It’s that time in the lifecycle.
As is the iterative nature of modern day technology, the PlayStation 5 console has reached its next evolution. Though that’s marketing speak. It has simply procured newer, more better, technology to use in the latter half of its life. Such are the results of the console war in its current arc. So we, the gamer, have to ask:
If this is the best that games can look, then what can we improve upon?
Of course this is all based off an announcement from Sony on social media. “Tune in tomorrow for a PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation hosted by Mark Cerny”. Mark Cerny being one of the lead architects and designers for Sony and their computing division. Also, please place the utmost respect on this man, he designed Marble Madness for heavens sake.
With little happening in their tech space and hints of a PS5 Pro in their 30th anniversary graphics, the time seems right. And almost to the date, it matches what they’ve done in the past.
The PlayStation 4 received its Pro update 3 years after release on November 10th, 2016. This cycle originated with the PlayStation, which received a side-grade 4 years into release. The PS4 Pro was upgraded to deliver what gamers wanted most:
Better visual fidelity.
Receiving a GPU boost from 1.84 to 4.2 teraflops, the PS4 Pro improved storage and updated popular titles, bolstering consumer trust and investment. Which raises the question of what the PlayStation 5 Pro could bring, four years after the PS5.
Comparing upgrades between the generations may help. The PS4 Pro produced 4.2 teraflops, while the PlayStation 5 produces 10.3. And its SSD drive loads games up to 50% faster than its predecessor. Will the PS5 Pro really be able to produce twice the amount of power similar to the PS4 and its Pro upgrade?
Well that’s what we’re tuned in for at 3AM in the morning in New Zealand!
2:24AM – The ZZZ’s have hit me. I feel like I can somehow smash through a thousand doors or be toppled by the most minute breath of a small feline cat. Yet Mark Cerny waits for me…
2:28AM – I begin to share this post across platforms. The masses must know the insanity which lies ahead (that being the very real fact they may not announce the PS5 Pro)
2:35AM – Begun watching TikTok’s and Instagram Reels to kill time
2:38AM – Saw an image of Haewon, leader for K-pop group NMIXX, on social media wearing elf ears and thought: “Wow. They look a lot like what I think Frieren from the hit 2024 anime ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End‘ would look like”
2:49AM – I’m not sure where the last 11 minutes went; however, they seemed to pass quickly
2:56AM – The event is saying it is beginning in 4 minutes and 21 seconds and I bet this is going to the most silent 4 minutes and 21 seconds of my life
2:58AM – Actually I saw a good post on social talking about how this announcement this close to GTA6 is a banger move, and you know? I have to agree. If Sony and Rockstar do a combo deal too, it’s going to be MONEY for both parties involved
3:01AM – Mark Cerny literally appeared on-screen and said “lolyupitsthePS5Progotcha!”
3:02AM – Cerny’s whole job is to correspond with developers and find out what they want and how they can bring this to the PS5. It sounds like the fidelity and performance modes are going to become a lot more blurred on the PlayStation 5 Pro
3:04AM – We have 45% faster rendering, advanced ray tracing and an AI-Driven upscaling system called PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Resolution). They will add this ‘big three’ to titles already out on the console
3:06AM – We’re going to be seeing more vibrant graphics and higher frames thanks to the big three on the PS5 Pro
3:07AM – That’s a wrap! Revealing the new console, they overlay it with trailers for upgraded titles, which, although they look performative, are actually playable. Which is nuts
And the release date is November 7th!
They announced the pricing in USD, likely around $1K NZD. It offers significantly more power, and furthermore, blends the visual modes available since the PS4 Pro.
Fidelity. Performance. You’re about to be a thing of the past.
