I’ve been keen to get a proper look at what Sony’s latest machine offers. Is it the must-have upgrade, or is it just a bit of polished chrome on an already speedy car? Let’s break it down.
PlayStation 5 Pro: The Mid-Gen Muscle Flex
The PlayStation 5 Pro arrived in November 2024, four years after the original PS5 debuted. Sony is positioning this not as a replacement, but as a premium, higher-performance console designed to offer a better graphical experience. It’s clearly aimed at enthusiasts who want the best possible image quality and the smoothest frame rates available on a console.
Under the Bonnet: Key Hardware Upgrades
Comparing the Pro to the standard PS5 (including the Slim model), the big changes are primarily focused on the graphics processing unit (GPU) and storage:
GPU
This is the headline upgrade. The PS5 Pro features a GPU based on enhanced RDNA 2 architecture, with some features reportedly backported from RDNA 3 and RDNA 4. It boasts 67% more Compute Units (CUs) than the base PS5 and 28% faster memory. This allows for up to 45% faster rendering for gameplay.
Memory
While both consoles have 16GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, the Pro’s memory is faster, offering a bandwidth of 576 GB/s compared to the standard PS5’s 448 GB/s. The Pro also has an additional 2GB of slower DDR5 memory specifically for system tasks, potentially freeing up more GDDR6 for games.
SSD
This is another welcome change. The PS5 Pro comes with a 2TB custom PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD as standard, double the 1TB found in the PS5 Slim and significantly more than the original PS5’s usable 630GB from its 825GB drive. This means far more space for those massive modern game installs without needing an immediate expansion. Both models still support M.2 NVMe SSD expansion.
CPU
Here’s where things are less dramatic. Both consoles share a similar 8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU. While the base PS5 runs up to 3.5 GHz, the Pro’s CPU is rumoured to run slightly faster, enabling a developer-optional 10% clock speed boost at the expense of some GPU performance. However, in CPU-limited scenarios, this modest increase isn’t a generational leap and some games will still be capped by the CPU.
Connectivity
The PS5 Pro upgrades to Wi-Fi 7, offering potentially better speeds and stability if you have a compatible router, compared to the standard PS5’s Wi-Fi 6. Both support Ethernet and Bluetooth 5.1.
The Real-World Gaming Experience: Spotting the Difference
The goal of these hardware upgrades is to improve game performance and visuals. For games patched to take advantage of the Pro, the aim is often to allow developers to achieve a higher resolution while maintaining 60 frames per second, or taking a 30 FPS quality mode from the base PS5 and doubling it to 60 FPS on the Pro with similar or improved fidelity.
Key technologies enabling this include:
- PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR): This is Sony’s AI-driven upscaling tech. Think of it like Nvidia’s DLSS or AMD’s FSR on PC. It uses machine learning to intelligently reconstruct a higher-resolution image from a lower one, aiming for clarity and detail that looks close to native 4K, with fewer visual artifacts than older techniques. Games like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Stellar Blade have seen significant image quality improvements using PSSR. However, the results can vary depending on how well developers implement it.
- Enhanced Ray Tracing: The Pro significantly boosts ray-tracing performance, allowing for more dynamic and realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections. PlayStation states it can cast rays at double, sometimes triple, the speed of the current PS5. This can add noticeable visual depth in games like Alan Wake 2 or EA Sports F1 24.
- Game Boost: Importantly, even games not specifically patched for the Pro can see benefits. The Game Boost feature allows these unpatched PS5 games to utilise the Pro’s extra horsepower, often resulting in more stable frame rates or higher dynamic resolutions, especially in scenarios that were GPU-limited on the base console. This can make unlocked frame rate modes much smoother, particularly on displays with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR).
- PS4 Game Enhancement: There’s also a system-level option to enhance image quality in PS4 games. This appears to be a post-processing filter that makes 1080p PS4 games look sharper, particularly UI elements and text, but it’s not a dramatic, game-changing improvement for 3D graphics.
While many Pro-enhanced games aim for that 4K 60 FPS sweet spot, some still offer multiple graphics options (e.g., Pro Performance, Pro Resolution), raising both the quality and performance targets compared to the base console. Some titles even advertise support for 8K or 120 FPS, although achieving these consistently varies, and 8K is often an upscale with potential visual issues in motion.
Design Notes and Frustrations
Physically, the PS5 Pro takes design cues from the Slim model, with a flared look and four removable panels. It’s slightly larger than the Slim but smaller and lighter than the original PS5. It features vents with a “racing stripe” look. There are two USB-C ports on the front and two USB-A on the back.
A notable improvement is easy access to the CMOS battery without needing to fully disassemble the console. The cooling system, featuring a larger fan, two heat sinks, and liquid metal, seems effective at keeping the console quiet and temperatures in check despite the increased power.
However, there are a couple of design choices that frankly feel a bit stingy, especially at this price point:
- Digital Only (By Default): The PS5 Pro is sold as a digital-only console. If you want to play physical PS5 or PS4 discs, you have to purchase the external Disc Drive separately for around £80 / $80 / €120. This is the same drive used for the PS5 Slim Digital Edition.
- Vertical Stand Sold Separately: Just like the Slim, a vertical stand is not included in the box. You’ll need to shell out another £25 / $30 for it if you prefer to stand the console upright.
This means the advertised price isn’t the full cost if you want basic functionality like using physical media or standing the console vertically. The packaging itself also drew criticism for feeling less premium than expected given the price.
The Price Tag: Is it Worth It?
Now, for the elephant in the room: the price. The PlayStation 5 Pro retails for £699.99 / $699.99 / €799.99. This is a significant jump over the standard PS5 (Disc model £479.99 / $499.99). Add the disc drive and stand, and you’re looking at over £800.
Comparing this to the PS4 Pro, which launched at £350 / $400 – the same price as the original PS4 – this mid-generation upgrade is considerably more expensive.
So, who is this for?
- New PS5 Buyers with High-End Displays: If you haven’t bought a PS5 yet and own a 4K TV, particularly one supporting 120Hz or VRR, or even an 8K display, the Pro offers the best console experience available right now. The performance and visual upgrades will be most noticeable on capable screens. Getting the Pro means you’re future-proofing yourself for potentially the next decade of PlayStation games.
- Enthusiasts and Early Adopters: For those who simply want the absolute best console performance, appreciate the subtle graphical improvements, or need the extra storage, the Pro delivers. It’s akin to choosing a pricier graphics card for your PC to get that extra bit of fidelity and frame rate.
- Existing PS5 Owners: This is the harder sell. If you already have a standard PS5 and are happy with its performance, especially on a standard 4K display, the improvements offered by the Pro, while quantifiable, may not feel worth the substantial cost of trading up. The base PS5 is still a perfectly capable machine. You might be better off saving for the eventual PS6.
The consensus from many who have tested it is that while it is undeniably the most powerful console and delivers better visuals and performance, it’s a niche upgrade, not a necessity for the majority of players. It’s a premium product for a specific audience.
Power and Efficiency
Despite the increased power, the PS5 Pro seems relatively efficient. In testing, its power consumption was often similar to or only slightly higher than the PS5 Slim, though potentially more than a launch PS5 in some scenarios. Peak consumption can hit around 230-240W in demanding games. This suggests it’s using a more modern and efficient manufacturing process for its chip compared to older models.
Hype or Hardware?
Is the PS5 Pro worth the hype? From a purely technical standpoint, it largely delivers on its promises: more powerful graphics, better ray tracing, significantly faster rendering, and impressive AI upscaling via PSSR. The increased storage is a genuine quality-of-life improvement. The build quality is solid, and it runs quietly.
However, the CPU remains a potential bottleneck in some games, the HDMI limitations persist for high frame rate 4K output without chroma subsampling, and the most noticeable visual benefits often require developers to implement specific Pro enhancements.
The real sticking point for many, myself included, is the price. At £700 before you even add a disc drive or stand, it’s a serious investment. For that kind of money, you’re buying a quantifiably better console, but the difference might only be truly appreciated by those with high-end TVs and a keen eye for detail.
If you’re new to the PS5 ecosystem and have a top-tier display, the PS5 Pro is undeniably the best model to buy if your budget allows. But if you already own a PS5, especially if you’re not playing on a high refresh rate 4K screen or don’t crave every last graphical bell and whistle, the base PS5 is still excellent, and the Pro is probably a luxury you can skip.
In short, the PS5 Pro is a fantastic piece of hardware for a premium price. It’s not revolutionary enough to make your current PS5 feel obsolete, but it provides a genuinely enhanced experience for those who demand the best and are willing to pay for it. It’s more about refined performance for enthusiasts than groundbreaking new features for the mainstream.
