PS5 Pro From Gamer's Perspective. I Have Pro-vocating Question - Why Bother With The Basic Console?

I've already played on PlayStation 5 Pro a bit and I can tell you this and that, comparing it to the previous two versions, namely the premiere edition and the slim version. Remember that this is a purely gaming perspective, without focusing on technological or financial aspects.

Yes, playing on PS5 Pro is simply better

In terms of performance and quality, PlayStation 5 Pro offers top-level graphics (as far as consoles are concerned) and yes - we finally have a stable and full 60 frames per second. This is not any cheap marketing trick. There is just one tiny "but" - we are talking about performance modes. However, it must be pointed out that each performance mode on the PS5 Pro keeps the highest graphic settings from the basic PlayStation 5, while maintaining a stable 60 fps. Thanks to this, such titles as Hogwarts Legacy, Alan Wake 2, or Horizon: Zero Dawn Remastered run even smoother than before.

There were plenty of opinions online claiming that PlayStation 5 Pro would not be able to generate a stable 60 fps. And they were wrong – even problematic Dragon's Dogma 2 is running along nicely on the new version of Sony's console. In action games like Horizon the improved performance will be appreciated especially by fans of higher difficulty levels, where a drop in frames can be lethal for Aloy. Fans of virtual tours will appreciate the beautiful rays of light thanks to ray tracing in Hogwarts Legacy.

I was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly the games run, because honestly, I also doubted the technological capabilities of the PS5 Pro. In terms of performance, it's simply better and it's clearly noticeable. I was constantly comparing my experiences with the premiere version of PlayStation 5 and the difference was clearly visible to the naked eye.

Interface and general operation of PlayStation 5 Pro

PS5 Pro uses a solution known from the PS4 Pro, namely adding additional RAM (16 GB + 2 GB) dedicated exclusively for the use of the console system and its accompanying applications. This allowed for an increase in the overall performance of the entire console. And it is noticeable - minimizing the game or restarting it takes noticeably less time than in the regular version of the PS5. The console itself runs smoother in the main menu and streaming apps like Netflix launch much more efficiently.

Has anything changed besides the fluidity? Not really. The interface remains the same, but according to the latest update, the welcome hub has been redesigned. The only difference I noticed is a special, animated background available exclusively on PS5 Pro, depicting the processor. Besides, no new options or tabs have been added to distinguish the more powerful console from its "older" sibling. Even the welcome screen at the first startup of the device has not changed.

Better graphics are a paradise for gaming photographers

This may sound a bit naive, but the new graphic capabilities will especially please those who like to look for nice views in games. Most games available on PlayStation 5 have a dedicated photo mode. Ray tracing stands out here in particular, significantly improving all lighting effects. This is especially visible in such titles as Alan Wake 2, Horizon: Zero Dawn Remastered, or Hogwarts Legacy.

The list of games taking full advantage of PS5 Pro's capabilities on launch day is limited to 93, but it is more than certain that it will be actively expanding. Some developers, who are just planning to release their games, declare that they plan to use the potential of Sony's enhanced console. One of them is Empire of the Ants, available on November 7, the same day as PlayStation 5 Pro's launch date.

PSSR image scaling in PlayStation 4 games

During the marketing presentations, it was announced that PlayStation 5 Pro will have the ability to "enhance PS4 games." Unfortunately, Sony hasn’t prepared a list of games in which this option is supposed to work. I launched a few titles marked as PS4 (Far Cry: New Dawn or Red Dead Redemption 2) and with the "enhancing PS4 game images" option turned on and the differences were either minimal or not visible at all.

I bet that the biggest change will be felt by people who previously played in lower resolutions and on smaller TVs or monitors. Switching to newer TV or monitor models and purchasing PlayStation 5 Pro will allow you to immediately notice the difference.

I could sarcastically say that I don't really understand why Sony is bothering with such technologies - after all, they will soon announce remasters of more PS4 games anyway. I also don't really see the point in implementing such an option, since the Pro version was designed with the latest games in mind and I don't see a logical argument for a PS4 game fan to specifically buy the most powerful version of PS5 for this technology.

This console is nice, very pro-developmental

I have no idea who the target audience is for buying PlayStation 5 Pro for the release price. Those with basic or slim version - if they are not a graphics fanatic - has no need to replace their console. PC Master Race can still maliciously stick pins, because yes, the quality may be increased, but it's still 30 fps in performance mode for most games.

The PlayStation 5 Pro is definitely a great choice for gamers who want stable 60 fps, even if it means slightly weaker graphics. I want to emphasize that the differences are subtle, as they are not very noticeable to a large extent (ray tracing is the main source of components load), but the quality is definitely better.