At this point, we’re all familiar with the Sony’s release cycles for their Playstation console. They start with the base console, follow it up with a slim version a couple years later, and release the top-end Pro version halfway through the expected lifecycle. Turns out, we’re at the halfway mark for Sony’s current-gen gaming device, which is likely why the outfit just announced the Playstation 5 Pro.
Sony calls it “the most visually impressive way to play games on the Playstation,” which isn’t a surprise, considering it’s meant to be the top-of-the-line model in this generation. This is made possible by a larger GPU that boasts more compute units and faster memory, translating to a 45 percent faster rendering of games, along with advanced ray tracing, AI upscaling, and more.
The Sony Playstation 5 Pro renders games in 4K at a fluid 60 fps for titles that have been updated to run on the Pro, sparing you from the dilemma of having to choose between better graphics or smoother performance the way you would on the base console. It also comes with automatic AI upscaling, called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), for all games in the Playstation library, boosting the erstwhile full HD renders to 4K resolution, so you can enjoy superb sharpness and clarity while playing on your big screen 4K TV. According to the outfit, the upscaling will also work on PSVR 2 games down the line, but not quite yet at launch.
There’s advanced ray tracing, which supposedly doubles, sometimes triples, the calculation speed compared to that on the standard PS5, which should translate to better light, reflections, and shadows across many games. Additionally, gamers should expected a slew of other improvements, including new volumetric lighting effects, more on-screen background characters, and even advanced modes, such as 120fps and 8K, which we’ll probably seeing later down the line.
The Sony Playstation 5 Pro also gets a Game Boost feature that will apply to over 8,500 backward-compatible PS4 games, allowing those older games to play with enhanced image quality on the new console. As for the hardware itself, the GPU is, pretty much, the only really big change internally, as it still uses the same CPU and the same SSD, all while retaining a similar height and width as previous PS5 releases. Externally, though, you’ll easily notice the lack of a disc drive and a vertical stand, which is quite the disappointing, requiring you to add both elements as add-on accessories.
According to Sony, around 50 existing titles will get patches by the new console’s launch to ensure they can take advantage of the upgraded hardware, with more games expected to receive patches going forward. Among the games slated to receive the Pro-compatibility patch 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, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered.
The Sony Playstation 5 Pro comes out November 7th, priced at $699.99.