Sony has announced the PS5 Pro, the most powerful PlayStation console ever, which will go on sale on November 7 with pre-orders starting next month. Here are the key things to know.
If you’re a little bit let down having to make some compromises between visual fidelity and smooth gameplay through high framerates then the PS5 Pro could be the answer to your prayers.
There’s upgraded graphical hardware, a PC-like upscaling tech and even better ray tracing performance that’ll boost new and existing games running on the PS5 Pro hardware.
However, it’s going to cost you. Here are the key PS5 Pro takeaways.
It’s got a brand new GPU
Sony is bringing the thunder with a new graphics card that delivers the key benefits of the PS5 Pro, like enhanced ray tracing and improved frame rates while keeping resolution high. Sony says the new GPU has 65% more Compute Units than the existing PS5’s GPU. The memory is 28% faster and 45% faster rendering unlocks smoother gaming.
Sony says that for games like Horizon Forbidden West, the new chip unlocks improvements to skin and hair textures in cinematics, as well as better lighting and visual effects.
It delivers on the original PS5 promise
4K HDR visuals, bleeding-edge ray tracing for lifelike lighting and shading, and consistently high frame rates was the PS5 promise. While it delivered in isolation, the hardware struggled to achieve everything all at once. That changes with the PS5 Pro, according to Sony, thanks to that upgraded GPU and other AI enhancements.
The enhancement means fewer compromises between a Fidelity Mode, which prioritises resolution at the expense of frame rates, and Performance Mode, which does the opposite. The PS5 Pro will now enable 4K HDR gaming at 60, while improving on the existing ray tracing technology.
“We’ve added even more powerful ray tracing that provides more dynamic reflection and refraction of light,” Sony says in a blog post. “This allows the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console.”
Examples shown include reflections between cars in gameplay in Gran Turismo 7, even at 60fps, and more realistic casting of shadows in Hogwarts’ Legacy.
PC-like AI upscaling arrives on consoles
Part of the ability to preserve resolution while running games at high frame rates comes through the new PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) technology.
It’s an AI upscaling technology similar to Nvidia’s DLSS technology and AMD’s FSR upscaling technology for PC that has enabled gamers to push the frame rates without sacrificing fidelity. In the PC realm, such super sampling tech has yielded some sensation results in boosting image detail and adding additional frames beyond what the hardware alone is capable of. We’re excited to see what PSSR delivers on the PS5 Pro
Sony calls it an AI-driven upscaling that “uses a machine learning-based technology to provide super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail.”
Supported games will carry a PS5 Enhanced logo
Games that can take advantage of the PS5 Pro’s improvements will carry a PS5 Enhanced logo. Older games can be enhanced by developers to make use of the new graphical skills. New ones will support it too, possibly on release.
Loads of existing games have already been announced. They include: Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Demon’s Souls, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, The Crew Motorfest, The First Descendant, The Last of Us Part II Remastered.
It doesn’t have a disc drive
The PS5 Pro is a Digital Edition console. If you’re going to be playing new or existing disc-based games you’ll need to pay another £99.99 / $79.99 / €119.99 for the 4K Blu-ray disc drive add-on. That’s gonna sting a bit considering the below.
It costs more than anyone expected
Sony is asking £699.99 / $699.99 / €799.99 for the PS5 Pro. Considering its closest equivalent is the PS5 Slim Digital Edition, it’s quite the bump. That model costs £389.99 / $449.99 / €449.99, so it’s not far off double the price. In Sony’s defence, it has doubled the SSD size to 2TB.
