Will PS5 Pro be the first 8K gaming console?

The Sony PS5 Pro will be a mid-generation refresh to the original console from 2020. As of now, the Pro will be introduced after the PS5 Slim, which is slated for a late 2023 launch. For a more premium price tag, you will get access to beefier hardware capable of keeping up with the latest innovations on the PC side.

A few months back, it was leaked that the PS5 Pro is already in the works at the Sony HQ. Internally codenamed Project Trinity, it primarily targeted high-resolution gameplay with a focus on rendering video games at 8K. However, recent developments suggest otherwise.

We will update you on the latest about the alleged Pro revision to the current-gen PlayStation. Do note that most of the info shared in this story hasn't been confirmed by Sony. So, take it with a grain of salt.

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The PS5 Pro's 8K gaming promise might be impractical

One of the biggest improvements with beefier hardware lies in resolutions. The PS5 already plays games at 4K, the current industry standard. Thus, it has been long speculated that the upcoming PS5 Pro will better that.

Hardware manufacturers like Nvidia jumped on the 8K gaming bandwagon as early as 2020. With the launch of the RTX 3090, Team Green claimed that 8K gaming is now possible. However, the GPU can't keep up at 7680 x 4320 in the latest AAA titles. The same goes for the latest RTX 4090 that can barely log 30 FPS in a not-so-demanding title like F1.

Since a $1,600 video card can't keep up with the hardware requirements of 8K, it is safe to assume that a $500-$600 console won't be able to do that anytime soon, either. Thus, the upcoming PS5 Pro will focus on improving performance at 4K resolutions instead of trying the next big thing.

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The PS5 Pro might be different from the PS4 Pro

PS5 Pro Is Called Project Trinity At Sony, Improved And Consistent FPS At 4K Resolution, New Performance Mode For 8K Resolution, Accelerated Ray Tracing, Studios Receiving Development Kits By Late November 2023, Targeting A November 2024 Release Date. by u/Party_Judgment5780 in PS5

There have been multiple reports claiming that the "PS5 Pro is a stupid idea." The latest development suggests that Take-Two Interactive's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, thinks all leaks aren't "meaningful."

Not launching a Pro model can be a shocker for some. But, Sony might be internally reverting to its PS3 era when the company focused on manufacturing more efficient and slightly more powerful versions with the Slim and Super Slim revisions instead of pursuing massive performance jumps.

Thus, instead of jumping from 4K to 8K, the focus can be on going from 4K 30 FPS to 4K 60 FPS (or even 120 FPS). High refresh rate gaming at UHD is already possible on PCs. Thus, the next PlayStation might make it mainstream.

This is in sharp contrast to what gamers saw in the PS4 era. While the 2013 PS4 was launched to target FHD resolution, Sony soon followed it up with the PS4 Pro in 2016, promising 4K gaming. It's important to note that between 2012 and 2016, the computer hardware industry recorded massive progress. This is not the case in today's economy, plagued by post-pandemic recession and declining hardware sales.