The PlayStation 5 Pro, an updated version of the PlayStation 5 announced in 2020, is Sony’s most powerful game console yet. With three key improvements, the PS5 Pro is designed entirely to improve the graphical fidelity of its games, like its predecessor.
GPU upgrade:
A GPU upgrade is the first of these. With 67% more compute units and 28% faster memory, the PS5 Pro GPU still uses the same architecture. Compared with the PS5, Sony claims these changes improve game rendering by 45%.
Ray tracing is also improved using hardware acceleration. Because AMD graphics rely on their compute units for ray tracing, increasing the number of compute units also increases ray tracing performance. It is claimed that the PS5 Pro GPU can cast rays twice as fast as the PS5 GPU.
AI image Upscaling:
Sony also announced a new AI-driven image upscaling solution that it developed internally. The PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to upsample images. Because this is likely a hardware-accelerated solution, it should perform better than the software-based AMD FSR technology PS5 games used and should be on par with Nvidia’s DLSS or Intel’s XeSS. According to Sony, there is no frame generation aspect to this, so it appears this is solely a way to upscale images.
During a discussion about the new hardware, PlayStation lead architect Mark Cerny mentioned the need for a toggle to let the user choose between high frame rates and high image quality. The result was that users picked the performance mode 3/4 times for better frame rates, which compromised image quality.
The PS5 Pro aims to eliminate this toggle and provide the same high-quality images you expect from quality mode at 60FPS, giving you the best of both worlds.
This seems doable, but we will need to wait for native support to arrive within games before we can judge the validity of the claim. The new console was showcased with a handful of first and third-party titles that took advantage of its improved performance. PS5 Pro Enhanced labels will appear within games optimized for the new console.
Connectivity and Storage:
Additionally, Sony announced a new PS5 Pro Game Boost feature, which will boost the frame rate and resolution of more than 8500 PS4 games. Additionally, the new console supports VRR and 8K displays in regions where Wi-Fi 7 is supported.
There are only slight visual differences between the PS5 Pro and the PS5. The new model is taller than the current slim model, but it is the same thickness as the PS5 without the Blu-ray disc. No optical disc drive is available for the PS5 Pro, so users must purchase it separately. However, the PS5 Pro includes 2TB of internal storage instead of 1TB on the standard model.
Pricing:
PS5 Pro costs $700 (Rs.58,900/-), 56% more than PS5 Digital, which costs $450. It will go on sale later this year on November 7, with pre-orders beginning September 26.
