What you need to know
- After a year of rumors, the PlayStation 5 Pro was finally confirmed.
- With a larger GPU, boosted ray tracing, and “45 per cent faster” rendering, the PS5 Pro is undoubtedly the most powerful video game console in history.
- It’s also among the most pricy, starting at $699.99 without a disc drive or a vertical stand.
- The PS5 Pro also boasts PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), similar to NVIDIA’s DLSS or AMD’S FSR tech.
- Microsoft’s own DirectSR is currently available in preview, with no firm general release date.
After over a year of rumor and speculation, the PlayStation 5 Pro was formally revealed.
The PS5 Pro was unveiled by PlayStation’s hardware lead Mark Cerny on YouTube earlier today, detailing what PlayStation fans can expect when the console launches on November 7, 2024. The previous rumors (shout out to Tom Henderson) were completely accurate, detailing a console that will sport 45 per cent faster rendering, owing to a large GPU and improved ray tracing techniques. Mark Cerny described how Sony’s vision is to eliminate the need to choose between performance or quality modes, and it’s planning to leverage super resolution technology to do it.
“Over the last four years since the launch of PS5, we’ve worked hard to continuously evolve the console experience and deliver the great games our players expect from us,” Mark Cerny said on the PlayStation Blog. “Today, I’m incredibly proud to announce the next step in that evolution and welcome PlayStation 5 Pro to the PlayStation family – our most advanced and innovative console hardware to date.”
The GPU in the PS5 Pro has been massively expanded to accommodate 67 per cent more compute units, coupled with 28 per cent faster memory. It trounces the Xbox Series X, which long held the crown of “world’s most powerful console,” even if real-world results didn’t always translate that fact into reality. One aspect where it doesn’t trounce the Xbox Series X, however, is price. It comes in at a whopping $699.99 in the United States, £699.99 in the UK, and €799.99 in Europe, making it vastly more expensive than any other console on the market today.
The headline act for me is the PSSR PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution technology. I’ve been using Lossless Scaling and other similar algorithms on my Lenovo Legion Go to improve the experience, with machine learning taking the load off the hardware to generate additional frames and sharpness. Our sources previously indicated to us that Microsoft and Nintendo both are looking to leverage similar techniques in their upcoming Xbox and Nintendo Switch successors, and Microsoft’s own DirectSR solution in support of Intel XeSS, AMD FSR, and NVIDIA DLSS is already in preview.
PlayStation has also introduced “Game Boost,” which sounds similar to Xbox’s FPS Boost, to enhance more than “8,500” backward compatible PS4 games on the PS5 Pro, which the firm says will “enhance or stabilize” existing games without developer intervention. Microsoft hasn’t leveraged FPS Boost in a while, sadly, since shutting the Xbox backward compatibility program. The PS5 Pro will also sport Wi-Fi 7, which could make it a winner when paired with the PlayStation Portal streaming accessory.
There are a range of more heavily enhanced games on the docket too, including 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.”
Mid-gen console refreshes are nothing new. Microsoft launched its own Xbox One X last gen, which was more expensive in exchange for boosted resolution. However, it seems that Microsoft’s own planned mid-gen Xbox Series X refresh, codenamed Brooklin, has been cancelled.
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Does Xbox need to respond to the PS5 Pro?
I already see gamers balking at the price point here. The PS5 Pro is not cheap, rocking up at €800 in Europe in particular seems like it’s destined to become a very niche option. Still, it doesn’t need to sell millions of units to be profitable. As long as Sony keeps the stock in check and targets users who are willing to pay a premium for a premium experience, the PS5 Pro will more than serve its purpose.
And that brings us to Xbox. Microsoft as of writing has no answer to the PS5 Pro. In fact, its Xbox hardware sales have been cratering year-over-year for a couple of years now, with users either content to stay on Xbox One, with others potentially moving to other platforms. Microsoft insists it has more Xbox console users than ever, though.
Indeed, the console market seems relatively static in its userbase, hovering around 300 million users at any single point in time. With that in mind, the PS5 Pro is likely to sell to existing PlayStation users generally speaking who want the best experience possible. Would I buy an Xbox Series X Pro that didn’t force me to choose between crisp visuals or 60 FPS? You bet. But it seems Microsoft isn’t interested in building another Xbox Series X|S console SKU right now, and is likely all-in on skipping ahead to an entirely new generation in 2026 or 2027.
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Given that the PS5 Pro will most likely simply sell to existing users, it’s unlikely to put a real dent in Microsoft’s Xbox fortunes in the short term. However, it presents some messaging conundrums for Xbox. Microsoft says its next Xbox will represent “the biggest technological leap” for an Xbox console ever, but with Microsoft putting its games on PlayStation, you have to wonder if enough people will still care by then. Will Xbox games like Sea of Thieves and Indiana Jones play best on the PS5 Pro? It’s an awkward reality Microsoft potentially now finds itself in. A reality of its own making. Or perhaps we’ll all be gaming in the cloud in ten years, and none of this silly console business will matter. Who knows?!
The PS5 Pro will launch on November 7, 2024, with pre-orders opening up on September 26, 2024. Even at $699.99, expect it to sell out fast.
