(2nd update) PS5 Pro Announced, here’s everything to know

Correction to old hardware info:

Just a hardware related thing to correct here but it is essentially the same still, GPU is still RDNA 2 therefore it is an RX 6800, not a RX 7800. This still brings it to similar to 4070 performance, just more behind it very slightly (equal to 4070 in some games, very slightly below in others). So it’s a jump up one product class from base.

Since i’m updating here anyway, i’m just going add that this console does not include a stand, it’s sold separately as is the disc drive just to clarify info here.

Update 2: With information coming in from DigitalFoundry, it seems the PS5 has better ray accelerators (AMD’s RT Core) that do not exist in their current generation RX 7000 gpus or the market outside PS5 Pro. This indicates that the PS5 Pro may be using AMD’s next generation ray accelerators (the Radeon RX 8000 series). So it’s a custom GPU hybrid of sorts with different generations of cores that is similar to RX6800 for raster/raw performance but with improved RT capability over it. With this, it brings the PS5 Pro’s GPU performance to be about in line with the RTX 4070 in all aspects including RT since AMD is one generation behind Nvidia 40 series on RT with their RX 7000. However note that 4070 of course has frame gen and dlss which is where the pro console won’t trade any blows performance wise. There also is the possibility from this information that RX 8000 will bring cheaper Nvidia 40 series equivalent cards, though this topic is a bit tough since AMD no longer intends to compete with Nvidia’s flagships. Time will tell, and that news also brings more possibilities to the Z2 Extreme for next generation handhelds.

Intro:

So here we are, the very heavily hyped PS5 Pro was announced to be released at $700 on November 7th with an optional disc drive addition post purchase. The leaks people were hyped about were close, but not quite true and no new games were announced sadly.

Hardware (MINOR UPDATE AND CORRECTION):

To start with hardware, the leaks suggested a 4070 ti/3090 equivalent gpu from AMD. This turned out to not be the case, with the PS5 Pro sporting a AMD RX 6800 which brings us similar performance of a 4070 base, or for those more familiar with the 30 series it’s more similar to an RTX 3080. For reference, the base PS5 has an RX 6700 which is equivalent to a 3060ti. The CPU is essentially the same as base, just a higher clock speed increased by about 1ghz. Storage is now 2tb vs the 825gb of base, its got wifi 7, and has VRR support as well as 8k maximum resolution. That 8k is unreasonable for the majority of owners and really seems to be just not utilized yet, there’s only one or two games I know of that run 8k on playstation. So it’s, at the time of writing, a buzzword.

Features:

There are some things some may be interested in, first is a bit upsetting. PSSR, PS5’s version of DLSS upscaling, looks to be locked to the Pro model. This could’ve really been big for the base model users, but I suppose they gotta get reasons for people to buy the new console. So they pulled a Nvidia on AMD hardware. PS4 games will have a enhanced mode that brings more stability and in some cases better visuals for old games and of course PS5 Pro upgrade updates will emerge for ps5 titles.

What does this actually get you?:

What you get out of this vs base PS5 is the fidelity ray tracing mode at 60fps rather than 30fps but with even higher graphics settings, we would also be seeing 120fps performance modes much more often with higher graphics. They showcased for instance spider man 2 with much nicer lighting and better textures at even farther distances. They also showed Gran Turismo 7 running ray traced while in game, which is really beautiful but again a let down to me because i’m sure base ps5 could do that if they allowed a lower resolution internal render than 4k.

With PSSR upscale mixed with the hardware, later releases may be more significant being more optimized for the new console with possibly more impressive settings than just 60fps fidelity modes at higher than base graphics, but that’s not guaranteed and that fidelity 60fps is really the big impact we have here to mention for now, along with the 2tb storage. The console is still 120fps capable, so perhaps some developers will vary those options more.

Is it worth it?:

Hardware wise, I would personally say for those who don’t have a PS5 Base and want a console it can be worth it if visuals are your goal, it is a $430 gpu alone (more than a $430 GPU given the new info on next generation ray accelerators), plus all that, but to those who already have base PS5 this is just not ground breaking enough with really the only major upside being hardware. With the rising cost of PS Plus, if you’re an online player it does get expensive and since XBOX will be launching next generation in 2026 (skipping their pro release) Playstation 6 will likely release along side it in 2026 which should be considered in your purchasing decision. That does make the PS5 pro the most powerful console by far for the foreseeable next 2 years though. I don’t think i’ll be getting one just for that improvement, as tempting as really nice visuals in GT7 and no compromises on settings may be. The base PS5 is still the better deal and most people are probably ok with running performance mode, but the option of having 60fps at higher ray traced settings and textures is great for those who don’t want to compromise on that front.