The PS5 Pro is an impressive, expensive mid-gen refresh that feels less essential than the PS4 Pro did in 2016
Sep. 12, 2024Opinion | It’s going to be difficult to justify that $700 price point
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The ability to simulate how light behaves in the real world is neat. And Sony’s promise that the PS5 Pro will deliver Advanced Ray Tracing – “more dynamic reflection and refraction of light [to allow] the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console” – has certainly piqued my interest, but it’s something I’ll need to experience myself before I let it inform such a significant purchasing decision.
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I have very few complaints regarding the quality of games on PS5, particularly from first-party developers working under the PlayStation Studios banner and third-party groups delivering fantastic platform exclusives. There are outliers of course but, on the whole, I have enjoyed this 4K-enabled era of video games, and I’m yet to play a PS5 game that hastrulypushed the system to breaking point (as, it could be argued, some were beginning to do on launch PS4s by the time the Pro arrived). Who knows, maybe Sony is preempting the release of power-hungry games likeGTA 6,Monster Hunter Wilds, andDeath Stranding 2: On the Beachwith the PS5 Pro, although that remains to be seen at this early stage.
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If I have any source of frustration with the current generation of play, it’s that many video games are still making me choose between Performance and Quality at startup – locked frames-per-second or native resolution, whatever it may be. I’m not going to get into a tiresome 120fps versus 60fps versus 30fps debate, or the value of 4K 30fps versus 1080p 60fps, or the various other permeations of this which prove to be pervasive in the modern era – this argument often loses sight of developer intent, as there are occasions where a studio may want to put limits in place for specific effect. But the important thing to understand here is that the PS5 Pro is specifically designed to take the choice between Performance and Quality modes out of our hands.
The PS5 Pro is equipped with an upgraded GPU and new system architecture, which combined will purportedly allow for higher fidelity graphics with smoother frame rates at 60FPS. I think if we are all really honest, many expected that the PS5 and Xbox Series X would end the Performance versus Quality mode debate which was ushered in more broadly with the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. The fact that Sony now says it has a solution to this certainly piques my interest, especially as this should ensure more consistent, stable video game experiences for everybody moving forward. But again we come back to price.
The PS5 Pro costs $699.99 / £699.99. That’s a lot of money, particularly when the PS5 Digital Edition is retailing for $449. It makes the idea of upgrading seem pretty unassailable, as what we’re being offered are really key quality-of-life improvements, but nothing that’s necessarily going to change the way I view my video games forever. It certainly doesn’t help that Sony doesn’t have a great deal of exclusiveupcoming PS5 gamesannounced that can really showcase what this system can do, and the thought of going back through titles that I’ve already played with enhanced resolution/framerate isn’t making me rush to a calculator to see if I could even afford such a costly machine.
Josh West is the Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 15 years experience in online and print journalism, and holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Prior to starting his current position, Josh has served as GR+’s Features Editor and Deputy Editor of games™ magazine, and has freelanced for numerous publications including 3D Artist, Edge magazine, iCreate, Metal Hammer, Play, Retro Gamer, and SFX. Additionally, he has appeared on the BBC and ITV to provide expert comment, written for Scholastic books, edited a book for Hachette, and worked as the Assistant Producer of the Future Games Show. In his spare time, Josh likes to play bass guitar and video games. Years ago, he was in a few movies and TV shows that you’ve definitely seen but will never be able to spot him in.
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