Sony PlayStation 5 Rated: 8.1/10 Sony PlayStation 5 Pro Rated: 8.3/10
Comparison Table
| Feature | PS5 Pro | PS5 Slim |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 15.2 x 3.5 x 8.5in / 388 x 89 x 216mm | 14.1 x 3.8 x 8.8in / 358 x 97 x 224mm |
| Weight | 6.8lbs / 3.1kg | 7.1lbs / 3.2kg |
| Storage capacity | Custom 2TB SSD | Custom 1TB SSD |
| Storage expansion | M.2 NVMe SSD slot; external storage via USB | M.2 NVMe SSD slot |
| Connectivity | WiFi 7, ethernet, Bluetooth 5.1 | WiFi 6, ethernet, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| CPU | 8 core / 16 thread AMD Zen 2 | 8 core / 16 thread AMD Zen 2 |
| GPU | 16.7 TFLOPs, AMD Radeon, RDNA-based graphics engine | 10.28 TFLOPS, AMD Radeon, RDNA-based graphics engine |
| Memory | 16GB GDDR6 / 2GB DDR5 | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Upscaling | PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution Upscaling) | N/A |
| Ports | 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x Ethernet, 2 x USB-C, 2 x USB-A | 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x Ethernet, 2 x USB-C, 2 x USB-A |
With the release of the PlayStation 5 Pro, priced at $700, many fans are left questioning whether the upgraded console justifies the steep cost. Don’t worry, as this comparison of the PlayStation 5 vs PlayStation 5 Pro will tell you what type of customer base either one of these consoles has!
Games
A console is only as good as the games you can play on it, and this is just as true for the PS5 Pro as it is for the PS5. The PlayStation 5’s lineup is weak compared to the last generation, and the subset of games that can take advantage of the PS5 Pro (at launch) is even smaller.
According to the PlayStation Blog, out of the 791 games that the PlayStation 5 supports, only 54 take advantage of the Pro console’s features. This number is likely to increase as the PS5 Pro ages, but we know that not every game will be “better” on the pro console.
Upscaling
The PS5 has always been able to support 4k 120 FPS gaming, as it has all the necessary hardware to display an image with that resolution and framerate, but we’ve had a GPU bottleneck with this console.
Most current generations do not support this mode outside of some competitive games, but this is said to change with the Playstation 5 Pro.
Even though Sony’s latest console has improved hardware quite a bit (we will get into that in a second), the biggest addition is the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution or PSSR. This feature allows AI upscaling in games, which can enhance your experience in two key ways.
Firstly, you can play games at a higher resolution without framerate setbacks. Internally, the game will be rendered at a lower resolution to support high framerates, but the upscaling magic will display a higher resolution. This means an improvement in visual quality with no framerate setback.
Secondly, you can run games with even more fidelity (meaning the in-game sliders will be higher) if you choose to game in that mode with a lower framerate. However you want to play your games, PSSR will squeeze much more of your console than possible in the past, given the game you’re playing supports it.
Specifications
After discussing some more nuanced problems with the PlayStation 5 Pro, we will now move on to the cold, hard specs compared to the vanilla PlayStation 5.
Size
According to the specs of the PS5 Pro, it should have about the same dimensionality as a PS5 Slim, which was much smaller than the fat PS5. This means you should be able to keep in the same spot in your console if you decide to get the newer model.
This is a good time to mention that the PlayStation 5 Pro does not come with a vertical stand, so if you decide to upgrade, keep your old one.
Storage
The PlayStation 5 Pro’s base storage is 2 Terabytes, a much-needed improvement over the vanilla PS5’s 825 Gigabytes. Both consoles support inter-swappable M.2 SSDs. Should you require more storage, you can buy it later.
Storage speeds will be the same between the two consoles, so don’t hold out hope for faster loading times for the PS5 Pro compared to the vanilla version. The higher resolution textures needed for gaming at higher resolutions on the Pro might mean that the loading times are slightly longer, though that is also just a matter of speculation.
Connectivity
The PlayStation 5 was released with Wi-Fi 6 in 2020, and the PlayStation Slim kept this technology. However, the PS5 Pro has opted to use Wi-Fi 7. This translates to around 5x times more maximum speed if your connection supports it, lower latency, and better stability.
Apart from that, the PS5 Pro comes with other bog-standard connectivity options, including Bluetooth 5.1 and ethernet.
CPU
Surprisingly, there is almost no difference between the PS5 Slim/Vanilla CPU and the PS5 Pro. Both consoles have Zen 2-based processors, packed with 8 cores with hyperthreading, totaling 16 threads. According to most sources, this CPU’s clock speed is 3.5GHz.
Excluding from the specs, the processor mentioned in these consoles seems to be an offshoot of the Ryzen 7 5800X processor.
GPU
The biggest difference between our two contenders today is the graphics processor. The PS5 and the PS5 Pro have GPUs that use the RDNA 2.0 architecture, though there are some key differences.
The GPU in the PS5 Pro has a slightly more advanced 6nm processing node, while the vanilla PS5 has a 7nm manufacturing processor. The PS5 Pro also has a 25% higher clock speed than the PS5 Slim/Vanilla GPU.
If the graphics processor in the PS5 was around the performance of an RX 6600, the PS5 Pro processor would be closer to a 7700 XT or an RTX 4070 Ti. Ray Tracing and upscaling are the two major capabilities this GPU improves upon.
RAM
If you compare the PS and PS5 Pro spec sheets side by side, the memory configuration is one of the most noticeable features.
The vanilla PS5 has 16 gigabytes of GDDR6 memory, whereas the PS5 Pro couples 2GB of DDR5 memory. This memory is too slow to be used for gaming purposes, which indicates that its purpose is to host the console’s operating system.
We think this is a welcome change. In our use case, the PS5’s home screen is sluggish, and having dedicated memory helps mitigate that problem.
Ports
The I/O of the PS5 and PS5 Pro is the same across the board: one HDMI 2.1 port, one Ethernet port, two Type-Cs, and two USB-As. The display out is the most important port on a console, and it is safe to say that HDMI 2.1 is well and beyond what you need.
The port selection of the PS5s is plenty for a console, so we have no complaints about the lack of upgrades in this aspect of the console.
Price And Availability
| Console | Launch MSRP | Current Price |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | 💲499 | 💲479 |
| PlayStation 5 Pro | 💲699 | 💲699 |
| Price Difference | 40% | 46% |
The headline feature of the PlayStation 5 Pro was never its graphical capability or its AI upscaling; it was its price. While $700 seems like a lot of money for a console, it is equivalent to the cost of a launch PS4 adjusted for inflation. Furthermore, this is just the base price, which, when coupled with a few components like a disc drive and stand, can go up to $850.
Sony’s complete lack of accessories adds to the price of the PS5 Pro. Even things that were thought to be essential a few short years ago are gone. The Blu-ray player, the console stand, and the second controller are all sold separately.
What We Recommend
PlayStation 5: It’s a console that people have enjoyed for almost 5 years, and it makes sense for many people to stick with it. This is especially true if you have a low-resolution monitor or do not care about the slight improvement in visual fidelity the graphics modes give you.
PlayStation 5 Pro: Don’t get us wrong; it’s a good console, but 350 dollars is a decent amount. It is hard to justify the price of this console for people who have the PS5, but if you don’t feel like the PS5’s performance is good enough for your 4 K TV, go for the PS5 Pro.
Whatever the price, many people will use the PS5 Pro, especially around the holidays. We hope that Sony does not take this as a sign to increase the prices of its consoles further.
Not necessarily. Sometimes, upscaled images can look more pleasing to the eyes because they can remove the oversharpened effect that a few games have. No, we are still far away from hardware that can play games at 8K without something like frame interpolation. The PS5 Pro was released 4 years after the debut of the original console, so a mid-cycle refresh was due. No, PS5 games are optimized to use the GPU way more than the CPU, so even a weak processor does more than enough to keep the console running well. FAQs
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[Comparisons Expert]
Shehryar Khan, a seasoned PC hardware expert, brings over three years of extensive experience and a deep passion for the world of technology. With a love for building PCs and a genuine enthusiasm for exploring the latest advancements in components, his expertise shines through his work and dedication towards this field. Currently, Shehryar is rocking a custom loop setup for his built.
Get In Touch: shehryar@old.tech4gamers.com
