April 15, 2024, 4:09 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Everything indicates that the PS5 Pro will be released just in time for the 2024 holiday season. To ensure new games can take advantage of the new hardware at launch, developers are already preparing.
Not only are the technical specifications of the PS5 Pro now set, but the first developer kits are also available for purchase. TECHBOOK summarizes the current information.
New Games to Be Compatible with PS5 Pro at Launch
According to insider sources, Sony is currently urging developers to make upcoming games compatible with the new console, as reported by “The Verge.” Sony aims to ensure that a range of games is available at the PS5 Pro launch that can utilize the more powerful hardware. The focus is primarily on enhanced ray-tracing performance.
The console is set to be released for the 2024 holiday season. According to The Verge, Sony expects every game submitted for certification in August to be compatible with the PS5 Pro. To meet this timeline, developer kits are now available for purchase.
PS5 Pro Performance Boost May Disappoint
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45 Percent Higher Graphics Performance
The PS5 Pro focuses primarily on graphics performance. While a doubling of the performance of the built-in AMD GPU is not expected, according to The Verge, which refers to a leaked list of all specifications, the Pro model is expected to deliver up to 45 percent more than the standard PS5. Sony has thus encouraged developers to optimize their games for ray tracing to earn a “PS Pro Enhanced” label.
The console, codenamed “Trinity,” is expected to come with a larger GPU and faster memory. Leaks suggest the graphics chip, with 60 CUs and 3,840 stream processors, is roughly equivalent to an AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT. The system memory of the PS5 has a bandwidth of 448 gigabytes per second (GB/s); for the PS5 Pro, it is expected to be 576 GB/s. Developers can also access more memory. Unlike the PS5, an additional 1.2 GB is available, totaling 13.7 GB.
Beyond hardware changes, Sony’s own upscaling technology could ultimately contribute to performance enhancement. This technology, called “PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution” (PSSR), is designed to take advantage of the larger and faster memory. PSSR is Sony’s answer to Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR. Essentially, the technology renders images at a lower resolution and then upscales them to a higher resolution, resulting in higher frame rates while maintaining detail fidelity at higher resolutions.
With higher graphics performance and Sony’s own upscaling technology, the PS5 Pro is expected to deliver up to three times faster ray tracing than the PS5.
PS5 Pro Gets CPU Boost
While the PS5 Pro will use the same AMD CPU as the PS5, an improved cooling system allows the processor to reach higher clock speeds of up to 3.85 gigahertz (GHz). This is a 10 percent increase over the PS5’s 3.5 GHz.
In standard mode, the PS5 Pro will continue to run at 3.5 GHz. However, developers can choose to switch to “High CPU Frequency Mode” in their games. This mode provides more power to the CPU, but the system must then limit power to the GPU. This reduces the clock speed by 1.5 percent, which Sony says results in a 1 percent decrease in graphics performance.