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PlayStation 5 Pro: 5 burning questions we have about Sony’s new console

Finally, Sony has unveiled the curtain on the PlayStation 5 ProThis new console will be significantly more powerful than the standard PS5, offering new upscaling technology, better frame rates, and significantly improved ray tracing capabilities. But that increased power also comes at a higher price.

While we wait for the PS5 Pro to be released on November 7, we want to answer the biggest questions about this new console right now. Is the higher price justified? How many games will actually use this raw power? And why the hell do we still have to pay extra for a stand? These are our burning questions about the PS5 Pro.

Is it really too expensive?

The PlayStation 5 Pro was undoubtedly one of the worst-kept secrets in the gaming world, so the announcement didn't exactly come as a surprise to most gamers. What shocked many, however, was the price. Sony is asking $699 for the Pro, which is quite a jump from the $449 MSRP for the standard PS5 without a disc drive. Many gamers feel that the PS5 Pro is simply too expensive.

But is that a fair assessment? Yes, the price difference is quite a bit bigger than the PS4 and PS4 Pro. But Sony is specifically touting the significantly improved GPU. Considering that a decent mid-range card like a Radeon RX 6800 costs around $500 in the PC gaming space alone, is $699 for a full-fledged high-end gaming machine really such a bad deal?

Also, keep in mind that the PlayStation 3 originally launched in 2006 for $600. This isn't the first time Sony has released new hardware at a significantly higher price than the competition. The PS3 may have been twice as expensive as the Nintendo Wii back then, but it was also much more powerful. And let's not forget that the newly announced iPhone 16designed for playing AAA games with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, starts at an MSRP of $999.

Is $699 for a full-fledged high-end gaming console really such a bad deal?

On the other hand, the comparison with the PS3 is not entirely valid considering that that console represented a generational leap in terms of graphical fidelity. The PS5 Pro is simply a mid-generation revamp of an existing console.

And as for the iPhone, while it's quite a bit more expensive than a PS5 Pro, it's also a far more versatile multimedia device (and a phone, of course!). A Steam Deck might be a better comparison point, and even the top-of-the-line model is still cheaper than the PS5 Pro.

Ultimately, the PS5 Pro probably isn't overpriced for what it offers. Yes, you can build a modest gaming PC for $699, but that PC won't be able to keep up graphically. Even with such a high price, we wouldn't be surprised if Sony sells this console at a loss.

The real question is whether the PS5 Pro offers enough advantages to justify the 64% higher price over the base model. We'll have to wait until we see real benchmarks and get an idea of ​​how games actually look and perform on the new console.

How many games are optimized for the PS5 Pro?

The main selling point of the PS5 Pro is obvious: it is designed to offer better gaming performance compared to the standard PS5. The goal of this system is to eliminate the need for separate performance and fidelity modes. Gamers no longer have to choose between a high, stable frame rate and the best possible resolution. The Pro offers both at the same time.

It remains to be seen when and if we will see games built from the ground up for the PS5 Pro. But we do know that many existing PS5 games will be “PS5 Pro Enhanced””, meaning they will receive updates to take full advantage of the more powerful hardware. This list includes Alan Wake 2, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, among others.

The question is how many games will be PS5 Pro Enhanced. Will this be a standard feature in the future? Will Sony make it mandatory for new games to support the PS5 Pro? Will we continue to see older first-party titles in the PS5 Pro Enhanced lineup, such as the God of War games or the earlier Spider-Man games?

And what about the PS4 catalog? We know Sony is also looking to improve last-gen games through features like PS5 Pro Game Boost and improved picture quality. How much of the PS4 back catalog will be supported and will new games be added to that lineup over time?

How committed is Sony to ensuring that new and existing games take advantage of this more powerful hardware? And more importantly, what happens if the PS5 Pro doesn't sell well right out of the gate? Sony made a big push into VR gaming with the release of the PSVR2 in February 2023, but the pace has slowed since then as it's become clear that the headset is a niche product. If gamers aren't convinced by the PS5 Pro's higher price, how aggressive will Sony be in marketing the PS5 Pro Enhanced catalog in 6-12 months?

Will developers charge for the PS5 Pro expansion?

We assume that Sony wants to include as many games as possible in the PS5 Pro Enhanced catalog, and that every major game currently in development is likely to have PS5 Pro support in some form or another. But will we see some developers charging for the opportunity to take advantage of the new hardware? Will “PS5 Pro Enhanced” be a paid upgrade in some cases?

For the most part, we suspect that won't be the case. Sony gave no indication in its presentation that these would be paid upgrades, and it would be difficult to expect gamers to shell out the cash for the new hardware and pay even more to actually get all the benefits of playing on the PS5 Pro.

For games that are also available on PC, we expect most of the work has already been done to make enhanced game modes available for better hardware. In short, we doubt that “PS5 Pro Enhanced” will be a paid upgrade in most cases unless significantly more work is put into updating the base game for the new hardware. Charging more just to get a better frame rate and resolution isn't going to cut it.

How much better will GTA 6 look on PS Pro?

At this point, the success of the PS5 Pro could be inextricably linked to Grand Theft Auto 6. GTA 6 is quickly becoming one of the most important games of all timeand it will be a huge seller. Will it end up being the biggest argument for buying a PS5 Pro?

The trailer for GTA 6 is simply stunning visually, and we wonder if the actual game can really live up to that first impression. The incredibly detailed character models and environments, as well as the advanced lighting techniques, promise to push current consoles to their limits. The standard PS5 and Xbox Series X will probably be happy running at a stable 30fps. How much better will the experience be on the PS5 Pro?

Related to our technical analysis of the GTA 6 trailerthe game appears to run at 30fps at a base internal resolution of 1440p. Can the PS5 Pro top that? Will this be the only way to play GTA 6 at 60fps and/or 4K resolution? Will this be where we see what Sony's new PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution technology is capable of?

Since GTA 6 isn't coming to PC right away, it's probably safe to assume that the PS5 Pro version of the game will be the best looking and best playable version of the game right out of the gate. But how big of a difference will it be? Will the game simply run smoother, or will it really feel like a jump in quality between generations? If the latter is the case, we could see a lot more gamers suddenly making the switch to the PS5 Pro a year from now.

Why are the drive and stand not included?

As we've already established, the PS5 Pro probably isn't overpriced given the sheer, raw processing power Sony is working with here. But that's not to say $699 isn't a bitter pill to swallow for most gamers. And Sony has made it even harder by leaving out two fundamental pieces of hardware – the disc drive and the stand.

The lack of the drive isn't necessarily surprising considering that both Sony and Microsoft have started downplaying drives in recent years. And it's not like the option isn't still there. Gamers will just have to shell out $80 for the drive.

Still, the lack of a disc drive hurts. Couldn't Sony have really done itself a favor and included a disc drive with the most expensive version of the PS5? If the incredibly high resolution is the big selling point here, surely you want to encourage owners to take full advantage of the system and watch 4K Blu-rays instead of streaming all of your video content? And what about people upgrading from a standard PS5 with a disc drive to the Pro? Why force them to choose between an extra $80 and an “upgrade” to digital versions of their games?

And what about people upgrading from a standard PS5 with a disc drive to the Pro? Why should they have to choose between paying $80 more or paying to “upgrade” to digital versions of their games?

As for the stand, that's just rubbing salt in the wound. Is it really necessary to charge $30 for a vertical stand? Couldn't Sony have just thrown the damn thing in for people who are shelling out most of a month's rent for their new console?

The real problem here is that these additional purchases add up quickly. If you want to display your PS5 Pro upright and use your collection of physical games and Blu-rays, the price of a PS5 Pro suddenly approaches $800. In this economic climate? Perhaps Sony is asking too much of gamers and bailing them with these additional add-ons.

But what do you think? Is the high price justified? Will the PS5 Pro be the ultimate way to play GTA 6? What are your biggest questions about the new hardware? Let us know in the comments below.

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