PlayStation 5 Pro should be the graphical powerhouse we were promised in the first place
When the PlayStation 5 was first unveiled Sony used a fair few buzzwords, including "ray tracing" and "8K". However, bar a few exceptions, the actual console has never really got close to such lofty expectations.
Ray tracing has usually only been implemented at the expense of frame rates, resolution or both. And as for 8K, well...
But PS5 Pro could change all that. Indeed, it might just turn out to be the Sony console we were all hoping for first time around.
That's if leaked specifications turn out to be true. The Verge claims to have "obtained a full list of specs" and says that Sony is tasking developers with implementing and improving ray tracing support on existing games.
If so, that's a big step in the right direction for a console generation that originally overpromised.
The PS5 has been hugely successful – more so than the Xbox Series X – but is arguably underpowered for the next stage in game presentation. The PS5 Pro, it seems, is not.
Currently codenamed Trinity, the PS5 Pro will allegedly have much more powerful graphics processing (by 45%) and even a faster CPU thanks to the ability to overclock the same chipset. It will enable developers to offer additional features when running on the new hardware, with a PS5 Pro Enhanced label likely to be used on compatible games on the PS Store.
There will be architecture dedicated to ray tracing, it is said, which will help ensure it can be used without impacting resolution or frame rates as heavily. And, system memory is also set for a boost, running at 576GB/s rather than 448GB/s.
Then there's the previously rumoured PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) upscaling tech, which will be unique to the PS5 Pro. This will allow developers to intelligently upscale the resolution in the games in real time in order to present native-looking 4K visuals at higher frame rates.
The documents reveal that there is just 2ms of latency created when upscaling 1080p to 4K, for example, which should be imperceptible. It is this technology (which is similar to Nvidia's DLSS or AMD's FSR) that could even enable 8K gaming on compatible TVs in the near future. Finally, that 8K badge on the box might actually mean something.
In all honesty, it doesn't seem like much and many just won't care, but just a few improvements could add up to a heck of a lot for console gamers who have longingly looked at the capabilities of gaming PCs.
We don't yet know how much we'll have to pay for them, of course, with the PS5 Pro still unannounced at present. But it is highly likely that this holiday season could prove to be a hugely exciting time – especially with additional Xbox hardware also rumoured.
Like myself, you'd best phone your bank manager now in preparation.
