Source: Sony / PlayStation 5 / PS5 Pro
Xbox Series S and X won’t be the only consoles possibly getting a refresh this year; the PS5 Pro could also arrive in 2024.
Analysts are telling CNBC that Sony will likely drop a console refresh this year after cutting the forecast for the flagship PS5 console.
The website claims the PS5 Pro could help boost interest in the console while also offering gamers a more powerful console before the arrival of Grand Theft Auto VI in 2025, which we all know will push consoles to the limit.
Per CNBC:
First released in November 2020, Sony’s PlayStation 5 is now more than 3 years old. The Japanese gaming giant cut its forecast last week for PS5 sales for the fiscal year ending in March from 25 million units to 21 million units. An executive said last week during the company’s earnings call that Sony is expecting a “gradual decline” in unit sales from the next fiscal year.
When this has happened in past console cycles, gaming firms have looked to bring out a refreshed piece of hardware to reinviograte sales. For example, Sony launched a “Pro” version of the PlayStation 4, the previous generation console, around three years after the PS4 was initially launched.
Analysts are now expecting a PlayStation 5 Pro from Sony.
Speaking with CNBC, Serkan Toto, CEO of Tokyo-based games consultancy Kantan Games said, “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. 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.”
Other Console Refreshes Coming Soon
We shall see. Sony recently dropped PS5 Slim with some slightly improved specs, Nintendo’s Switch 2 is reportedly coming next year, and we could see a new Xbox Series X, code-named Brooklin, arriving sometime this year as well.
As always, HHW Gaming will keep you posted with any new developments.