PlayStation 5 Pro Review: Sony's Mid-Generation Powerhouse Worth the Upgrade?

Nearly five years after the original PlayStation 5's release, Sony has followed its established pattern of mid-generation upgrades with the PlayStation 5 Pro. Promising enhanced performance, better graphics, and more stable framerates without sacrificing compatibility, the PS5 Pro aims to justify its premium price tag of $599. After three weeks of extensive testing across dozens of games, I'm ready to determine whether this upgrade is essential for PlayStation enthusiasts or an optional luxury for the most demanding gamers.

Design and Hardware

The PlayStation 5 Pro maintains the distinctive futuristic aesthetic of its predecessor with some notable refinements:

• 15% smaller overall footprint than the original PS5
• Slightly heavier at 4.5kg (vs 4.2kg for the standard PS5)
• More subdued two-tone design with darker accent colors
• Enhanced cooling system with a vapor chamber and additional heat pipes
• Fully detachable disc drive (sold separately for $79.99)

Port selection remains largely unchanged with:

• 1x HDMI 2.1 output
• 3x USB-A ports
• 1x USB-C port (upgraded to 10Gbps)
• Ethernet port
• Power connection

Inside, the PS5 Pro features significant hardware improvements:

• Enhanced custom AMD RDNA 3 GPU with 60 compute units (up from 36)
• 16.8 teraflops of computing power (up from 10.28)
• Same 8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU but with higher clock speeds
• Unchanged 16GB GDDR6 RAM but with improved bandwidth
• 2TB SSD storage (doubled from the standard PS5)
• Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity

The included DualSense controller is identical to the standard model, with no Pro-specific enhancements beyond a matching color scheme.

Performance and Graphics

The PS5 Pro's primary selling point is enhanced performance, and the console delivers substantial improvements across three key areas:

Resolution and Frame Rates

Games optimized for PS5 Pro demonstrate impressive improvements:

Even games without specific PS5 Pro patches benefit from the "Game Boost" feature, which typically provides more stable frame rates and occasional resolution improvements.

Ray Tracing

Ray tracing performance sees the most dramatic improvements, with the enhanced GPU enabling more advanced lighting effects without the substantial performance penalties seen on the standard PS5:

• More realistic reflections and shadows
• Increased ray tracing resolution
• Support for multiple ray-traced effects simultaneously
• Better performance when ray tracing is enabled

In titles like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, the PS5 Pro can maintain 60fps with ray tracing enabled at higher resolutions, whereas the standard PS5 typically requires lowering resolution or frame rate when using similar effects.

Load Times and Texture Streaming

Despite using the same SSD architecture, the PS5 Pro demonstrates modest improvements in load times (typically 10-15% faster) and more significant enhancements in asset streaming:

• Fewer instances of texture pop-in
• Higher quality textures at a distance
• More consistent level of detail transitions
• Faster streaming when moving quickly through open worlds

PlayStation Enhanced Upscaling Technology (PEST)

New to the PS5 Pro is Sony's machine learning-based upscaling technology, PEST, which functions similarly to NVIDIA's DLSS or AMD's FSR but is optimized specifically for PlayStation hardware. The technology offers three modes:

• Quality: Prioritizes image clarity, upscaling from approximately 1800p to 4K
• Balanced: Middleground approach, upscaling from around 1620p
• Performance: Focuses on frame rate, upscaling from approximately 1440p

In testing, PEST proves quite effective, providing noticeably better image quality than traditional upscaling methods. While not quite matching native resolution, the difference is minimal in motion, and the performance benefits are substantial.

Backward Compatibility

The PS5 Pro maintains perfect backward compatibility with the entire PS5 library and benefits from the same PS4 backward compatibility as the standard PS5. Many PS4 titles see enhanced performance through Game Boost, with some receiving unofficial resolution and framerate improvements.

Sony has announced that over 40 popular titles will receive PS5 Pro optimization patches within the launch window, with more to follow. These optimizations typically include:

• Enhanced resolutions
• Improved frame rates
• Better ray tracing effects
• Reduced loading times
• More stable performance

User Experience and Software

The PS5 Pro runs the same PlayStation OS as the standard PS5, with interface and functionality remaining identical. New features include:

• "Pro Enhanced" indicators for optimized games
• Enhanced performance monitoring options
• More granular control over performance vs. quality preferences
• Expanded capture and streaming options
• Support for 8K output (for media, not games)

The PS5 Pro is fully compatible with PlayStation VR2, and several VR titles receive performance enhancements that result in higher rendering resolutions or more stable frame rates.

Power Consumption and Noise

The enhanced hardware does come with increased power consumption:

• Idle: 55W (vs 45W on standard PS5)
• Gaming: 250-320W depending on the title (vs 180-220W)

Despite the higher power draw, the improved cooling system keeps noise levels remarkably similar to the standard PS5, with the console operating at approximately 42-45 dB under full load—quiet enough to remain unobtrusive during gameplay.

Value Proposition

At $599 for the digital edition (plus $79.99 for the optional disc drive), the PS5 Pro commands a $100 premium over the standard PS5. This price positioning raises important questions about its value proposition for different types of gamers:

For PS5 Owners: The upgrade is harder to justify unless you're specifically seeking enhanced performance in 4K gaming with ray tracing or have a 120Hz display that can benefit from the higher frame rates.

For PS4 Owners: Those still on PS4 who haven't upgraded to current generation will find the PS5 Pro offers a substantial leap in capabilities, though at a significant price premium over the standard PS5.

For High-End Display Owners: Gamers with 4K/120Hz displays or 8K TVs will see the most benefit from the PS5 Pro's enhanced capabilities.

Primary alternatives include:

• Standard PS5 ($499 with disc drive): 80-90% of the experience at a lower price
• Xbox Series X ($499): Comparable to standard PS5 but with Game Pass advantages
• Gaming PC (various prices): Higher potential performance but at a significantly higher cost

Conclusion

The PlayStation 5 Pro delivers on its promises of enhanced performance, particularly for 4K gaming and ray tracing applications. The improvements are substantial enough to be immediately noticeable in optimized games, providing a meaningfully better gaming experience for those with displays capable of showcasing the differences.

However, the $100 premium over the standard PS5 makes this a luxury purchase rather than an essential upgrade. For most gamers, the standard PS5 continues to offer an excellent experience at a more reasonable price point. The Pro model is best suited for enthusiasts who demand the best possible performance from their console games and have the display technology to appreciate the enhancements.

For those who prioritize technical excellence and are willing to pay for it—particularly players with 4K/120Hz displays—the PS5 Pro represents the pinnacle of console gaming in 2025. Everyone else might be better served by the standard PS5 and putting the price difference toward additional games.