Some developers apparently think that the PS5 Pro hardware upgrade is unnecessary right now, especially since most have yet to fully harness the potential of the base PS5. Chip shortages during COVID contributed to the sparse rollout of current-gen consoles, ultimately leading some games to be simultaneously released on last and current generations. As a result, the PS5’s capabilities had yet to be pushed – a sentiment that many developers reportedly share at the moment.
As revealed by journalist Chris Dring in a recent GamesIndustry podcast, a few developers were questioned about the PS5 Pro at the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC). Many allegedly questioned whether the PS5 Pro upgrade was entirely necessary, with many questioning if it will make any “meaningful” contribution to the market.
There are a lot of factors at play that have led developers to feel like the base PS5 has yet to reach its full potential. Longer development times with larger budgets coupled with challenges during the COVID pandemic have contributed to the very slow transition into the current generation. In fact, many feel that this generation hasn’t even fully taken off yet despite being four years into its life cycle.
For the last few months, we’ve heard reports about the power of the PS5 Pro. Rumours suggest that it will pack a ‘slightly improved’ AMD Ryzen Zen 2 CPU and be about three times faster than the base PS5. It’s believed that Sony is set to launch the upgraded hardware later this year.
It’s easy to see why some developers feel that the PS5 Pro is rather unnecessary at this point. Most high-profile studios are still working on big-budget AAA games to push the PS5, let alone a pricier upgraded model. Some arguments could be made for the PS4 Pro’s existence last generation as a mid-gen refresh when games like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End or God of War were already pushing the base PS4. The same can’t exactly be said for the PS5 yet.
Source: GamesIndustry Podcast
