Sony has officially announced the PlayStation 5 Pro, set to release on November 7. The new console boasts significant technical upgrades, but concerns about its price, examples, and accessories have sparked controversy among gamers.
Three major improvements
Mark Cerny, lead system architect for Sony’s PlayStation team, highlighted three key enhancements in his presentation:
- Increased graphics performance: The PS5 Pro offers a 45% boost in graphics power. This improvement aims to allow future games to combine the visual quality of Quality Mode with the smoothness of Performance Mode.
- Enhanced ray tracing capabilities: The upgraded console promises more realistic graphics, particularly in shadows, lighting, and reflections, thanks to improved ray tracing technology.
- PSSR technology: A new AI-assisted upscaling technique called PSSR is designed to significantly enhance image quality.
Additional improvements, though not explicitly mentioned, include a slightly modified design, Wi-Fi 7 support, and an increased SSD storage capacity of 2 TB compared to the base model’s 0.83 GB. Other minor enhancements are likely present under the hood as well.
Three significant issues
Despite these promising upgrades, three major concerns have emerged:
- Poor demonstration examples: Sony primarily showcased its own titles, which already boast good image quality. Apart from comparisons between 30 and 60 FPS, differences were barely noticeable. Third-party examples were also disappointing: Alan Wake’s improvements were hardly visible, Hogwarts Legacy ran at only 30 FPS despite previous claims, and ray-traced reflections looked surprisingly poor. Gamers hope that PS5 Pro-optimized games will look better when experienced firsthand.
- Hefty price tag: The PS5 Pro’s 800 euro price point is steep. Gamers who sell their standard PS5 might recoup around 300 euros, leaving a 500 euro upgrade cost for what some perceive as a minor boost in image quality.
- Questionable accessory decisions: Sony’s choice not to include a Blu-ray drive as standard in their premium PS5 model has been criticized as somewhat brazen. While users can purchase the additional drive from the PS5 Slim and attach it, this costs an extra 120 euros. Additionally, a stand is not included with the console. These omissions are particularly noticeable given the PS5 Pro’s 800 euro price tag.
The reveal has unsurprisingly led to a storm of outrage online. Many feel Sony should have anticipated this reaction. Now, gamers must wait to see not only how well the PS5 Pro performs but also how successful it will be in the market.