It’s time for the mid-gen update again, and just like the PS4 Pro, the PS5 Pro is here to provide an upgrade and a more powerful alternative to the original PS5, which is now a four-year-old console as of 2024.

However, it shocked everyone with its ridiculous price and underwhelming showcase when it was officially announced in September 2024. Courtesy of PlayStation Asia, we received the opportunity to try out the PS5 Pro for several days ahead of its worldwide launch on 7 November 2024.

Here’s what we think of this beast of a machine, as well as both the PROS (pun intended) and CONS of the latest console from Sony Interactive Entertainment:

5 Reasons To Get PS5 Pro

1. Games Look And Run Better (Performance Pro Or Fidelity Pro)

Specs-wise, the PS5 Pro is better than the original PS5 (or PS5 Slim) in three major ways:

• Larger and more powerful GPU: A GPU that has 67% more Compute Units than the current PS5 console and 28% faster memory. Overall, this enables up to 45% faster rendering for gameplay.
• Advanced Ray-Tracing: Provides more dynamic reflection and refraction of light. This allows the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console.
• PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution: An AI-driven upscaling that uses machine learning-based technology to provide super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail.

Essentially, beyond all the unintelligible techno-babble and buzzwords, it just means that the PS5 Pro is more powerful than the original PS5, and thus capable of delivering better overall performances when you play your games.

For instance, when I played graphics-intensive games such as Alan Wake 2 or Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on my PS5 Pro, I could finally turn on ray-tracing and/or 4K without sacrificing these graphical flourishes for better performance. Many of the PS5 Pro-enhanced games come with two new graphic modes; Performance Pro or Fidelity Pro. They’re essentially upgraded versions of the normal Performance Mode or Fidelity Mode that you see in your PS5 games.

2. If You Have A 4K Or 8K TV

Yes, the original PS5 can play games at 4K resolution but you usually had to sacrifice the performance to do that, by playing in Performance Mode that is capped at 30 FPS. With the PS5 Pro, you can actually play at 4K resolution with much higher framerates than what was previously possible on the PS5. That being said, the best results are only possible to be seen if you have the right tools. In this case, the PS5 Pro better fulfils its potential if you have a 4K or even 8K TV.

While games aren’t really available to be played natively in 8K yet even on the PS5 Pro, you can capture 8K screenshots (if you have an 8K TV). Plus, if your TV features VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), the PS5 Pro can enable even higher framerates. I played on my 4K TV (with VRR enabled) and my games ran noticeably better. For instance, Alan Wake 2 in Fidelity Pro mode is supposed to still be capped at 30 FPS, but with VRR on, I was able to experience stable framerates higher than 30 FPS.

3. A Much Bigger Storage Space

One of the biggest issues with the original PS5 is that it only has a mere 825 GB. That definitely wasn’t enough to hold more than just a few AAA games at one time, especially as big games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth would easily reach more than 100 GB in size. Meanwhile, the PS5 Pro comes with a whopping 2 TB, which is a game-changer, because I no longer had to keep deleting old games to make space for new ones.

4. Boost For PS4 Games

The PS5 Pro doesn’t just make PS5 games run better, it also improves the visuals and performances of PS4 games. There are still certain games like Bloodborne still stuck on the PS4 without any remastered version or PS5 patches, so this setting will help make those last-gen games look better and feel better to play.

5. Future Proof

At the time of writing, as far as we know, the PS5 Pro will function in a similar way to the PS4 Pro. The PS4 Pro didn’t have any exclusive games, since it played all the same games that the PS4 did. The same applies to the PS5 Pro, as it will play the same games as the PS5. However, there’s always the possibility of the PS5 Pro getting exclusive games by itself, how unlikely that may seem.

What is more likely is that games will keep on getting more and more demanding specs-wise in the years ahead. Games like the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) will probably be a generational game-changer and when games like that come by, the PS5 Pro will surely be one of the best platforms to play on to get the best graphics and performances.

5 Reasons To Keep The Old PS5

1. Same Games, No New Exclusives (And Will Probably Remain So Just Like PS4 Pro)

If you already have a PS5, the biggest argument against upgrading to the PS5 Pro is well, they both have the same exact games. The PS5 Pro very likely won’t have exclusives of its own, just like the PS4 Pro did, because both of these machines are just mid-generational upgrades. The biggest selling point of a new console is always first and foremost its exclusive games. The only reason to get a PS5 Pro is get more out of the games you already have or will be playing on your original PS5.

2. You Need A Fancy TV Or Monitor To Fulfill The Console’s Full Potential

If you’re simply playing on a standard monitor or TV, there’s no reason to get a PS5 Pro because you literally won’t even be able to see the difference. To make the most out of a PS5 Pro, it requires a TV or monitor with at least 4K resolution, 120Hz, HDR and VRR capability. Heck, the PS5 Pro can even take 8K screenshots, so you’ll technically require a freaking 8K TV to squeeze out everything from this new console.

3. The DualSense Controller Is The Same (No Upgrades)

The DualSense controller for the PS5 Pro is the same exact one you’ll get with the standard PS5 or PS5 slim. There are no upgrades for the existing DualSense controller, so even if you buy a PS5 Pro, you’ll just get the same old DualSense controller. Unfortunately, the PS5 Pro doesn’t come with a souped-up DualSense controller, which would have been nice to get to go along with the upgraded console. Having an upgraded DualSense Pro controller would have added more value to the package (I know we already have the DualSense Edge but that doesn’t come with the PS5 Pro).

4. No Disc Drive (Must Be Purchased Separately)

There are still many gamers out there who swear by physical games. Some still buy 100 percent physical because they believe in ‘owning’ their games and having a physical collection that they can boast of. Unfortunately, even if you have shelves and truckloads of physical games, all of them are useless if you buy a PS5 Pro on its own. To have the luxury and privilege of playing those physical games you ‘own’, you’ll have to fork out a whopping RM529 to purchase the disc drive separately. At the time of writing, there are rumours that the disc drives are all mostly bought out by scalpers or are already sold out, so gamers with only physical games will simply not be able to play on the PS5 Pro if they buy one at launch.

5. Expensive (It Still Comes Down To This)

In the end , it all still mostly comes down to the price of the PS5 Pro, which is expensive as heck.

Here’s a lowdown of what you can be expected to pay to get the full experience of the PS5 Pro:

• PS5 Pro Console – RM3,849
• Disc Drive – RM529
• Vertical Stand – RM149

In total, if you live in Malaysia, you’ll be spending a whopping RM4,527 for a single gaming console. In comparison, the standard PS5 (that comes with the disc drive) is only around RM2500.

Are you willing to spend that much on a new console when you can play the same games at half the price (with the standard PS5)?

Conclusion

The PS5 Pro is a beast of a machine, there’s no doubt about it. However, even if you overlook its extravagant and ludicrous price, not everyone will be able to full maximise the full potential of the new console. You’ll also need a similarly fancy TV or monitor set with all the bells and whistles such as 4K, 120hz, VRR, and HDR.

Ultimately, the PS5 Pro will probably only be viable and appeal to the most hardcore PlayStation fans. It plays the same games as the original PS5 and uses the same DualSense controller as the original PS5. Honestly, you won’t really miss out much even if you keep your original PS5 (or for newcomers, purchase a standard PS5 instead). The only caveat is that you won’t get the performance and visual boost provided by the PS5 Pro, which really is all there is to it.

If you already have a PS5, keep it, unless you really don’t mind forking over almost RM4000 for improved visuals and game performance. If that’s the case, no one’s stopping you. Play has no limits, after all.

Final Score: 70/100

The PS5 Pro review unit was provided by PlayStation Asia.

PS5 Pro Specs

Main Processor
Single-chip custom processor
CPU: x86 64-AMD Ryzen ™ “Zen2”, 8 cores/16 threads
GPU: 16.7 TFLOPS, AMD Radeon™ RDNA based graphics engine

Memory
GDDR6 16 GB
DDRS 2 GB

Storage
2 TB Custom SSD *1 *2

Input/output *2
USB Type A port (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) ×2
USB Type-C* port (Hi-Speed USB)
USB Type-C* port (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps)
M.2 SSD expansion connector (Key M)
Disc drive port

Networking
Ethernet (10BASE-T, 10OBASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be
Bluetooth* 5.1

Av output
HDMI OUT port *3

Electrical rating
220-240 V ~ 1.9 A
50/60 Hz

Maximum rated power
390 W

External dimensions (excluding projecting parts)
Approx. 388 × 89 × 216 mm (width x height x depth)

Mass
Approx. 3.1 kg

Operating temperature
5°C to 35 °C

*1 A portion of the SSD capacity is reserved for use in connection with console administration, maintenance and additional options. As a result, the availability of SSD capacity may vary.
*2 Usability of all connected devices is not guaranteed
*3 Use the included HDMI cable.