Sony has officially lifted the veil on the long-rumored PS5 Pro. Here's everything you need to know about the PS5 Pro before deciding if it's worth the investment.
Sony has officially lifted the veil on the long-rumored PS5 Pro, revealing a souped-up version of the PlayStation 5 that promises a major boost in graphics power and performance. The PS5 Pro is set to launch later this year, giving gamers an enticing new option to consider for high-end 4K gaming. Here's everything you need to know about the PS5 Pro before deciding if it's worth the investment.
Sony recently admitted that the PS5 sales momentum may have ended as PS5 hardware sales have begun to decline. Sony's senior vice president Naomi Matsuoka shared, "Looking ahead, PS5 will enter the latter stage of its life cycle. As such, we will put more emphasis on the balance between profitability and sales."
The PS5 Pro is scheduled for release on November 7, 2024. That's just a couple of months away, so you won't have to wait too long to get your hands on Sony's latest and greatest console. Pre-orders will open even sooner on September 26, 2024, giving early buyers a chance to secure their place in line.
The bad news is that the PS5 Pro won't be as cheap as you might expect. Sony has set the price at $699.99 in the US, with the console costing £699.99 in the UK, AU$1,200 in Australia, €799.99 in Europe, and ¥119,980 in Japan. That hefty price tag puts the PS5 Pro firmly in high-end gaming PC territory.
But keep in mind that those are just starting prices. Because the PS5 Pro won't come with a disc drive by default - you'll have to buy it separately. And, like the PS5 Slim, neither will the vertical stand - which will cost you extra.
For that premium price, the PS5 Pro will come packed with a reasonable set of accessories. Inside the box, you'll find the console itself equipped with a 2TB SSD for storage, a DualSense wireless controller, and a pre-installed copy of Astro's Playroom. And, of course, the PS5 Pro won't include a vertical stand or disc drive in the standard package.
Sony is positioning the PS5 Pro as a true powerhouse that can take PlayStation 5 gaming performance to new heights. Here are some of the key specs that will make that possible:
| PS5 | PS5 Pro | |
| CPU Architecture/ Clock Speeds | Eight core/16 Thread Zen 2 at 3.5GHz | Eight core/16 Thread Zen 2 at 3.5GHz/3.85GHz |
| GPU Compute Units/ Architecture | 36 CUS, RDNA 2 | 60 CUs, RNDA 3 (TBC) |
| TFLOPs/GPU Clock Speed | 10.23TF/ 2.23GHz | 33.5TF/ 2.18GHz (TBC) |
| GDDR6 Memory | 16GB at 14Gbps | 16GB at 18Gbps |
| Memory Available For Games | 12.5GB | 13.7GB |
| Memory Interface/ Bandwidth | 256-bit/448GB/s | 256-bit/576GB/s |
The upgraded GPU in the PS5 Pro will have 67% more compute units and 28% faster memory, resulting in a whopping 45% faster rendering of in-game action. Furthermore, the PS5 Pro Game Boost feature will offer automatic resolution and quality enhancements for around 8,500 PS4 games, potentially making the PS5 Pro the best PlayStation 4 console ever made.
The 2TB SSD of the PS5 Pro is an extremely valuable upgrade, addressing the limited space issue in the base and slim models when playing live service games or big online shooters like Call of Duty Warzone. This expanded storage capacity allows for more PS5 games to be installed and played directly from the console. With the growing file sizes of modern games, that extra space is a welcome addition.
One of the PS5 Pro's biggest enhancements is vastly improved ray tracing performance. Ray tracing allows for ultra-realistic lighting, reflections, and shadows, and the PS5 Pro promises to deliver "even more powerful ray tracing that provides more dynamic reflection and refraction of light" at up to triple the speed of the standard PS5.
The new graphics hardware is also optimized for Sony's AI-driven upscaling solution dubbed PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). This uses machine learning to add exceptional levels of detail and clarity to game visuals.
From a visual standpoint, the PS5 Pro looks strikingly similar to the PS5 Slim. It retains the same swept-back design with curved plates and a two-tone white and black color scheme. The main difference appears to be a series of black stripes across the middle of each side panel – presumably for additional cooling or ventilation.
If you've already invested in PS5 peripherals and accessories, you'll be glad to know the PS5 Pro is fully compatible with existing devices. Sony has confirmed the PS5 Pro works seamlessly with PSVR2, the DualSense Edge controller, the Pulse headsets, and more. The UI and online services will also carry over identically from the PS5.
With a release date just around the corner, the big question is whether the PS5 Pro is worth pre-ordering for the premium price Sony is asking.
For PS5 owners primarily concerned with having the latest and greatest gaming hardware, the performance boosts and visual enhancements may justify the cost. Sony is promising that the PS5 Pro can achieve visuals nearing the "Fidelity" graphics mode of many PS5 games while maintaining higher frame rates that are typically reserved for the "Performance" mode. That level of improvement could be enticing for graphics sticklers.
However, if you don't currently own a PS5 or you're just looking for an affordable way to experience the latest PlayStation games, the standard PS5 (or PS5 Slim) is likely a better entry point. With ongoing price drops and the PS5 Pro's arrival driving down demand, the base PS5 models should become even cheaper over time.
Ultimately, whether you should pre-order the PS5 Pro comes down to your priorities and budget as a gamer. It's shaping up to be an impressive piece of hardware, but that premium pricing means it won't be the ideal choice for everyone. Weigh your options carefully before committing to a purchase.
