PS5 Pro tipped to launch alongside PS5 — and Xbox Series X should be worried

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PS5 Pro could join the PS5 in 2020

PS5 Pro
(Image credit: Djordje Novakov)

When the PS5 arrives this holiday season, it could be accompanied by its more powerful big brother. Speculation around a possible PS5 Pro console is once again making the rounds, and Sony's super-powered PS5 is expected to arrive as early as this year.

The latest PS5 Pro rumor comes from NeoGAF user VFXVeteran (via TweakTown), who notes that "there are 2 consoles per company" referring to both the PS5 and Xbox Series X. VFXVeteran goes on to note that the Xbox Series X is the higher-end Xbox, and that we'll see the entry level version (the company's long-rumored Lockhart console) closer to launch.

The user states that the base PS5 will offer 9 teraflops (TFLOPS) of GPU power, while the PS5 Pro will be "top of the line to compete with the XSX top dog." This explains conflicting rumors we've heard around the PS5, which has been tipped to offer anywhere from 9 to a beastly 14 TFLOPS in previous reports. For context, the Xbox Series X sits at 12 TFLOPS, which makes it twice as powerful as the Xbox One X. 

VFXVeteran predicts that the PS5, PS5 Pro and both versions of the new Xbox will all be released around the same time, and guesses that the higher-end models will cost upwards of $600.

A PS5 Pro wouldn't be a complete surprise. Sony and Microsoft both unveiled higher-end versions of this generation's consoles halfway through their lifecycles, with the PS4 Pro launching in late 2016 and the Xbox One X arriving a year later in 2017. 

However, Sony and Microsoft dropping both versions of their consoles at once would be a first, and would be more akin to a smartphone launch. It's possible that both console makers want to give players a choice of how much power they want off the bat, just as phone fans can choose between the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Sony has yet to fully unveil the PS5, but rumors are pointing to a possible March reveal event. Microsoft has already taken the wraps off of the Xbox Series X specs, but we expect to learn more info about the console -- including its rumored smaller sibling -- by E3 2020.

Michael Andronico
Michael Andronico

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.