The PlayStation 5 Pro became available for purchase in specific regions on Thursday, including the US, UK, EU, and Japan. However, Indian gamers will have to wait longer, as the console is not currently offered in the country. Sony confirmed on Friday that the launch of the PS5 Pro in India is delayed due to regulatory issues surrounding telecom spectrum allocations.
Reasons Behind the Absence of PS5 Pro in India
The PS5 Pro utilizes Wi-Fi 7 technology (IEEE 802.11be), which requires access to the 6GHz spectrum band. Unfortunately, this band has yet to be allocated in India. Sony elaborated on the situation in an official statement released on Friday, noting, “PS5 Pro will not be available in some countries (which presently includes India) where the 6GHz wireless band used in IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) has not yet been allowed.”
The allocation of the 6GHz spectrum has sparked debates among tech companies and telecom providers in India. While technology firms are pushing for the band to be designated for Wi-Fi use, telecom operators are advocating for its use in enhancing 5G and future 6G services. A recent report from Financial Express indicated that the Indian government is likely to reserve part of the 6GHz spectrum for telecom companies, which would facilitate the growth of 5G and 6G networks in the nation. This range includes frequencies from 5925 to 7125 MHz.
The regulatory challenge is likely to prolong the PS5 Pro’s absence from the Indian market, a predicament that contrasts sharply with several countries that have fully allocated the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi. Additionally, the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance has called on the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in India to consider allocating the entire 6GHz band for unlicensed Wi-Fi purposes, as reported by Capacity Media on Friday.
Announced in September, the PS5 Pro officially hit the shelves in select markets on November 7. The console features upgraded hardware compared to its predecessor, boasting improved RDNA graphics with a GPU compute performance of 16.7 teraflops. It also doubles the storage capacity of the standard PS5 and includes enhanced ray-tracing capabilities along with Sony’s new AI upscaling technology. The suggested retail price for the console is $699.99, approximately Rs. 58,750.
