Sony may very well already have its mind set on potentially introducing a Pro version of the PlayStation 5 during its lifecycle. Such a product would allow the hardware manufacturer to keep pace with rapid technological advancements made well before the generation’s conclusion. Of course, this very same course of action is what led to the PS4 Pro’s late 2016 launch. Yet, a recent interview with Game Informer seems to mark the first time a Sony boss has addressed the notion of a Pro device with regards to PS5.
During the interview, Masayasu Ito, SIE’s Executive VP of Hardware Engineering and Operation, spoke on the length of a typical console lifecycle. Due to the speed at which technology advances, console lifecycles currently sit at around six to seven years. Still, after a certain period of time, new technology can be incorporated to improve upon what’s already established. This certainly happened with the advent of PS4 Pro. In the Game Informer interview, Ito seemingly suggests the same may occur partway through the PlayStation 5’s lifecycle. He told the publication,
Indeed, in the past, the cycle for a new platform was 7 to 10 years, but in view of the very rapid development and evolution of technology, it’s really a six to seven year platform cycle. Then we cannot fully catch up with the rapid development of the technology, therefore our thinking is that as far as a platform is concerned for the PS5, it’s a cycle of maybe six to seven years. But doing that, a platform lifecycle, we should be able to change the hardware itself and try to incorporate advancements in technology. That was the thinking behind it, and the test case of that thinking was the PS4 Pro that launched in the midway of the PS4 launch cycle.
Ito’s statement doesn’t represent the first hint at a potential PS5 Pro release, either. A few months ago, Japanese journalist Zenji Nishikawa claimed Sony will release a PS5 Pro alongside the base console at launch. (Though a simultaneous release would defeat the purpose of the mid-gen hardware adopting newer technologies.) Presently, no corroborating evidence has supported Nishikawa’s report. Regardless, Ito’s words at least indicate that Sony is considering the idea of PS5 Pro, though they definitely do not serve as confirmation of any kind. Perhaps we’ll know more once the company fully unveils the next-gen console in 2020. The PlayStation 5 will launch on an unspecified date in holiday 2020.
[Source: Game Informer]
