Sony has removed the 8K logo from retail PlayStation 5 packaging, seemingly walking back the notion that its current-gen gaming console will ever be able to output in the high-res standard. Meanwhile, the possibility of a PS5 Pro arriving as soon as late this year becomes ever stronger.
When Sony launched the PlayStation 5 in late 2020, an accompanying FAQ noted the console was compatible with 8K displays. Sony further said that after a future system software update, the system would be able to output resolutions up to 8K once content was available.
To date, only one game – The Touryst – renders internally at 8K 60 frames per second. While the Minecraft-style game looks great, the catch here is that the PlayStation still does not support 8K output. In the case of The Touryst, the 8K rendering ends up being sampled down to 4K.
At some point earlier this year, Sony quietly removed the 8K badge from new PlayStation 5 retail packaging. Using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, it appears the change took place in the January – February timeframe (at least, for the Slim model that comes bundled with Spider-Man 2). Sony has yet to publicly comment on the matter.
Several retailers are still using images of the older boxes on their product pages.
The magnitude of the situation largely depends on who you ask. Advertising future support for a feature then seemingly going back on your word is sure to rub some users the wrong way, but it could also be argued that Sony was banking on 8K tech being further along at this stage of the game. Still, what is the harm in going ahead and pushing out an update to enable 8K output? Even if only one game ever supports it, at least you delivered on your promise.
Some believe Sony is likely saving 8K output for the PlayStation 5 Pro, a revised version of the console expected to arrive sometime this fall. 8K displays are still relatively rare and expensive, and it could be several more years before they become mainstream.
