PS5 Pro: Rumored release date, specs and all the rumors so far

Amidst leaks and reports, it looks like Sony might be ready to unveil a mid-gen refresh of the PS5, colloquially referred to as the PlayStation 5 Pro. This is not unprecedented, as Sony introduced a PS4 Pro in the last console generation that aimed to make 4K gaming more commonplace. On the subject of the PS5 Pro, Sony is keeping quiet for now and has not officially confirmed or denied its existence. Still, there are plenty of rumors and reports floating around, and we've compiled them to paint an interesting picture of the potential console. Ahead of the State of Play presentation in May, here's a look at the rumored details about the mid-gen refresh.

Rumored release date of the PS5 Pro

Recent reports suggest that Sony will launch the PS5 Pro in the second half of the year, more specifically towards the end of 2024 and during the potentially lucrative holiday season. The PS5 generation may be nearing the finish line, and while that will still be a few years away, Sony's senior vice president Naomi Matsuoka is trying to find the right balance between “profitability and revenue” as PS5 hardware sales begin to decline. “Looking ahead, the PS5 will enter the final phase of its life cycle, so we will place more emphasis on the balance between profitability and revenue,” Matsuoka said in February. Recently, Sony acknowledged that PS5 sales growth is likely over.

If history repeats itself, the launch of a PS5 Pro during the PS5's golden years is not unlikely, as the new hardware could help boost PlayStation sales again.

Recently, Jeff Grubb of GameSpot sister site Giant Bomb reported that the PS5 Pro could launch later this year at a price of $600 or more. He also said that a State of Play event could take place in September.

Leaked PS5 Pro specs

According to leaks, the PS5 Pro's specs include a “High CPU Frequency Mode” that increases the PS5's CPU clock speed by 10% to 3.85GHz. There's a new GPU that can supposedly render up to 45% faster and dramatically improves ray tracing effects. Digital Foundry has also confirmed these claims, releasing a list of the PS5 Pro's alleged specs in March:

Will the PS5 Pro be a big upgrade?

So what kind of performance boost can prospective PS5 Pro users expect? The big takeaway here is that the experience will be similar to what the PS4 Pro offered its users, as the PS5 Pro is said to make existing games look and perform better. As Digital Foundry noted, users can expect games to run more stable at 30 frames per second – some demanding titles struggle to maintain that pace – and there's also the possibility that other games will be upgraded to offer a smooth 60 frames mode – especially when the rumored PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution arrives (more on that below).

Sony is also reportedly encouraging game developers to take advantage of the new hardware boosts and create an exclusive graphics mode for their games when running on the PS5 Pro. Games that offer this mode will apparently carry the PS5 Pro “Enhanced” label, but the label will still be available for some games that run at 30 frames per second. The developers behind it will reportedly be allowed to continue using the label as long as games with a fixed resolution on the PS5 increase their target resolution.

Games that only run at a more stable frame rate on the PS5 Pro and use a variable resolution without improving their maximum resolution will reportedly not be allowed to use the label. However, all of these details are subject to change until an official announcement.

What is PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution?

There have been major advances in PC gaming in recent years, as Nvidia's DLSS and AMD's FSR have taken graphics cards to new heights. Essentially, owners of high-end GPUs are getting more visual power for their money thanks to graphical upscaling and anti-aliasing technology that stabilizes frame rates without compromising fidelity. Sony is said to be introducing its own version of this idea in the form of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. Documents obtained by Insider Gaming state that internally Sony is aiming to deliver 4K 120fps and 8K 60fps gaming experiences with PSSR for future console generations.

Due to hardware limitations, it's currently unrealistic to achieve these goals on the PS5 Pro, but the console will reportedly use PSSR to initially reach 4K resolution in games. According to the apparently leaked documents, Sony managed to achieve 60fps on an unnamed game while implementing ray tracing, and in a second experiment, a game ran in Fidelity mode at 1440p and 60fps. However, the exact nature of any given game makes it difficult to evaluate these goals in isolation.

PS5 Pro games and backwards compatibility

Similar to the PS4 Pro, we expect the PS5 Pro to be able to play the same games available on the PS5 console, but with enhanced features and better overall performance.

What will the PS5 Pro look like?

It's safe to assume that the PS5 Pro won't deviate from the PS5's current aesthetic and its sleeker makeover. Sony currently offers a digital-only and a disc drive version of the PS5, and it's likely that Sony will repeat this strategy so as not to alienate fans of physical media.

Will the price of the PS5 Pro be higher?

Consoles with more powerful hardware typically come with a higher price tag, and Sony could easily justify a higher MSRP with the “Pro” tag. For comparison, the current PS5 model with a disc drive costs $500 in the US, while its slimmer all-digital sibling costs $450 and can be upgraded with an additional drive to accept disc drives.