Sony has officially announced the Pro version of its PlayStation 5 gaming console.
The PlayStation 5 Pro (PS5 Pro) will go on sale later this year and is said to feature better internals that aim to provide higher performance for demanding tasks such as Ray Tracing.
The PlayStation 5 was first launched in 2020 and has sold more than 60m units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling consoles of all time. The regular version has received several upgrades since its launch and Sony has also launched a slimmer version of the console in 2023.
The new console will be available in November worldwide and has been retailed at $699.99 or £699.99.
The PlayStation 5 Pro will feature an upgraded GPU which is reportedly around 45% faster than the one in the original PS5, as well as an entirely new upscaling technology Sony calls PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. The AI-driven technology allows for the enhancement of visuals. However, this technology is aimed at the future rather than the present due to PS5 Pro’s hardware limitations.
Theoretically, the technology would enable the PS5 to provide a steady 60FPS at 4K resolution in some games.
In addition, the Pro will feature a larger, 2TB SSD unit and much more powerful hardware ray tracing capabilities (Sony noted double and sometimes triple the speed).
The launch of the PlayStation 5 Pro is around four years into the console’s life, similar to the announcement of the PlayStation 4 Pro which was launched around three years after the original console. The new high-performance console will be compatible with existing accessories and will notably differ from the ‘regular; PS5 by having a large air slit on the side.
The PS5 is a notable esports console as well, with fighting games such as Tekken and Street Fighter usually played on PS5 at events, as well as EA FC and many racing simulators.
