The long-awaited PlayStation 5 Pro is nearly upon us, and after living through such a gaming dry spell in 2024, the console upgrade seems all the more novel. The first set of PS5 Pro reviews is out, and all our assumptions seem correct. It does get more performance out of select PS5 games, but unless you have the right TV, setup, a digital library, and $700 ready to burn, you can feel safe sticking with your regular PlayStation 5, for now.
Most reviews point out that, based merely on specs, it’s the most-powerful console you can buy right now, however, that may be overstating it. Sony said there will be 50 games at launch with the “Enhanced” edition stamped on them. That includes everything from Alan Wake 2 to Star Wars Outlaws and, for some reason, Kayak VR: Mirage. There may be more in the future, but just how good each looks now may depend on the game. The Washington Post noted Final Fantasy VII Rebirth benefits massively from the ray-traced effects that still let it play at 60 FPS. Meanwhile, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart may actually lack details, like fewer people in crowds, when not playing on “fidelity” mode.
As for whether you’ll actually see the difference in detail, The Verge and others noted you have to be pretty close to the screen to notice any difference in detail with some games. You may be better off buying a PS5 Pro if you’re a monitor-centric gamer with a big, 4K screen directly in front of you. Any games that don’t have the “enhanced label” won’t look any different.
Yes, it is a more powerful console, but most of the improvements are to the GPU, claiming faster performance plus AI upscaling. An additional 2 GB of slower DDR5 memory is used for non-gaming tasks. The PS5 handles all of this on the backend, but even so, The Verge cited seeing “individual blades of grass” in Last of Us Part 1. The site even claimed PlayStation 4 games like Bloodborne looked better with the PS4 image enhancement option.
While most reviewers noted that games did look somewhat better, the beauty is in the beholder. Tom’s Guide said the AI upscaling in Last of Us Part II Remastered “offers players the best of both worlds” for performance and fidelity. TechRadar similarly gave props to the upscaling in Horizon Forbidden West, with both also complimenting the look of the ray tracing on both, even if it may not match the quality of the tippy-top-end (and far more expensive) gaming PCs.
The PlayStation 5 Pro also packs 2TB storage, which, considering the size of most games on the platform, is a major improvement over the 2020 mode’s base 825GB (667 GB available) SSD. Several outlets pointed out that you can get a 1TB aftermarket SSD for $100 or less on sale to use on top of the latest PS5 slim mode’s 1TB SSD. In essence, the console is a $100 upgrade for performance purposes if you already own a lot of games. However, that also ignores the price of a new disc drive, stand, or replacement covers.
It’s slightly taller than the PS5 slim model, but IGN said it’s not so much bigger that you’ll have trouble finding room for it on your TV stand. You’ve heard enough complaints about the lack of a vertical stand and disc drive that come in the box, but buying each separately takes a $700 console and makes it closer to $800. The added room helps with heat displacement, and the site said it still runs at about 95 degrees Fahrenheit under load, the same as the regular PS5.
Like the slim, it’s a lighter overall design by about three pounds than the 2020 PS5. However, there’s a universal feeling that for most players, the regular PS5 is just fine, especially if you don’t own a 4K TV at a large enough scale with a room that makes it easy to see extra details in games played on the $700 console.
The PlayStation 5 Pro will launch on Nov. 7. Those lucky enough to beat the scalpers to the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition can expect theirs to ship at the same time.
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