Sony's model upgrade is not a novelty. Almost every console gets minor updates during its lifecycle, such as higher energy efficiency, better cooling or a faster processor. — Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik
BERLIN: The name says it all: Sony's latest console, released at the beginning of November 2024, isn't a completely new model.
Instead, the PS5 Pro is an upgraded version of the successful PS5, which came onto the market in 2020. The price of the PS5 Pro is a hefty US$700 (RM3,849 locally) in the US. But Sony promises the best gaming hardware your money can buy.
Sony's model upgrade is not a novelty. Almost every console gets minor updates during its lifecycle, such as higher energy efficiency, better cooling or a faster processor. Sony released a faster and better-cooled Pro version of the PS5's predecessor, the PS4, in 2016.
At the time, the prices weren't as far apart as they are now; At about US$450 (RM2,069 locally), the cheapest PS5 (Slim Digital Edition) is only about half as expensive as the PS5 Pro. So the question is: Is it worth paying almost twice as much?
Is the PS5 already a lame duck?
To get one thing out of the way: the PS5 is far from an old console only capable of outdated pixelated graphics. In particular, Sony's own action-adventure games God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon: Forbidden West are still real eye-catchers. They pack a punch in the action scenes and offer beautiful, detailed landscapes.
However, the speed at which the console delivers images quickly drops with such games. The result can be jittery gameplay. The only remedy is to switch on the PS5's performance mode to restore smoother visuals.
With the PS5 Pro, however, you don't need to make as much of a trade-off between graphical beauty and performance. It should be able to deliver both.
Slim and expensive
The PS5 Pro looks great, and next to a TV its slim and narrow design looks less obtrusive than than the PS5. This is not so much due to the revised interior with optimised memory and processor, as well as an improved graphics unit, but rather to the lack of a Blu-Ray drive.
If you want to watch films or play older PS4 games on Blu-Ray discs, you will have to invest another US$80 (RM357) for an external drive. For a stand that holds the console vertically, you need to pay another US$30 (RM134). That's a total of US$910 (RM4,071). If you think that's steep, think of the teenagers who need to beg from their parents.
Easy migration, smooth gaming fun
Setting it up is simple. If you are upgrading from your old PS5 to the Pro, you essentially just have to scan a QR code and the software will do the rest. Settings and, in particular, game saves can be conveniently transferred via WiFi or USB sticks. The PS5 Pro is ready to go in just a few minutes, depending on your individual situation.
Right from the start, over 50 games support the new technology of the PS5 Pro. Players will inevitably come across the term ray tracing. Put simply, this technology ensures a more realistic representation of light and shadow in games. This has been available before, but was slowed down by the weaker graphics card of the PS5. The Pro is designed to change that.
Games like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 offer several setting options. Fans can choose between a fast Pro performance mode and a quality mode. Both look better and play smoother on the PS5 Pro.
Other games like Alan Wake 2 automatically offer higher graphics quality on the Pro than on the normal PS5. Especially in horror games like this, a few more details create atmosphere and suspense.
Even non-optimised games benefit
Even an action game like Rise of Ronin, which was criticised for its outdated technology when it was released, benefits from the new light and shadow effects. The role-playing game Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, for example, is in a league of its own, providing plenty of smooth gaming fun on the PS5 Pro with more details and impressive action scenes.
What we noticed when we played it is that even games that are not officially optimised for the PS5 Pro benefit from the faster technology. While a game like Space Marine 2 was almost unplayable on the PS5 in quality mode due to jittery gameplay, it is now a fast-paced action hit on the Pro.
But gamers shouldn't expect any miracles. The PS5 Pro is not a new generation of consoles that constantly delivers "wow" moments, but is more about optimisng the existing gaming experience.
That's why there are two target groups: those who are considering buying a PS5 for the first time and those who only want the best and fastest at home anyway and don't have to worry about the steep price.
Pro gaming an option, not a must
As Sony itself says: the PS5 Pro is not a console for everyone, but primarily for "gaming enthusiasts".
It is therefore hardly surprising that the hype is limited. Unlike the release of the PS5, Sony's delivery capacity and thus the availability of the Pro version in stores is high.
This takes the wind out of the sails of online scalpers, who stirred up anger by reselling the PS5 at higher prices when it was released. Only the external Blu-Ray drive is sold out in many places.
There's no question about it: the PS5 Pro is packed with state-of-the-art hardware. And yet what makes the new Sony console somewhat frustrating is that all its benefits are just an option, not a must.
Only those who absolutely want to play at the very top end of the current console generation need the PS5 Pro. Everyone else can safely wait for the PS6 before upgrading. – dpa/Tribune News Service
