PS5 Pro review: The differences are subtle, but they’re there

The PlayStation 5 may be getting older, but don’t count it out just yet. At 4 years old, it’s in much better shape than the PS4 was in when the PS4 Pro stepped in. Notably, 2024 games like Astro Bot and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered prove how good it still is at delivering graphical spectacles. Plus, the perks that wowed us when it launched are still impressive today — like the fact that its games look more like their graphically superior PC counterparts than ever before, and that its fast SSD greatly reduces (or totally eliminates) loading screens in games.

If there’s a bone to pick with the PS5, it’s this: Many of its games ask players to decide between better graphics or faster gameplay. Gamers want both, but the PS5 can’t do both. In an announcement video for Sony’s new hardware, PS5 (and PS5 Pro) lead system architect Mark Cerny shared that most people choose performance mode over fidelity when given the choice. It’s easy to see why; while quality mode looks better with increased detail and ray tracing, it’s usually accompanied by sluggish-feeling 30-frames-per-second gameplay.

Sony’s $699.99 PS5 Pro promises better frame rates and enhanced graphics in supported games, and it comes with the peace of mind that future games will continue to look and run great as the base PS5 slowly but surely ages out. As for how the PS5 Pro fares on launch day, it removes most (but not all) of the sting of having to choose between graphical modes. Thanks to its added power, there are fewer glaring differences overall across modes. However, some of its graphical improvements are easier to notice than others. And I’d argue that some just aren’t noticeable at all if you sit more than a few feet away from your TV.

The list of PS5 Pro-enhanced games available to play on launch day (Nov. 7) is 50 strong, but not totally comprehensive of the system’s back catalog. Most of Sony’s PlayStation Studios games are supported, along with a fleet of third-party games that include Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, EA Sports’ F1 24, Hogwarts Legacy, Alan Wake 2, and more. I didn’t test every compatible title, but instead spent my time playing titles that touted some of the biggest improvements.

The PS5 Pro-enhanced game I tested that best illustrates what the system is capable of is Alan Wake 2’s new 30 fps “quality” mode, which offered some noticeable upgrades over the regular PS5’s mode of the same name. Windows and shiny floors feature realistic ray-traced reflections that make rooms feel more lived-in, since I can see people and neon signs reflected in them. What’s more, the enhanced shadows and lighting add a level of atmosphere and detail I didn’t realize was missing.

In the game’s Night Springs DLC, Rose Marigold’s pink dress reflects realistically on stainless steel fixtures and appliances in the diner. On top of that, the anti-aliasing in this mode was noticeably improved over the base PS5, keeping crispy-looking jaggies out of her cool hairstyle. In terms of the performance mode in Alan Wake 2 on PS5 Pro, it looks nearly as good as the base PS5’s quality mode and runs even better. Notably, the game didn’t feel sluggish to play, either.

These gains, as well as more I’ll mention later, come as a result of the PS5 Pro’s larger GPU, which has 67% more compute units and 28% faster memory onboard, leading to its ability to render games 45% faster than the PS5. The enhanced anti-aliasing that makes for a cleaner-looking image comes courtesy of a new AI feature called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). It’s an image upscaling method that works to make supported games look better than they do without it via machine learning (as in, PSSR is taught on a per-game basis exactly what it needs to touch up an image).

While this kind of tech is new to consoles, PSSR joins the ranks of Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD FSR upscaling techniques on PC that have steadily grown in adoption by PC game developers, and it matters more to the PlayStation’s future than you might think. Here’s the skinny: Most games need to run at a render resolution that’s lower than 4K to maintain a steady frame rate, especially if effects like ray tracing are involved. In titles that are patched to take advantage of PSSR, the feature can enhance the picture quality and anti-aliasing so that, ideally, you won’t even notice that it’s running at that lower resolution. If there’s no patch, this feature appears to be dormant (we’ve asked Sony for confirmation on this point but have yet to hear back).

PSSR is a clever workaround to a common problem that plagues modern consoles and gaming PCs alike, making it a very nice thing to have in the console that’s designed to run the latest games until the PS6 arrives. That said, this is a PS5 Pro feature that you’re asked to trust is working; there’s no indication in the UI that it’s on, and no comparison tools built into supported games to show you what the benefits are, much as I wish there were.

PSSR is also being used to enhance the visuals in PS4 games played through backward compatibility. The Game Boost feature, which needs to be manually turned on in the system settings, allows PSSR to boost the picture quality of PS4 games. That said, the difference between running Bloodborne on a PS5 Pro and a PS5 was negligible; the new AI feature doesn’t perform miracles, like allowing a higher frame rate.

How developers for the launch day enhanced titles have utilized the added GPU power and PSSR varies quite a bit. For Dragon’s Dogma 2, Capcom’s enhancements are limited to a higher frame rate (no disrespect, we love a fast frame rate). In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, EA says that a ray-tracing feature once limited to the PS5’s 30 fps quality mode is now available in a 60 fps mode on the Pro. In the Demon’s Souls remake that debuted at the PS5’s launch, there are more particle effects present in front of fog-covered boss arenas (I couldn’t spot a single difference otherwise, as the game already runs flawlessly on the base PS5). The intro sequence in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor had some noticeable improvements to the way light bounces off of other objects in the game world. Note the green neon sign’s reflection on the duct in the image slider below.

As I expected, some of the fastest and prettiest PS5 games are now even more so on the Pro. Marvel’s Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart have been patched with two new visual options that deliver a high-resolution image, fast frame rates, and realistic ray tracing on surfaces all at once. Performance Pro is essentially the old fidelity mode, but with 60 fps gameplay and ray tracing set to medium. Fidelity Pro is now the high-end option for those games, with 4K output and the option to turn on more demanding ray-tracing effects that impact the frame rate. I won’t turn away further improvements, even though those games already had remarkably smooth, speedy performance on the base PS5. They’re just a bit more beautiful now. Insomniac Games says it’ll go even further with its next game, Marvel’s Wolverine, which currently doesn’t have a release date.

Naughty Dog games utilize the extra power of the PS5 Pro differently. For The Last of Us Part 1 and Part 2, the new PS5 Pro-specific mode renders the game at a locked 1440p resolution, then adds extra detail and upscales the game with the help of PSSR to 4K at 60 frames per second (neither game features ray tracing). I didn’t notice differences in either game with the PS5 Pro, nor could I see from my couch that the base PS5 delivered markedly worse performance by comparison. That’s not to say the differences aren’t there. But these especially are incremental improvements to games that already looked incredible.

The same can be said for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The PS5 Pro patch adds a new versatility graphics mode that allows the game’s 4K quality mode, which ran at 30 frames per second, to now be enjoyed at a smooth 60 frames per second (that said, there’s a surprising amount of pop-in with detail and shadow). The extra detail is obvious when comparing versatility mode to the performance (smooth) mode. However, I’d be hard-pressed to notice the extra sharpness during gameplay — especially during the heat of battle.

As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t try each of the 50 games that have gotten a PS5 Pro patch. But what I did try delivered a mixed bag of improvements that I’m not sure I’d be totally happy with if I spent $699.99 on launch day. That said, there will be many games in 2025 that put the PS5 Pro’s more powerful specs to the test. And as is usually the case with new console hardware, giving developers more time to play with it will lead to more impressive games. Of course, the upcoming game that matters most is Grand Theft Auto 6. You don’t need me to tell you that it’s poised to be a monumental hit when it comes out in 2025. Assuming that Rockstar Games takes full advantage of this console’s bigger GPU and PSSR with its next open-world game, GTA6’s launch could also be the PS5 Pro’s big moment.

The PS5 Pro has its work cut out for it in a more existential way, too. The PC now plays a large role in Sony’s software strategy, selling its greatest hits to new players who may flat-out refuse to buy a console. On PC, people can play these games with newfound fidelity not possible on a PS5, and in the case of multiplayer games like Helldivers 2 on Steam, without Sony’s PS Plus paid subscription, too. Given these perks, it’s possible that some console players have been switching from PlayStation to PC. So in a way, the PS5 Pro is a stopgap console, costing $699.99 with power comparable to a PC that would cost hundreds more to purchase or build.

Considering that the PS5 Pro costs $250 more than the most affordable PS5 slim model (and $300 more than a Sony-refurbished PS5), this isn’t an upgrade to be taken lightly for current owners and newcomers alike. It’s also not an upgrade that will scream “new” to PS5 owners in any way. The UI is exactly the same throughout, and the Pro is too subtle at times with communicating its benefits.

As time goes on, how much better the PS5 Pro is compared to the base PS5 will eventually fade into the background. Instead, how the PS5 Pro stacks up to the always-evolving state of PC graphics in 2025 and beyond will be a much more interesting — and telling — sign of whether it’s worth your money.

Photography by Cameron Faulkner/Polygon