It was seemingly the worst-kept secret in the gaming industry. Rumors swirled for months that a Playstation 5 Pro version would be available this year, and Sony finally delivered by officially announcing it this week. But coming in at $700 — $250 more than the base Playstation 5 digital version — is it worth it?
What’s new with this latest console? According to Sony, the PS5 Pro console will come equipped with a 2-terabyte hard drive. It will have a larger graphics processing unit, meaning faster render times by “up to 45%”. The Pro will have three times the capacity to render realistic lighting and real-world reflections. Sony will also be utilizing AI technology with Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), where it will dynamically adjust the resolution to improve how games look. Lastly, the game does not come with a disc drive, meaning all games on the Pro are digital-only, bringing another point of contention.
Normally, console gamers are used to purchasing hardware at a significantly reduced price compared to PC gamers. The reason for this is that companies such as Sony and Microsoft subsidize their gaming console hardware, meaning they normally sell at a loss but often make up for it with things like in-game revenue purchases. However, with the increased prices of graphics cards and the new $700 price tag, it seems Sony is less keen on subsidizing their newest console as heavily. The major test here is seeing if console gamers are willing to “upgrade” their hardware to have the latest and greatest technology, similar to some PC gamers.
However, it feels like the latest PS5 generation just started. We are still waiting for the few flagship games in this current generation to make their mark. The reason for this is many of the best games available are often older PS4 ports that are remastered. However, the recent release of Sony-developed Astro Bot, which aims to take advantage of Dual-sense technology, could be considered one of those “flagship” games.
Whether or not you, the consumer, needs to purchase this latest console is completely dependent on your needs. If you have the latest and greatest 4K television setup and consider yourself an avid gamer, then you may want to consider the Pro — especially with Grand Theft Auto VI on the horizon. Though in almost any other situation, we would recommend sticking with the original.
