Having the latest model of a console means that you get to play video games at the best settings, so it's a no-brainer why purchasing one could be a good idea. However, Sony announced that the PS5 is at the "latter stage of its life cycle," so should you still get it this 2024?
What 'Latter Stage of Its Life Cycle' Means
The announcement came as both a shock and a disappointment to current PS5 owners as well as those who are only about to get one for themselves. Reading " the latter stage of its life cycle" seems like a death sentence for the console, but it's not as bad as one might think.
First of all, there's no definite timetable for how long a console's life cycle is, except by basing it on the previous models before their successors were released. For instance, the PlayStation 4 was around for about seven years before the PlayStation 5 was released in 2020.
The same goes for the PlayStation 3. After being released in 2006, it was followed by the PS4 in 2013. With a 2020 release for the PS5, we are almost halfway to the estimated lifespan of a console before the next generation is released.
It could mean that the "latter stage" is simply the latter half, giving the console about three to four more years before the PlayStation 6 is released. It aligns with Microsoft stating that it expects the PS6 to be released in 2028, according to the company's case vs the FTC.
The only reason why the announcement was released is because Sony did not meet the the sales goal it had set, and that was due to many factors. There was a supply chain shortage that lasted two years, and scalpers just made matters worse by selling the console with ridiculous markups.
Many PS5 owners just bought their units in 2023, so just imagine how upsetting it is to hear the news about the current-gen console's life cycle. However, it's not all bad news, especially considering that there are several good PS5 exclusives.
Read Also : 7 Things to Check When Purchasing a Used PS5
Rumors About a PS5 Pro
The PS6 isn't the only thing that could make you hold out on purchasing the current-gen PlayStation console. There have been rumors circulating about the PS5 Pro as well, so maybe waiting a little while longer might be worth it.
If we're going to base the timeline on the PS4 lineup, the PS5 Pro might be arriving soon since the PS4 Pro was released in 2016, which is three years after the original PS4 was released. The current generation's Pro version would have better specs, of course.
The rumored release date for the PS5 Pro is around the latter half of 2024, specifically November. The question is whether the upgrade is worth waiting for or if you should just buy the PS5 console now.
For performance, the PS5 Pro is said to be featuring an upgraded GPU and RAM, as reported by Tom's Guide, enough for 8K console gaming. That might sound good and all, but you might not actually need that kind of performance power.
It's important to note that you need video games that offer 8K resolution for it to be worth it, and there's not much difference at all. With frame rates, PS5 can support up to 120 FPS, depending on the game. That's more than good enough since our eyes can only see between 30 to 60 FPS anyway.
In short, PS5 owners shouldn't feel too bad about buying the console so close to the Pro version. All recent and upcoming games will run well enough on the base PS5 console, but if you want the performance upgrade such as (rumored) accelerated ray-tracing, you can wait a couple of months.
