New Delhi: The PlayStation 5 Pro, the next-generation gaming console by Sony, could be heading to India at last. The device has been listed on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification portal with model number CFI-7121, a central regulatory measure usually followed by an official release of products in the country. The list indicates that Sony is gearing to launch the enhanced console to Indian consumers due to a long delay following its release in the rest of the world.
The PS5 Pro has already been released in November of 2024 internationally, and the release in India has been kept in the air for months. Observers in the industry had cited regulatory issues with Wi-Fi 7 and the 6 GHz spectrum block as a key factor in the delay. The new BIS entry has now shown that such hurdles could have finally been sorted, and the path is clear to Sony to launch its most powerful console in India.
CFI-7121 appears on the BIS portal
Industry analyst Arjun Campbell was the first to notice the certification entry of model CFI-7121 and later confirmed it by conducting independent searches of the BIS database. BIS certification is a compulsory requirement for the products in the consumer electronics industry prior to their sales in India. When a device is registered in the database, it normally means that the company has fulfilled the majority of the regulatory requirements and is now ready to conduct retail distribution.
It is assumed that the model number is a redesigned hardware of the PS5 Pro that will be used in the current production cycle. These revisions can be characterised by small internal upgrades or other regulatory changes required by particular markets. Though the Sony India company has not officially announced the launching, the timing at which the listing is going to be made is a strong indicator of what the company is about to announce.
Why the PS5 Pro faced delays in India
The reason why the console was not in India yet was majorly the doubts in the regulatory environment with respect to Wi-Fi 7 technology that operates in the 6 GHz band range. Not so long ago, India was not even in full agreement on policies that would be under the use of this band in consumer devices. It is that uncertainty that is said to have made it hard to certify companies that introduced Wi-Fi-7-enabled products.
Sony seems to have resolved these problems with modified hardware or with compliance modifications, possibly accounting for the appearance of the new CFI-7121 model in the BIS portal. These are adjustments that are usually made when the company is required to match the devices to the regional telecommunication standards.
The gaming ecosystem in India has been growing at an admittedly high rate, especially in the high-performance PC and console division. As the market is getting hot with the need to have powerful hardware that is capable of supporting advanced graphics and AI-driven gaming functionalities, the PS5 Pro may come at the right time when Sony needs it.
Provided an early release, the console would place Sony in a better position to compete with the high-end gaming PCs with aggression and capture the surging number of Indian gamers who were seeking the high-end gaming experiences. Although Sony has not announced the price or official release date, the BIS certification is a very good sign that the India launch of the PS5 Pro may happen sooner than anticipated.