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Sony to release a ‘Pro’ version of the PlayStation 5 this year after cutting outlook, analysts say​

Sony is likely to release a refreshed version of the PlayStation 5 this year, analysts told CNBC, after the company cut its forecast for sales of its flagship console.

The move would be designed to boost interest in the PlayStation 5 and offer a souped-up piece of hardware ready for release of Grand Theft Auto VI in 2025, one of this decade’s most hotly anticipated games, the analysts said.

Sony was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

First released in November 2020, Sony’s PlayStation 5 is now more than 3 years old. The Japanese gaming giant cut its forecast last week for PS5 sales for the fiscal year ending in March from 25 million units to 21 million units. An executive said last week during the company’s earnings call that Sony is expecting a “gradual decline” in unit sales from the next fiscal year.

When this has happened in past console cycles, gaming firms have looked to bring out a refreshed piece of hardware to reinviograte sales. For example, Sony launched a “Pro” version of the PlayStation 4, the previous generation console, around three years after the PS4 was initially launched.

Analysts are now expecting a PlayStation 5 Pro from Sony.

“There seems to be a broad consensus in the game industry that Sony is indeed preparing a launch of a PS5 Pro in the second half of 2024,” Serkan Toto, CEO of Tokyo-based games consultancy Kantan Games, told CNBC.

“And Sony will want to make sure to have a great piece of hardware ready when GTA VI hits in 2025, a launch that will be a shot in the arm for the entire gaming industry.”

So far, Sony launched a slightly upgraded PS5 last year as well as a handheld console called the PlayStation Portal. But the PS5 Pro would likely be a much bigger upgrade.

Even as expectations of a new console rise, Sony is grappling with a big issue — that profit margins at its key gaming business are sitting near decade lows.

On the earnings call, Sony management said the aim for its gaming business is to “optimize sales with a greater emphasis on the balance with profits.”

George Jijiashvili, senior principal analyst at Omdia, said this could mean that even when the PS5 Pro comes out, Sony may not cut the price of the current PS5, as has been the trend in the past.

“Therefore, a scenario where Sony launches as PS5 Pro, but still experiences a declining year-on-year hardware sales is very much within the realms of possibility,” Jijiashvili said.

Source:

Sony to release a 'Pro' version of the PlayStation 5 this year after cutting outlook, analysts say

Analysts told CNBC they expect Sony to launch the PlayStation 5 Pro this year which would offer new hardware for the release of Grand Theft Auto VI in 2025.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Hudo]

Don't worry, guys. The PS5 Pro will fix everything.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

If they release it, I wonder how much it will cost and how much they expect to sell.

PS5 sales already slow down at €550 and Sony stated that lowering the price will be difficult.

 

[Embearded]

Read the entire thing and i am confused.
Is it a rumor or speculation from an analyst?

 

[Borowski_1]

Releasing a more powerful console without a single first party game

This gen has been so lame

 

[Bernoulli]

If they release it, I wonder how much it will cost and how much they expect to sell.

PS5 sales already slow down at €550 and Sony stated that lowering the price will be difficult.

499 for the base and 599 for the pro

 

[daninthemix]

499 for the base and 599 for the pro

That would suggest a trivial upgrade.

 

[IDKFA]

Releasing a more powerful console without a single first party game

This gen has been so lame

Why wouldn't they release with a first party game?

 

[Panajev2001a]

If they release it, I wonder how much it will cost and how much they expect to sell.

PS5 sales already slow down at €550 and Sony stated that lowering the price will be difficult.

I expect £499-529 without a disc drive (on sale for £79). It would sell on the promise of improving performance on some titles with lower effort from devs compared to PS4 Pro and possibly some tricks added to it for their first party devs to pull on by the time the early Xbox next-gen offers arrive to tide their users until PS6 comes out. I would not worry about their HW team, but we need to see how they hedged their bets with Xbox launching a next-gen machine early or not.

Then again, Xbox One X had one more year of development over PS4 Pro and this new Xbox should have about two years of extra development, but again console transitions are taking longer and longer so it might be a similar power difference in practice unless they raise the console price a lot (they had a $100 advantage over the PS4 Pro).

I would not read too much in the PS5 price cut comment: they are trying to change customer expectations. They can lower the price, but they want to focus on profit margins first and cutting the console price would not help.

They were doing well when the console was more monolithic, with a lot more copper and expensive material for cooling, and with bigger chips. So, they have flexibility, but they want to turn more profits, which is not an insane thing to do either.

 

[Panajev2001a]

That would suggest a trivial upgrade.

What do you expect with 3-4 years? If you want a really Big console upgrade without breaking the bank for users it would have been 5-6 years before and it is now likely 7-8 years.

It will still be a good update, they learned how devs would use a Pro console (first and third party devs) and they designed both PS5 SDK and requirements as well as PS5 Pro itself around it. This is their second generation Pro consoles and they had a hand in working with AMD to fix some initial RDNA2 shortcomings (MS probably has too) like with the RT setup.

 

[Borowski_1]

Why wouldn't they release with a first party game?

Will they tho?

 

[IDKFA]

Will they tho?

Most likely.

You stated they wouldn't be, so what made you say that?

 

[Killjoy-NL]

What do you expect with 3-4 years? If you want a really Big console upgrade without breaking the bank for users of it was 5-6 years it is not 7-8 years.

It will still be a good update, they learned how devs would use a Pro console (first and third party devs) and they designed both PS5 SDK and requirements as well as PS5 Pro itself around it. This is their second generation Pro consoles and they had a hand in working with AMD to fix some initial RDNA2 shortcomings (MS probably has too) like with the RT setup.

How would they even market it?

"Pay €100 more for more stable 60fps gaming and basic RT"?

I still think it's pretty pointless to release a Pro version.

 

[panda-zebra]

If they release it, I wonder how much it will cost and how much they expect to sell.

PS5 sales already slow down at €550 and Sony stated that lowering the price will be difficult.

A Pro this year, with the same kind of upgrade over the existing model as ps4 Pro was back then... dunno, it seems less and less likely to me. Even as a PSVR2 owner I feel that kind if bump is something I could happily skip given I've rarely played a game this gen with problematic performance.

If a why-not-both performance+quality modes combined machine seems sorta redundant to someone like me, and given the pressures people are under in the current financial climate... just saying, it's a little odd we've not seen any real leaks or hard evidence when it should be 7-8 months away. It might not be happening when or how we imagine, or at all.

How would they even market it?

"Pay €100 more for more stable 60fps gaming and basic RT"?

I still think it's pretty pointless to release a Pro version.

It's been a no-brainer that I'd buy the Pro asap, but if it dropped today while I could go buy myself and my son replacements for our PS5s, if all I'm getting is ray tracing at 60fps instead of a compromise... ehhh. It'd need to do more.

 

[Three]

This is just the analyst repeating what everybody else has speculated :

"There seems to be a broad consensus in the game industry that Sony is indeed preparing a launch of a PS5 Pro in the second half of 2024"

 

[FingerBang]

That would suggest a trivial upgrade.

Was the PS4 Pro a trivial upgrade from the PS4? That was the price difference.

How would they even market it?

"Pay €100 more for more stable 60fps gaming and basic RT"?

I still think it's pretty pointless to release a Pro version.

The same way they market phones. "Better CPU/GPU, better camera, better screen". In this case, it's probably going to be "higher resolution, higher framerate, AI AI AI!!!!!!!". In the end it's a niche product that people who want the best will buy anyway.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

A Pro this year, with the same kind of upgrade over the existing model as ps4 Pro was back then... dunno, it seems less and less likely to me. Even as a PSVR2 owner I feel that kind if bump is something I could happily skip given I've rarely played a game this gen with problematic performance.

If a why-not-both performance+quality modes combined machine seems sorta redundant to someone like me, and given the pressures people are under in the current financial climate... just saying, it's a little odd we've not seen any real leaks or hard evidence when it should be 7-8 months away. It might not be happening when or how we imagine, or at all.


It's been a no-brainer that I'd buy the Pro asap, but if it dropped today while I could go buy myself and my son replacements for our PS5s, if all I'm getting is ray tracing at 60fps instead of a compromise... ehhh. It'd need to do more.

That's pretty much what I've been saying all this time.
This gen is very different from last-gen and there are far less benefits to a Pro-console than last-gen.

That's not even taking current economy into consideration.

 If Sony releases PS5 Pro, I'm gonna buy it day 1, because as a gamer I just want the best performance I can get on PS5 (and I can pass my PS5 to my stepson).

But for Sony as a business, I don't see it make much sense. Especially with their main competitor dying.

 

[kazuyamishima]

Another doomed and gloomed Sony related thread it seems

 

[Borowski_1]

Most likely.

You stated they wouldn't be, so what made you say that?

Nothing announced yet

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Was the PS4 Pro a trivial upgrade from the PS4? That was the price difference.

PSVR needed a performance boost, though. Which released a month before PS4 Pro.

The same way they market phones. "Better CPU/GPU, better camera, better screen". In this case, it's probably going to be "higher resolution, higher framerate, AI AI AI!!!!!!!". In the end it's a niche product that people who want the best will buy anyway.

I don't think consoles are comparable to phones.

Also, AI is a non-factor.

 

[Vblad88]

Seeing how unimpressive "PS4 Pro Enhanced" games run on PS5, I will pass on that "tok" also.

Even if Sony pay Rockstar to guarantee 60 fps on GTA6, with current flow of talent leaving the industry the rest is still going to be either blurry or stuttery AI mess until Playstation 6 arrives.

 

[Three]

That's pretty much what I've been saying all this time.
This gen is very different from last-gen and there are far less benefits to a Pro-console than last-gen.

That's not even taking current economy into consideration.

 If Sony releases PS5 Pro, I'm gonna buy it day 1, because as a gamer I just want the best performance I can get on PS5 (and I can pass my PS5 to my stepson).

But for Sony as a business, I don't see it make much sense. Especially with their main competitor dying.

They're likely to make a bigger margin on it along with the power increase so as a business that would be the way to justify it, I would say the only way. They might also include QoL upgrades like built in PSLink (though I think that's unlikely as they would be looking to lower cost and headsets come with it).

There are a few things that are not clear in the strategy too. Would they allow compatibility with the separated disc drive and if so does that mean it needs to keep the same formfactor as the new Slim? They can't exactly go all digital and expect to sell to those looking to upgrade their launch PS5s. A lot of people might own 1 or 2 discs at the very least and that would put them off the upgrade.

 

[FingerBang]

PSVR needed a performance boost, though. Which released a month before PS4 Pro.

I don't think consoles are comparable to phones.

Also, AI is a non-factor.

It is for marketing. Also, DLSS and co are AI, so it works in games and you can bet they'll milk it dry.

About consoles not being comparable to phones, that was true in the past but not anymore. Look at the PS4 -> PS5 jump and tell me that wasn't incremental at best. Moore's Law is Dead, and things have slowed down dramatically in the last few years. I bet MS will be the first one to try a similar business model with a new console every 2 or 3 years and promised support for about 6 or so. Waiting for a generational jump now that things are stagnating seems pointless. It might not work, but that is where we're heading.

 

[Kokoloko85]

Day 1m but hurry up with the PS studio games please.

 

[Bernardougf]

If by the pro launch sony cant meaningfully cut the price of the Ps5 that means one of two things

1 - bullshit
2 - the pro will come at 699 or with a marginal upgrade that barely woth the purchase

In any case I expect the pro to redefine the base prices for next-gen

 

[Kusarigama]

"Likely to release" even I know that. We need journalistic confirmation with solid internal authentic source.

 

[MisterXDTV]

I will try to score a good trade-in at GameStop as usual....

My PS5 will be 4 years old when this comes out, it's out of warranty. It's a no brainer to upgrade if the price is right

 

[ShirAhava]

The PS5 costs more to keep on the market than it would cost to put a newer system with a modern/beefier specs if you understand what has been going on with AMD these last few years. (and also the upcoming tariff) They really need to shut down those factories this is defo happening!

 

[VolticArchangel]

Don't worry, guys. The PS5 Pro will fix everything.

Releasing a more powerful console without a single first party game

This gen has been so lame

 

[tommib]

I need it. Upscaled low resolutions aren’t looking great lately.

 

[Senua]

I wonder how the form factor will be

 

[Killjoy-NL]

It is for marketing. Also, DLSS and co are AI, so it works in games and you can bet they'll milk it dry.

About consoles not being comparable to phones, that was true in the past but not anymore. Look at the PS4 -> PS5 jump and tell me that wasn't incremental at best. Moore's Law is Dead, and things have slowed down dramatically in the last few years. I bet MS will be the first one to try a similar business model with a new console every 2 or 3 years and promised support for about 6 or so. Waiting for a generational jump now that things are stagnating seems pointless. It might not work, but that is where we're heading.

Cerny stated during Road to PS5 that the switch to SSD and the PS5 I/O architecture would benefit developers more than the end-user, as it would allow for new ways to approach game development.
So most likely we won't see the benefits as end-user until next-gen.
At least, that how I understood it, but I could be wrong there.

I don't think PS5 Pro would bring much to the table to have a noteworthy impact for us as end-users.

 

[Xtib81]

What an empty article lol
But yeah, a ps5 pro is long overdue. The PS5 is certainly weaker than what everybody claimed in 2020.

 

[Warnen]

Hope it’s psvr compatible unlike last pro….

i kid no one gives a shit about psvr.

 

[tommib]

Hope it’s psvr compatible unlike last pro….

i kid no one gives a shit about psvr.

Last one was compatible? You would get better resolution.

 

[panda-zebra]

I wonder how the form factor will be

That's another thing. I was hoping for something very different, less tall and less garish than the original model, but if it's got to accommodate the external drive add-on it's going to have to comply to that previous design aesthetic. Blergh.

What an empty article lol
But yeah, a ps5 pro is long overdue. The PS5 is certainly weaker than what everybody claimed in 2020.

I don't see that tbh. It's still out-performing what people were saying it would offer (well, those that weren't working on bullshit fantasy specs). There's was a lot of doom and gloom, TF vs the competition concern, loads of "we'll be back to 30fps in 6 months just you wait" warnings. PS5 out-performs it's paper specs, and back then all we had was paper specs.

 

[Warnen]

Last one was compatible? You would get better resolution.

Version 1 of psvr passthru box didn’t work with the hdr feature that launched with the pro.

 

[lh032]

Sony refuse to reduce the base ps5 price ,I think the pro is going to be 699 at least

 

[Lucifers Beard]

I'd be somewhat tempted just for the increase in fidelity on PSVR2 games. That being said, I think the games already look great on it so don't really see the point. Unless Sony start to shit out some games I'm actually interested in that take advantage of the hardware rather than fucking remasters or remakes of relatively recent games or Marvel games I'm out.

 

[Cyborg]

What's to fix? Considering the economy PS5 is doing outstanding. Still I will get PS5 pro for sure

 

[Allandor]

That would suggest a trivial upgrade.

It will be a trivial upgrade as the steps get smaller and smaller.
Just increase the resolution a bit and you easily consume double the hardware (especially when using RT). And if the rumors are correct only a mild update to the memory. That won't be a big step like from ps4 to ps4 pro. Also this time the price will go up instead of staying at the same price point.
This gen, a mid gen refresh is really not needed. In the last gen 4k became a thing. But currently the consoles struggle with 4k (nowadays even a 4090 struggles with 4k without DLSS quite fast).

 

[LiquidMetal14]

That's the one in waiting for.

 

[MisterXDTV]

This gen, a mid gen refresh is really not needed. In the last gen 4k became a thing. But currently the consoles struggle with 4k (nowadays even a 4090 struggles with 4k without DLSS quite fast).

A mid-gen, by definition, is never NEEDED....

It's an optional HW upgrade with ZERO exclusive software

 

[Rocco Schiavone]

I wonder how the form factor will be

Same like the day one PS5.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Don't worry, guys. The PS5 Pro will fix everything.

It won’t fix the cost of making AAA games, which is a reason for low margins.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

Don't worry, guys. The PS5 Pro will fix everything.

Wrong team, champ.

 

[Robb]

Bring it on!

 

[Hudo]

 

[Skifi28]

I wonder how the form factor will be

 

[Fake]

Somehow will fix the software.


People are delusional.