Sony officially announced the PlayStation 5 Pro today via a nine minute long video hosted by Mark Cerny. It is probably exactly what you expected from a "Pro" revision to the base PlayStation 5 experience. It features an upgraded GPU, better ray tracing, and "AI-driven upscaling" that Sony calls PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution.
The PlayStation 5 Pro will be priced at at $699.99 USD or €799.99 EUR when it releases around the world on November 7, 2024. The caveat here is that the PlayStation 5 Pro is only going to be available without a disc drive. This means that if you want access to your physical library of games, you will need to spend another $79.99 for the Disc Drive addon. That is assuming the addon made for the base PS5 will work with the PS5 Pro.
For that $700, you get the PS5 Pro itself, one DualSense controller, and a copy of Astro's Playroom. The vertical stand seen in many of the promotional shots is also not included. That will run you another $30. Note: Astro's Playroom is not the new Astro Bot game that just came out, but the pack-in game that comes with all PlayStation 5 consoles. It's still a good game, but just don't think you're getting the new Astro game here.
According to the presentation earlier today, as well as a PlayStation Blog announcement, the upgraded PlayStation 5 Pro GPU will feature 67% more Compute Units and 28% faster memory compared to the base PS5. Sony claims that this will enable "up to 45% faster rendering for gameplay." Cerny made a point of showing that the Pro will allow for some titles to run at 60FPS while having the visual enhancements from using a "Fidelity" mode on the base model.
The PlayStation 5 Pro will also have more powerful ray tracing capabilities. Sony claims that the ray tracing performance can be "double" or "triple" that of the base PS5 model.
Finally, the last major feature of the Pro model is Sony's PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). This is an AI-driven upscaling method that uses machine learning to "provide super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail." In other words, this is Sony's version of Nvidia's DLSS technology. Both PSSR and DLSS use machine learning for their upscaling methods.
Other minor improvements include the addition of Wi-Fi 7. Variable refresh rates are also included, same as the base PS5 model. They also say that 8K gaming is supported, but they also made that claim with the base PS5 model, so take that claim with a grain of salt.
Other enhancements include PS5 Pro Game Boost, which can apply to more than 8,500 backward compatible PS4 games playable on PS5 Pro. This feature may stabilize or improve the performance of supported PS4 and PS5 games. Enhanced Image Quality for PS4 games is also available to improve the resolution on select PS4 games. PS5 Pro will also launch with the latest wireless technology, Wi-Fi 7, in territories supporting this standard. VRR and 8K gaming are also supported.
Pre-orders for the $700 all-digital PlayStation 5 Pro will begin on September 26, 2024.
So... I'll wait for the Switch 2, Steam Deck 2, and PS6 reveals, thank you.
At least Mark Cerny looked realistic, so that was a cool real-time rendering in PS5 Pro presentation... What do you mean that was actually live-action Mark Cerny? He looked so stiff and lifeless that there was uncanny valley happening there! WHAT? IT'S JUST HIM AND A CAMERA?! **** Keanu and Carrie-Anne looked more realistic on Unreal!
Now? It looks like they traded places.
Meanwhile Nintendo continues to ignore everything and do their own thing. And... They're enjoying how much demand they're generating for Switch 2 without announcing a thing.
Still, I'll give the PS6 reveal a chance. And their rumored portable gaming device that plays PS4 games. Would've mind another competitor to the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally. No, I'm not putting the Switch and Switch 2 in that fight. People will always want a Switch and Switch 2 given Nintendo's smart decisions in their game library. The other portables aren't competing against it despite their similar utility. It's like a Nintendo Wii, you have that and then one other console.