PS5 Pro Leaks: Is It Worth Upgrading Your Base PlayStation 5?

Summary The PS5 Pro focuses on GPU upgrades, advanced ray tracing features, and spectral super resolution upscaling.

PS5 Pro improvements might not translate to 60 FPS in every game, with limitations to potential enhancements.

The PS5 Pro's price may exceed $500, making it more appealing for new buyers than current PS5 owners.

Despite the lack of an official reveal, more information has emerged about the upcoming PlayStation 5 Pro model, and just how much value it's going to bring to the table is becoming increasingly clear. The idea of a mid-generation Pro upgrade was set into place during the last console generation, with the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X offering significant boosts to consoles that were struggling to meet high resolution and performance targets on some games. It's not surprising that both Sony and Microsoft appear ready to continue the tradition, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's worthwhile.

The PS5 has enjoyed a successful console generation in terms of sales so far, which have consistently impressed in spite of initial supply shortages and plenty of jokes about its arguably anemic selection of killer apps. Unlike the PS4, however, the PS5 isn't in dire need of an upgrade to handle most of its current library without significant compromises. A PS5 Pro might have to bring a lot to the table to make double-dipping worthwhile, even if it could become an appealing option for those who haven't already invested in a system.

Related PS5 Is Getting Multiple New Features, 4 Years Too Late The latest PlayStation 5 system software beta has some much-needed new features, but they’re arriving disappointingly late in the console’s life.

The PS5 Pro Focuses On The GPU And Scaling

The CPU Isn't The PS5 Pro's Target

The biggest news about the PS5 Pro comes courtesy of The Verge, which has apparently obtained the specs for the mid-generation upgrade and some references to how its performance should compare to the current model. The big upgrade lies in the GPU, while the CPU is getting a higher-frequency mode rather than an actual change in hardware. This comes with the trade-off of taking a bit of power away from the GPU, but it could help games that are especially CPU reliant to still get a boost out of the PS5 Pro.

The PS5 Pro GPU is supposed to represent about a 45% improvement in rendering speed, although tech analysis channel Digital Foundry points out that a slight downgrade in clock speed could limit its improvements.

The most obvious upgrades to think about in terms of gameplay might be framerate and resolution, but it looks like Sony's making a push for developers to use the extra power for enhanced ray tracing features. This advanced method of simulating lighting is officially supported on the PS5 and appears in a number of games, but the intense performance demands that come with ray tracing frequently make its implementation minimal or non-existent. The PS5 Pro is apparently making use of a "more powerful ray tracing architecture," which should significantly reduce that performance cost.

Another important inclusion is PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution Upscaling (PSSR), which seems to be Sony's alternative to the AI scaling solutions offered by Nvidia and AMD. This tech apparently makes use of machine learning, making it closer in nature to Nvidia DLSS than to AMD FSR, although how well it will perform in practice compared to these tried-and-true implementations remains to be seen.

Related Upcoming Xbox Update May Be The Key To Running Starfield At 60 FPS Starfield's 30 FPS cap on Xbox has been one sore point among many for Bethesda's 2023 release, but there's a chance that improvements could be made.

Assuming PSSR does offer significant performance boosts, this scaling tech could end up being the key to making the PS5 Pro experience feel substantially different from the normal console. Scaling solutions can only do so much if the game is being internally rendered at a low resolution, but when it comes to punching something up from 1080p to 4K or similar tasks, it's an easy way to deliver a crisp output at a smooth framerate with relatively minimal compromises.

How Big The PS5 Pro Improvements Will Be

60 FPS Might Still Not Be Possible In Every Game

Close

Without actual examples of game performance to look at and compare, it can be difficult to sift through this information to get a clear idea of how different the PS5 Pro experience will be in practice. Ray tracing improvements seem like the most reliable improvement for games with proper ray tracing support, but this may not be a particularly strong reason to invest in a new system. Although ray tracing can be incredibly impressive, games with extensive ray tracing implementation tend to already have excellent lighting systems in general, so the difference isn't always transformative.

As analyzed by Digital Foundry and reported by IGN, the improvements offered by the PS5 Pro could still run into major limitations. Assuming Grand Theft Auto 6 runs at 30 FPS on the standard PS5, it can be expected to hit the same framerate on the PS5 Pro thanks to the lack of a significant CPU upgrade. Even if it features some ray-tracing enhancement or enhanced resolution scaling, being unable to push past this compromise on what's slated to be the biggest title of 2025 makes it hard to argue that the PS5 Pro is changing the game in any real way.

Related What Platforms Will GTA 6 Release On? (Confirmed) Rockstar Games has confirmed the release date for the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, and what platforms it will be on at launch.

The PS5 Pro Price Might Be Too Steep

The MSRP Could Be Higher Than The Original PS5

Custom Image by Glenn Bunn

Information about planned pricing for the PS5 Pro is much more absent than specs for the system, but where the price ends up falling could be a major deciding factor in whether the system is worth it. The PS4 Pro matched the initial MSRP of the basic PS4 at $399.99, with the PS4 Slim accompanying its release at a reduced price of $299.99.

The earlier release of the PS5 Slim without a price reduction complicates the situation for the PS5 Pro. A 2024 price cut for the Slim might be frustrating to those who just bought it at full price, but it could allow for the PS5 Pro to hit the current $499.99 MSRP. If the Slim doesn't get a price cut, then $599.99 seems more likely for the PS5 Pro, and it seems unlikely that its graphical advantages will make that an especially appealing price point.

Related We May Be Getting The PS5 Pro Sooner Than Expected (Rumor) Industry insiders claim to know when the PS5 Pro is coming out, and it’s not too far off. PlayStation history supports a similar release timeline.

Ultimately, the PS5 Pro seems more likely to be a good choice for newcomers than a worthwhile investment for current PS5 owners. Those especially enthused by ray-tracing and potential resolution improvements could get a lot out of the system, but the PS5 Pro isn't poised to double the framerates of struggling games. Although there's nothing wrong with chasing the best way to play games, anyone currently on the fence might not have enough of a reason to commit to a PlayStation 5 Pro upgrade.

Sources: The Verge, Digital Foundry/YouTube, IGN