There is nothing quite like a mid-generation refresh for a console manufacturer. While I do miss the old days when companies would simply change a system’s color (the Game Boy lived off this in the 90s) and then make it smaller (looking at you, PlayStation 2 Slim), if anything adds longevity to a console generation’s life, then that is a healthy take from the industry.
That refresh isn’t a new console, but rather a more powerful console that can do a few more bells and whistles. Sony did this with their PlayStation 4 when they released the PlayStation 4 Pro, a less airplane-taking-off sounding system that brought graphical prowess to games that played just as nicely on the PS4. Sure, it looked like a Big Mac with an extra layer stacked on it, but it worked and sounded great. It was one of my favorite refreshes from the last-generation console line-up.
When the PlayStation 5 finally arrived, things changed. PlayStation 5 launched a bigger, odder shape that packed a unique proprietary hardware scheme that featured all the RAM you needed, a top-of-the-line Graphics Processing Unit that pushed enough pretty to make even PC players drop a tear, and hard drive speed that set a new standard for the PC industry. All working with a motherboard design that was unrivaled with speed and accessibility. Mark Cerny laid it all out there with his March 2020 presentation, and the hardware couldn’t be more impressive for those who understood his descriptions. For my money, that design was far better than any PC on the market at the time and it proved it repeatedly.
All the above said we received a PlayStation 5 Pro to test out and see how far it took the original PS5 idea. Spoiler alert, it took it far and did so on interesting promises. Let’s get right into it.
Pro Promises
When the PS5 Pro was released last year, there were a lot of promises made by the hardware team led by Mark Cerny about what the magical beast could do. While the PS5 didn’t have a lot of deficiencies, and still doesn’t, the improvements that came with the PlayStation 5 Pro were bold as they were true. And let’s talk about those promises.
PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR – AI-powered upscaling)
If I’m understanding this right, and I would like to think I am, the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution powered by AI is brilliant. This might be the first time that AI had a good purpose that didn’t seem forced on the consumer. It certainly feels less Skynet-y than other AI inventions out there in the world.
Anyway, the purpose of the PSSR is to improve visuals and to add more flair to games than they originally came with. It feels in the blanks and upscales as needed, which is just a wild idea to begin with. This idea that you can build AI that analyzes software, does what it thinks best to deliver the best version of the game it’s analyzing, and then executes that analysis in real-time is nuts. That’s a good use of AI.
If you need proof of PSSR in action, look below at the Hogwarts Legacy video. While it is only 28 seconds in length, you can see PSSR in action with the environment, as the picture is darker, more detailed, and looks natural and better than the PS5 version. It raises the value of the environment and offers a more complex look to the game. It’s impressive.
Beyond just obvious visuals, the secondary purpose is how it helps devs out during game creation. The resources needed by the game can be loosened a bit, as PSSR upscales lower versions into full-blown 4K. If you have ever worked with a complicated engine, such as Unreal, then you understand the need to reserve your resources to push a game further when needed. It’s a balancing act of sorts and having an AI component to handle some of that load only stands to help games in the future. As of right now, I can see the beginning of it in action with games like Hogwarts Legacy.
Larger GPU
If you didn’t know this, and I’m sure you did, the point of a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is to take some pressure of calculating off the Central Processing Unit (CPU). They dance together in perfect harmony to deliver high-resolution graphics and frame rates; all while balancing out the stability of whatever game is being played.
While the PS5 certainly had enough GPU-umph to make good things happen, and you can see it in such games as God of War: Ragnarök, Ghost of Tsushima, and Death Stranding, having a bigger GPU only stands to push the envelope of this generation further. One of the games coming out this summer, Death Stranding 2, will benefit from this PS5 Pro feature, and you can see that in the latest trailer released this week.
Having a good GPU that calculates faster and pushes details/frame rates higher is invaluable. The use of that bigger GPU can be seen in the below video of God of War: Ragnarök, bringing more details, proper shadows, lighting, and a good frame rate. This is just the tip of the iceberg and it’s impressive right now. Hopefully, more devs will take advantage of this and maybe throw PSSR into the mix with it.
Advanced Ray Tracing
While the PS5 pushed some decent ray tracing with its visuals, and I’m still stunned by how beautiful Miles Morales brought this feature into its world (those shoulder pads on his costume and window reflections on buildings were something to behold), it never got close to NVIDIA 40-series capabilities.
The PS5 Pro pushes Ray Tracing much further than its predecessor. One of the games I saw this with was Gran Turismo 7, which did its best on the PS5 to show good reflections but is improved with the Pro’s abilities. The video below demonstrates real-time reflections from the hardware, accurate details of those reflections on the surface of the blue Mustang, and just a cool sense of realism that proves the hardware does a great job of improving this portion of its promise.
Overall, the promises made were fulfilled with the PlayStation 5 Pro. Right out of the gate, this system shows its big three promises with game updates. It certainly sets the final path for the PS5 to bring some amazing details and improvements to gameplay.
Games
While I’m still sifting through games that have a PS5 Pro upgrade to them, these three stood out early for me and demonstrated what the PS5 Pro could bring to the table. Enjoy these short, but good videos.
God of War: Ragnarök
Explanation:
Running through about two hours or so of God of War: Ragnarök opened my eyes to some obvious improvements. Much like GT7, GoW:R brings an upgrade combination from the Ray Tracing and GPU improvements. You can specifically see in the video above that Atreus’ shoulder armor has proper sun and environment reflections, while also showing separation with the small pieces that make up said shoulder armor. It’s the little things and these are a lot of those little things.
Hogwarts Legacy
Explanation:
As stated above, you can see the visual environmental improvements in this short gameplay. I’m almost certain that this is PSSR in play, and I know it is also improved Ray Tracing and a bigger GPU that help push this video along on the PS5 Pro side. You can see very clearly the difference in waves, reflections, and even Alucard’s (my guy’s name) robe movements. For 28 seconds in length, a lot is going on between the two videos. The differences are crystal clear.
Gran Turismo 7
Explanation:
Out of all three games here, I must admit this one took some squinting to see the little details coming up with the PS5 Pro hardware. The one feature that leads the way for the PS5 Pro version of this game is the Ray Tracing. You can see reflections on cars so much clearer than in the PS5 version. In addition, the improved lighting and shadows are less visually clunky and more intensely detailed. You can see the latter of the two when the Mustang drives by a half-shaded fence area of the track and how many pieces of said fence cast a proper shadow on the vehicle’s back. Again, it’s the little details but they’re good.
Design
When I unboxed the PS5 Pro, I was a bit shocked with what I pulled out. It had three design elements that blew my mind, especially considering what was packed under the hood. Let’s get into those design choices right now.
Smaller
The first big difference between the original PS5 and the Pro version is their size. The PS5 Pro is considerably smaller than its big brother, as it takes up about two-thirds of the height and width of the original. How they did that is nothing short of Hogwarts’ magic, as I can’t fully grasp it. Packing more punch, a bigger hard drive, and a bigger GPU must have called for more fans in the system, so naturally and logically it should be a bigger system. But it isn’t. It’s smaller, thinner, and feels less like a large dog to pick up and go. I don’t know how they did it, but they did.
Lighter
The PS5 Pro is lighter than the PS5. It has more things inside, yet it’s lighter. How is that possible? My only conclusion is that the power supply has changed considerably, which would make this a lighter console. My only pushback on that thought is that the GPU would take more space due to its increased size. Overall, much like the girth of the system, it being lighter simply makes no sense, but it is.
Internal Pieces
While I’ll withhold my assumptions until I get some questions answered from the Sony hardware team, one of the big differences between the two systems was the location of the internal components of the Pro. The GPU has been moved away from the power supply compared with the first system for whatever reason and is far easier to access when you’re plugging up an HDMI cable. There are some great reasons to separate the two devices, especially if you’re adjusting fan location and trying to give both pieces enough room to cool off. The further they are away, the better it is for managing internal heat. Again, this is my assumption of the move, but logically it makes sense in my head.
In addition to those adjustments, the Pro has two USB-C inputs in the front instead of a single USB-C and USB-A featured on the original PS5. Having more USB-C inputs on the front is a blessing, especially considering what tech uses USB-C nowadays, and wonderful if you’re trying to recharge your controller. The system also comes with a 2TB internal drive. That drive makes life so much easier and is worth the price of admission with the Pro. The cost of that space and speed would easily add $200 extra dollars to any price tag, if not more. That new hard drive addition makes this system more than worth it.
To wrap things up in this category, I need to discuss the lack of a physical Blu-ray 4K drive. Say what you will but the world is going digital. It needs to go digital. Of course, the terms of service for digital products need to change, but getting rid of physical media is the next natural technological step in our modern console story. Having the option to add a physical disc drive to the PS5 Pro is more module and makes far more sense. It gives people choice without unnecessarily requiring them to pay for a piece of hardware that they won’t use. For example, the PS5 I have features the Blu-ray 4K drive and I think I have used it four times since acquiring it before launch. I do not anticipate using it in the future. People should have choices whether to add hardware to their systems, rather than being forced to take the cost. Mark my words, consoles in the future will be more modular like this and give consumers more choice. It should be that way and allow consumers to pay for what they want in their console.
On that sweet note, let’s wrap this review up.
Verdict
The three big promises that Sony made with the release of the PlayStation 5 Pro have been fulfilled in my opinion. Getting a revolutionary AI-driven upscale (PSSR), a bigger GPU, and better Ray Tracing adds much to the game experience. In addition, having a lighter, smaller system, and one packed with a 2TB hard drive makes the entire package sweeter. Ultimately, this is just like the PlayStation 4 Pro, where you don’t need this to have fun with the games, but having more power under the hood makes gaming much better.
