Odds are you don't have an 8K TV, and you probably won't for a long time. Still, 8K is seen as the next step for displays after 4K, and Sony is giving developers the tools to make it happen. A new report claims the PlayStation 5 is real, and devs are already getting test kits. The console could allegedly upscale games to 8K resolution thanks to Sony's new upscaling technology, but whether you consider this "real" 8K gaming is a matter of personal preference.
The PlayStation 5 launched in 2020 alongside the Microsoft Xbox Series X and S, and Sony released the revamped PS5 Slim late last year. There have been rumors of a Pro upgrade for some time, but the stars may be aligning. According to new information from The Verge, Sony plans to increase the GPU power considerably and bump the CPU power to a smaller degree. This should help the console (codenamed Trinity) keep frame rates high when gaming at 4K with advanced visual features like ray tracing enabled.
The console will offer more than improved 4K gaming. Sony is working to implement an upscaling technology similar to Nvidia DLSS or AMD FSR. Sony's version is called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), and we're not hearing that it will support up to 8K output. Sony has reportedly built a "custom architecture for machine learning" on the PS5 Pro to support PSSR, topping out at an impressive 300 TOPS of FP8 computing.
We've seen some impressive results from upscaling with technologies like DLSS, so it's possible Sony could provide a passable 8K gaming experience with its next console. However, this may be as much marketing hype as anything else—a PS5 Pro box with an 8K emblem on it could sell better than a PS5 "4K" box. The report claims Sony will continue to sell both versions of the console.
You can expect games to launch with specific optimizations for the PS5 Pro's more powerful hardware. These games will get a special label to indicate they support the PS5 Pro's enhanced features. It may not take as long as you'd think to see those titles—the report claims developers can already order PlayStation 5 Pro test kits from Sony. By August, Sony expects every new game to be compatible with (but not necessarily enhanced for) the PS5 Pro.
Developers will also enjoy a bit more headroom with the PS5 Pro. The report claims Sony will open up an additional 1.2GB of system memory for games, bringing the total to 13.7 GB. Devs often bump up against the limit with Sony's unified memory design, so the extra capacity will be a boon. The memory itself will be faster, jumping from 448GB/s to 576GB/s. The memory enhancement could also help PSSR keep up.
So far, all the leaks have pointed to a PS5 Pro launch this year. Holiday shoppers may have to choose between the standard PS5 Slim and the Pro version. A raft of newly enhanced PS5 Pro games could help push the new console, which will come with a higher price tag, possibly around $600. That would be $100 more than the PS5 Slim.
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