Summary
The new PlayStation 5 Pro arrives Nov. 7 for $699 in the US. The PS5 Pro is not the PlayStation 6, which likely won't be released for another three or four years. It's a big, graphically boosted piece of hardware that can keep up with ever-changing PCs.
The PS5 Pro isn't a hulking beast, and it's actually smaller than the original PS5. Expect games to get Pro-upgraded performance extras -- about 40 to 50 games will get patches. The Pro comes with the same DualSense controller as the PS5 -- no upgrades there.
Sony's new PS5 Pro has a 67% bigger GPU, 28% faster RAM and 45% faster rendering. The Pro's Wi-Fi 7 support should make for faster downloads if your router supports it.
TVs with variable refresh rates that can range from 40 to 120 fps are going to work with the PS5 Pro. Cerny said over 25% of PS5 owners own 120 fps-capable TVs.
"The response from the developers has been extraordinarily great," says Cerny. I got to play PS5 and PS5 Pro versions of six games side by side on two identical 4K TVs. I also played a couple of games on a much larger 80-inch 8K TV, too.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in particular popped compared to the fuzzier graphics on the existing PS5 version. Everything was sharper, and still 60fps smooth. That said, many of the upgrades were on the subtle side.
The PS5 Pro is a performance upgrade to the same platform, not a whole new console. Sony has opened many of its games onto PC, so there are already a bunch of PlayStation gamers who don't have a PlayStation at all.
I'm curious what the PS5 Pro can do for the PSVR 2, although Sony's support for the headset has been underwhelming. The PlayStation Portal enables remote PS5 gaming in a handheld form, but it's dependent on Wi-Fi speeds.
$699 midcycle upgrade console isn't an expense most people will be up for. Previous console upgrades have also been big draws for newcomers to PlayStation. In 2024, PC gaming expectations are greater than they were four years ago.
