Sony Might Skip A PS5 Pro And Jump Straight To A PS6 Game Console
For some context, Sony has been selling revised systems as long as there have been PlayStations. The original boxy grey system got replaced with the svelte white "PSone", and the PlayStation 2 received numerous revisions over the years, as did the PS3. For the previous-generation PlayStation 4, Sony did something unprecedented by releasing a mid-life "Pro" revision of the system that had major changes to the hardware's capabilities.
Well, that's not going to happen this time around, at least if Tom's information is accurate. He says that despite persistent rumors of a new model of the PS5, he doesn't think there's any chance that it's a "Pro" or slim model. Instead, his information indicates that the upcoming revision to the PS5 will simply be a second generation of the hardware, possibly with a detachable disc drive.
Additionally, he says he thinks that the revised PS5 won't even look much different compared to the current model. We presume he means the digital-only system, since the disc drive will apparently be removable. Henderson says that this model will start production in April and begin selling in September, although we're not sure if he means this year or next year, as he says that the normal PS5 will halt production at the end of this year.
As for the concept of the "PS5 Pro", Tom says that he doesn't think the regular version has been "fully utilized," and that's easy to agree with. Almost all PS5 games to this point have been developed in tandem with a PS4 version of the same game. That means that those titles can't take full advantage of the PS5's features, particularly its super-fast onboard SSD.
That's pretty thin evidence to say that the PlayStation 6 will launch in 2028, but at the same time, it's entirely possible. If we look at the lifetime of each Sony console, the gaps have been six years, six years, seven years, and then seven years. A wait of eight years between the PS5 and PS6 wouldn't be impossible at all. It would be an awful long time to be stuck with the same capabilities, though. PC gamers on high-end hardware are already enjoying CPUs and GPUs that put the current-generation consoles to shame.
Whatever Sony ends up doing, we're just glad that the PlayStation 4 is finally being put out to pasture. It's had a good run over the last decade, but it's well past time to move on from that system's aged Jaguar CPUs and GCN GPU.