships with 36 CUs, and the Xbox Series X includes 52 CUs. The PS5 Pro’s Compute Units count would put it close to the Radeon RX 6800, a decent option for entry-level 4K gaming.
EXCLUSIVE – More PlayStation 5 Pro Specs Detailedhttps://t.co/yDH7ows0ei
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) March 17, 2024
Furthermore, updated leaks from Tom Henderson confirm his above specifications to still be accurate. AMD leaker Kepler also expects 128 ROPs based on the traditional layout of Viola, the PS5’s SoC.
In his latest statement, Kepler states that the console’s ray-tracing could utilize RDNA 4 features for better results.
New leaks provide further insights into the console.
The latest information nails a 45% rasterization uplift, with ray-tracing performance improving by 2-4x, depending on the game and scenario. Overall, the PS5 Pro features 33.5 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.
Over on the CPU side, Sony appears to be sticking with the same 8-core Zen 2 CPU. However, this CPU will receive a bump to clock speeds for better performance. The latest leak suggests it can clock as high as 3.85GHz.
Other sources pointed to a 256-bit memory bus and 576 GB/s memory bandwidth. According to Tom Henderson’s latest information, the 576 GB/s figure is accurate, though the PS5 Pro ships with more efficient memory.
This could net a more noticeable increase in real-world performance over the base console’s memory setup.
BVH8 is interesting, not only confirms PS5 Pro is using RDNA4's RT engine but also confirms RDNA4 doubles RT throughput per cycle, something which hasn't been mentioned in any open source patch yet! 👀 https://t.co/dht9fDWF79
— Kepler (@Kepler_L2) March 17, 2024
Ray Tracing & Machine Learning
Sony appears to be experimenting with new technology to deliver better-quality ray-tracing for the hardware.
Following recent leaks, Kepler confirms the PS5 Pro uses the RDNA 4 ray tracing engine. This may explain the leap in ray tracing compared to the more modest rasterization boost.
Elsewhere, Sony’s long-rumored DLSS-like implementation has finally received more details. Corroborated by multiple sources, this solution is called PSSR(PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution).
This is Sony’s custom machine-learning architecture that supports 300 TOPS of 8-bit computation. It builds off the Temporal Anti-Aliasing Upscaling technology and can upscale from 1080p to 2160p in 2ms.
Sony also plans to support 8K resolution with its upscaling. More details are available in the leaked document from Moore’s Law is Dead below.
PS5 Pro Vs. PS5 Vs. Xbox Series X Specifications
Based on the leaked specifications, we have compared the PS5 Pro with the current generation PS5 and Xbox Series X.
| PS5 Pro (Alleged) | PS5 | Xbox Series X | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Ryzen Zen 2 8c/16t | Ryzen Zen 2 8c/16t | Ryzen Zen 2 8c/16t |
| CPU Clock | Up to 3.85GHz | Up to 3.5GHz | Up to 3.8GHz |
| GPU | RDNA 3.5 60 Cu | RDNA 2 36 Cu | RDNA 2 52 CU |
| GPU Clock | Up to 2.18GHz | Up to 2.23GHz | 1.83GHz |
| GPU Power | 33.5 TFLOPs | 10.3 TFLOPs | 12 TFLOPs |
| Memory | 16GB GDDR6 | 16GB GDDR6 | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Bandwidth | 576 GB/s | 448 GB/s | 10GB @ 560 GB/s 6GB @ 336 GB/s |
| Pricing | Digital: $549 Physical Disc: $599 | Digital: $449 Physical Disc: $499 | $499 |
PS5 Pro Release Date
According to reliable sources, the PS5 Pro is expected to ship later this year. Last year, a trusted leaker confirmed that developer kits were distributed to third-party studios in December.
Can't comment on other peoples leaks because I don't know.
Internally, Sony is expecting full specs to leak this month because of dev ket distribution to 3rd party studios. https://t.co/sJ9x4OGjtQ
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) December 11, 2023
Therefore, a 2024 release seems to be locked in. Reliable leaker Jeff Grubb has also predicted a launch in September, so the console should arrive between September and November this year.
Last year, Sony released the PS5 Slim on 10 November. This is further evidence that a similar timeline will be followed for the mid-gen refresh, allowing retailers time to stock up for the Holidays.
PS5 Pro Price
This will be an interesting aspect of the PS5 Pro that could make or break the console. Last year, the PS5 Slim came with a slight price hike at $450 for the digital model, while the disc edition retained its $500 price.
Looking at PlayStation’s trend last generation, the PS4 Pro was priced at $400. However, by then, the base model was already discounted to $300, marking a $100 difference between the two consoles.
Therefore, the PS5 Pro is expected to start at $500-550 for the Digital Edition, with the Disc Edition costing around $600 compared to the base variant, leaving a similar $100 price gap between the two consoles.
Moore’s Law is Dead recently analyzed the leaked specifications and discussed his thoughts with various sources, throwing around the idea of a $500 price for the PS5 Pro Digital Edtion.
He states that the specifications are not wildly better, the motherboard and power delivery should cost the same, and memory might be cheaper than the original launch model’s.
Therefore, a $500 price point seems reasonable. If this ends up being the case, the disc model could cost $550.
Once released, the PS5 Pro will be crowned the industry’s most powerful console. Phil Spencer has confirmed that a refresh for the Xbox Series X is not being planned, though leaks indicate an early launch for Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console.
Recent Updates
February 15, 2024: Updated content to add the price of the digital console based on the new leak.
March 18, 2024: Updated content to add new specifications and information about PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution.
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Moiz Banoori, with a decade of experience in gaming and tech journalism and a degree in journalism, is a notable figure in the industry. He has contributed to various esteemed platforms, showcasing his expertise in both reporting and opinion writing.
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