The PS5 Pro ditches the disc drive but will still cost $1,199
I look at the specs and I see they are speedy, as my wallet gently weeps
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As expected, Sony confirmed the PS5 Pro at its "technical presentation" overnight. It offers the major graphical spec boost you'd expect from a Pro-grade console, but sacrifices something along the way.
Just like the PS5 Slim, Sony has decided to make the optical disc drive an optional extra for the PS5 Pro. There's no option to order the Pro with the disc drive pre-attached, at least not yet.
That's all well and good in theory, though it does become a bit of a bitter pill to swallow when you look at the console's pricing. Aussie RRP hasn't been announced just yet, but at US$699.99, you're looking at over $1,000 AUD for a console without a disc drive is $1,199.
My wallet is sobbing hysterically, and I haven't even decided whether I want to upgrade or not.
So what does the PS5 Pro offer?
Look, price can be relative. On a sheer technical level, the PS5 Pro comes with a 2TB SSD and support for Wi-Fi 7.
Sony has also upgraded the GPU, increasing its size by 67% and giving it faster memory, which means it can render graphics up to 45% faster than the original PS5.
It's combined this with more advanced ray tracing, to improve the lighting performance of games, which can now be cast at 2-3 times the current console.
The third improvement is AI upscaling. Look, it's 2024, so you knew there was going to be AI mentioned somewhere. Effectively this uses machine learning to imprve clarity of graphics by analysing the picture and adding in extra detail. It sounds similar to the upscaling tech found in Samsung's 2024 TVs.
What games will work with the PS5 Pro
It looks like there will be about 40-50 titles that will offer an update to take better advantage of the PS5 Pro's extra hardware grunt when the console launches in November.
But during the presentation, Sony showed a sizzle reel that included the following titles:
- Alan Wake II
- Assassin’s Creed: Shadows
- The Crew: Motorfest
- Demon’s Souls
- Dragon’s Dogma II
- Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
- The First Descendant
- Gran Turismo 7
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- The Last of Us: Part 2
- Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart
- Stellar Blade
- Spider-Man 2
Sony is also promising that games that support the PS% Pro will have a special label.
Pricing and availability
The PS5 Pro is available to pre-order from 26 September, with the console officially launching on 7 November.
It's going to cost US$699.99, which translates to about $1,050 in a direct currency exchange. Honestly though, I expect it to be marked up a bit, so either $1,099 (if we're lucky), but more like $1,199. I'll update with official pricing when it's available. $1,199, which is what I expected. But remember that doesn't include the disc drive, which can be purchased as an optional extra.
I still tend to buy my games on disc when I can so I have a copy I can take with me, though after years of PlayStation Plus membership my library is mostly digital titles, to be honest.
The fact that Sony has decided to kill off the disc drive here doesn't bode well for the future of disc-based gaming. I'd be surprised if it was an option in the next generation.
