While the report refers to these kits as the PS5 Pro, there’s nothing in the comment thread details that calls them as such. At least not explicitly. But one could infer that a “mid-life upgrade” could be a pro model of the PS5. As a slim model wouldn’t really be much of an upgrade. The PS4 Slim for example was just that. A slimmer version of the PS4 with the same hardware. And it wasn’t until the PS4 Pro a couple months later that Sony actually upgraded the components. Which led the console to having upgraded features and better performance.
PS5 Pro dev kits have been rumored before
This isn’t the first time dev kits of the next PS5 model have been rumored. According to a previous rumor, Sony may have been starting to ship these dev kits as early as March of this year. And if both the previous rumor and this new one are accurate, then a PS5 Pro could potentially release sometime in 2023. That would be right around the three-year mark. Provided Sony were to launch a PS5 Pro in November of next year. This would also align with Sony’s launch of the PS4 Pro. Which came out three years after the launch of the original PS4. Of course this is merely speculation based on the rumors and Sony’s past launches. And if Sony is indeed working on a PS5 Pro then there’s every chance it could arrive later than next year as well. Outside of a Pro model, Sony has been making incremental upgrades to the PS5 with lighter components and better heat management. The company has also raised the price of the PS5 consoles outside of the US, and the console still remains a challenge to find for many consumers. Although Sony has been increasing its stock availability through PlayStation Direct of late.