While the PlayStation 5 lifecycle is still carrying on very strong, Sony Interactive Entertainment remains adamant on swiftly iterating on the system. Just this past fall, we witnessed the retail integration of the new slim model of the 2020 console. But, that is not all on the horizon. Rumors previous indicated a September 2024 release is in place for the alleged ‘PlayStation 5 Pro’.
While many consumers are accustomed to lengthened hardware lifespans, PlayStation 5 is shorter this generation. According to one statement from CFO Hiroki Totoki, the PlayStation 5 is already in the “latter stages” of its shelf life. Totoki also notes that sales are expected to dip within the next fiscal year as it is likely moving on to the next console.
However, the Pro model has yet to see the light of day. And before that, information verified by The Verge has been published online. Codenamed ‘Trinity’, the new console is to push power to the next gear compared to the current PlayStation 5. The Verge has gathered excerpts from an internal document that were issued to developers.
“Trinity is a high-end version of PlayStation 5,” which indicates to sell alongside the base model. Trinity is to offer “about 45 percent faster than standard PlayStation 5,” and feature “more powerful ray tracing architecture.” It also reads that “Trinity has a mode that targets 3.85GHz CPU frequency” while the GPU works “roughly 1 percent lower performance” than prior iterations. The unit is also said to offer “bandwidth gain may exceed 28 percent” pertaining to the adjusted memory.
In a separate report from The Verge, sources familiar at PlayStation internally note that the firm is encouraging developers to favor 60hz performance with the new offered enhancements on the capable machine. “Trinity Enhanced,” the document reads insisting the system can “provide significant enhancements” to prioritized software.
This new ‘Ultra-Boost’ feature is said to be a PlayStation 5 Pro-exclusive mode that the developer would create to upscale the resolution to 4K with 60fps in mind as part of the new PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) system. The ‘Enhanced’ label for these titles would only apply to games with fixed resolution output, The Verge reports.
Ultra-boost is also indicated to feature Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) which will offer more stable performance. Sony urges game studios to update the SDK to experiment with the PlayStation 5 Pro features. The outlet also notes that teams can order test kits already. While the asking for an enhancement label does appear to be a tall ask, there is plenty of negotiation room alike the PlayStation 4 Pro before it.
Although PlayStation appears to be speeding up the process for the console race, Microsoft is pushing the envelope even further. With projections of the next Xbox expected to ship in 2026, president Sarah Bond has already spoke on the hardware at a recent business update firechat. You can read the full report by heading here.
What are your thoughts on this new development for the PlayStation 5 Pro?
