Leaked PS5 Pro docs mention rendering 45% faster than the PS5, 2x to 3x the ray tracing performance, and more; sources say it's set for a holiday 2024 release
Insider Gaming can confirm that the leaked PS5 Pro specs leaked earlier today are real and the PlayStation 5 is still tentatively targeting a 2024 holiday release.
Insider GamingTom Henderson
Context & Ripple Effects
Sony’s original PS5 positioning combined backward compatibility, SSD storage and ray tracing in its next-generation console roadmap, making a higher-spec variant a continuation of its graphics-led platform strategy rather than a separate generation.
This leak provided an early outline of that variant before Sony’s later formal PS5 Pro announcement, which paired faster graphics and memory with a premium, disc-drive-free configuration.
First-order effects
Sony’s PS5 Pro roadmap became more legible to developers and buyers: the reported gains center on rendering throughput and ray tracing, giving enhanced versions of existing games a clearer technical target.
The base PS5 remains the common platform, while the prospective Pro model creates a higher-performance tier rather than replacing the installed console base.
Second-order effects
Studios supporting the platform gain an incentive to distinguish Pro-enhanced releases through visual quality or performance modes, while retaining compatibility with the standard PS5.
A premium mid-cycle console raises the importance of memory bandwidth and graphics features in how buyers assess upgrades; Sony later described the product around AMD-based GPU and ray-tracing improvements.
Third-order effects
If mid-cycle upgrades become a recurring console pattern, hardware generations may increasingly resemble tiered PC-style performance segments, with developers scaling one game across several capability levels.
The value proposition shifts from exclusive new games to visible technical improvements in existing software—a strategy whose durability depends on whether enough players value those upgrades over the base console.
The trend: Console makers are extending hardware generations with premium performance tiers that emphasize rendering, memory and ray-tracing gains while preserving software compatibility.
Hard to see this doing well given the lack of first party AAA content from Sony this year + a general feeling of “the games we have now aren't really pushing the bar much.” That said, next year when GTA6 drops? This will be a hot ticket.
I don't know what they'd even do with more gpu power, but wifi 6E and Sony's new lossless / low latency audio streaming built in probably gets me to buy one
If a PS5 Pro is around 45% faster than a PS5 in raw GPU performance, then it'd essentially make it a 7700XT. The RX 6700 is the closest GPU to the PS5 currently and the 7700XT is about 45% faster. This would make the PS5 still significantly slower than a RTX 3080 (30% faster).👀 […
So is Moore's Law is Dead a reputable source? I'm seeing tons of PS5 Pro articles flying around but they don't seem to be steeped in the reality that: - PS5 profitability is “deteriorating” - Sony is aggressively cutting costs where it can
Sony's PS5 Pro is up to three times faster, may arrive holiday 2024. Leaked specs suggest it's a 33.5 teraflop machine thanks to a much more powerful GPU. Full details below 👇 https://www.theverge.com/...
If the PS5 Pro is the only console that can run GTA6 at 60fps, that will be an incredible advantage to have. Many people will buy a PS5 Pro, just to play GTA6 with better graphics and/or frame rate. And Microsoft seemingly has no mid-cycle upgrade planned, only a refresh.