Sony PS5 Pro could be coming as AMD looks for chip developers

Sony could begin the process of developing an interim update to its latest-generation game console, the PlayStation 5. A report from Chinese tech tracker MyDrivers says that AMD, whose Zen 2 architecture chips power both the PS5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and S, is looking for developers chips for custom development of processors for next-generation game consoles. This has sparked rumors of potential updates to these new consoles, which now suggest that the Sony PS5 Pro could be on the way.

Sony PS5 Pro: when can it come out?

According to the job posting, AMD is hiring cross-platform chip developers to create a next-generation core standard. However, the job description specifically states that the job will be with “a team developing a chip for Xbox, PlayStation, and the latest RDNA family graphics chip.”

It also falls into familiar territory for both Sony and Microsoft. In particular, this move may be in line with Sony’s timeline. The company, as seen on the PS4 Pro, has used the years between PS4 and PS5 to launch a mid-cycle update. This allowed the company to keep its console’s power sufficient for the latest games without significant performance degradation, especially in terms of its consoles’ graphics rendering capabilities.

As a result, the Sony PS5 Pro is out of the question. The existing PS5 is based on the AMD Zen 2 core architecture customized for the console. Meanwhile, graphics duties are handled by AMD’s RDNA2 generation GPU cores. This, in the Sony PS5 Pro, can be upgraded to at least a custom Zen 3 core architecture for the SoC and RDNA3 for the next generation GPU.

However, it remains to be seen how this move works. Since the launch of the PS5, Sony has struggled to make it available in sufficient quantity. This has resulted in console sales being limited for the time being. Under such circumstances, it’s entirely possible that Sony will decide to delay the PS5 Pro launch and shorten the console’s lifecycle instead – and directly launch the PS6.

In any case, when AMD starts the process of hiring custom chips for next generation consoles, we should see the result in physical form within the next two or three years, and if not, sooner.