The PlayStation 5 Pro is here. Sony unveiled the PS5 Pro on Tuesday, revealing an upgraded console with improved graphics capabilities, advanced ray tracing features, AI upscaling for better image quality, and 2TB SSD storage. However, the console, which Sony calls its “most advanced and innovative console hardware to date,” does not come with a disc drive — gamers have the option to purchase and connect a disc drive to the PS5 Pro separately.
The PS5 Pro was unveiled at Sony’s tech presentation on Tuesday, where Mark Cerny, lead architect of the PS5, detailed the upgrades coming to the company’s current-gen console. In most games on the standard PS5, players have to choose between one of two graphics modes: Fidelity and Performance, with the former offering a higher resolution and more graphical detail and the latter prioritizing performance. The PS5 Pro will essentially offer the best of both worlds, promising higher frame rates of 60fps in most modern games with improved image quality closer to Fidelity mode.
PS5 Pro price and availability
However, upgrades come at a cost. The PS5 Pro has a suggested retail price of $699.99 (roughly Rs. 58,750). That’s $200 more than the $499 PS5 Slim, which comes with a disc drive. Adding a disc drive to the PS5 Pro would raise the effective price of the new console to $780 (Sony sells the disc drive separately for $79.99). The console comes with a DualSense controller, but the vertical stand is sold separately.
The PS5 Pro is set to launch in select markets on November 7, 2024, and can be purchased from participating retailers or directly from PlayStation at direct.playstation.com. Pre-orders for the console will begin on September 26. Sony is yet to announce the price and availability of the PS5 Pro in India. The console comes in the familiar two-tone black and white colour scheme, but Sony has confirmed that more colour options for the console’s casing will be available later.
PS5 Pro Updates and Features
Sony is promising three standout performance features on the PS5 Pro that will deliver higher fidelity graphics with smoother frame rates at 60fps. Here's what you'll get for $700:
An improved GPUThe PS5 Pro GPU comes with 67 percent more compute units than the standard PS5. It also has 28 percent faster memory. These improvements allow for up to 45 percent faster rendering for gameplay, Sony claims.
Advanced Ray Tracing Features:Some standard PS5 games support ray tracing in Fidelity mode, allowing for more realistic reflections. The PS5 Pro promises even more powerful ray tracing features that provide “more dynamic light reflection and refraction.” According to Sony, this will allow rays to be projected at speeds double, and sometimes triple, that of the standard PS5.
PlayStation Super Spectral Resolution:The PS5 Pro also debuts a new AI upscaling feature called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), which, like other upscaling methods, uses machine learning-based technology to add more detail to the image.
These upgrades are promised to essentially deliver 4K gaming at 60fps performance (this will likely depend on the games, too). The PS5 Pro will also come with PS5 Pro Game Boost, which, like the FPS boost on Xbox Series S/X, will apply to over 8,500 backwards compatible PS4 games playable on the new console. Sony said the feature “may stabilize or improve performance of compatible PS4 and PS5 games,” so don't expect a consistent performance boost across all titles. The PS5 Pro also promises upscaling of resolution on select PS4 games. The console supports Wi-Fi 7 for faster digital downloads, variable refresh rate, and 8K gaming.
According to Sony, a number of games will be receiving free upgrades that will utilize PS5 Pro features. Upgraded games will also come with a “PS5 Pro Enhanced” label. The company confirmed a list of first-party and third-party games that will be upgraded for PS5 Pro. 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 more.
As for the design, Sony hasn't revealed the exact dimensions, but it has said that the PS5 Pro is as tall as the original PS5, but slightly taller than the PS5 Slim. However, the width of the new console is the same as the current Digital Edition PS5 Slim model.