Mark Cerny just wrapped up his ASMR presentation of the new features of PS5 Pro, where if there is a technical topline, it’s the ability to nudge Fidelity and Performance modes much closer together when it comes to detail versus framerate choices that most games (and players) much choose between.
But the main story is absolutely going to be the price, a stunning $700, on the high end of what most estimates imagined between $500 and $600. PS5 Slim is $500 with a disc drive and $450 without it. The PS5 Pro does not appear to have a disc drive and it’s $250 more than the base digital version (Update: It will work with the existing disc add-on, for…more money.
It’s a big ask, particularly if players have already spent hundreds of dollars on an existing PS5, though trade-in could make up some of that gap. A release date was also announced, it comes out two months from now on November 7, 2024.
Getting past the price shock, before that happened Cerny detailed the main differences from the current PS5, which he called “the big three”
- There’s a larger GPU, 67% larger with 45% faster rendering. He said it was particularly effective in a game like Horizon Forbidden West with improved lighting and visual effects, and better hair and skin.
- There’s Advanced Ray Tracing, which is double or sometimes triple the calculation speed of PS5. He cited Gran Turismo 7 as now having the ability to have reflections in between cars while retaining 60 fps. He also mentioned Hogwarts Legacy as improving reflections and casting of shadows, a rare non-Sony exclusive mentioned.
- Then there is AI-Driven Upscaling through a system known as PSSR which increases detail going pixel by pixel.
All games featured were existing games that will benefit from the Pro upgrades which will be added to them at some point. Spider-Man 2, The Last of Us 2, Forbidden West, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Hogwarts Legacy, GT7, Ratchet and Clank and more, though most being Sony games. There are obviously going to be many new games made with the PS5 Pro in mind, as those devkits have been out forever.
$700 for things like reflections between cars in GT7 or better Harry Potter shadows is a tall order for most. Though the PS4 Pro was a small percentage of the PS4 playerbase, so obviously this kind of upgrade is not for everyone.
The big factor here is GTA 6, allegedly coming out in 2025, and only on console. Unless Microsoft rushes some sort of Xbox upgrade to release, the PS5 Pro will be the most powerful hardware to play the game on as it is not coming to PC for a long time. For many, it may be worth the cost to have the “maxed out” experience of one of the biggest games ever made. Even at that price, it’s tempting. We’ll see how it goes.
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