One year after the release of PlayStation 4 Pro (PS4 Pro), some game enthusiasts have begun to question the future of Sony's gaming platform. While the PS4 Pro provided a few enhancements such as 4K display support, it is believed that a next-gen console will set a new standard in the gaming world. The long-rumored PlayStation 5 (PS5) has yet to be confirmed by Sony, although it is already anticipated to arrive as early as 2020.
There is no concrete evidence yet that Sony is already working on the PlayStation 5, but some analysts already have their predictions regarding the possible launch date of the next-gen console. Per industry analyst Michael Pachter, Sony could unveil the PS5 sometime in 2020. To note, Pachter first believed that the PlayStation 5 would arrive in 2019, prior to the release of PS4 Pro back in 2016. At this point, the analyst no longer thinks that the PS4 follow-up will be out that soon.
Given that the PlayStation 4 Pro's main highlight is the gaming experience in crystal-clear 4K resolution, there are no other ways for Sony to step up its game for the launch of PlayStation 5. Even the company's rival in the gaming console industry, Microsoft, has yet to come up with a breakthrough in the latest Xbox One X, aside from offering native 4K viewing in today's game titles.
It is rumored that Sony will commence with the development of the PlayStation 5 in 2019, then the production stage will ensue the next year. It is likely that the next-gen console will be ready by Q4 2020, although in this case, the worldwide distribution of PS5 units will start in early 2021.
As for the possible hardware specs and features of the PlayStation 5, it is speculated that the console will be a full 4K high-dynamic range (HDR) platform. The PS5 is expected to offer full 4K native gaming and set the standard frame rate option to 60fps. Unlike the PS4 Pro, this setting can be achieved without the need for a checkerboard upscaling. The PlayStation 5 is also believed to boast at least 2 TB of built-in memory, as well as an external USB 3.0 drive for additional memory space.
