Game designer Hideo Kojima may have inadvertently displayed his next game running on the unannouncedPlayStation 5 Pro,Tech Timesnotes. On Thursday, Kojima posed for a photo by his assistant, Ayako Terashima, showing him playing what’s presumablyDeath Stranding 2. While that game has been public knowledge for some time, Kojima is playing it with a PS5 DualSense controller – but no PS5 in sight.
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Although Kojima could be playing on an older PS5 dev kit or a development PC, there’s a strong chance that he’s trying to conceal a PS5 Pro dev kit, given the photo’s timing. Rumors around the Pro have accelerated in recent days, backing earlier claims that the console will be announced before the end of 2024. One opportunity for Sony may be the Tokyo Game Show, which runs from September 26 through 29, and will include a special Death Stranding 2 event on the last day with Kojima himself making an appearance. The title would be an ideal way of demonstrating the Pro’s power.
A dev kit is a developer-exclusive version of a console with extra testing functions.
What do we know about the PS5 Pro?
The Pro is expected to be a “half-step” upgrade, rather than a true next-gen console. You’ll still be able to buy the current PS5. The highlight though should be afaster GPU, potentially boosting performance by as much as 45%. 4K gaming should not only be consistently smooth, but with maximum detail, including ray-traced lighting – something the regular PS5 sometimes struggles with.
The PS5 Pro is expected to be a “half-step” upgrade, rather than a true next-gen console.
The enhanced GPU should also support a new upscaling technology, dubbedPlayStation Spectral Super Resolution(PSSR). This is similar to Nvidia’sDLSS, which boosts framerates by rendering native content at a low resolution, but then using AI techniques to scale output resolution. It may be aided by custom AI architecture, and contribute to another rumored PS5 Pro feature, which is support for (practical)8Kgaming. To date, only one game has supported 8K on existing hardware.
Will the Pro be more expensive than the PS5s already on the market?
Price will be the console’s downside. Giant Bomb journalistJeff Grubbhas claimed that the Pro could cost$600 US, whereas even the disc-equipped PS5 Slim is $500. That would make the system even more expensive elsewhere, owing to exchange rates and markups. Some gamers may want to wait for the inevitable PS6 instead, even if Sony could be setting the stage for higher prices going forward.
