Sony has officially announced the PlayStation 5 Pro, boasting enhanced graphics, faster performance, and improved storage. As gamers brace for its release, the question remains: Will the upgrades justify the price hike? The PlayStation 5 Pro was announced on Sept. 10 by Cerny, the Lead system architect for the PlayStation 5 Pro,the PlayStation 5 Pro has a release date of Nov 7. The console will be available for preorder on Sep. 26, you can purchase it directly from the Sony website or retailers like GameStop and Best Buy.
With a base price of $699.99 this is a significant increase in price with hardware and performance upgrades making it more powerful than its predecessor. Compared to the PlayStation 5 release four years ago, which had a price of $399 for the all-digital version, the PlayStation 5 Pro is expected to come with a significantly higher price tag.
These are not the only costs associated with this announcement. The new Pro version does not come with the console stand or a disc drive for physical copies of games. With these extra items that Sony is now selling separately it makes the cost jump from $699 to $820.
The upgrades that the PS5 Pro is receiving are the graphics card and new features for the console system.
Upgraded Graphics Processing Unit
The graphics card upgrade boasts 67% more computing power and 28% faster memory. This means faster rendering for gameplay and a smoother experience for the player.
One of the new features being added is Advanced Ray Tracing that allows the two to three times more rays to be cast. This means more realistic visuals, making light in games more vibrant and making environments more realistic.
AI-driven upscaling
Sony is also introducing what they are calling Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-driven upscaling technology that uses machine learning to provide a sharper image clarity and adds an extraordinary amount of detail to supported games.
In Addition to the new features and upgraded hardware, the PS5 Pro will have backwards compatibility which can apply to more than 8500 compatible PS4 games and give these older titles an improved resolution and image quality. This will also improve performance of supported PS4 & PS5 titles.
Another feature is improved Wi-Fi technology for smoother gameplay especially for those who play multiplayer games that require an online connection.
The announcement isn’t free of criticism from the media or consumers.
Regional pricing, accessories that were once included with the console but are now sold separately, higher-priced games, a recent price increase for controllers and the requirement of a subscription for online play in most games all contribute to the overall cost of owning a PlayStation 5.
Michael Arrendondo can be reached at [email protected].
