PlayStation 5 Pro

[Nyt Ryda]

All the rumours on the big boi so far, mostly based on this week's leaks (Moore's Law Is Dead, InsiderGaming) from the Sony documents that went out to third party devs :

- Rendering 45% faster than PS5
- 2-3x Ray-tracing performance thanks to

- PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) upscaling and anti-aliasing tech, Playstation Machine Learning (PML) and an AI Accelerator that supports 300 TOPS of 8 bit computation / 67 TFLOPS of 16-bit floating point. 2ms computation time penalty from 1080p->4K (DLSS on PC is 1.7ms) but optimization is ongoing.

- 33.5 teraflops GPU (based on RDNA 3 GPU with RDNA4 raytracing features. Different architectures so tflops not directly comparable to base PS5, but estimated increase is around 45 percent)
- 576 GB/s Memory (18GT/s) (up 28% on paper but higher due to more efficient layout)
- 3.85GHz CPU (up 10%) in High CPU Frequency Mode, where more power is allocated to the CPU and the GPU downclocks by around 1-1.5%
- 1Tb storage
- Detachable disc drive like the current slim
- Audio processor (ACV) runs at a higher clock speed resulting in the ACM library having 35% more performance - More convolution reverbs can be processed and more FFT or IFFT can be processed



Also leaked, two Case Studies of the PSSR tech for two unnamed first-party games :

Game 1 :
Standard PlayStation 5 1080p/60FPS Performance mode and 1800p/30FPS Fidelity mode
PlayStation 5 Pro – additional 1440p/60FPS mode using PSSR


Game 2 : Target – Add Raytracing to gameplay
Standard PlayStation 5 achieved 60FPS without raytracing, and PlayStation 5 Pro achieved 60FPS with Raytracing.

 

[Nyt Ryda]

Given the fact that the $499 PS5 Slim Disc edition costs R13999 in SA, if the Pro lands at $549 or $599 then we're looking at R15399 or R16799.

Curious how they're going to price it since the PS5 has been trending up in price over the years due to costs.
I know $599 has a bad rap due to the high PS3 price but the tech in this new Pro doesn't sound cheap.

 

[MarioAna]

100% won’t be less than $599.

Sony are struggling with costs and margin and they are trying. This thing will be expensive and targeted at the harder core audience, it’ll be a low volume seller but will be the poster child for all the games that are coming. From a marketing point of view it’s worth doing.

They need to get the current model prices down first before anything else can happen.

 

[Nyt Ryda]

 

[JoE]

100% won’t be less than $599.

Sony are struggling with costs and margin and they are trying. This thing will be expensive and targeted at the harder core audience, it’ll be a low volume seller but will be the poster child for all the games that are coming. From a marketing point of view it’s worth doing.

They need to get the current model prices down first before anything else can happen.

The question is with or without the disc drive at that price I honestly don’t think they require a pro model this gen as we’re not seeing games fully utilising the current hardware as most of the “next gen” games from Sony are still playable on the PS4. Rather focus on getting the current hardware costs down and prepare for an earlier transition to the PS6 as the current timelines suggest ms will launch their next xbox at least a year before the PS6.

 

[KenMasters]

The question is with or without the disc drive at that price I honestly don’t think they require a pro model this gen as we’re not seeing games fully utilising the current hardware as most of the “next gen” games from Sony are still playable on the PS4. Rather focus on getting the current hardware costs down and prepare for an earlier transition to the PS6 as the current timelines suggest ms will launch their next xbox at least a year before the PS6.

I feel quite differently. Image quality is not great this gen on multiplatform titles, the Pro looks to address that nicely and is a good testing bed for the PS6. Let MS come to market early, they're doing it because this generation has failed to reverse their fortunes, let Sony stick with their roadmap and come out with superior hardware a little later - people will wait.

 

[MarioAna]

The question is with or without the disc drive at that price

Without. My guess is there will only be a “Slim Pro” model and people can add the drive as they wish.

Rather focus on getting the current hardware costs down and prepare for an earlier transition to the PS6 as the current timelines suggest ms will launch their next xbox at least a year before the PS6.

I think Sony would prefer for the gem to go longer. A PS6 will have the same cost issues if not worse.

MS are a bit stuck, if they launch a new gem console in 2026 they will be miles behind Sony in install base and at the point that they launch Sony could be selling the Pro for a lot less. Would be a tough sell for MS unless they sort out their first party stuff and make it irresistible. New and shiny can only go so far.

Image quality is not great this gen on multiplatform titles,

I reserve judgment on this gen until we start seeing a lot more current gen only titles. I think the PS5 has a lot more to give still and some games look really good.

 

[KenMasters]

Without. My guess is there will only be a “Slim Pro” model and people can add the drive as they wish.

Makes sense to me, I would prefer that.

I reserve judgment on this gen until we start seeing a lot more current gen only titles. I think the PS5 has a lot more to give still and some games look really good.

It's because of the more recent spate of current gen only titles that I say this. With the cross-gen stuff image quality was not a concern, but now that these consoles are having their current gen features pushed, we're seeing average resolutions drop and the current crop of software driven upsampling solutions aren't particularly flattering. Image quality/clarity will be significantly improved by the Pro.

 

[AdrianH]

Interesting feedback from DF. Overall they seem to think its a lack lustre Pro console and unlikely to deliver that much in the end.

Looking forward to the comparisons on current games when it gets released.

 

[KenMasters]

Interesting feedback from DF. Overall they seem to think its a lack lustre Pro console and unlikely to deliver that much in the end.

Looking forward to the comparisons on current games when it gets released.

Heh, not a hint of bias there. What they said was it wasn't geared to improve framerates, which is what some people might have wanted out of the machine, but rather improving visual fidelity, for which it is well set up.

 

[AdrianH]

Heh, not a hint of bias there. What they said was it wasn't geared to improve framerates, which is what some people might have wanted out of the machine, but rather improving visual fidelity, for which it is well set up.

"Frame rates or bust" is what I always say

Personally I would have wanted the improvement where these quality modes (30/40 FPS with RT enabled) would be bumped to 60FPS, that would have been fantastic for me. That said, I can't see me buying any pro console for the current gen even if MS were to follow suit. I am actually quite happy playing in performance or balanced mode for most games on current-gen.

 

[JoE]

I’m lazy to quote posts this early in the morning but I hear all the comments and my honest take is that they’re trying so hard to match pc performance with console gaming that it’s breaking the model and the only one that will win that in the end is Nintendo because they don’t care about that and will continue to work with cheaper, older hardware.

Both Sony and MS should just focus on making games that are fun and feasible by aiming a little lower on graphical fidelity and focusing more on optimising performance. After a few hours into a game we stop noticing the minute details and focus more on the content itself.

On the next gen bit, if Sony releases later with better hardware, depending on how much of a difference it is to the next gen xbox, it could be another case of the 360 days as we’re back to dealing with greedy Sony so if they release at $599 to match the existing pro /xbox price, by then ms could have achieved economies of scale and just sell their hardware cheaper and with gamepass, existing libraries may not be as important as they once were.

 

[KenMasters]

I’m lazy to quote posts this early in the morning but I hear all the comments and my honest take is that they’re trying so hard to match pc performance with console gaming that it’s breaking the model and the only one that will win that in the end is Nintendo because they don’t care about that and will continue to work with cheaper, older hardware.

Historically consoles used to launch with superior hardware to PC - the shift in paradigm is relatively recent.

Both Sony and MS should just focus on making games that are fun and feasible by aiming a little lower on graphical fidelity and focusing more on optimising performance. After a few hours into a game we stop noticing the minute details and focus more on the content itself.

It really depends on the type of game. Sometimes simpler graphics are better for readability, sometimes performance is king but in some titles the visual presentation is key to immersion, in which case graphical issues can detract from the experience.

On the next gen bit, if Sony releases later with better hardware, depending on how much of a difference it is to the next gen xbox, it could be another case of the 360 days as we’re back to dealing with greedy Sony so if they release at $599 to match the existing pro /xbox price, by then ms could have achieved economies of scale and just sell their hardware cheaper and with gamepass, existing libraries may not be as important as they once were.

In the 360 days Sony didn't release later with better hardware for strategic reasons (in fact their GPU was a generation behind the 360's), rather the launch was significantly delayed due to manufacturing problems (namely the inability to source Blu-ray laser diodes).

A closer comparison would be the PS2 and the Dreamcast, where Sega was hoping to claw back market share after the lacklustre sales of the Saturn by releasing their next gen console early.

 

[MarioAna]

I’m lazy to quote posts…

I don’t think they are trying to match PC specs. The fact that the pro will carry the same CPU tells me this is like the PS4 Pro; a nice little bump for the harder core market only. Nobody else cares.

The PSSR thing however does look like it could deliver something really good with very little developer effort, if that does what it’s advertising then the Pro will be a winner but still low volume.

As for MS, they are really stuck I believe. Releasing a new gen machine in 2026 means that for the next two years they will lose plenty of gamers to Sony and when their new machine comes out Sony could just cut the PS5 price and price almost always wins.

Even if they escape that, Sony will have a PS6 out 2 years later with better tech. The first year is meaningless because they can all sell everything they make in the first year due to their core audience. So that leaves MS with just a year of freedom fighting a much cheaper PS5.

Next is the handheld rumor that’s going around. If MS can’t beat Sony in consoles they have no hope against Nintendo and Steam in the handheld space.

 

[AdrianH]

The PS5 Pro had 1 job, to give us 60FPS with RT enabled in games. 10% CPU boost and adding CUs that don't add any additional frames in quality mode is rubbish.

BOOOOO!!!!!!

 

[KenMasters]

The PS5 Pro had 1 job, to give us 60FPS with RT enabled in games. 10% CPU boost and adding CUs that don't add any additional frames in quality mode is rubbish.

BOOOOO!!!!!!

It could do in some 30fps limited titles, it depends on where the bottlenecks lie. In any case, many games do offer a performance mode - imagine how much a title like Alan Wake 2 could benefit.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the Pro will be capable of in practice.

 

[Nyt Ryda]

The PS5 Pro had 1 job, to give us 60FPS with RT enabled in games. 10% CPU boost and adding CUs that don't add any additional frames in quality mode is rubbish.

BOOOOO!!!!!!

60fps with RT is really a job for the PS6.

In an ideal situation the PS5 Pro should be a 60fps machine in major titles, even if we have to upscale from 1080p with some temporal magic to get there.

 

[MarioAna]

It's only jobs are to prolong the gen for a bit without killing Sony's margins, and then to be the poster child for all console marketing even if it's going to be a low volume seller. It will do both of those with ease.

Watching the DF breakdown it's all going to hinge on how good and how easy PSSR is. Whatever gains devs get after the help in res bumps and the 10% CPU gain is icing.

 

[RazedInBlack]

PlayStation 5 Pro Exclusive Display Mode Will Combine Upscaling to 4K, Stable 60 FPS and Ray Tracing; 28% Faster RAM, 45% Faster GPU Confirmed​

To receive a PlayStation 5 Pro label called Trinity Enhanced, games must feature a Pro-exclusive display mode that will deliver 4K resolution and costant 60 frames per second.

According to a new report from Insider Gaming, the Pro Enhanced label will come back from the PlayStation 4 Pro days to indicate games that take full advantage of the system's power. In the case of the PlayStation 5 Pro, the label will be granted to games featuring a Pro-exclusive display mode that will combine PSSR to upscale to 4K resolution, constant 60 frames per second, and additional or enhanced ray tracing effects. This will be made possible thanks to faster RAM (28%) and faster GPU (45%) over the base model. Combined, the faster RAM and GPU will make the Pro 45% faster than the base model, with double the rendering speed.

The PlayStation 5 Pro will also get a CPU improvement, although it won't be as big as the RAM and GPU enhancements. Still, there's some for some noticeable improvements, as the console's Zen 2 CPU will be denser and thus offer reduced power consumption, better cost efficiency, and smaller form factor.

PlayStation 5 Pro Exclusive Display Mode Will Combine Upscaling to 4K, Stable 60 FPS and Ray Tracing; 28% Faster RAM, 45% Faster GPU Confirmed

A PlayStation 5 Pro enhanced label will be granted to games featuring a Pro exclusive display mode offering 4K, 60 FPS gameplay

wccftech.com

 

[AdrianH]

The PS5 Pro could offer a significant GPU upgrade per "accurate" leak​

The reveal of a PlayStation 5 Pro seems all but guaranteed, though it’s impossible to say for sure what kind of hardware improvements any potential new model of the system would bring. That said, there are loads of leaks and rumors and one, now verified by Tom Warren of The Verge, suggests that the majority of the improvements would focus on the console’s GPU performance.

In a recent post to X / Twitter, Warren described how “Sony has made some interesting choices for its next console” according to PS5 Pro development documentation that he has allegedly seen. While not new information, he explained that the console’s CPU will “target [a] 3.85GHz [clock speed] (10% more than PS5) in a new ‘high frequency CPU mode’” with a separate “3.5 GHz standard mode” that matches the specification of the base PS5.

He said that developers "will be able to pick the mode, and also get access to 1.2GB more system memory," potentially offering small performance improvements in any compatible titles. This all lines up perfectly with the latest PS5 Pro specs leak and Warren claims that he “can verify” that this information is "accurate," lending it even more credibility.

While a 10% increase in CPU clock speed and 1.2GB extra system memory doesn’t seem like a particularly ground-breaking overhaul, Warren subsequently added a reply that stated the PS5 Pro’s GPU would receive a whopping 45% increase in power. This reinforces information from the previous leak and would be a major step up for the console.

A substantially improved GPU could finally offer proper support for 8K gaming, not to mention better performance in titles that feature significant amounts of ray tracing or other GPU-heavy features. Now that hugely ambitious games like Lords of the Fallen and Dragon’s Dogma 2 are struggling to maintain solid frame rates on the base console, this could be the ticket for those searching for the smoothest possible experiences.

The PS5 Pro could offer a significant GPU upgrade per "accurate" leak

Old rumors, newly verified

www.techradar.com