Sony claims the new PS5 Pro brings a big leap in performance and graphics. But with a high price tag of €800, is it worth the extra cost? The tech group Digital Foundry got to test the PS5 Pro, and their findings show that the console’s true value depends greatly on the games you play and your gaming style.
Big Price, Big Promises
Sony promotes the PS5 Pro as a big upgrade to the base PS5. With a more powerful GPU, AI-based upscaling, and support for Wi-Fi 7, the PS5 Pro promises better visuals and smoother gameplay. According to Sony, these upgrades make the price worth it. But Digital Foundry’s test gives a more detailed look at how much of a difference these upgrades make.
Testing the PS5 Pro
Oliver Mackenzie from Digital Foundry was among the first to get his hands on the PS5 Pro. He spent more than an hour testing the new console and shared his thoughts on how it compares to the standard PS5. He focused on a range of games to see how well they performed on the Pro model.
The games tested include:
- F1 24
- Gran Turismo 7
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
- The Last of Us Part 2
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- The Crew Motorfest
- Demon’s Souls
- Dragon’s Dogma 2
Different Gains for Different Games
Mackenzie’s test results showed that the improvements you get from the PS5 Pro vary a lot from game to game. Some titles, like F1 24, show a big leap in quality, with much better visuals thanks to ray tracing and improved filtering. On the other hand, games like Dragon’s Dogma 2 only see slight gains, with the PS5 Pro mostly boosting the resolution.
Horizon Forbidden West excels as well, with its new anti-aliasing technology enhancing fine details like vegetation and weapons. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth delivers noticeably sharper visuals, particularly in the new 4K performance mode. In this mode, the game operates at 60 FPS, offering a significant upgrade compared to the quality mode on the standard PS5.
Performance or Quality?
The fundamental conclusion from the evaluation is that the PS5 Pro’s worth depends on personal playstyle preferences. If you favour performance mode, which emphasizes smoother frame rates and quicker gameplay, the PS5 Pro provides a considerable improvement. Enhanced features such as ray tracing and upscaling deliver a significant effect in this mode.
On the other hand, if you generally play in quality mode, where visual fidelity takes precedence over frame rate, the distinction between the PS5 and PS5 Pro may not be as pronounced. For these players, the enhancement in quality might not sufficiently justify the steep 800-euro price tag.
Worth the Price?
Determining whether the PS5 Pro justifies its substantial price ultimately depends on individual preferences in a gaming console. For those who prioritize enhanced frame rates and primarily engage with performance modes, the PS5 Pro offers a significant improvement over the standard model. However, if visual fidelity is the primary concern, and you’ve been content with the quality mode on the regular PS5, the additional cost may seem excessive.
A critical aspect still unresolved is how future games explicitly optimized for the PS5 Pro will perform. As developers continue to release titles that fully leverage the Pro’s upgraded hardware, we could witness even more considerable advancements in both performance and visual quality. Until those games are available, gamers must evaluate if the current performance improvements warrant the higher price tag.
