All the graphics, all the time, for SEVEN HUNDRED BUCKS
As anticipated Sony officially took the wraps off the PlayStation 5 Pro today, detailing several powerful additions that will enhance visuals for this current generation of games. The mid-cycle update for the PS5 era comes 4 years into the lifespan of the platform (the PS4 Pro arrived just 3 years into the PS4’s lifespan) and seems to focus mostly on GRAPHICS.
Key platform architect Mark Cerny hosted the low-key presentation, with showed comparisons of current PS5 games and their Pro upgrades. Some of the details include 60 fps becoming more of the norm, as well as improved Raytracing, VRR and AI upscaling.
Here are the exact details from Sony’s blog post:
- Upgraded GPU: With PS5 Pro, we are upgrading to 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, making the experience much smoother.
- Advanced Ray Tracing: We’ve added even more powerful ray tracing that 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.
- AI-Driven Upscaling: We’re also introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-driven upscaling that uses a machine learning-based technology to provide super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail.
It will also upscale 8,500 backwards compatible PS4 games to better fidelity, so all of those copies of Assassin’s Creed and those Kingdom Hearts collections that you have will look better!
Or, wait. There’s a caveat.
The PS5 Pro, with all of its power, will not ship with a disc drive (you need to buy that separately). It also won’t ship with THE STAND THAT SONY CONTINUES TO SHOW IN THE OFFICIAL IMAGES. You can buy that separately too. The biggest sticking point may be the price: $699. SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS. Whew. This is the most expensive PlayStation console launch ever (and second only to the PS3 when adjusted for inflation). It’s A LOT. And we’re not quite sure who this is targeted towards. When the PS4 Pro launched, the original PS4 had already seemed long in the tooth because of the speed of technology growth when compared to PCs. And, the PS3 was a wholly separate device that wasn’t compatible with modern platforms, so players needed to move over. The PS5 still stands relatively on par with modern PCs, and PS4 owners are still getting brand new games — so the shift to PS5 Pro isn’t as dramatic.
Sadly though, the company could have been announced what we all have actually wanted: a brand new PlayStation portable. A PS VITA 2. I want to play PS5 games while I’m on vacation where there’s no wifi.
And finally, most importantly: WHERE’S KNACK 3, MARK CERNY. WHERE’S KNACK 3.
Dang!
Anyhoo. The PlayStation 5 Pro is certainly the most powerful gaming platform on the planet, and it may end up on a lot of Christmas lists this year when it launches on November 7th with pre-orders starting on the 26th on PlayStation Direct and in October elsewhere.
Source: PlayStation
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