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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Sony India has announced that the much-anticipated PlayStation 5 Pro, set to feature cutting-edge hardware upgrades and Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) support, will not be launched in India and several other markets where the 6GHz wireless band required by Wi-Fi 7 is not yet authorized. In an official statement, Sony noted, “PS5 Pro will not be available in some countries (which presently includes India) where the 6GHz wireless band used in IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) has not yet been allowed.”

The regulatory hurdle poses a significant setback for Indian gamers eager to experience the latest in Sony’s console lineup. The PS5 Pro, a powerhouse designed for enhanced graphics and immersive gameplay, relies on Wi-Fi 7’s advanced connectivity capabilities to support its performance. The latest standard, Wi-Fi 7, delivers ultra-high speeds and low latency, enabling smoother streaming, faster downloads, and seamless online gaming—key enhancements for a console like the PS5 Pro, built with top-tier gaming experiences in mind.

Why Wi-Fi 7 Matters—and Why India is Missing Out

The PS5 Pro’s reliance on Wi-Fi 7 reflects a broader trend in the tech industry as devices continue to integrate higher bandwidth connectivity. While many regions have already approved the 6GHz band required for Wi-Fi 7, Indian regulators have yet to allow the frequency for commercial use, impacting device rollouts for any tech reliant on this standard.

In markets like the US, the European Union, and parts of East Asia, Wi-Fi 7-compatible devices are expected to make headway, aligning with Sony’s rollout plans for the PS5 Pro. However, for Indian gamers, the regulatory limitations mean they may have to wait longer, potentially until the 6GHz band becomes available in the country.

An Uncertain Timeline for Indian Gamers

While Sony has not provided specific details on a possible workaround or alternative launch timeline for countries like India, the company’s statement has left fans eagerly awaiting updates. Should the 6GHz band be approved, it could potentially pave the way for the PS5 Pro’s entry into India.

For now, Indian consumers may have to settle for the existing PS5 model or consider alternatives as they wait for regulatory clearance.

Sony PS5 Pro will not be launched in India due to Wi-Fi 7 restrictions

Sony’s PS5 Pro may skip India as the next-gen console requires Wi-Fi 7 compatibility, which the country has yet to approve.

www.businesstoday.in

 

[CLW]

 

[saintjules]

Not yet authorized. Doesn't mean it won't happen.

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[Thief1987]

And yet they cheaped out to put wi-fi 6 on Portal. Clowns.

 

[Bojji]

Indians will save money to make more amazing movies:

 

[TrueLegend]

It's about 6ghz spectrum and not exactly Wifi 7.

Telcos wanting it for 5G exclusive.
Amazon, Google, Microsoft wanting it for wifi exclusive.
Meanwhile Indian Space Research Organisation uses it for their satellites.

So it's not going to resolve soon but that should not be a big deal for launching PS5 Pro as PS5 Pro could still connect to Wifi. Anyway many people will import.

 

[ElCasual]

With the actual policy of Playstation will have the power of a PS4 Pro-nous-

 

[ElCasual]

And nothing is lost.

 

[PendekarRajawali]

Indians will save money to make more amazing movies:

India will produce its own Uncharted movie, here's the Indian Nathan Drake:

 

[Stu_Hart]

It's weird because some of the latest phones this year like the samsung galaxy phones and iphones have wifi 7and have launched over there with no issues.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Speaking of India

Putin Plans First India Visit Since His War in Ukraine Began

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit India for the first time since he ordered the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a further sign of that US-led efforts to isolate him on the world stage are failing.

www.bloomberg.com

 

[bundylove]

 

[Magic Carpet]

Dang, how much bandwidth does the cloud need?

 

[sono]

Isnt this really pointing out the developers of the wifi 7 standard did not consider India regulations.

I wonder why India doesnt allow that

 

[LordOfChaos]

Wouldn't it be trivial to ship it without the 6GHz band? It could even keep wifi 7 otherwise.

Isnt this really pointing out the developers of the wifi 7 standard did not consider India regulations.

I wonder why India doesnt allow that

No, they just need to open the spectrum and probably will eventually, Canada opened 6Ghz later than the US too. There's a process of making sure military and other uses have moved off. A 1.4 billion people democracy isn't exactly fast with these things.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

It's a device meant to capture about 10% of the PlayStation 5 total salesbase, when you consider that, it's also going to be a higher concentration in countries with higher income per capita, I'm not sure how much is lost with it not launching in India, but they might need to investigate that more with PS6 in the future if things don't change.

I'd imagine the current India market is not worth it to Sony to do custom firmware specifically for one region. A lot of overhead involved with that. And I'm not sure you could get around things by trying to disable it by region after the fact.

Ultimately, this will get worked out. I don't think that India can afford to block WiFi 7 devices, but we'll see. It's a large market in general, but I can't see device makers bringing non-phone devices specifically to India that keep WiFi 6, but only in India...

 

[SmokedMeat]

Sony’s fine with skipping countries.

 

[Skifi28]

Seems a little odd. The pro as a device works on any wifi, it just also supports 7 assuming your network already has it. Shouldn't they just be restricting the modems being sold instead of the other consumer devices?

 

[Kings Field]

 

[demigod]

And yet they cheaped out to put wi-fi 6 on Portal. Clowns.

It uses wifi 5, lol.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Seems a little odd. The pro as a device works on any wifi, it just also supports 7 assuming your network already has it. Shouldn't they just be restricting the modems being sold instead of the other consumer devices?

Slippery slope, when you have a bunch of devices and only need to import wireless routers and access points.