PS5 vs. PS5 Pro: Is the PlayStation 5 Pro worth buying?

The PlayStation 5 Pro has been out for a week now, and it promises to make the best PS5 games even better. Those improvements come at a cost, however. Just as the DualSense Edge was a premium version of the standard PlayStation 5 controller, the Pro model is marketed as a super console for gamers who want the ultimate experience. But it’s a much bigger investment than an accessory, so is the Pro worth that extra cost, or is it better to stick with the base model and install a new SSD? And is it worth buying a PlayStation 5 Pro when the PS6 is on its way out? Let’s compare the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, and see which one makes more sense for all the games coming out on the PS5.

Let’s compare the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro and see which one makes more sense for all the games coming out on the PS5.

Technical specs of the PS5 and PS5 Pro

The Pro model has received several performance improvements over the base model that will not only make future games look and perform better, but also improve existing games as well as thousands of PS4 games with backwards compatibility.

PlayStation 5 system architect Mark Cerny said the GPU Pro will have 67 percent more processing units than the base model and 28 percent faster memory. The combination of these two components reportedly allows for 45% faster rendering during gameplay. This isn’t the kind of leap in graphics and rendering that would be typical of a next-gen console, but more like a massive power boost over the current PS5. A prime example is that the Pro will be able to handle advanced ray tracing.

The Pro will be able to handle advanced ray tracing.

The RAM — it’s the same 16GB of GDDR6 chips, but with increased speed. The processor is worth noting, as they are identical. This means that most games where the frame rate depends on the processor, which is the majority, will not get a noticeable boost in this regard. However, in games where graphical quality has been the limiting factor, frame rates may increase on the Pro. Finally, the Pro has more than twice the SSD capacity of the base PlayStation 5, — 2TB.

The Pro has more than twice the SSD capacity of the base PlayStation 5, — 2TB.

Graphics and resolution of PS5 vs. PS5 Pro

On paper, it seems like the Pro doesn’t offer any gain in graphics or resolution, but that’s far from the case. Currently, ray tracing is only used in a handful of games and at the expense of frame rate. The PlayStation 5 Pro will be able to run games with even better ray tracing capabilities without frame loss. This means more accurate reflections and lighting during gameplay.

Ray tracing will be able to run games with even better ray tracing capabilities.

The Pro also features a unique AI upscaler called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). This technology allows the game’s graphics to be more detailed without sacrificing performance. Using this technology, developers can render games at resolutions below 4K and then let the artificial intelligence boost the image resolution to the target resolution. This means you won’t have to sacrifice frame rate to play games at maximum graphics settings on the Pro. In fact, the Pro will be able to achieve those 4K goals more easily and with better ray tracing if it’s available on the current PlayStation 5.

The Pro will be able to achieve those 4K goals more easily and with better ray tracing if it’s available on the current PlayStation 5.

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Prices of PS5 and PS5 Pro

The main point of contention regarding the PS5 Pro — is the price. There is only one PS5 Pro model that doesn’t come with a floppy drive and sells for an average of 130k. If you want to add an additional drive, you will have to buy it separately or as a bundle for a higher price — 160 thousand rubles. On the other hand, both standard PS5 models still sell at full price — 67k rubles with a floppy drive and 60k rubles for the version without a floppy drive.

Memory capacity on consoles

There’s nothing special or new about the two models’ SSDs, other than memory capacity. The 1TB SSD for the base PS5 is criminally small, but you can expand storage for much cheaper than it would cost to upgrade to the Pro. The Pro’s 2TB of storage is enough for regular console play of various titles.

The Pro’s 2TB SSD is enough for regular console play.

Total

If you don’t already have a PS5 and want the best hardware for the rest of the generation, the Pro — the best option, but by no means mandatory. If you already have a PS5, it all depends on whether you can sell your current model or care so much about graphics that you feel the purchase is justified. It’s likely that the regular PS5 will remain the most sought-after PlayStation console this generation until the end.

The regular PS5 will remain the most sought-after PlayStation console this generation.