After much talk, PlayStation 5 Pro it’s reality, thanks to the official reveal, now commented directly by Hideaki NishinoCEO, Platform Business Group, Sony Interactive Entertainment:
“Over the past four years since the launch of PS5, we’ve worked hard to continuously evolve the console experience and deliver the great games our players expect from us. Today, I’m incredibly proud to announce the next step in that evolution and welcome PlayStation 5 Pro to the PlayStation family, our most advanced and innovative console hardware to date. We developed PS5 Pro with the most engaged gamers and game creators in mind, as many have asked for a console that delivers even higher fidelity graphics and smoother frame rates at 60FPS. We’ve achieved this on PS5 Pro with several key performance features.”
The new version of the console, in fact, guarantees a notable additional “firepower”, thanks to:
- Improved GPU: With PS5 Pro, we’re upgrading to a GPU that has 67% more compute units than the current PS5 console and 28% faster memory. Overall, this enables up to 45% faster rendering during gameplay, making for a much smoother experience.
- Advanced Ray Tracing: Even more powerful ray tracing has been added, providing more dynamic reflections and refractions of light. This allows rays to be traced at twice, and sometimes three times, the speed of the current PS5 console.
- AI-Driven Upscaling: Sony is also introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-driven upscaling that uses machine learning-based technology to deliver stunning image clarity while adding a tremendous amount of detail.
- PS5 Pro offers gamers incredible graphics at high frame rates.
Other enhancements include PS5 Pro Game Boost, which can be applied to over 8,500 backwards compatible PS4 games that are playable on PS5 Pro. This feature can stabilize or improve the performance of supported games on PS4 and PS5. There is also Enhanced Image Quality for PS4 Games to improve resolution on select PS4 games. PS5 Pro will also launch with the latest wireless technology, Wi-Fi 7, in territories that support this standard. VRR and 8K gaming are also supported.
Several games will be updated with free software patches to allow players to take advantage of PS5 Pro features. These games will be identifiable with a PS5 Pro Enhanced label in their titles. Some of the games you can expect include blockbusters from PlayStation Studios and third-party partners, such as 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, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and many more.
It is the same height as the original PS5 and the same width as the current PS5 model to accommodate higher performance specifications. The console is digital-only, with players able to add an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive or swap out console covers when they become available.
PS5 Pro fits seamlessly into the PS5 family of products and is compatible with currently available PS5 accessories, including PlayStation VR2, PlayStation Portal, DualSense Edge, Access controller, Pulse Elite, and Pulse Explore. The user interface and network services will remain the same as PS5.
The PS5 Pro console will be available this holiday season for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $699.99 USD, $699.99 GBP, $799.99 EUR, and $119,980 JPY (including tax). It will include a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller, and a copy of Astro’s Playroom pre-installed with every PS5 Pro purchase. PS5 Pro is available as a discless console, with the option to purchase the currently available PS5 disc drive separately. PS5 Pro will launch on November 7, 2024, and will be available at participating retailers and directly from PlayStation at direct.playstation.com. Pre-orders will begin on September 26, 2024.
So, essentially, the new version will be more powerful than the previous one, allowing, in short, for better resolution, frame rate, and overall output: ideally, the starting point will be to have the quality of the PS5 “Fidelity” settings but at a fixed 60 FPS.
The hard disk will have double the capacity of the previous model and all available accessories will be compatible. Those who want to play with physical copies will have to equip themselves with an external reader, bringing the price of the console, already not cheap, to more than 900 euros.
