After much speculation and rumour over the past few years, Sony has finally unveiled an upgraded PlayStation 5, the PS5 Pro, which is also the most expensive console Sony has ever released.
The PS5 Pro comes with three big improvements. The first major upgrade is the GPU, which now boasts 67% more compute units and 28% faster memory, even though it retains the same architecture. According to Sony, these enhancements result in 45% faster game rendering compared to the PS5.
Another significant improvement is in hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Since AMD graphics rely on compute units for ray tracing, the increased number of compute units boosts ray tracing performance. Sony claims that the PS5 Pro GPU can cast rays at double or even triple the speed of the PS5 GPU.
Additionally, Sony unveiled a new AI-driven image upscaling solution, PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). Developed in-house, this solution leverages AI and machine learning to upscale images to higher resolutions.
It remains to be seen if PSSR can surpass the software-based AMD FSR technology used in PS5 games and rival Nvidia’s DLSS or Intel’s XeSS. However, Sony did not mention any frame generation feature, indicating that this solution focuses solely on image upscaling.
PlayStation lead architect Mark Cerny commented on the need for a performance and quality toggle in PS5 games, which allows users to choose between higher frame rates or better image quality.
He noted that users opted for performance mode 75% of the time, favouring better frame rates at the expense of image quality.
Sony also revealed a new PS5 Pro Game Boost feature, which enhances the resolution and frame rate of over 8,500 PS4 titles on the new console.
Games optimised for the new console will carry a “PS5 Pro Enhanced” label and players can expect these titles to be enhanced: 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, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and more.
Additionally, the PS5 Pro will support Wi-Fi 7 in supported regions, as well as VRR and 8K displays.
Visually, the PS5 Pro has only minor changes compared to the standard PS5. It’s taller than the slim model but maintains the same thickness as the PS5 without a Blu-ray drive.
The PS5 Pro doesn’t come with a Blu-Ray disc drive, so users must purchase one separately, which is the same model available for the PS5. On the plus side, the PS5 Pro comes with 2TB of internal storage, double the 1TB in the standard model.
The PS5 Pro is priced at USD700 (~RM3,040), and it will be available on 7 November in the US, UK, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea, with pre-orders starting on 26 September.
At the time of writing, there’s no news about local pricing or availability, but we will keep our eyes and ears open for the announcement.