Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
A Sleek Look with More Power—But at a Cost
It’s newer, with a fancy-looking sleek stripe on the side. More powerful so that select games run smoother on it, along with nicer graphics. But it’s also more expensive. I’ve thoroughly tested the new PlayStation 5 Pro and put together the reasons why it should interest (or not) casual gamers. Not in a complicated way, but in a way you’ll get the hang of them.
Too Many Tech Comparisons? Here’s the Simple Breakdown
There have already been countless technical comparisons about the PlayStation 5 Pro. But what if you’re not a fan of numbers and find navigating the mass of terms hard? We’ve compiled a quick rundown of Sony’s revamped console’s main pros and cons. And to answer your question—is the PlayStation 5 Pro worth it?
Testing 15 Enhanced Games—And the Practical Side
I’ve tried around 15 games on it, which have been given a special “Enhanced” treatment. However, we’ve also looked at the practical side, which is a secondary consideration for tech enthusiasts. Just over a month after Christmas, wallets are already starting to come out of unconsciousness again; this might be a good time to treat yourself.
Stronger Hardware: What Does It Really Mean for Gaming?
In short, the Pro version has a more powerful graphics chip than the base PlayStation 5, helping games render up to 45% faster, advanced ray tracing for better light handling, and other resolution-boosting tools. What does this mean in practice?
With dozens of games getting PS5 Pro enhancements, you no longer have to choose between smoother or prettier. This helps many titles, but I’ve found that some of them already look so good that even casual gamers can see the difference when they start both versions.
Graphics & Performance—Real Gains or Just Hype?
For example, the most recent God of War: Ragnarök, a Norse Gods game from a Sony-owned studio, already looked great on the base PlayStation 5. And that’s even if you set your sights on a better frame rate. This time, the game automatically offers an “Enhanced” feature that boosts the image resolution; Kratos still looks fantastic. A more significant difference was seen with Star Wars: Outlaws. In this Ubisoft title, the environments were originally kinda blurry, with no detail. It’s better now after a bit of tweaking in the settings.
Faster Load Times—But Don’t Expect a PS4-to-PS5 Jump
It’s important to point out that we’re comparing the new PlayStation 5 Pro to the original, over-four-year-old PlayStation 5 Fat. But yes, some games loaded noticeably faster. The difference may not be as huge as between the PS4 and PS5, but I did save a few seconds on the games above.
Advanced Ray Tracing—Shiny Surfaces Get a Boost
Pro Enhanced games also look better due to the advanced ray tracing, which produces more dynamic light reflections, making the game look more realistic. You’ll especially appreciate this with shiny surfaces—so maybe Spider-Man: Miles Morales, as he climbs glass skyscrapers, or the remastered Horizon Zero Dawn with robot dinosaurs. Reflections on water looked good before, but now they look sharper, less like smudges. However, this isn’t an essential feature for comfortable gameplay.
Storage Upgrade—A Win for Multi-Game Owners
There’s not much to talk about here. The Pro version has double (or slightly more) the disc size of its predecessor, which will be appreciated, especially by larger families with multiple players on one console. The luxurious two terabytes can handle a huge Call of Duty, Spider-Man, FIFA, and more all at once and still have plenty of space left over.
AI Upscaling—A Boost for Some PS4 Games
So far, we’ve talked about titles that got the special Pro upgrade, but even those without it can benefit from this console. The new AI-powered feature is supposed to provide higher resolution for games released back on PS4, too. For example, I tried Far Cry 6 and its original version, and you wouldn’t know the difference at first glance. On close examination of the characters in both versions of the game side by side, though, they did look a little sharper. However, the tool doesn’t work for every game and can rarely cause a problem like flickering. It can be manually turned off or on in the console settings.
The Price—And Hidden Extra Costs
It may not be important to some, but it would be unfair to leave out that the PlayStation 5 Pro currently sells for $699—and you don’t even get a disc drive with it! So, you have to buy one to play physical copies (another $160–$200), same with a stand (an additional $30) if you can’t fit the console flat anywhere. On the other hand, the original PlayStation 5 Digital Edition will cost you about $450, including the drive, and the classic physical console version is $599. And it’s still a great console.
What I Tested—And How It Performed
In addition to Star Wars Outlaws and God of War: Ragnarök, I also tested AAA titles like Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Horizon Forbidden West, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, The Last of Us Part I Remake, and the remastered version of The Last of Us Part II, among others. All games except Ragnarök ran at 4K at 60fps (frames per second). There’s really no more to say—nothing that the base model of the PS5 can’t already offer.
So Who Should Buy the PlayStation 5 Pro?
So, suppose any of these titles tempt you. In that case, the Pro console will deliver them in stunning condition with gorgeous visuals and smooth frame rates. But it comes at a price… literally.
If you have some money left over after Christmas and are a fan of video games or new tech, definitely consider the PS5 Pro. It may not be a huge leap from the base version, but the gaming experience is simply better. But if you only play the occasional game of FIFA, and the kids sit around playing Minecraft, you don’t need to trade in for a new model at all. In my recommendation, the Pro option is only worthwhile for very active gamers.
