PS5 Pro vs PS5: Diving into the Upgrades to the New PlayStation 5 Pro and How It Compares to the Original

Sony recently announced the PS5 Pro, a beefier version of the PlayStation 5, which was unveiled back in 2020. According to Sony, the new PlayStation 5 Pro will be available for purchase in several regions starting November 7.

However, with a price tag of $700 (roughly Rs 58,800), the Sony PS5 Pro is substantially more expensive than the original PlayStation 5, which was initially unveiled at $500 or Rs 50,000 in India.

PS5 Pro vs PS5: What's Different?

The height of the Sony PS5 Pro is the same as the original PlayStation 5, although the width is similar to the current PS5 model. While the design of the new PS5 Pro is similar to that of the original, there are three grills in the middle to give it a distinct look. However, the overall design theme is similar to the original PlayStation 5.

Improved GPU Performance

The biggest improvement over the original PS5 is GPU performance. According to Sony, the PS5 Pro has 67 percent more compute units than the PS5. Some quick calculations suggest that the new graphics card has 60 compute units. Since RDNA 2 CUs contain 64 streaming multiprocessors, this means the new card has a total of 3,840 SMs.

According to IGN India, this is a significant increase in silicon and, theoretically, could put its performance on par with the AMD Radeon RX 6800, a GPU known for its 4K gaming capabilities on PC. This also shouldn't come as a surprise as the PS5 Pro is engineered to deliver 4K 60fps gameplay without any hiccups.

Additionally, the PS5 Pro is also expected to get a boost in ray tracing performance. The PS5 Pro's enhanced ray tracing capabilities will result in more realistic and lifelike reflections compared to the standard PS5. According to PlayStation head Mark Cerny, PS5 Pro users won't have to choose between fidelity and framerates thanks to the extra GPU power.

AI Upscaling at its Best

The PS5 Pro introduces AI upscaling, a groundbreaking feature not available on the standard PS5. This technology, commonly used in PC gaming, enhances image quality by using machine learning to fill in missing details and improve sharpness.

This significant advancement is especially noteworthy considering the infancy of upscaling tech when the original PS5 launched. With the proven success of AI-based upscaling on PC platforms, Sony's decision to incorporate this feature into the PS5 Pro aligns with their commitment to providing cutting-edge gaming experiences.

Minor Updates

Considering Cerny didn't spend any time speaking about the CPU on the PS5 Pro, we can assume it is the same as that on the PlayStation 5. Additionally, the PS5 Pro also features the same 16GB of RAM as the original PS5, although it will come with 2TB of storage, more than double that of the PS5.

Moreover, the PS5 Pro is expected to sport the same high-end SSD as the PS5. However, Sony did confirm that the PS5 Pro offers 28 percent faster memory, due to the improved memory interface on the new GPU. Lastly, the PS5 Pro now supports Wi-Fi 7, while the PS5 is limited to Wi-Fi 6.

PlayStation 5 Pro vs PlayStation 5: Our Thoughts

The PlayStation 5 Pro is undoubtedly a beefier console than the vanilla PS5. The big GPU upgrade will undoubtedly deliver better visual and frame rates when running the latest AAA titles. The improvements to ray tracing and AI upscaling also can't be ignored on the PS5 Pro.

However, it is also worth noting that the PS5 Pro fetches a hefty price tag, over $200 than the original price and around $300 less than the PS5 Digital Edition. And these are just the numbers for the US.

In India, we could be looking at a figure closer to Rs 70,000, which is extremely high for a gaming console. And given that the PS5 Pro is still built on the same architecture as the PS5, one can't help but question its viability. We'll just have to wait and test it out ourselves!