After years of rumors and excitement, Sony has confirmed it is releasing a more powerful and much more expensive version of its popular PlayStation 5 console.
The PS5 Pro will feature better graphics and run demanding games at higher, smoother frame rates. However, this extra power comes with a high price: the PS5 Pro will be Sony’s most expensive console yet.
It will be priced at £699.99 when it launches on November 7 this year, costing hundreds more than the regular PS5.
“The price point of the PS5 Pro will inevitably cause a lot of commentary,” analyst Piers Harding-Rolls from research firm Ampere said.
He said the firm appeared to be betting that the console’s improved performance would encourage users to upgrade their existing hardware and spend more on software.
Mark Cerny, lead architect of the PS5, said it was “the most powerful console we’ve ever built”.
He said it sought to resolve a problem gamers had faced for years – whether to play a console game in so-called “fidelity mode”, which favours visuals, or “performance mode”, which makes a game smoother, though at the cost to how it looks.
He said the PS5 Pro was about “removing that decision, or at least narrowing that divide”.
GamesIndustry.biz head Christopher Dring told the BBC it was “a very targeted console” for PlayStation’s “most enthusiastic audience”.
“The console industry has had a tough time this year, with falling sales of PS5, Xbox Series S and X, and the ageing Nintendo Switch,” he said.
“PS5 Pro isn’t going to change that situation.”
But he said Sony might have one eye on the most anticipated game in the world – Grand Theft Auto VI – which is due to release next year.
“When GTA 6 does launch, PlayStation will be able to say to players that the game will look best on PS5 Pro,” he said.
Pro consoles
For decades, companies have released updated versions of their consoles with small changes, but this launch shows that the newer trend of “pro” hardware is here to stay.
These upgrades usually mean better graphics for current-generation consoles, but they don’t have exclusive games. In other words, games will still be made for the regular PS5, and players can choose to play them on either the regular version or the pro model, which offers better graphics and performance.
Paul Tamburro from PlayStation LifeStyle said fans were hoping the new console would “bridge the gap” between performance and high-quality graphics modes, and the upgrade will help with that.
“However, it also feels that the console doesn’t do enough to justify that steep price point,” he said.
“It launching without a disc drive and still only targeting 60 FPS is disappointing.
“This isn’t an easy sell to current PS5 owners.”
It’s Sony’s second major foray into this space after 2016’s PS4 Pro, which brought 4k graphics to the original PlayStation 4.
And it comes three years after Nintendo released its own take on a pro model – a Nintendo Switch with a larger, better screen.
Graphics leap
Sony’s announcement today isn’t as big as the PS4’s jump to 4K graphics, but it’s still a step forward for home consoles.
This comes as PCs have been getting more powerful, especially with Nvidia’s release of the Geforce 40 series graphics cards in 2022, which have made PCs better than consoles for top visuals. However, it’s important to remember that just one of these graphics cards can cost as much as an entire PS5, so consoles usually aim to balance great visuals with an affordable price.
Like with the last generation, this launch means Sony will now offer multiple versions of the PS5, with different prices and features.
There were many rumors before the announcement, with fans guessing what features the upgraded console might have. One big rumor was that the PS5 Pro would be backwards compatible with games from older Sony consoles, possibly even the original PlayStation. However, there was nothing in the announcement to confirm this.