Sony is likely to release an updated version of the PlayStation 5 this year, told CNBC analysts after the company lowered its sales forecast for its flagship console. The move should boost interest in the PlayStation 5 and will offer improved hardware in time for the release of Grand Theft Auto VI in 2025, one of the most anticipated games of this decade.
First released in November 2020, Sony’s PlayStation 5 console is now over 3 years old. Last week, the Japanese gaming giant lowered its PS5 sales forecast for the fiscal year ending in March from 25 million to 21 million units. Sony also expects «a gradual decline» in sales until next April — the end of the 2025 fiscal year, as no sequels to major franchises will be released during this period.
In previous console development cycles, the release of more powerful versions happened only once. Sony released the Pro version of the PlayStation 4, the previous generation console, about three years after the PS4 was first launched, but there were two reasons for this, Microsoft was preparing the Xbox One X, which was supposed to correct the previous generation’s miscalculations. At the same time, 4K TVs were becoming popular, so the consoles made it possible to display games in this resolution.
Although there is no particular need for it, analysts expect Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro.
There seems to be a broad consensus in the gaming industry that Sony is indeed preparing to launch the PS5 Pro in the second half of 2024. Sony will want to make sure that it has superior hardware ready for GTA VI in 2025, giving it an edge over its gaming industry competitors.
— Serkan Toto, CEO of Tokyo-based consulting company Kantan Games.
Last year, Sony released a slightly updated PS5 as well as a portable console called PlayStation Portal. But the PS5 Pro is likely to be a much bigger upgrade.