Sony has revealed that the PlayStation 5 Pro is ready for launch, bringing upgraded features and faster rendering to its users. The most controversial part of its release is the price that Sony has set for the revamped console. The device is to be priced at $699 USD, which is quite a high ask for the upcoming device, even if it performs better than its predecessors.
The PlayStation 5 Pro graphics card is expected to see 67% more Compute Units than the older model, which should guarantee a smoother viewing experience for its user. With artificial intelligence to back up its functionality, the PlayStation 5 Pro specs are set to be impressive. But are they impressive enough to demand such a high price? Many users are doubtful.
Image: PlayStation 5 Pro
PlayStation 5 Pro Launch Confirmed—Get Set For a Gaming Behemoth
The PS5 Pro has a release date set for November 7, 2024, and Sony guarantees that this will be the “most visually impressive way to play games on PlayStation.” Preorders for the device will open on September 26, 2024, directly on the PlayStation website and a few other participating retailers.
If you prefer buying from third-party websites, then on October 10, 2024, more participating retailers will begin accepting orders. Sony has priced the PS5 Pro at $699 USD, but that’s a significant leap from the previous device. The PS5 was priced at $499.99 USD with the Digital edition available at $399.99 USD.
So What Can $699 Get You? Let’s Take a Look at the PlayStation 5 Pro Specs
The PlayStation 5 Pro launch was led by Mark Cerny who took us through the technical presentation slowly in an attempt to get us to fully understand the features of the new device. The PlayStation 5 Pro’s graphic support is its main selling point, however, it’s a little hard to show us how good the visuals are when we see them through our own low-quality mobile screens. The emphasis on the PlayStation 5 Pro specs was also derailed a little by the announcement of the price, but there’s no denying that the device has some interesting capabilities.
The PS5 Pro has an upgraded GPU architecture that features 67% more compute units and 28% faster memory. This should provide 45% faster rendering of games for players, eliminating any lags and processing delays. The hardware accelerated ray tracing “allows the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console.” The AI-driven upscaling through the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution can further guarantee sharp and detailed images every time.
Official comparisons of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro. #PS5Pro patch releases November 7 for #SpiderMan2PS5 pic.twitter.com/ol4iY4YAqf
— Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ??? Countdown – Fan Page (@SpiderManCD) September 12, 2024
There is also a Game Boost feature coming with the PlayStation 5 Pro launch which can ensure backward compatibility with more than 8500 PS4 titles, enhancing them to match up to the new console. Regions that support Wi-Fi 7 will be able to access it through the console and VRR and 8K gaming are also supported.
Games like Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Hogwarts Legacy, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and many other titles are being enhanced to match up to the PS5 Pro. You can identify these games through a “PS5 Pro Enhanced label,” allowing you to re-experience your favorite titles in high definition. As a freebie, Astro’s Playroom will come preinstalled on every console to get gamers started with their catalog.
The PlayStation 5 Pro specs mentioned also highlight a 2TB Solid State Drive and a familiar DualSense wireless controller. The PS5 Pro is also a disc-less console which means that if you want to upgrade to a console with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive, you have to be willing to purchase it separately. If you want your console to stand upright, you also need to go ahead and purchase a stand for it. It’s a lot of money for a digital-centered console.
Image: The promise of high-quality visuals is exceedingly tempting.
Will the PlayStation 5 Pro Release Revive Sony’s Consoles?
The PlayStation 5 Pro specs are impressive, we won’t deny that particular detail, but the global console sales numbers are already declining. Last month, the company reported that they sold 2.4 million units of the older PS5 console in the fiscal first quarter. Compare that to the 3.3 million units that were sold during the same period in the previous year and you have an extremely big difference in the numbers.
The upgraded graphics on the PlayStation 5 Pro could attract a large number of buyers but there’s no guarantee that it will allow console sales to pick back up. The faster rendering could improve the gaming experience but for an average player, the difference may not be substantial enough to warrant replacing their old consoles with the new, more expensive one. Sure, PC gamers may spend a lot of time and money on customizing and creating a PC of this caliber but those gamers aren’t likely to be the target audience for this console anyway.
Especially considering the limited handful of existing games that are being upgraded to make full use of the console’s capabilities, there isn’t much “new” content or experience to look forward to. The design of the device has not changed substantially either, so if you’re a fan of consistency, you’ll be happy to see the uniformity, but otherwise, the lack of a design might be a mood killer.
The console wasn’t meant to define a new generation of devices so the upgrades were never going to be monumental. However, it does prompt many to wonder whether the mid-gen gadget is worth an investment.
It is unlikely that the PS5 Pro sales will be able to outrun the sales of the PS5 but perhaps the console will review interest in both the old and new consoles and allow Sony to get back on track with its sales.