Which makes more sense: PlayStation 5 Pro, PS5 Slim, or jumping straight to PlayStation 6?

More than two years ago, Sony made the big leap to the next generation with PS5, a powerful response to Microsoft’s announcement of Xbox Series X | S in 2019. And we can already say that it has been a complete success.

After a launch of PlayStation 5 marked by a shortage of units, which ended last February, Sony’s latest console already accumulates more than 32 million units sold. It’s on the right track to at least match its predecessor, PS4.

If we take a look at the newspaper library, it is more than obvious to think of a new model of PS5. Maybe a PS5 Slim? Or is it time to make the jump to PS5 Pro? They are two options that are on the table for Sony.

At the moment, the only thing we know for sure is that Sony engineers are working on a PS5 with a removable reader. Insider Tom Henderson says that will replace the two current models in a few months (not confirmed).

Even in recent days there is talk about a PS6 and the premature jump to a new generation. Could Sony surprise us with a new console in the fourth year of PS5?

In this report we analyze all the possibilities that Sony has on the table with PS5. PS5 Slim or PS5 Pro? What are the chances that PS6 will be announced this year?

PS5 Slim, PS5 Pro or PS6: the immediate future of PS5

PS5 Slim: faithful to the newspaper library

The history of Sony PlayStation It is not understood without the Slim models. At the time of PS1, the Japanese company already chose to launch a smaller and more compact model, known as PSOne, something that it would repeat years later with the mythical PS2 Slim.

PSP and PS3 followed suit (the latter even had a Super Slim model). With PS4, Sony waited three years to release the Slim version of the successful desktop console.

Thus, if we take a look at the newspaper library, PS5 should receive its Slim version at the end of this 2023. Specifically in the month of September, but Sony has changed several things with its next-gen console.

PlayStation 5 is a small break with the traditional values ​​of the brand. They may be very slight details, but the commitment to DualSense, the inclusion of the white color or the enormous size are aspects to take into account.

Despite its appeal, many of us think that PS5 needs a design change. It is a large console, which takes up excessive space whether it is placed horizontally or vertically.

A PS5 Slim would not only meet Sony’s historic roadmap, but would solve one of the biggest drawbacks of the console. Of course, the objective would be not to lose gross power.

For now there is no confirmation or rumors about a hypothetical PS5 Slim. However, Yes, there is talk of a “modular” PS5, which allows the removal of the disc drive. This information comes from insider Tom Henderson.

According to this source, the modular PS5 would hit stores later this year, replacing the two current models of the console (PS5 with reader and PS5 Digital), and, in a way, occupying the historical place of the Slim models.

But with a big difference: apparently, This PS5 will not change the design of the Sony console, nor will it make any technical changes. Will it be smaller? We assume so.

PS5 Pro: the reality of 8K

A power increase never hurts, right? This is what we thought when Sony launched its brand new PS4 Pro in 2016, three years after the launch of PS4and almost at the same time as the Slim model.

Could Sony imitate this move with PS5? Perhaps, especially after the recovery at the stock level. It is increasingly common to find PlayStation 5 consoles in stores.

PS5 Pro would be a clear evolution from the basic model. It would also fulfill one of the promises we found on the console box, where compatibility with 8K resolutions indicated.

Is a lie? Not really, although there is only one game that moves to those resolutions, The Tourist, and it doesn’t do it natively, but with rescaling options. But maybe it can be something more standardized when I come up with a hypothetical PS5 Pro model.

Unlike what happens with the Slim models, in this case we would be talking about more raw power, and possibly new options or features that previous PS5 models couldn’t play.

It’s an unlikely option, especially since Sony seems to “believe more in generations” than “half-measure” improvements. That is maybe a future PS6 is more likely than a PS5 Pro.

However, last week Tom Henderson pointed out some very interesting information about a hypothetical PS5 Pro. It seems that Sony is thinking about a more powerful model of PS5which would go into production in the spring of 2024 (with its respective announcement).

If this information is true, Sony would choose to launch PS5 Pro at the end of next year. That is, one year after the ”PS5 Slim”, or modular PS5.

Therefore, which option is more likely? PS5 Pro or PS5 Slim? In this report we analyze it, taking into account the trajectory of Sony, the market share and the current performance of the console.

PS6: a new generation

As surprising as it may seem, Sony is already thinking about the successor to PS5. Except capital surprise, its name will be PlayStation 6and will bet on a technology far superior to the current one.

Let’s remember that PS4 extended its life cycle from the end of 2013 to the end of 2020. In other words, seven years could be the time stamp that Sony would repeat with PS5.

In this case (something that remains to be seen), PS6 would be released at the end of 2027 or perhaps in 2028. Despite the distance of this date, new rumors affirm that Sony engineers are already working on the next generation of PlayStation consoles.

Until recently, it was even said that PS6 was more likely than a PS5 Pro or a new model of the current Sony console. We prefer to be cautious with that.

Especially since PS5 still has a lot to give at the gaming level (and at the technological level we have already seen it with PS VR2). A new God of War, The Last of Us III (and the multiplayer spin-off), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Marvel’s Wolverine, the rumored Superman game, or Death Stranding 2 are some examples.

But let’s not forget one thing: Sony believes in generations, and therefore also believes in PS6. Who knows, but we doubt they’ll be announcing anything anytime soon, with PS5 starting to hit stores regularly, even the announcement of a successor is further away than we think.

But it’s not easy to guess which path Sony will choose. For now, it seems that PS5 will receive a small internal redesign, with the rumored model with a removable reader, which according to gossip its launch is scheduled for the end of 2023.

Everything indicates that PS6 is a very remote option for Sony, or at least at the moment. It is much more viable than the Japanese company bet everything for everything with a PS5 Pro modelwhich gives a breather to the current generation with an improvement in power, as already happened with the previous console of the brand.

Remember that now it is easier than ever to get a PS5, leaving behind the fashion of inflated bundles. You can get Sony’s next-gen console at its standard RRP (549.99 euros, and 449.99 euros for the Digital model) in the main specialized stores in our country.