There's a good chance we'll see the PS5 Pro launch later this year, right around the long-awaited launch of GTA VI. While this is great news for fans who want to upgrade to a slightly more powerful console, it's also a strategic move from Sony to boost declining hardware sales.
In a recent chat with CNBC (via Wccftech), analysts expressed a high likelihood that Sony would release a PS5 Pro this year to combat its decreased profits. Mid-cycle "Pro" launches like this are common for consoles to renew interest, boost sales, and give players a little extra performance power to tide them over until the next major console iteration.
CEO of Kantan Games, Serkan Toto, told CNBC "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." He continued, "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."
Sony's sales might still decrease, even with a PS5 Pro launch
During Sony's recent company earnings call, an executive said that the company was expecting a "gradual decline" in unit sales. Sony adjusted its hardware sales forecast from 25 million units to 21 million units for the fiscal year ending in March.
Introducing a PS5 Pro now, about three years after the PS5's initial launch in November 2020, wouldn't be abnormal for Sony. The PS4 Pro, for example, launched right around three years after the PS4's initial launch. Even Microsoft follows this mid-cycle launch strategy, with the Xbox Series X "Brooklin" update and Series S "Ellewood" update likely slated for later this year as well.
In the past, a Pro model launching from Sony has typically meant lower prices for the original console. But Omdia analyst George Jijiashvili thinks that might not be the case, telling CNBC that Sony's near decade-low profits might mean that the company wouldn't cut the price of the current PS5 even when the PS5 Pro comes out.
He went on to say, "Therefore, a scenario where Sony launches a PS5 Pro, but still experiences declining year-on-year hardware sales is very much within the realms of possibility."
Launching the PS5 Pro right before GTA VI is estimated to release in early 2025 is a strategic move, but it might not be enough. If the game will be playable on PS5, and there isn't much of a boost in performance on the PS5 Pro then players might just skip the upgrade and stick with their PS5 console instead.
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