The PS5 Pro is by definition not going to be a device that many are going to want to purchase, but those who do are obviously going to be the kind of enthusiasts who will be keen on every single one of its enhancements and improvements. In the lead up to the console’s launch in November, more tidbits on it and the enhancements that it will enable in a wide variety of games have continued to be shared by Sony and other publishers, and here, as we continue to count the days down to the PS5 Pro’s release, we are going to look at a few more of those details.
WHY IT LACKS A DISC DRIVE
Since the outset of this console generation, Sony has been placing greater emphasis on doing down the all-digital path, and after having offered digital models with both the base PS5 and the PS5 Slim, with the PS5 Pro, the company is heading even further down that path, with the PS5 Pro not having a disc drive available at all. If you want one, you’re going to have to purchase one separately. Weirdly enough, Sony has justified that as “giving players choices”, even though really, it’s hard not to agree with anyone arguing that Sony is doing quite the opposite by not including a disc drive with the console right out of the box (or even a vertical stand, for that matter).
“For the disc drive, it is an option for players,” said PlayStation Senior Principal Product Manager Toshi Aoki in an interview with IGN. “Not all players have discs, even though most players may… but we have the option for being able to add that for those players. So I think it’s more of the balance of the value proposition that we’re giving.”
WHY IT COSTS SO MUCH
The PS5 Pro has attracted a fair bit of backlash from people for a number of reasons, but chief among them has to be the fact that it will retail for an exorbitant $700. A price like that is going to be difficult to justify for any console regardless of anything else, but when that console is a mid-gen refresh that many deem entirely unnecessary, it starts looking even more ridiculous. According to Sony, however, the price has been set with the target audience in mind, which, according to PlayStation’s aforementioned Toshi Aoki, is going to be the most engaged part of the PlayStation audience anyway- which obviously makes a certain amount of sense.
“The technologies that we are putting in to deliver new experiences for game players, and also not just the technological differences, but the SSD, the Wi-Fi 7, and the new technologies that surround the gameplay as well,” he said while speaking with IGN. “So it’s more of a full package that will give that exceptional value to the players… the most engaged players that we’re targeting.”
BETTER COOLING SYSTEM
The PS5 Pro is going be doing a lot more than the base PS5 on a hardware level, what with its enhanced CPU, ray tracing capabilities, PSSR enhancements, and what have you, which, of course, means that it will need a better cooling system than the base console in order to ensure it doesn’t run too hot for its own good. According to Aoki, the PS5 Pro’s cooling system is “designed to make sure that it is at the same level as the PS5.”
“You can see it later when you see the actual [console], it is slightly bigger and has more vents, so that we have more airflow.”
40-50 ENHANCED TITLES AT LAUNCH
Whether or not the PS5 Pro enabled enhancements that developers will be applying to their games will be worth the console’s price of admission is a different discussion, but that there will be a good number of games featuring such enhancements when the console releases isn’t in doubt. In fact, it has been confirmed that upon its launch on November 7, there will be at least 40-50 games that will be officially PS5 Pro Enhanced, from first party titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, God of War Ragnarok, and Horizon Forbidden West to third party megatons like Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Diablo 4, and more.
DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD
As probably the most recent major release at the time of the PS5 Pro’s launch, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is likely to be one of the console’s most prominent enhanced titles at launch. BioWare has confirmed that the fantasy action RPG will feature a variety of technical improvements on the PS5 Pro, including improved resolutions and visual settings across both Fidelity and Performance modes (which, as previously confirmed, will run at 30 FPS and 60 FPS respectively). PSSR upscaling is also confirmed, in addition to ray traced ambient occlusion also being made available in the 60 FPS mode, which is otherwise only an option in the 30 FPS mode on the base PS5.
METAL GEAR SOLID DELTA: SNAKE EATER
Though most of the titles confirmed for PS5 Pro thus far are ones that have already come out, there are a fair few that are still in the pipeline, and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is probably one of the more prominent ones. We obviously don’t yet know when the highly anticipated stealth remake will be releasing, but Konami has confirmed that the game will feature PSSR enhancements as well as improved frame rates on the Pro. Hopefully, specific details will be shared not long from now.
DEMON’S SOULS
Demon’s Souls is one of several first party titles confirmed to feature PS5 Pro enhancements upon the console’s release, and though we haven’t seen actual footage of it yet, based on impressions and details shared by The Verge, there’s some impressive stuff to look forward to. Notably, the action RPG will run at PSSR upscaled 4K resolution at 60 FPS, while also touting improved draw distances, particle effects, and visual quality across the board. Frame rate dips apparently aren’t totally nonexistent, but the game does seem to have received some very visible upgrades.
F1 24
F1 24 by its nature is the sort of game that already relies heavily on its technical accomplishments to immerse players in its authentic simulation, and it seems like it will tout some impressive PS5 Pro boosts. By default, it will run at a PSSR upscaled 4K (up from a native 1440p) at a locked 60 FPS, while a ray tracing mode will also be available with those same targets. On top of that, modes running the game at either 4K and 120 FPS or at 8K and 60 FPS will also be available, for those who have compatible displays.
THE LAST OF US PART 2 REMASTERED
As a remaster of a game that launched for the PS4, you might think that The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered might not have much to offer by way of PS5 Pro enhancements, but as per a Digital Foundry analysis, that may not be the case. On paper, running at an upscaled 4K resolution (from 1440p) at a smooth 60 FPS, it already sounds like a great way to play an excellent game, but as per the aforementioned analysis, the game is also making impressive use of PSSR to add a great deal of detail to objects, environments, and more.
FINAL FANTASY 7 REBIRTH
Another game that is seemingly benefiting quite a bit from PS5 Pro enhancements is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Square Enix’s action RPG definitely struggled a little bit (from a technical perspective) on the base PS5 when it launched earlier this year, with its Performance Mode in particular having received some criticism. As per a Digital Foundry analysis, however, on PS5 Pro, Rebirth is not only able to run at a 60 FPS frame rate, it does so while maintaining a crisp 4K resolution, with visible visual upgrades applied to the game across the board.
Share Your Thoughts Below (Always follow our comments policy!)