The PS5 Pro arrives in a particular context. While Sony has announced the end of the PS5 cycle, it is launching a new, more powerful iteration. A strategy reminiscent of the PS4/PS4 Pro era, but with very different challenges in 2024. The question today is to know if it is interesting to sell your PS5 and then get the Pro version.
A significant technical development (on paper)
The technical leap forward of the PS5 Pro is notable with an AMD Ryzen Zen 2 processor clocked at 3.85 GHz (compared to 3.5 GHz for the classic PS5) and a 45% more powerful GPU reaching 16.7 TFLOPS.
The introduction of PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution), inspired by Nvidia’s DLSS, promises a significant improvement in image quality. Ray tracing also takes a big leap with tripled performance, offering management of reflections and lighting effects never before seen on console.
For questionable design choices…
Physically, the console retains a design similar to the PS5 Slim, distinguished by three discreet stripes on the sides. Compared to the PS5 Standard, this Pro version is smaller, lighter and thinner. However, the lack of a built-in Blu-ray player (sold separately for €119.99, when in stock) is a significant downgrade.
Gone is the possibility of owning your games in physical version and playing movies in 4K Ultra HD without this substantial price addition. On the other hand, the storage doubled to 2 TB represents a welcome improvement given the ever-increasing size of downloads required.
People with a Wi-Fi 7 compatible router will also be happy to know that the PS5 Pro is as well.
Full compatibility and optimized games
PS5 game library remains fully compatible with the Pro version. Fortunately, this time it is not necessary to pay for possible game updates between the PS5 Standard and the PS5 Pro.
Sony is already announcing 50 optimized games. The improvements mainly relate to performance and visual quality, without exclusive content, thus avoiding the fragmentation of the console fleet.
A price positioning that quickly makes you think
With a base price of €799.99, to which must be added the Blu-ray player (€119.99) and possibly the vertical base (€29.99), the investment is dangerously approaching €1000. This price positioning places the PS5 Pro in direct competition with gaming PCs.
Our test indicates that the graphical improvements are currently very limited. Without significant improvements in the future, there is no justification for selling your current PS5 in order to upgrade to a much more expensive PS5 Pro.
Sony’s new console seems more aimed at wealthy techies who want to know that they have the most powerful console of all. It could also be of interest to newcomers to the PlayStation ecosystem, who will have faith in Sony’s ability to exploit the full power of this machine to justify the current difference of 370 euros between the machines.
