Sony just announced the long-awaited PlayStation 5 Pro, promising 45 percent faster graphical speeds compared with the regular console. It will also be one of the most expensive video game consoles ever.
Column by Gene Park
That’s about it. Things in the background will look more clear, and there’s more detail “to the hair and skin in cinematics,” Cerny said. PS5 Pro will have more capability to perform ray tracing, technology that re-creates realistic reflections, lighting and shadows in games.
The presentation was unimpressive, but it also speaks to the looming plateau of graphical performance in games. Video games can look only so much more realistic, and upgrades like these have diminishing returns, especially if the standard PS5, priced at $500 with a disk drive, is guaranteed to play the same games. It gets all the more complicated considering PlayStation is releasing many of its games on PC, albeit later than their PS5 releases.
The Pro announcement is especially disappointing because it wasn’t paired with the announcement of a new game. The presentation showed only better versions of old games released in the past several years, many of which, like “Horizon Forbidden West” and “The Last of Us Part II,” were released on the 2013-era PlayStation 4.
Here’s a quick buyer’s guide for different audiences based on first impressions.
I own a PS5
This is the least-served market for this device. The PS5’s technology is already old (it was already outclassed by PC during its 2020 launch), but it remains the market leader for high-end gaming devices. The biggest and best games will be made to run on PS5, even if the Pro would play them at a faster frame rate or at higher resolutions. Unless you’re a PlayStation die-hard, it’s hard to think of reasons for PS5 owners to spend $700 more for a machine that will play the same games.
For what it’s worth, I count myself in the latter camp. I enjoy PlayStation products, but more importantly, I prefer the ease of use of video game consoles rather than fussing over PC parts and optimizations. But at this price range, even PCs look a little more attractive for their versatility.
I’ve never owned a PS5
A PS5 Pro is definitely worth considering if you’ve never owned the standard console. The $700 price is high, but actually reasonable when you consider the level of performance and how expensive it still is to build or buy a high-performance PC. The PS5 library is home to many great titles, although many of them, like “Horizon Forbidden West,” are also available on PC.
I own only an Xbox
If you own only an Xbox, it might still be worth getting a PS5 Pro if those exclusive PlayStation Studios titles entice you. But if exclusives like “Demon’s Souls” or “Astro Bot” do nothing for you, you might be in the same boat as a PS5 owner. These performance upgrades aren’t impressive when you already own a box that will play the exact same titles.
I have a great PC
You might even have a PC more powerful than the PS5 Pro. That’s what blunts the impact of this announcement. PlayStation’s announcement of a PS4 Pro in 2016 was timed with the rise of 4K TV sets. Now that 4K resolution is standard, a Pro version this time around is a harder sell, particularly because video game consoles are being built like high-end PCs. If those PlayStation Studios titles really entice you, maybe the Pro is worth it. Given the breadth and variety of titles available on PC that aren’t on PS5, I highly doubt PC players will give this console a second look.
I have a low-end PC and/or own only Nintendo Switch
If you haven’t upgraded your PC or gaming platform in the past five years, the Pro might be your cheapest path toward powerful ray tracing effects and performance. Once again underscoring the Pro’s market potential, you could also save $200 by buying a standard PS5 and still getting the same games at a decent performance.
