Sony's latest PlayStation livestream premiered this morning. Mark Cerny, the Lead Architect of the PS5, revealed the long-awaited PlayStation 5 Pro and how it differs from the original PS5. Suffice it to say that fans were not impressed with Sony's presentation. Before we explain what ticked the fans off, let's review what went down during the nine-minute presentation.
THE UNVEILING:
Cerny began by breaking down the components that make up the PS5—detailing the console's CPU, GPU, SSD and Ray Tracing capabilities. The PS5 is an impressive console with a consistent performance across all first-party titles. Tempest 3D Audio and the custom DualSense controller add extra immersion for gamers by making them feel like they are part of the world they are interacting with. Cerny also detailed the two Graphics Modes available on first-party games:
"Fidelity mode emphasises the visuals, typically through higher resolution rendering. These modes might also have enhanced details or use more ray tracing, but the games only run at 30 frames per second. The visuals can be choppier and the controls less responsive. Performance mode emphasise frame rates by reducing the graphical detail until those frame rates can be achieved." Cerny detailed.
Cerny claimed that developers have expressed their desire for more graphics performance. Especially with about 75% of gamers choosing Performance mode over Fidelity mode:
"Removing that decision, or at least narrowing that divide, is one of the key targets for PlayStation 5 Pro. We want to give players the graphics that the game creators aspire to at the high frame rates the players typically prefer."
This feedback led to the PS5 Pro, and Cerny explains that this new iteration improves from the original in three key ways:
The GPU is more extensive than in the PS5, with 67% more compute units, and the memory speed has increased, with up to 28% faster RAM.
Ray tracing can now calculate speeds at double or sometimes triple the speed.
Sony has added custom AI hardware called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. This system analyses every frame pixel by pixel and boosts the game's resolution.
Cerny showed fans footage of a selection of games running on the PS5 Pro to explain the console's graphical and performance possibilities. Footage of The Last of Us: Part II, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and Gran Turismo 7 showed the PS5 Pro's power, and footage of these games on PS5 in both Fidelity and Performance mode showed the improvements.
THE RESPONSE:
On paper, these improvements sound impressive. Better graphics without sacrificing frame rate sounds like Sony is on to a winner. However, considering the Performance mode on PS5, PS5 Pro's graphical improvements are not significant enough to warrant an upgrade. When I first played Marvel's Spider-Man 2 in Performance mode, the graphical difference was something I never noticed. Fidelity mode may give slightly better detail, but Performance mode still made the game one of the best-looking console exclusives ever made. When Cerny compared the graphics of the PS5 Pro to the PS5's Performance mode, I was not as impressed as I figured I would be. There is only a slight depth of field improvement, and the game still runs at 60fps on PS5 Pro. The performance is only a minor improvement.
Fans are similarly not impressed, especially with the console's price and lack of a disc drive and stand on purchase. The PS5 offered both a physical disc drive model and a digital-only model. In Australia, purchasing a physical game is often cheaper than buying one at the PlayStation Store, making the disc drive model the more obvious choice. The PS5 Pro does not come with a disc drive. You will have to purchase one separately to attach to the console yourself, costing you an additional $159 on top of the console. Losing the disc drive is a massive disappointment, and fans feel the same. The story is the same as the vertical stand; Sony will sell it separately. The price of the vertical stand has yet to be confirmed, but the PS5 Slim's vertical stand retails at $49.
Another sticking point for fans is the price of the console. Retailing at $1,199, the console is costly. The current PS5 Slim with a disc drive retails at $799. Paying an extra $400 for slightly improved graphics and 2TB of space on the console is a joke. Once again, the console does not have a disc drive fitted or a vertical stand, which will add more money to your purchase. If you were to purchase the PS5 Pro, a disc drive and a vertical stand, you could be spending over $1,400! The price is ridiculous. Also, the 2TB space of the console is a welcome feature, but you can purchase an additional SSD to fit into your existing PS5 for more storage.
VERDICT:
Sony's PlayStation 5 Pro promises to deliver the best console performance anywhere on the market, but fans and myself are still trying to understand the company's goals. The graphics look amazing, but the PS5 already has incredible performance capabilities. The lack of a disc drive and vertical stand is a baffling decision I need help understanding, and the console's price is off-putting for fans. All of this leads me to think that the PlayStation 5 Pro (currently) is not worth the purchase if you already have a PS5.
PlayStation 5 Pro goes on sale Thursday, November 7th 2024, with pre-orders beginning Thursday, September 26th 2024.
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