While it’s been the industry’s worst-kept secret, Sony recently unveiled the beefed-up version of its Playstation 5 console, the PS5 Pro, adding some enhancements to the popular gaming system. But are they worth getting excited about?
The console features some improved hardware helping to run games at more stable frame-rates at 60 FPS, along with the following:
- Upgraded GPU: With PS5 Pro, Sony is upgrading to a GPU that has 67 percent more compute units* than the current PS5 console and 28 percent faster memory. Overall, this enables up to 45 percent faster rendering for gameplay, making the experience much smoother.
- Advanced Ray Tracing: The hardware team added even more powerful ray tracing that provides more dynamic reflection and refraction of light. This allows the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console.
- AI-Driven Upscaling: Sony is also introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-driven upscaling that uses a machine learning-based technology to provide super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail.
PS4 compatibility
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 stabilise 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.
Here’s a showcase video highlighting the specific improvements in games:
One of the drawbacks, however, is that the PS5 Pro exclusively comes in a digital-only version, so there’s no disc-drive available for your existing disc-based games. An external PS5 drive will need to be purchased if you want to play physical games, and that comes at a cost of R3 000.
PS5 Pro enhanced games
Several games will be patched with free software updates for gamers to take advantage of PS5 Pro’s features. These games can be identified with a PS5 Pro Enhanced label within their title. Some games you can look forward to hits from PlayStation Studios and third-party partners.
The list includes 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, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered.
Design
In terms of its physical design, the PS5 Pro is consistent with the overall PS5 family of products. The height is the same size as the original PS5, and the width is the same size as the current PS5 model to accommodate higher performance specs.
Price and availability
PS5 Pro will launch on 7 November 2024. Pre-orders have opened at a price of $700 (USD), equating to around R12 500. South African pricing is yet to be confirmed.
* Compute units determine the efficiency and speed at which a device handles workloads such as graphics rendering, simulations, or machine learning tasks.
