PlayStation 5 Pro could be launched later this year – 03/27/2024 – Tech

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Sony is working on a more powerful model of the PlayStation 5 that could be launched later this year, according to an internal document obtained by the websites Insider Gaming and Eurogamer.

The new version, which should be called PlayStation 5 Pro, will include improvements in the speed of the system’s memory and the GPU (graphics processing unit).

The current console was released at the end of 2020. In the previous generation, an updated version of the PS4, the PS4 Pro, was released in 2016, three years after its debut on the market.

In the PS5 Pro, the processor will be the same as the PS5, but it must have a high frequency mode that promises a 10% speed increase at the cost of a 1% reduction in graphics performance.

With a new GPU, however, Insider Gaming says there will be a 45% graphics rendering performance improvement over the original PS5. Ray-tracing technology will also receive a significant upgrade.

The console will also have the so-called PSSR (PlayStation Sectral Super Resolution), which uses machine learning to improve graphics, similar to Nvidia’s DLSS, according to the document.

As with the recently launched Slim model of the PS5, the Pro version should also feature support for a removable disk drive and will offer 1 TB of internal storage.

Hardware expert Richard Leadbetter, from Digital Foundry, said in an analysis published on Eurogamer that the PS5 Pro will be a more niche product than the PS4 Pro, with 4K resolution and HDR, was at the time.

“Higher frames per second rates, substantially improved image quality and improved ray-tracing capabilities — these are what will differentiate the PS5 Pro from the standard model,” he said.

The document with technical specifications was shared on Sony’s developer portal, to which several of the company’s partners have access.

Although it hasn’t been officially announced yet, the update would come at a good time for Sony. The company stated during the release of results for last year that the PlayStation 5 should not have major exclusive launches this year and that the console has entered the final half of its life cycle.

The company also lowered its PS5 sales forecast for the Japanese fiscal year 2023, which ends at the end of this month. The expectation is that 21 million units will be sold, four million less than the initial estimate.

“There is a broad consensus in the gaming sector that Sony is preparing to launch a PS5 Pro in the second half of 2024,” Serkan Toto, CEO of consultancy Kantan Games told CNBC. “And Sony will want to have great hardware ready when GTA 6 launches in 2025, a launch that will be a boost for the entire industry.”

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PLAY

game tip, new or old, for you to try

Princess Peach: Showtime!
(Nintendo Switch)

In Nintendo’s latest title, Princess Peach leaves her supporting role behind to take on roles such as swordsman, ninja, mermaid, baker and even detective. Without Mario or his guards, it will be up to the princess to free the so-called limelight in stages with creative scenarios and the humor of small dramas. Read more in Henrique Artuni’s review published on Sheet.

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UPDATE

news, launches, business and what matters most

• “Dragon’s Dogma 2” arrived last week 12 years after the first game and, despite being praised by critics, it received a series of negative reviews on Steam and social media. This is because the game has performance problems and a series of paid content, even though it costs R$299. Capcom said in a statement that it is studying ways to improve optimization and that DLC improvements can also be obtained within the game.
• Square Enix has announced that the second paid expansion for “Final Fantasy 16”, called “The Rising Tide”, will be released on April 18. It will take protagonist Clive to a region of the game where the water Eikon, Leviathan, resides. The expansion pass costs R$133.90 and includes the first DLC, “Echoes of the Fallen”. The game is available for PS5.

• Sony announced that PlayStation 5 physical discs, both exclusive and partner games, will be produced in Brazil by the company Solutions 2 GO in the Manaus Free Trade Zone. The discs, with a capacity of up to 100 GB, will be distributed in the country and in other countries in Latin America. Sony did not say whether local production will affect prices in the Brazilian market.
• Roblox announced a tool that automatically translates conversations between users on the platform. Built using our own AI, real-time translation in the chat allows dialogues between 16 available languages, including Brazilian Portuguese. As of late 2023, the game has over 70 million daily active users.
• Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke said at a GDC (Game Developers Conference) panel that the studio does not plan to work on expansions or a sequel to “Baldur’s Gate 3.” Vincke said he will leave it up to Wizards of the Coast, owner of “Dungeons & Dragons,” to decide what to do with the franchise. “Contrary to expectations, but I’ve never been so sure about a change in strategy. This is right for Larian,” he wrote in X.
• According to Bloomberg, Sony has halted production of PlayStation VR 2 virtual reality headsets until available stocks are reduced, increasing uncertainty regarding the product. Costing US$550 (between R$4,000 and R$5,000 in Brazil), two million units have been produced since its launch in February 2023, but sales have progressively fallen.

• Xbox also said during GDC that it has around 3,500 games in development from more than 100 countries through the ID@Xbox program, aimed at independent studios. The company highlighted that Pocketpair, producer of one of the year’s biggest hits, “Palworld”, is also a member of the program.
• Epic Games announced during the State of Unreal event the game “Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra”, which is being developed in Unreal Engine 5.4, a version of the graphics engine that brings improvements to character animation. The company also showed a preview of its app for iOS and Android, which should be launched this year.

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download

recently released games that will arrive in the next few days

20.mar

• “Alone in the Dark”: PC (R$ 162), Xbox Series (R$ 389.95), PS5 (R$ 299.90)

21.mar

• “Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile”: free (Android, iOS)

22.mar

• “Princess Peach: Showtime!”: Nintendo Switch (R$299)
• “Dragon’s Dogma 2”: PC (R$ 299), Xbox Series (R$ 336), PS5 (R$ 336.90)
• “The Rise of Ronin”: PS5 (R$ 349.90)

26.mar

• “South Park: Snow Day”: PC (R$ 88.99), Nintendo Switch (R$ 195), Xbox Series (R$ 189.95) and PS5 (R$ 149.50).

CD Projekt Red will offer a free trial of “Cyberpunk 2077” on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series between this Thursday (28th) and Monday (1st). The demo offers five hours of free play. Players will be able to transfer progress to the full version.