PS5 Pro review: a high-performing enthusiast console with a pricey sting in the tail

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PS5 Pro: Two-minute review

The PlayStation 5 Pro is Sony’s enhanced mid-generation gaming console, and it is categorically amended than its PS5 brethren. I’ve spent nan champion portion of a afloat week pinch nan PS5 Pro now, and person been consistently impressed pinch its upgrades. Time and again nan PS5 Pro has wowed maine pinch unthinkable graphical value and wonderfully precocious framework rates and fixed maine crisper, smoother images and experiences complete my guidelines PS5 successful almost each crippled I've tried.

From confirmed PS5 Pro enhanced games, to ‘regular’ PS5 games and PS4 games, and connected some a 60Hz 4K TV and 120Hz-capable 4K gaming monitor, I person been blown distant by nan acquisition connected nan PS5 Pro. On a method level, this is going to beryllium nan champion measurement to bask nan remainder of nan generation, but there’s a sting successful nan tail that intends that it isn’t rather a slam dunk.

While it delivers connected its little of delivering a mid-gen graphical upgrade - though possibly not quite to nan aforesaid grade arsenic nan PS4 Pro did erstwhile capitalizing connected nan emergence of 4K TV take - its graphical boosts, while tangible, aren’t seismic aliases groundbreaking; surely not for nan immense mostly of PS5 players anyway. As specified evolutionary-not-revolutionary steps won’t beryllium capable to seduce most.

It besides has a value problem which I find frustrating, sad, and baffling successful adjacent measure. At $700 / £700 it is nan astir costly Sony location console ever; and this is simply a mid-generational upgrade, retrieve - not a wholly caller system. It besides doesn’t travel pinch a disc thrust aliases a vertical guidelines which intends you’re looking astatine northbound of $800 / £800 to moreover reflector nan setup you sewage primitively pinch a $500 / £450 motorboat PS5. Considering nan PS5 Pro is simply a premium gaming console and 1 that will astir entreaty to PlayStation gaming enthusiasts for illustration myself, it’s difficult not to consciousness disappointed. Pair this pinch nan baffling determination to time off retired a disc thrust - astir enthusiasts are beingness media proponents and nan astir apt to person beingness crippled collections - and nan disappointment grows a small more.

The cardinal upgrade is really nan convergence of graphical fidelity and capacity pinch games now capable to pat into nan PS5 Pro’s hardware and features to radiance successful some ways - astatine nan aforesaid time. The wizardry of Sony’s proprietary Playstation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) helps enormously successful its AI-driven upscaling tech, and nan results are glorious. The likes of Horizon Forbidden West and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, and The Last of Us Part 1 and Part 2 Remastered, genuinely radiance connected PS5 Pro and person caller capacity modes that tally incredibly smoothly astatine precocious framework rates and person a level of item you’d beryllium difficult pushed to opportunity weren’t a full-fat fidelity mode.

The boost to ray tracing that’s connected connection is perfectly beautiful too. Coming connected apical of nan boosts to fidelity and performance, you tin now bask immoderate of nan champion ray-tracing PS5 has to connection successful a capacity mode, targeting 60 frames per second, which is genuinely typical successful games for illustration Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. The boosts to non-enhanced PS5 and peculiarly PS4 games are harder to discern currently, but nan games I've tested show what tin beryllium achieved pinch nan PS5 Pro’s hardware.

If you were reasoning of upgrading your TV to a 120Hz screen, aliases person precocious sewage 1 specified show aliases TV, past nan benefits of nan PS5 Pro turn further still pinch other modes successful nan likes of Horizon Forbidden West that connection moreover much refined balances of graphics and capacity to target super-high levels of fidelity and intermediate framework rates specified arsenic 40 frames per second. However folks pinch TVs that aren't 120hz tin can still get awesome benefits that I tin attest to - nan moment-to-moment acquisition of a game’s Performance Pro (or different likewise named) modes is superb and intends you'll beryllium getting a awesome image and solution and, successful effect, making nan absolute astir of your TV’s 60Hz refresh rate.

The aforementioned PSSR is successful galore ways nan header enactment of nan PS5 Pro’s upgraded characteristic group pinch it being nan first AI-driven upscaling tech successful a Sony location console, and nan results discussed supra mean that it has awesome committedness and is offering thing awesome already. Combined pinch upgrades to memory, graphics card, storage, and Wi-Fi, nan PS5 Pro does connection much than conscionable a niche graphical upgrade package too.

In particular, nan boost to 2TB of retention successful nan Pro makes a immense quality that would different costs astir $100 / £100 to adhd to immoderate different PS5, while nan summation of Wi-Fi 7 for amended net connectivity, is welcome, particularly considering nan Pro starts disconnected life arsenic a integer console.

From a purely artistic view, nan PS5 Pro console is instantly trim from nan PS5 family cloth successful position of creation and build and sports each nan artistic touches to nan ports that you’d want from different PS5 console. Coming successful astatine astir nan aforesaid thickness arsenic nan PS5 Slim, and nan aforesaid tallness arsenic nan motorboat PS5, nan Pro is simply a curvaceous and beautiful slick-looking thing.

The sleek achromatic panels - a matte finish, not shiny for illustration nan Slim - are elegant, while nan achromatic mediate and lines of achromatic fins caller connected nan Pro supply fantabulous contrast. It offers nan aforesaid ports arsenic nan PS5 Slim excessively truthful you’re good covered pinch 2 USB-Cs connected nan front, 2 USB-As connected nan back, an HDMI, an ethernet, and nan powerfulness larboard connected nan back. Sadly, those panels are not interchangeable pinch those that fresh nan PS5 Slim, and it besides doesn’t travel pinch a disc thrust aliases a vertical guidelines which does look astatine likelihood pinch its positioning arsenic a premium PlayStation-enthusiast console.

The PS5 Pro is nan astir complete PS5 package now, but its halfway benefits and upgrades are a small niche, and nan advancements are subtle - not ground-breaking - truthful it’s not going to beryllium a bully worth finance for everyone.

If you’ve a keen oculus for detail, are a PlayStation extreme who wants to beryllium astatine nan bleeding separator of nan brand’s console and wants nan astir performant PlayStation console going, aliases you’re a graphics obsessive who wants nan champion acquisition going, aliases are a PS5 personification pinch a caller 120Hz-capable gaming TV aliases PS5 monitor, past nan gaming experiences provided by nan PS5 Pro are going to beryllium very tempting indeed. For everyone else, it’s conscionable going to beryllium excessively expensive.

PS5 Pro: Price and availability

• List price: $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,199
• Does not see a disc thrust aliases vertical stand
• Launched connected November 7, 2024

Since nan time of its reveal, nan PlayStation 5 Pro’s value has been a large talking constituent - and it remains so. Cutting to it, $700 / £700 for a mid-generation upgrade console is steep and makes it nan astir costly Sony location console ever. It besides comes successful astatine $200 / £220 much than nan database value of nan PS5 Slim, nan existent ‘base’ type of nan console.

By comparison, nan PlayStation 4 Pro launched astatine nan original PS4’s value which felt correct - particularly fixed nan guidelines console’s simultaneous imperishable value drop. If nan PS5 Pro’s value had travel moreover a small person to nan PS5’s value ($499.99 / £479.99) past this caller console would beryllium earnestly tempting, and much truthful for existing PS5 owners.

The other sting successful nan value section is that nan PS5 Pro console does not travel pinch a disc thrust aliases vertical stand. The second Sony has erstwhile shape pinch successful regards to nan PS5 Slim besides not coming pinch one, but nan deficiency of a disc drive, erstwhile positioned arsenic a premium, enthusiast console is simply a large disappointment - and a spot baffling, contempt being offset by immoderate of nan different PS5 Pro specs connected offer.

A invited constituent successful this class though is, dissimilar nan PS5 astatine launch, nan PS5 Pro is wide disposable everyplace astatine clip of writing. PS5 Pro pre-orders concisely sold retired astatine PlayStation Direct connected nan time they started (September 26), but since past banal astatine Sony’s ain storefront and different retailers has remained dependable and readily available.

PS5 Pro: Specs

PS5 Pro: Design and features

• Slick creation shape and chic caller return connected nan PS5-family aesthetic
• Digital console pinch nary disc thrust by default
• Updated console covers aren’t interchangeable pinch existing PS5 plates

The wide creation of nan PS5 Pro is very successful keeping pinch nan PS5 procreation of console and accessories; a symphony successful achromatic and achromatic curves, but done successful its ain style that’s some caller and caller but besides familiar. The achromatic panels are not arsenic shiny arsenic they are connected nan PS5 Slim, alternatively having a much matte finish, while nan fins that divided nan console crossed its mediate are beautiful striking from a creation constituent of position and 1 that I really rather like, providing a stylish flash of achromatic crossed nan oversea of white.

The shape and wide build stock features pinch nan original motorboat PS5 and nan newer Slim model, too. The four-sectioned exterior and wide slender shape is very reminiscent of nan PS5 Slim, while nan Pro comes successful bigger than that modular console, and is conscionable astir arsenic gangly arsenic nan original PS5. In acold difficult numbers, nan PS5 is 15.2 x 3.5 x 8.5in / 388 x 89 x 216mm (WxHxD) successful size and weighs 6.8lbs / 3.1kg.

In nan box, successful summation to nan console itself, you get a modular DualSense Wireless Controller, a powerfulness plug for your region, an HDMI 2.1 cable, a USB-C to USB-C cablegram for nan controller, and each nan basal paperwork.

The PS5 Pro is simply a digital-only console by default meaning there’s nary disc thrust included. This needs to beryllium bought separately and applied arsenic you would connected nan PS5 Slim - fortunately, nan Pro is compatible pinch nan pre-existing PS5 disc drive. There’s besides nary vertical guidelines included truthful nan PS5 Pro is besides a horizontal console by default pinch nan squat type of nan detachable legs included successful nan box.

The PS5 Pro follows suit pinch nan PS5 Slim by offering 2 USB-C ports connected nan beforehand of nan console toward nan powerfulness button, and wherever nan PS5 Pro’s LED lights are excessively (i.e. not astatine nan ‘flare end’ arsenic connected nan motorboat PS5). On nan rear, it’s a much acquainted business to those pinch immoderate PS5 pinch nan powerfulness port, HDMI port, 2 USB-A ports, and an ethernet larboard finishing nan set. The statement of nan ports is besides much successful statement pinch nan PS5 Slim however, pinch nan HDMI larboard further up aliases nan left-hand broadside (depending connected your view) compared to nan motorboat PS5.

The ammunition of nan PS5 Pro is divided into 4 plates - each named aft a PlayStation style to guarantee you don’t ever operation them up, and each are removable pinch a akin level of unit arsenic nan different PS5s. It is simply a awesome shame, however, while nan statement of nan PS5 Pro mostly intends that nan larger little panels are precisely nan aforesaid arsenic nan PS5 Slim - a truth reinforced by nan disc drive’s compatibility - but nan smaller, apical panels aren’t nan aforesaid size which is simply a awesome shame. I tested this myself to corroborate it, truthful fans who want to adorn nan Pro successful their prime of colorway will apt person to hold for Pro-specific panels to go available.

Under nan console covers, nan PS5 Pro has nan aforesaid PS5 SSD bay that nan erstwhile models had and tin beryllium engaged pinch successful precisely nan aforesaid measurement excessively arsenic I knowledgeable by installing my Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus SSD during testing.

When you footwear nan PS5 Pro up, you’ll beryllium greeted by a personification interface that is precisely nan aforesaid arsenic nan different PS5 models. It’s a slick and easy-to-navigate setup process arsenic good arsenic a wider layout to move around, and speech from a fewer much paper options and toggles, it’s identical and will beryllium very acquainted to existent PS5 owners. If you request to transportation information from a PS4 aliases different PS5 to get going, past there’s a elemental process to do truthful erstwhile first utilizing nan Pro.

PS5 Pro: Performance

• Excellent capacity blending fidelity and capacity simultaneously...
• ...however, advancements aren't groundbreaking aliases revolutionary
• Supporting specs connection further benefits

The impervious was ever going to beryllium successful nan capacity and graphics pudding, truthful I installed a full big of games connected nan PS5 Pro and my regular PS5 to comparison nan differences. So acold successful my testing, I've seen awesome things successful those enhanced games I've been capable to run. The effect of nan beefier GPU, and nan effect of PSSR is tangible and genuine, and it intelligibly helps developers heighten their games to connection their definitive versions. It’s an breathtaking proposition for nan remainder of nan PS5 procreation and I already person precocious hopes for Sony's first-party studios and games for illustration Marvel's Wolverine, and immoderate is coming adjacent from Naughty Dog, et al.

The PS5 Pro allows nan Northlight motor successful Alan Wake 2 to really shine. Instead of adding immoderate much modes, nan crippled takes advantage of nan Pro by offering boosts to its value and capacity modes done accrued ray-tracing effects, and accrued detail. The boost to some modes compared to my guidelines PS5 was instantly noticeable. Ray tracing, reflections, and lighting are each greatly improved successful value mode, while ocular boosts and framerate smoothness harvester successful capacity mode.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered instantly feels for illustration a crippled built (well, remastered) for PS5 Pro. The infinitesimal I booted into nan crippled and started enjoying nan cutscenes and getting into nan action, I was knocked down by nan gorgeous lighting, fabulous reflections, lifelike h2o and hairsbreadth detail, and an wide image value that was stupendous.

This was nan lawsuit successful some games’ ‘Pro’ type of nan existing Resolution and Performance graphics settings. Despite nan deficiency of explanation successful nan paper arsenic to precisely what was happening successful each, I recovered nan Favor Performance Pro to beryllium nan champion measurement to bask nan game: blending nan superb upgraded visuals and effects pinch a smooth, precocious framework complaint gave maine a marque caller acquisition successful Horizon that I’d ne'er had before. A 3rd mounting is available; a Balanced Pro type does beryllium connected 120Hz tin displays that look to alteration nan Pro to get higher framework rates than 30fps while knocking only a spot of value disconnected (so astir apt a 40fps mode, thing made possible, and excellent, pinch Variable Refresh Rate) to get moreover much of nan champion of some worlds should nan show beryllium nan correct match.

In Horizon Forbidden West, nan Resolution and Performance Pro modes stay nan aforesaid arsenic successful nan remastered first game, but nan Balanced Pro mode is described arsenic very precocious fidelity astatine 40fps erstwhile playing connected a 120Hz-specced display. When playing connected my gaming show that is HDMI 2.1 capable, this was possibly my favourite mounting of nan bunch connected some games.

The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered are some superb too. The games stock identical show options and respond and coming themselves successful nan aforesaid way. The caller ‘Pro’ mode is an absolute dream and now my favourite measurement to play these games and acquisition their worlds. This mode renders nan crippled astatine 1440p, past uses PSSR to upscale to 4K and targets 60fps. The results are spectacular, and I really had trouble telling nan quality betwixt nan wide image value of nan Pro mode pinch nan PS5’s Fidelity mode. World specifications specified arsenic foliage, lighting, and reflections are other beautiful and things for illustration nan specifications connected Joel and Ellie’s backpacks are crisper than ever - each while moving astatine a smoother, higher framework rate.

Zipping astir New York successful Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 couldn’t perchance person felt aliases looked amended but present we are - nan crippled is staggeringly superb connected PS5 Pro. The 2 settings - Fidelity Pro and Performance Pro are some beautiful connected PS5 Pro. The erstwhile offers unthinkable ray-tracing, reflections, and wide sharpness, pinch a fewer options to alteration nan strength of immoderate options which tin beryllium altered to summation immoderate capacity back. The second mode, is besides thing else, though. Offering a soft 60fps while retaining nan image value of modular (PS5) fidelity mode done PSSR, it presents an bonzer operation of graphics and capacity - and all ray-tracing features are connected by default successful this setting.

Not to beryllium outdone by its studio-mate, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is besides awesome to play, and conscionable look astatine connected PS5 Pro. The crippled features nan aforesaid 2 settings arsenic Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (but 1 less ray-tracing settings, nan reflections and interiors) pinch nan Performance Pro mode being a standout erstwhile again pinch each ray-tracing features coming and PSSR doing immoderate fantabulous dense lifting to create a awesome image, and experience.

I person taken Demon’s Souls for a speedy rotation astir nan artifact excessively which is fantabulous successful its dedicated PS5 Pro mode - it’s virtually called ‘PS5 Pro’. Comparing it to nan cinematic and capacity modes that stay successful nan game, it’s difficult to show nan quality betwixt nan wide image value of nan former, and nan soft framework rates of nan second successful nan dedicated Pro mode.

It’s besides worthy noting that nan PS5 Pro, during nan supra extended crippled testing, doesn't rustle arsenic loudly arsenic its mid-gen predecessor - nan PS4 Pro - did compared to that generation’s guidelines console. I person recovered nan PS5 Pro to tally nary louder than nan guidelines PS5 astatine its loudest, and really quieter a batch of nan time.

These are conscionable immoderate of nan games I’ve had nan chance to trial truthful acold - and they overgarment a typical image looking guardant to nan afloat database of enhanced games, arsenic good arsenic those yet to travel out. The truth remains that if you're playing a crippled that’s been enhanced for PS5 Pro, you perfectly will get an enhanced acquisition - nan Pro is noticeably and intelligibly better, making games look moreover much stunning and tally ace accelerated and smooth, simultaneously. We tin now person nan champion of some worlds, and nan results often consciousness for illustration playing nan definitive type of games. This is particularly nan lawsuit if you person a 120Hz-capable show that tin unlock immoderate balanced aliases 40fps modes excessively - this is nan constituent astatine which nan PS5 Pro’s effect and capacity tin connection much and beryllium moreover much compelling.

As good arsenic making non-enhanced PS5 games look moreover amended pinch nan hardware giving them a boost, nan PS5 Pro does see a new, dedicated boost mode of sorts for PS4 games: you tin alteration an action to heighten image value for PS4 games. The games do look awesome connected PS5 Pro, but I person struggled to really prime retired clear differences and upgrades, and person often recovered myself reaching for highlights and really peering to spot what mightiness beryllium different aliases enhanced. I’ll proceed testing this pinch much PS4 games to spot if there’s thing definitive but it’s not quite clear what nan mounting does correct now. I tried this pinch Doom (2016), Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019), Infamous Second Son, Dishonored 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Days Gone.

The PS5 Pro features a 2TB SSD which allows truthful overmuch much breathing room successful position of storage. For reference and arsenic an illustration of what nan boost intends successful existent aliases day-to-day terms, I had 17 games installed - from 11.6GB Astro’s Playroom to nan 130GB Horizon Forbidden West - and still had 353GB of abstraction near to use. There’s besides much retention connected nan SSD by default: whereas nan original PS5 only had astir 667GB free to usage from its 825GB SSD (80% of nan drive), nan PS5 Pro allows you to usage 1.89TB of its 2TB drive, which is 94.5% of nan drive. This is fantabulous and helps to supply a retention business wherever you whitethorn not moreover request a PS5 SSD that you erstwhile antecedently did. With 1TB SSDs costing conscionable northbound of $100 / £100, broadly speaking, this other capacity upgrade is not inconsiderable.

Wi-Fi 7 is simply a invited inclusion excessively and I decidedly knowledgeable quicker and much unchangeable download speeds and relationship to my PlayStation Portal connected my location internet. Your mileage whitethorn alteration depending connected nan value of nan internet, but it should correspond improvements crossed nan committee fixed nan upgrade.

The day-to-day gaming capacity of nan PS5 Pro is, each in, a joyousness to behold and usage successful action. PSSR useful wonders and provides a superb acquisition by blending nan champion of fidelity and capacity modes. While I person recovered nan upgrades tremendous truthful far, I besides admit that specified changes are mostly subtle and aren’t revolutionary - arsenic a result, I tin still spot astir PS5 owners sticking pinch their motorboat aliases PS5 Slim models. But for folks for illustration maine who person a keen oculus for item and performance, nan results are terrific and wholly worthwhile. If nan caller hardware continues to beryllium embraced by devs, nan PS5 Pro could group nan modular and beryllium nan definitive measurement to bask nan remainder of nan PS5 procreation - and besides hint astatine wherever nan PS6 could return things erstwhile it comes along.

Should you bargain nan PS5 Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't bargain it if...

Also consider

If you're not wholly sold connected nan PS5 Pro, past present are immoderate different consoles to see by comparison.

How I tested nan PS5 Pro

• Tested for galore hours a time for astir a week, playing and moving a scope of games
• Compared design, build, features, and capacity straight to PS5 Slim and motorboat PS5
• Tested download speeds, transfers, load times, and gameplay improvements

I tested nan PS5 Pro for astir a week for review. I installed astir 20 games from some my PS5 and PS4 libraries connected it and compared them moving connected nan PS5 Pro to my modular PS5 console. I spent hours watching really nan games looked and performed successful each modes - and tinkered pinch settings - connected nan PS5 Pro compared to nan PS5 which allowed maine to spot differences betwixt nan 2 consoles.

Comparisons betwixt nan models didn’t extremity astatine games, however, arsenic I besides compared nan PS5 Pro connected a beingness level to nan PS5 Slim and guidelines PS5 motorboat model, looking astatine beingness appearance, dimensions, weight, footprint, taking console covers disconnected and reapplying them, adding an M.2 SSD, larboard arrangement, utilizing it some vertically and horizontally, testing sound pollution, arsenic good arsenic watching download and instal speeds and testing connectivity done Wi-Fi and ethernet.

I also, simply, utilized it arsenic my regular gaming platform, playing a assortment of games, some single-player and online, browsing nan menus and engaging pinch different settings, moving games and apps from retention locations, and more.

I utilized nan PS5 Pro connected some a gaming show and TV for testing; nan erstwhile being an Acer Predator X32Q FS 4K surface that offered a value surface to trial nan Pro’s 120Hz capabilities, and nan second being a Samsung Q6F QLED 4K TV, enabling maine to trial it pinch a non-120Hz display.

In position of complementary cogwheel and accessories, I tested nan PS5 Pro pinch nan SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds nan Sony Inzone H9 headset, nan Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, aggregate DualSense controllers, a Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus PS5 SSD, a Crucial X8 outer difficult drive, and a PlayStation Portal.

Read much astir really we test

First reviewed November 2024