PS5 Pro Review: Is the Upgrade Actually Worth It?

“Overpriced!” That’s what the general media are saying about this console. They claim the PS5 Pro doesn't do enough to justify its price. Is that really true? In this blog review, we will delve into the PS5 Pro to determine whether it's worth your investment.

GPU/GRAPHICS

Sony states that the new GPU, built with an improved RDNA architecture, features 67% more computing units. It also boasts a clock speed of 2.35GHz, compared to the PS5’s 2.23GHz, and raw computing power of 33.5 TFLOPs (a measurement of processing power) compared to the PS5’s 10.28 TFLOPs.

However, all these improvements will result in only a 45% faster rendering performance, which is still incredibly good. It's also important to note that not all games will be able to run at this high theoretical peak and might look the same.

Raytracing

Games optimized for the PS5 Pro can achieve ray tracing 2-3 times faster. This improvement is due to a more advanced ray tracing engine and RDNA 4-powered ray tracing acceleration.

PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR)

AI is everywhere, even in consoles. Sony is using PSSR, an AI technology, to enhance games by making them sharper. It only works on the PS5 Pro, but it can take 1440p and upscale it to a crisp 4K with amazing visual fidelity.

This technology will continue to improve as Sony provides software updates, making the PS5 Pro a potential long-term investment because the AI keeps games in crisp resolution.

FPS

The PS5 Pro is capable of reaching 120 FPS when games are optimized. Most games can consistently run at 60 FPS, which is still great.

CPU

This makes you wonder if the price is worth it. The PS5 Pro features the same Zen 2 design, with the clock speed improving from 3.5GHz to 3.85GHz. The clock speed only goes up to 3.85 GHz if High CPU Frequency Mode (HCPM) is enabled.

Even with HCPM enabled, it's only 10% faster than the PS5 and 1.2% faster than the Xbox Series X. This is the same 8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU that came with the $500 PS5 (released in 2020).

For comparison, the Xbox Series X CPU already runs at 3.8GHz for $200 less than the PS5 Pro. This is massively disappointing when trying to justify the price tag and hype surrounding this console.

MEMORY

The PS5 Pro provides 16GB of faster GDDR6 (the latest memory) at 18 GBPS (a measurement of memory speed), compared to the PS5, which runs the same 16GB of GDDR6 at 14 GBPS. This results in a 28% increase in memory bandwidth, giving it more bandwidth than both the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Additionally, the extra 2GB of DDR5 RAM is used solely to run the console's operating system, which ensures background tasks don’t interfere with game performance. That’s great, but it only gets better with storage.

STORAGE

The PS5 Pro comes with a whopping 2-terabyte Solid State Drive (SSD) built in, which is over two times more storage than the PS5 offered. This even doubles the storage that the standard Xbox Series X offers; the 2TB version of the Xbox Series X is also $700.

The SSD technology used in the PS5 Pro ensures near-instant load times for any installed games, allowing players to get into any game instantly. Sony even decided to provide a user-expandable internal slot to add extra storage beyond the built-in 2 TB.

GAMING Performance

As mentioned before, many games consistently hit 60 FPS, with some even reaching 120 FPS. An extensive range of games, currently 93, have received Pro Enhancement options. However, these Pro Enhancements will not give all 93 games significant improvements; some improvements could be minor, depending on the developers.

Connectivity and TV Output

The PS5 also supports Wi-Fi 7, which is a newer standard than the Wi-Fi 6 found in the Xbox Series X. This will allow the PS5 to quickly download games and reduce latency. The PS5 Pro also supports HDMI 2.1, enabling 8K resolution at 120 Hz and Variable Refresh Rates. The PS5 is capable of outputting 8K content when connected to a TV, similar to the Xbox Series X.

Some users have commented that games appear much sharper and more detailed on the PS5 Pro compared to the standard PS5 when connected to a TV. However, others have said that the visual enhancements are very subtle and hard to spot.

Also, not all games may actually render in native 8K resolution when on the TV, and the HDMI connection itself might not always handle 8K, meaning your TV could be performing the upscaling rather than the PS5.

Alternatives

If you find the PS5 too expensive or just not worth it, here are my top alternatives.

PC

If you choose a PC, then you can build the most powerful system in the world, all the way to the cheapest. Good PCs are better than consoles, but are even more expensive than the PS5 Pro, with them being in the thousands.

Xbox Series X

This is another solid console. For 200 dollars less, the Xbox Series X has similar CPU prowess to the PS5 Pro and runs its games smoothly. This console also has exclusives like Halo.

VERDICT

The PS5 Pro is worth it, in my opinion. If you have the money and the best console on the market that will stay relevant in the future, buy it. If you don’t have the money, then the Xbox Series X is your next bet. But, if you think we are wrong, comment down below and follow us for more content. 

SOURCES: 

image: BeatEmUps, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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