Four years after the base console’s debut, we’re finally getting a PlayStation 5 Pro model. A PS5 Pro technical presentation, hosted by Mark Cerny was posted, detailing all the shiny new upgrades and what its implications are for games that are already released and what else is there to come.
Are you thinking of upgrading from the base model or even from the slim variant released last year or will this be your first PS5 purchase? Here’s everything you need to know about the all-new PS5 Pro.
Ever since the release of the PS5, the option to run games on fidelity or performance mode has been a welcome addition but one that leaves much more to be desired from a player’s perspective. While running a game at its best-looking graphical state is great, it does sacrifice the smooth and responsive experience you get with higher framerates. The same goes if you choose to focus on higher framerates, you then let go of the full visual potential the title has.
The PS5 Pro is looking to take away this choice from the players and present them with the ideal option: What if we can run games on both performance and fidelity mode at the same time? It achieves this with 3 key upgrades in the hardware.
Bigger and better GPU
The PS5 Pro’s GPU will have 67% more Compute Units and 28% faster memory than the base PS5 model. This enables the console to have up to 45% faster gameplay rendering. If you think the PS5 was fast, you’re about to be proven wrong in the best way possible.
Shiny, shiny Ray Tracing
Ray Tracing has definitely grown a lot more popular in recent years. For some, it is one of the key indicators of how much care and attention a studio places in developing its games. If your game looks good, chances are that everything else will follow in the same quality. It’s more than just reflections on surfaces like water and glass.
The PS5 Pro is able to process more dynamic reflections and refractions of light at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console. If someone mentions a game has good lighting, booting it up on the PS5 Pro is the best shot at seeing it with its best foot forward.
PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution
Say what you will about AI technology, it has done wonders for gaming with framerate generation and pixel upscaling. The PS5 Pro is having its own version called the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). This is a machine learning-based technology which provides super sharp image clarity by adding extraordinary levels of detail.
Additional improvements include the PS5 Pro’s Game Boost feature, which enhances the performance or stability of over 8,500 backward-compatible PS4 titles. Select PS4 games will also benefit from enhanced image quality, offering better resolution when played on the PS5 Pro. The console will come equipped with Wi-Fi 7 technology in regions where the standard is supported. Additionally, the PS5 Pro will support Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and 8K gaming.
Several games will also be releasing a free software update to make them certified PS5 Pro Enhanced. These 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, and much more to come.
The height of the PS5 Pro is the same as it was with the base model while the width is consistent with the latest slim model. Any official PS5 accessories you already own such as controllers and the PSVR2 will also be compatible for use in the PS5 Pro.
The PS5 Pro will be launching on November 7, 2024 at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $699.99 USD. It will include a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller and a copy of Astro’s Playroom pre-installed in every PS5 Pro purchase. A disc-less PS5 Pro is will be available, with the option to purchase the currently available Disc Drive for PS5 separately.