After many rumors and “accidentally” leaked images, Sony officially introduced the PlayStation 5 Pro. The powerful PS5 Pro joins the company’s line of consoles, so I’ll explain its differences from other Sony models available on the market.
Design
There’s not much to say in this section. The PS5 Pro is the same as the digital PS5 Slim, the exception being that it has three black stripes in the middle instead of one. That’s all. The PS5 Pro is the same width as the PS5 Slim and the same height as the original PS5. And no, there’s no disc drive version. The PS5 Pro is all digital. The good news is that the default storage is 2 TB, compatible with the PS5 external disk drive.
CPU Improvements
For a technical presentation, Sony didn’t go into too much detail about the numbers and components it used in its new console. It just gave some data that reflects the overall change: The PS5 Pro is the company’s most powerful console. Its improvement in terms of performance seems interesting.
In addition, Sony improved the graphics unit (GPU) and added 67% more computational units (CUs). The original PS5 had 36 CUs, so the PS5 Pro has around 60 CUs. When it comes to memory, developers increased the speed by 28%.
So, what does this translate to? According to Sony, rendering in the PS5 Pro is 45% faster, resulting in a higher frame rate or more stability.
AI Upscaling
This technology has shaped the video game industry. Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), NVIDIA’s offering, is well known, but PlayStation presents a new option: PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR).
AI upscaling uses machine learning to improve image sharpness, which users should notice, especially in performance modes. These modes sacrifice sharpness and resolution to improve the frame rate. As such, PSSR can improve sharpness and resolution
Optimized Ray Tracing
Finally, the third major feature of the PS5 Pro is the new ray tracing system. Simply put, PlayStation has improved the efficiency of this rendering method. In addition, due to the console’s increased power, game designer Mark Cerny says the PS5 Pro can double or even triple the speed of reflection rendering.
What does that mean? More and better reflections should lead to more realism in certain games. A curious case is Gran Turismo. Now, when you run this game on the PS5 Pro, your car will reflect on the rival vehicle when you’re close.
Is That All?
Almost. The PlayStation 5 Pro has three other new features. The first is PS5 Pro Game Boost, a technology that can improve and stabilize the performance of up to 8,500 backward-compatible PS4 games. The second is Enhanced Image Quality for PS4 games, which will fundamentally improve the image quality of old-generation games. The third is support for Wi-Fi 7 (a relatively new standard), VRR, and 8K games.
Some studios will update current and future games to capitalize on the PS5 Pro’s new capabilities. According to Sony, these include Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Demon’s Souls, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, The Crew Motorfest, The First Descendant, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered.
A Significant Price Increase
The increase in power and capabilities comes at a significantly higher price than the previous generation. The PlayStation 5 came out at $499, and its digital edition at $449. The PlayStation 5 Pro, which has 2 TB of storage and no disc reader, goes on sale for $699.
The PS5 Pro will be available on Nov. 7, 2024. Pre-orders will start on Sep. 26.
Images | Sony
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