A usually reliable insider claims to know the codenames and specs for the PS5 Pro and PS6, as well as an additional secret hardware release.
The PlayStation 5 will be three years old this Christmas and under normal circumstances that would be more than enough time to expect a PS5 Slim model or perhaps a PS5 Pro. Nothing’s been normal since the pandemic and yet at least one insider claims there is a shopping list of new PlayStation hardware on the way relatively soon.
Insider Tom Henderson has previously proven to be one of the most reliable leakers in the industry in terms of games, dealing with titles across a variety of publishers. However, he’s not yet had a chance to be proven correct about hardware and yet has a dizzying array of PlayStation predictions on the boil at the moment.
His latest is that Sony has a mystery hardware project, that will be released before the PS5 Pro, that has not been reported about before and about which he so far refuses to say anything. Which has understandably got fans very excited.
Henderson really gives no hint as to what it could be, with his previous PS5 Pro predictions suggesting a Christmas 2024 launch for that device. That means whatever he’s alluding to could be out this year.
Online speculation amongst fans has suggested that it could be a new handheld, a successor of sorts to the PSP and PS Vita, but that seems like a strange thing to suddenly announce with little notice; although Sony has been acting very oddly with regard to its marketing and reveals lately.
Other speculation centres on some sort of streaming box or dongle, which is perhaps the most likely outcome, except Sony has said almost nothing about it’s PlayStation 5 streaming plans in recent years and that’s something that would need some substantial beta testing.
Some fans have suggested it could be a streaming portable, combining the two theories, but that seems even less likely. Others have speculated that it could be something more esoteric, such as having PlayStation 5 consoles in Afeela branded electric cars.
Henderson spoke about the mystery hardware only briefly in a recent stream, in which he also touched on his wide array of other PlayStation hardware rumours, including a new model of PlayStation 5 with a detachable disc drive, that he claims will replace the current model.
The problem with that, and the rest of these hardware rumours, is that as reliable as Henderson usually is no-one else has said anything about the new model, which is strange as hardware like that is usually difficult to keep quiet, especially as Henderson claims it’s starting production this month.
He says he hasn’t seen what the console looks like though and he’s unclear whether the new model will be branded as a PS5 Slim, or indeed if it is smaller or significantly different in design to the original PlayStation 5.
Henderson also claims that a new line of PlayStation headsets and earbuds are on the way, which suggests that he does have very deep contacts involved in Sony hardware production.
In terms of the PS5 Pro, Henderson makes no new predictions about its release date but says that he will be able to talk about it more in the ‘next couple of months’ when a ‘lot more people are going to be made aware of the console.’
He also suggests that its main purpose will be to make 4K and 60fps a standard feature for all games, with 8K resolution only as an optional extra.
The most extraordinary claim, made only in passing, is that he already knows the specs and codename for not just the PS5 Pro but also the PlayStation 6, which he has talked about briefly before.
Where he’s getting this information from is unclear but if it proves as accurate as his usual games information – and there’s no reason to think it won’t – then Sony are going to be more interested than anyone in working out who he is.
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