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PS5 vs. PS5 Pro: Is the Upgrade Worth Your Money?
“PS5 vs. PS5 Pro: Which one should I buy?” is a big debate among console gamers. Given the price tag of the Pro edition, we don’t blame anyone for thinking it through. There are, of course, hardcore PlayStation fans and collectors who will buy the Pro edition regardless of its price and value. But that’s […] The post PS5 vs. PS5 Pro: Is the Upgrade Worth Your Money? appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.
“PS5 vs. PS5 Pro: Which one should I buy?” is a big debate among console gamers. Given the price tag of the Pro edition, we don’t blame anyone for thinking it through. There are, of course, hardcore PlayStation fans and collectors who will buy the Pro edition regardless of its price and value. But that’s not the case with everyone.
Released in November 2020, the PlayStation 5 followed the highly successful PlayStation 4 series. The announcement of the PS5 was a big hit among gamers as it promised high-fidelity gaming with features like 4K at 120 fps, a new PS5 controller—the DualSense wireless controller—with adaptive triggers, and, most importantly, the promise of not sounding like a jet engine. When the console was finally out, gamers were happy as it lived up to its promises. Since its release, we’ve had two more variations of the console—PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro, with the latter being the most recent. While both of them offer different features and reasons to buy, it’s the Pro edition that people think about the most since it’s the most advanced console in the series.
In this article, we’re going to break down some of the most important differences between the base PS5 and PS5 Pro to help you understand whether you should update the console or stick to the one you have. Even if you don’t have either of the two, this article will still help you pick the right one for you.
Specs and Dimensions
Here’s a brief look at the PS5 vs. PS5 Pro specs that’ll help you understand these consoles better.
PS5 Disc Edition PS5 Digital Edition PS5 Pro Dimensions 15.4”H × 10.2”D × 4.1”W 15.4”H × 10.2”D × 3.6”W 15.3”H × 8.5”D × 3.5”W Weight 9.9 lbs (4.5 kg) 8.6 lbs (3.9 kg) 6.8 lbs (3.1 kg) CPU AMD Zen 2 CPU with 8 cores capped at 3.5 GHz AMD Zen 2 CPU with 8 cores capped at 3.5 GHz AMD Ryzen Zen 2 with 8 cores GPU AMD RDNA 2-based graphics engine with 10.28 teraFLOPS AMD RDNA 2-based graphics engine with 10.28 teraFLOPS AMD RDNA 2-based graphics engine with 16.7 teraFLOPS Storage 825 GB NVMe SSD 825 GB NVMe SSD 2 TB NVMe SSD RAM 16 GB DDR6 16 GB DDR6 16 GB DDR6/2 GB Ray Tracing Yes Yes Yes Upscaling No No Yes Audio Tempest 3D Audio Tempest 3D Audio Tempest 3D Audio
Pricing
Price is one of the major factors that drives a gamer to buy a console. Gaming consoles are expensive as is, but with the new reciprocal tariffs, the price is speculated to increase in the coming weeks. Currently, at the time of this article being written, there is no official announcement of a price increase for the PlayStation console, but given that Xbox recently announced its revised prices for all its consoles and accessories, Sony wouldn’t be that far away from making its own price revisions.
Currently, the PS5 Disc Edition is priced at $499, and the PS5 Pro is at $699—this is obviously a huge difference between the two prices. So, if you’re making the decision based on the price, the answer is pretty obvious here. There is also a digital edition for the base version, which is priced at $399, $100 less than the disc version. All the games that you’re going to purchase will have to be bought online. So, if you’re okay with not owning physical copies of the games, then buying the digital edition will save you a couple of bucks that you can probably spend on buying a game.
While you can choose between the disc and digital edition with the standard PS5 console, the PS5 Pro does not give you that option. The PS5 Pro is a digital-only console, so if you have old PS5 game discs that you want to use, you’ll need to buy a disc drive, which is currently priced at $79 on Amazon.
Design
When it comes to the design of the console, they aren’t too different except in a few minor aspects. Since the PS5 Pro is just a digital-only console, the absence of the disc drive makes the console leaner. Taking a little inspiration from the PS5 Slim, the Pro console also has stripes on the side panels. On the slim version, there is only one stripe, whereas the PS5 Pro has three. These stripes are not like painted stripes; they are actual physical ridges that separate the panel into two parts, giving it a unique aesthetic appearance compared to other versions. This, of course, isn’t any reason to upgrade, so look into other factors if you want to make that decision.
Performance
Performance is the most important factor that decides whether upgrading from PS5 or PS5 Pro is necessary. All three console variations can run the same games, so there has to be something that PS5 Pro does better, right? Sony’s lead architect, Mary Cerny, called it the “big 3” during the PS5 Pro’s technical presentation. It focuses on 3 factors: GPU, ray tracing, and AI-driven upscaling. These features help gamers experience all their favorite games with better visuals and better performance without looking at frame rates. Let’s talk about them a little more individually.
- GPU: The PS5 Pro has a larger GPU that drives games towards additional frame rates for a smoother gameplay experience. With 67% more computing units and 28% faster RAM, the result is that the Pro consoles have a 45% faster rendering capability. This does give it an advantage over the base console version, allowing gamers to play games at 60 fps without having to choose between fidelity and performance modes.
- Ray Tracing: For those who are not aware, ray tracing is a rendering technique that calculates and renders light to interact with the objects and environment, just like how they do in real life, to achieve a photorealistic quality. With the PS5 Pro, Sony has improved how fast the rays and shadows are calculated for better results and more responsive gameplay. Most casual gamers don’t really notice how sharp the shadows are or how reflective the glass is, but for the graphic enthusiasts, this does offer a better visual performance.
- AI Upscaling: AI upscaling has become a major part of the gaming industry. While PC gamers have the option of choosing between NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS based on the hardware and gaming performance, the console users have to depend on the console’s raw performance for high-resolution images. With the PS5 Pro, Sony has designed custom hardware that can resample each pixel, adding more details for better resolution. This technology is called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR)—it can not only upscale images but also maintain a good 60 fps pretty consistently. So, if you play on a big TV, 4K monitor, or a gaming projector, you’re going to see the difference in quality.
A major downside is that these features are not compatible with all PS5 games; only games that have been optimized for the PS5 Pro console can utilize this. So, make sure to look out for the PS5 Pro Enhanced tag while buying games. Games like the Spider-Man series, The Last of Us Part series, the Horizon series, Call of Duty, Alan Wake 2, and Silent Hill 2 are just a few games that are optimized to use these features. From the best RPGs to the most intense FPS games, this is an ever-growing list, so you’ll have more games to enjoy.
Apart from these features, the PS5 Pro also boasts two new features: Wi-Fi 7 and PS5 Pro Game Boost. Wi-Fi 7 lends a major hand in offering a consistent and more reliable Wi-Fi connection for faster data transfers. This will allow you to play online games with lower latency even while you’re connected to the internet wirelessly. On the other hand, PS5 Pro Game Boost is meant to boost the performance of older PS5 and PS4 games. Since it has backward compatibility, you get to play from a catalog of over 8,500 games and enjoy them in all their glory.
PS5 Pro also continues the tradition of supporting HDR content for lifelike and vibrant visuals for nearly all games on the console. This, combined with the PS5 graphics, takes gaming visuals to a whole new level. On the audio side, the Tempest 3D Audio is also supported. With accessories like the Sony INZONE H9 gaming headset, you can truly immerse yourself in the games.
Accessories
The PS5 Pro does not include any upgraded accessories—it still comes with the same accessories that were included in the standard PS5 console’s box, except for the vertical stand. Yes, the vertical stand is excluded from the box, and you have to purchase it separately. The PS5 Pro also comes with the standard DualSense wireless controller. So, if you have your old PS5 controller or any other third-party controllers, you can still use them with the PS5 Pro models.
Final Thoughts: Should You Upgrade to the PS5 Pro?
In the battle of PS5 vs. PS5 Pro, choosing between the two always comes down to your budget and personal preference. The specifications of the PS5 Pro definitely look tempting, but it may not be for everyone. It carries a hefty price tag, which most casual gamers are not ready to pay. The visual difference is mostly visible on larger and high-end monitors, so if you don’t own a large TV or 4K monitor, then the impact could be all too low. The base PS5 console supports 4K with 120 fps on select games, so if you can, you should stick to it and enjoy all your favorite games there. But for the hardcore fans and collectors who like to collect every console edition, it wouldn’t even matter what upgrade the new console offers; you know you’ll buy it nonetheless.
Let’s put it this way: If you don’t have a PS5 console and have saved up a good deal of money to buy the best gaming experience that the PlayStation console can provide, then you should definitely go for the PS5 Pro. But if you already have a PS5/PS5 Slim console, then the upgrade is hardly worth it. You can instead put that money into buying more games or accessories like the DualSense Edge controller or a PSVR2.
FAQ
Can the PS5 Pro do 4K 120Hz?
Yes, the PS5 Pro can deliver a 4K output with 120 Hz.
Does the PS5 Pro have better graphics?
Compared to other versions, the PS5 Pro does have better graphics.
Is PS6 coming out?
Currently, there is no official word about the release of the PlayStation 6 console.
Which type of PS5 is better?
The choice depends on your preference and budget. The PS5 Pro is expensive but has better performance, and the standard PS5 is more affordable.
The post PS5 vs. PS5 Pro: Is the Upgrade Worth Your Money? appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.
