PlayStation’sreveal of the PlayStation 5 Proimmediately piqued my interest. The souped-up digital-only console is bringing a handful of powerful upgrades to the table. With benefits targeting both performance and fidelity, this clear niche product speaks to an active console player like myself, despite thehigh purchasing price of $699.
Theknee-jerk reaction onlineto the sticker price of $699 is a sentiment I can share. There’s no doubt thatPlayStation 5 Prois a costly purchase for many players around the world. However, I firmly believe that the new powerhouse hardware isn’t meant for wider adoption. It’s merely catered towards players, like myself, who currently aren’t content having to choose between performance and fidelity modes. I love experimenting with thenew bells and whistles of a console. On top of that, there are games onPlayStation 5that make my console get louder. For these reasons, I know I’ll be preordering a PlayStation 5 Pro of my own on September 26th.
PlayStation 5 Pro
The PS5 Pro’s $700 price tag isn’t the real shock – it’s what you get for that
PlayStation 5 Pro is poised to improve game performance and visuals using three key new features.
PS5 Pro features target performance, stabilizing 60fps
I’ve been disappointed in the split between performance and fidelity on the base PS5
When we entered this console generation, we were sold on the promise of4K visuals and consistent 60fps in our games. Granted, we’d often have to make concessions, choosing between a performance mode, with 1080p with 60fps support or fidelity mode, granting 4K at 30fps. However, there have been plenty of games that have been bottlenecked by the PlayStation 5 hardware. I think back to the performance mode of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which was barely able to hit 60fps. Final Fantasy Rebirth’s performance mode also struggled to maintain visuals that looked close to 1080p at times. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is another game where in certain areas, the frames take a substantial hit, disrupting gameplay.
The new GPU should, in theory, enable developers to better reach the goals of achieving consistent 60fps in their games.
PlayStation 5 Pro addresses this by introducing brand-new GPU architecture. Sony claims PlayStation 5 Pro offers 67 percent more computing units than the current base PlayStation 5 console. This new GPU is also said to unlock 45% faster renderings during gameplay. The new GPU should, in theory, enable developers to better reach the goals of achieving consistent 60fps in their games.
PlayStation has confirmed multiple games will be optimized for the new hardware, including Assassin’s Creed Shadows, launching this fall. However, it’s important to note that the GPU won’t guarantee 60fps across the board. It’ll just make it easier for developers to obtain.
It’s important to point out that Sony’s first-party studios do a great job of supporting its fidelity modes. Games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 or The Last of Us Part II Remastered can accomplish stable 60fps. So, if you use your base PlayStation 5 as a first-party machine, you may not feel that inherent need to upgrade. However, I do feel that third-party partners struggle to take full advantage of the hardware. Maybe some will consider me a snob for it, but I have a hard time reverting to 30fps now that I’ve seen the light that is 60fps.
Sony’s PS5 Pro announcement was shockingly tone deaf
It seems like now is just about the worst time to announce a new, very expensive PS5 Pro.
PS5 Pro’s PSSR tech is something I’m dying to see in action
Much like DLSRR, PlayStation is leveraging AI-based upscaling for games
PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) is believed to be the key to bridging the gap between performance and fidelity modes in games. PlayStation is incorporating machine learning-based technology to upscale visuals while playing games. By identifying every on-screen pixel, the PSSR technology can upscale the visuals, getting closer to a 4K experience even if a fidelity mode isn’t selected. In theory, this could enable players to gain access to a 1440p at 60fps experience, something that is significantly lacking in the console space.
With PSSR, this does seem to be a step in the right direction. With no additional work needed from developers, this AI-driven technology should enhance all sorts of gaming experiences, improving visual fidelity.
Console limitations exist, a reality that quickly set in during the console generation. It was clear that the currency hardware offerings still haven’t enabled developers to truly unlock 1440p experiences on the console. With PSSR, this does seem to be a step in the right direction. With no additional work needed from developers, this AI-driven technology should enhance all sorts of gaming experiences, improving visual fidelity. As someone who’s dabbled with NVIDIA’s DLSS on PC, it’ll be a fascinating experiment to see how PlayStation’s version will work.
My mind already begins to race around what PSSR can do for games like Horizon Forbidden West, a game that really set the benchmark for high-quality, robust visuals on PlayStation 5. PSSR can take the hard work Guerrilla Games put into their game and elevate it using machine-learning technology. Now, how effective it will actually be on more animated games like Astro Bot will be interesting. Nonetheless, I’m a supporter of new tech advancements in the console space. So, I’m eager to see how far PSSR will go for PS5 Pro.
PlayStation Plus tiers explained: What you really get for your money
PS Plus offers three tier options to cater to different gaming needs.
It feels like time for an upgrade to PS5 Pro
My day-one PS5 is showing signs of aging when playing certain titles
I was a day-one adopter of the PlayStation 5. I was given review access to the hardware and have been actively using it ever since. It’s served me well across marquee launches like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Helldivers 2, and more. However, nearly four years to the day, the hardware is showing signs of aging. While playing more intensive games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the console’s fans and coils are starting to get louder and louder.
So far, my PlayStation 5 hasn’t reached the levels my PlayStation 4 did when playing The Last of Us Part II. I was coming down to the wire of needing an upgrade as Ellie’s journey for vengeance made my console fire up like a jet propulsion engine. After that experience, I no longer wanted to reach the point of exhausting my hardware. PlayStation 5 Pro feels like it’s coming at the first time where my base console is still perfectly in-tact. It can continue to be used in my bedroom or office as a secondary kit. However, I’m ready for an upgrade and to close out this console generation on a newer console.
Did Sony’s PS5 Pro announcement just help Nintendo win the console war?
Today’s PS5 Pro announcement went over like a lead balloon on social media, with many criticizing gaming giant Sony for putting out a console that costs $700, but only features incremental performance upgrades, and perhaps worst of all, doesn’t even come with a disc drive. Users on X were so upset that Nintendo Switch 2 immediately started trending as users declared the upcoming (and still unannounced) console the winner of the console wars, thanks to its rumored $399 price point. You can read more about Sony’s announcement at the link, and when you’re done, tell us: Do you think Sony’s newest console will sell when it releases Nov. 7? Or is this pricey console destined to stay on the shelf? And what do you think will happen with Nintendo in the coming weeks as they gear up to actually, officially unveil the Switch 2? Give us your predictions below!
