It’s an open secret that Sony is working on the first intergenerational hardware update for the PlayStation 5. Even the trial between Microsoft and the FTC regarding the purchase of Activision revealed that Microsoft knows, to some extent, the plans of its rival. Although Sony remains silent about the matter, important information has once again been leaked, specifically about the main features of the PS5 Pro.

The Pro variant in Sony’s consoles debuted in the PlayStation 4 generation. While the product had a controversial reception and certainly did not meet sales expectations, that hasn’t stopped the company from trying again. They know that there is a segment of more demanding players, and the PS5 Pro will try to dominate that segment.

Tom Henderson, one of the most reputable insiders in the video game industry, has shared some details about the PS5 Pro through Key To Gaming.

Firstly, he mentions that Sony has been developing the new hardware, internally known as “Trinity,” since early 2022. Apparently, they are making good progress, as they plan to deliver the first development kits to studios starting from November 2023.

The PS5 Pro will bring substantial improvements in Ray Tracing. Thanks to the upgrade in internal components, of which there is still no information, it seems that ray tracing will finally be relevant in the current generation.

Although Ray Tracing is already present in a large number of PlayStation 5 games, it is still limited to graphic fidelity modes. This means that performance (frames per second) is sacrificed in favor of higher visual quality. Possibly, the PS5 Pro will be able to support ray tracing without compromising performance too much.

According to the report, the PS5 Pro aims to offer an improved and consistent frame rate when playing in 4K. This is similar to the situation with Ray Tracing, as currently, we have to sacrifice performance to enjoy titles in that resolution. However, with the PS5 Pro, we could enjoy the best of both worlds.

Additionally, the PS5 Pro would offer a new mode for playing in 8K. While this resolution is still far from being the preferred one in home televisions, it will eventually become a standard. Therefore, Sony does not want to be late to the party.

Contrary to rumors that claimed the availability of the PS5 Pro by the end of this year, Tom Henderson states that Sony plans to release it in November 2024. This makes sense, as studios will have a whole year to adapt their games to the new console after receiving the development units.

The source concludes its report by saying that the PS5 Pro will be Sony’s last major push in terms of hardware release during the current generation. Once the PlayStation VR2, Project Q, PS5 Slim, and PS5 Pro are in the market, the Japanese company can focus on its next big project: the PlayStation 6.

Interestingly, the launch of the PS5 Pro could coincide with that of the Nintendo Switch 2. We will have a quite eventful 2024 in the world of video games…