Insider Gaming sources have confirmed that the PS5 Pro is in development and could release with a tentative release date of late 2024.
Insider Gaming previously reported that a new PlayStation 5 with a detachable disc drive is scheduled to release later this year. It’s understood that this new model will phase out the current PlayStation 5 to cut down on production and shipping costs. In spite of the widespread reports, this is not the PS5 Pro model.
This is “just the beginning of new hardware coming to PlayStation users this generation”, said one source when talking about the detachable disc drive console.
As for what the PS5 specs will entail, details are limited. However, a recently-published patent by PlayStation architect Mark Cerny (spotted by @Onion00048) suggests that Sony Interactive Entertainment is looking to “accelerate” ray tracing performance in video games.
Just like with the PS4 to the PS4 Pro, we can generally guess pretty confidently that the PS5 Pro will have increased visuals, performance, and speeds. But as for leaked details, we’ll have to wait until a later date to release those.
Insider Gaming understands that the next generation of the PlayStation, the PS6, is unlikely to release until at least 2028. This would put the current generation console release schedule in line with its predecessors.
In February, industry insider Jeff Grubb said during the Game Mess Decides podcast that Sony was planning to host a new PlayStation Showcase “before E3”. Although Insider Gaming cannot corroborate this report at this time, we do anticipate that it’s very likely that a showcase is on the horizon to show off games including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and talk about its new hardware coming towards the end of 2023.
As for if the PS5 Pro makes sense remains to be seen. The current generation console market has seemingly only just stabilized following the chip shortages and developers still need to release past-generation to sell more units. Sony is expecting a massive FY23 for console units sold though (of around 30.5 million units), so a massive phasing out of past-gen games in Spring 2024 is logical.
Do you think we need a PS5 Pro this generation?
For more from Insider Gaming, check out our report on the new PlayStation 5 earbuds that should be released at the end of 2023.