News of another new Playstation began to spread like wildfire after insider information leaked inside the gaming community this week. The PS5 Pro could be a game changer in the rivalry between industry giants Sony and Microsoft.
As if 2020 hasn't been a big enough year for the video game industry, news that Japan based electronics company Sony has plans in the works to make a hulk size version of their Playstation console, called the PS5 Pro, certainly made a big splash in the tight-knit gaming community.
If the leaded reports are true the PS5 Pro will come with not one GPU, but TWO GPU's, a development that would be a monumental upgrade to its current system (which already contains the latest and best technology). For those of you not familiar with what that means, let's cover it quickly so you can understand how big of a change it would be!
What Is a GPU?
In the computer industry a GPU is what is known as a "Graphics Processing Unit, which is a processor that has been specifically produced to help computers accelerate the process of rendering graphics on screen. Its ability to simultaneously process large amounts of data has made it a crucial tool in devices meant for design as well as video editing and in the case of Sony, video game applications.
Currently, the PS5, Sony's latest and greatest gaming console comes with one GPU. Rival company Microsoft just released their own brand new console the XBOX Series X with one GPU, in an attempt to stay relevant in its long standing rivalry with Sony. Despite the PS5 being one of the hottest items to find this holiday season, gaming experts have come to the conclusion that Microsoft has distinguished itself as the winner between the two with their Xbox Series X.
While a lot of gaming connoisseurs have expressed glee and awe at the proposed specifications of this supposed PS5 Pro, there were many others that complained of being left having a bad taste in their mouth. Why? Well, for one, the PS5 has broken its record for biggest console launch in Sony's history and it is next to impossible for people to get their hands on one.
Despite a pre-order process that began in September, coupled with large scale launch day events at Gamestops all over the country as well as online, and then several weeks of console releases at every major retailer in America, people still can't find one for themselves.
Why Is PS5 So Popular?
This is a much more complex question that it seems for a lot of reasons. The most obvious being that the difference in technology between the PS4 and PS5 is enormous and a lot of people have been using the PS4 for almost seven years now.
Some of the upgrades that have gamers going crazy over the new console are its 120Hz refresh rate (while this is advertised by Sony, users have found few available games to be able to take advantage of this feature) and ability to display 4k resolution. Specifically concerning the standard edition ($499), which comes with a 4k BluRay player, players will find that the graphics and display are advanced leagues ahead of its predecessor, the PS4.
What Are the Specs Of the PS5?
The PS5 contains an 8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU and an AMD Radeon RDNA 2 GPU, all in all, this is technology that will allow the console to produce up to 10 Teraflops of power in the graphics department. While it may seem like a bit of word salad, the translation is that the PS5 is almost a completely different device in the way it is built, operates, and performance it provides to gamers lucky enough to be able to own one this holiday season.
In addition to it being a graphics powerhouse, the PS5 also comes with a sizable amount of storage, clocking in at over 800gbs of available space after the completion of the installation process. Despite this being a pretty serious upgrade, there are some people critical of Sony's decision not to make it bigger or allow immediate expansion with a third party card.
The reason that some people feel it does not have the storage it should is because AAA games being released today can be require up to 350gb of space at installation. Interestingly, Microsoft decided to go with a full 1TB SSD, and while it may only provide approximately 150gm more space, it could mean a big difference when people make the decision on what console to take home.
The Future Of Gaming
Even though it barely gets any press, Sony simultaneously released a cheaper version of the PS5, called the PS5 Digital edition ($399), which comes with similar specs minus the BluRay disc drive. In order for gamers to take advantage of the digital edition they will need to purchase and download any desired games and content directly from the Sony store.
One of the reasons Sony made the digital edition is because it represents the future of Gaming the world. As companies test and begin to move towards cloud based gaming, the need for physical discs becomes less and less. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depends on who you ask) this could also spell the end of brick and mortar video game sales. Sorry Gamestop!
If I was forced to make a bet on it, I would say that the PS5 will be the last generation of consoles to come with a disc drive as non cloud based gaming is phased out of the norm.
When To Expect the PS5 Pro
Before you get all excited I should tell you that there is no indication that Sony has even seriously began working on the PS5, past ideas and thought. The reason the world even knows about the potential of a pro version is because Sony filed a patent for another console which led to this epiphany. At a minimum, it will be several years before we have to start worrying about to get our hands on the PS5 Pro.
How Can I Find A PS5?
If you are one of the millions of people in the world still looking to get a coveted PS5 console in time for the holiday, here is some advice I can give you now. Think long and hard about how important this system is to you and be realistic about how much time and effort you are willing to put into getting one. Between scalpers buying thousands of units for enormous markups, people sleeping in parking lots over Thanksgiving, and seemingly impossible online releases of the PS5, it is a daunting task and one that will definitely be the subject of future console releases. both here in America and world wide.
Check out FindKarma for the rest of our next-gen gaming content as well as in depth tutorials on how to find yourself a PS5 or Xbox Series X today!
