Intro:
Rumors of a PlayStation 5 Pro have been circulating the internet. Some sources claim that it will have double the power of the original PlayStation 5. While in theory, a beefier PS5 sounds excellent, but is it necessary when the base model of the PS5 hasn’t even been fully utilized yet? The thought of a PS5 Pro releasing within the next year is strange to me considering that the PlayStation 4 is still getting new releases like Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarök. Can we even say the PS5 is being used to its full potential when some developers like Ubisoft are still catering to the base PS4?
Why does the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X exist?
The last generation of consoles saw the first mid-generation upgrade in the form of a PS4 Pro and an Xbox One X. These consoles were enhanced versions of the PS4 and Xbox One that could handle 4K and 1080P, 60FPS gaming. The base models of these consoles were released in 2013 before 4K gaming became a marketplace staple. From the very beginning, these base model consoles were not equipped to handle 4K gaming. Most games on these older systems ran at 1080p, 30FPS. In some cases, the PS4 and Xbox even lowered the resolution to 720p or 900p. Once 4K TVs became a marketplace standard, the base model of the PS4 and Xbox One were clearly not going to be powerful enough to play games in 4k. Which in turn sparked the need for a mid-generation refresh of this generation of consoles.
Is there a need for a PS5 Pro Yet?
Looking back on the previous generation of consoles it was pretty clear they were in need of a refresh. Now that the PS5 and Xbox Series X natively support 4K in a majority of titles, are they still considered underpowered? As much as I would love to see new hardware from Sony and Microsoft, I don’t think the need to put out a refresh is required yet. The adoption rate of 8K is not nearly as fast as the adoption rate for 4K. Part of this is the price of 4K TVs being dramatically lower than 8K TVs. Some 4K TVs can be found for $100 on clearance at your local Best Buy. Whereas the cheapest 8K TV I could find at Best Buy was $1000 dollars. That is a 10x price increase, which I doubt most gamers are not willing to pay. Even if the PS5 Pro was priced at $499 like the original, it would be quite the investment. Especially if current PS5 owners wished to upgrade to the PS5 Pro. Consoles have always been the best value for gaming due to their low entry price compared to entry-level gaming PC. By raising the prices of consoles it will cause Sony and Microsoft to lose that value. Both Microsoft and Sony have experienced what happens when consoles start to lose that “value.” For example, the launch PS3 was $599 while the launch Xbox 360 was $399 and in that generation of consoles, the Xbox 360 dominated. The same thing occurred when the Xbox One was priced higher than the PS4 which allowed Sony to dominate the console market then.
Microsoft themselves stated that they have no plans to release a mid-generation refresh which demonstrates that they don’t think the industry needs an upgrade at this time. Despite the growing number of rumors about the PS5 Pro, it’s unlikely that Sony will release a Pro variant and Microsoft won’t have a competitor for it. However, even if that is the case it’s not feasible for the original PS4 to be supported and to release a PS5 Pro. Games are being held back by the aging hardware of the last gen which has even resulted in games being canceled for the PS4. An example of this would be Lost Souls Aside. It’s time to say goodbye to the PS4 and Xbox One and move forward with the current generation of consoles before we can even consider an upgrade from the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The current generation of consoles needs to be able to have games designed to fully utilize its hardware without having to compromise for the last generation.
What I would like to see in a PS5 Pro:
If a PS5 Pro were to be released it would be great to see them prioritize 4K at 60 or 120 FPS rather than 8K 30FPS. Or even have some games play at 1080p 240FPS like some PCs. The trend in the industry is leaning more toward higher FPS and lower response times. You can definitely see that in many competitive games already supporting 120FPS on consoles at 1080P. As cool as all of this would be, it could be a while before this gets released or even released. It would be pretty surprising if Sony released a PS5 Pro and Microsoft wasn’t prepared for it. Despite Microsoft claiming there wouldn’t be a mid-gen refresh now it’s plausible they are now preparing for a response from the rumors circulating. This is all speculative for now but if gamers really want cutting-edge performance a gaming PC is still the way to go due to more consistent updates and features like DLSS, FSR, and Ray Tracing coming to PC first.