PlayStation 5 Pro: Next-Level Gaming or Just an Expensive Upgrade? Find Out Now!

PlayStation 5 Pro Review: The Good, The Bad, and The $700 Question

Ah, the PlayStation 5 Pro—Sony’s latest, shiniest console. If you're a gamer or a tech enthusiast, you probably have mixed feelings about it. I mean, $700? That's not pocket change. So, what’s the deal? Is it worth shelling out a small fortune for an upgraded PS5, or are we all getting a little ahead of ourselves? Let’s break it down together.

But before we dive in, let’s set the stage. If you're anything like me, you probably spent the last few years enjoying the base PS5, but always wondering, “Could it get any better?” Sony thinks so, and they’ve got the PlayStation 5 Pro to prove it. But is this upgrade really necessary? That’s the million-dollar—or should I say, $700—question.

PS5 Pro Release Date & Price: What’s the Damage?

Let’s rip off the Band-Aid first. The PS5 Pro price is set at a whopping $700 (or £699.99 GBP, €799.99 EUR, ¥119,980 JPY). Ouch, right? Sony has confirmed the PS5 Pro release date is November 7, 2024, with pre-orders starting on September 26, 2024. It’s not a cheap investment, especially when you think the base PS5 launched at around $499.99.

But does a $700 price tag mean it’s automatically overpriced? Well, let’s take a deeper look. In terms of hardware, you’re getting some serious upgrades: a GPU with 67% more compute units, advanced ray tracing, and PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution—a fancy term for AI-driven upscaling, which promises to make your games look sharper than ever. It’s a lot of tech, but is it really worth the price?

Aside from the hefty price tag and the underwhelming performance gap, another point of criticism is the lack of true next-gen exclusives. While the PS5 Pro boasts superior hardware, many of its most-anticipated titles remain cross-gen releases, designed to run on both the PS5 and PS4. This compromises the graphical leap some players expected. Additionally, with prolonged cross-generation support, early adopters of the PS5 feel short-changed, as they haven’t seen the full potential of their consoles explored before being pushed to upgrade.

The Hardware: A Gamer’s Dream or Overkill?

This is where things get interesting. The PlayStation 5 Pro is designed for people who crave those higher fidelity graphics and smoother frame rates. You’ve got 60fps in full 4K mode, which is undeniably impressive. But, and it’s a big "but," many are wondering if the base PS5 has even reached its full potential yet. Seriously, when was the last time you played a game that truly made your PS5 sweat? Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarok look amazing, but they’re also available on the PS4, which brings up an important point: Are developers really taking advantage of the PS5’s current power?

A lot of people are asking, “Is Sony moving on from the regular PS5 before it’s even hit its stride?” And it’s a valid question. We’re already four years into the PS5’s life cycle, and some major titles—GTA 6 and Marvel’s Wolverine, anyone?—have yet to fully test the limits of the original console. In fact, many games are still being developed with the decade-old PS4 in mind, which leaves a lot of us early PS5 adopters feeling a bit...well, short-changed.

Is It Just About Graphics?

So, is this upgrade purely about better graphics and smoother gameplay? That’s what Sony wants you to believe. Sure, the PlayStation 5 Pro comes with all the bells and whistles: faster rendering, improved ray tracing, and even Wi-Fi 7 for better internet connectivity. But here’s the thing—how many of us actually need these features right now?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for cutting-edge technology. But is it really worth the extra $200 if most of the games we play today were designed with the PS4 in mind? Mark Cerny, the lead architect, highlighted titles like The Last of Us Part II Remastered and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 during his PS5 Pro presentation. Both are beautiful games, no doubt, but they hardly justify spending $700 for better reflections and shadows.

You might be thinking, “But what about the future? Won’t games get better and more demanding?” Of course, they will. Titles like GTA 6 and Dragon’s Dogma 2 will likely push the PS5 Pro to its limits. However, unless you're a graphics purist who must have the best visuals possible, you might not feel the immediate need to upgrade.

The Cross-Gen Problem: Why Now?

One of the biggest issues with the PS5 Pro is the timing. We’re still in a weird cross-generational phase, where many games are being released for both the PS4 and PS5. That means developers aren’t fully tapping into the PS5’s (let alone the PS5 Pro’s) power. Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Forbidden West, and even upcoming titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 are playable on the PS4. So, why should we rush to buy a PS5 Pro when so many games aren’t taking full advantage of the base model yet?

If you bought a PS5 back in 2020, you probably expected to see more next-gen titles by now. But here we are, in 2024, still waiting for that big leap forward. It’s frustrating, especially for those of us who thought the PS5 was going to revolutionize gaming right out of the gate. And this is precisely where the PS5 Pro has a bit of an identity crisis. Who is it for, really?

PS5 Pro: Who Is It For?

That’s the real kicker, isn’t it? If you’re someone who’s obsessed with getting the absolute best performance out of your games, then yeah, the PlayStation 5 Pro might be worth it. You’ll get sharper visuals, better frame rates, and a GPU that’s 45% faster than the base PS5. For hardcore gamers or those with a 4K TV who want the best of the best, the PS5 Pro is a tempting option.

But for the majority of us, who are still enjoying our base PS5 consoles? It might not be worth the splurge—yet. Many fans are hesitant to make the jump, and for good reason. Only 9% of users on Push Square said they’re willing to purchase the PS5 Pro at launch, compared to the 24% who were excited about the PS4 Pro back in the day. That’s a pretty significant drop in enthusiasm.

So, Should You Buy the PS5 Pro?

Here’s the bottom line: If you’re perfectly happy with your current PS5 and don’t feel the need for supercharged graphics or frame rates, you might want to hold off. Yes, the PS5 Pro is an impressive piece of hardware, but it’s also expensive, and we’ve yet to see many games that will truly take full advantage of its power.

But if you’re the kind of person who craves the latest and greatest tech, and you have the money to spare, then sure, go for it. Just remember: Sony PlayStation isn’t done pushing the boundaries of the current PS5, and there’s still a lot of untapped potential in the console most of us already own.

So, what do you think? Are you ready to fork out $700 for the PlayStation 5 Pro, or are you content with your base PS5 for now?