Gamers Obsessing Over Console Mid-Generation Refresh, Ps5 Pro & Xbox Series S/X

Gamers everywhere have been flocking to the internet to discuss what Sony and Microsoft’s next consoles will look like. The Ps5 Pro and the newest edition of the XBOX were trending all over social media during the week following a TCL event. The conference, CES 2022, hosted by TV maker TCL featured a section dedicated to console generations, displaying the past Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation models. There was however a section labeled “Gen 9.5” alluding to possible future models of the popular consoles. The presentation included supposed details about the newest ‘Ps5 Pro’ and “New Xbox Series S/X”, a detail which left games in a frenzy.

According to the presentation, the newest consoles would display games and video in 8K resolution and contain frame rates of up to 120 fps (which is technically possible for this current generation but not widely available).

The current generation of gaming consoles is not yet two years old, however. With the November 2020 release of Microsoft Xbox Series X, which had 4K resolution and a 60 fps frame rate, and its counterpart Xbox Series S, a smaller more compact console. Sony then released two versions of their highly anticipated PS5 a few days later. These consoles were a complete redesign of Sony’s earlier PlayStation models and boasted the same 4K/60 fps capabilities. The only caveat however was that one console contained a disc drive, while the smaller, less expensive version, did not.

Console “refreshes” such as these are not foreign to gamers, however, they are more likely to occur a lot later. The last console refresh from either company occurs at least three years following the initial release of the console. Sony’s PS4 Pro was released in 2016 after the original PS4 release in 2013 and Microsoft’s Xbox One S and Xbox One X were released in 2016 and 2017 respectively following the initial Xbox One release in 2013.

For now, there has been no confirmation from Microsoft or Sony about the release of a Ps5 Pro or a new Xbox Series console. TCL has no known connection with either company nor did they comment on the speculation. Sony has a media presser on June 2, starting off with the different advertising campaigns leading up to E3. If there are new consoles in development, the curtain is likely to be pulled back within that window.