PS5 Pro, Six Months Later — Who Should Actually Buy It?
Sony's most powerful console is a real upgrade, but it isn't for everyone. Here's who will feel the difference, and who is better off keeping their standard PS5.
When Sony launched the PS5 Pro in November 2024, the reaction was split. Enthusiasts welcomed a console that could finally run demanding games at higher resolution and high frame rates. Everyone else asked the obvious question: who is this for?
Six months later we have enough games and enough hands-on time to answer it properly.
What the Pro actually changes
The PS5 Pro isn't a new generation. It plays the same library as the standard PS5 and shares the same accounts, saves and accessories. What it adds is headroom:
- A more powerful GPU, which lets games hold higher resolutions and steadier frame rates
- Stronger ray tracing, so reflections and lighting cost less performance
- PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution), Sony's AI upscaler, which produces a sharper image from a lower internal resolution
- A 2TB SSD as standard, double the storage of the original launch model
On a standard PS5, many games ask you to pick between a sharper Fidelity mode and a smoother Performance mode. The Pro's main pitch is that you can increasingly have both.
Where you'll feel the difference
The improvements are real, but how much they matter depends on what you play and what you play on.
You'll notice it if...
- You have a good 4K TV, especially a large one. The extra clarity is most visible on a big, sharp screen.
- You always pick Performance mode and wish it looked better. "PS5 Pro Enhanced" games often bring Fidelity-mode visuals much closer to 60fps.
- You love visual showcase games: cinematic single-player titles with heavy lighting and big environments are where the Pro does its best work.
You may not notice much if...
- You mostly play competitive shooters. Call of Duty, Fortnite and similar games already prioritise high frame rates on the standard PS5, and the Pro's extra polish is subtler there.
- You play on a 1080p display. Some benefit carries over, but much of what you pay for is resolution you can't see.
- Your favourite games aren't Pro Enhanced. Unpatched games can still run a little better, but the big gains need developer support.
The things to know before buying
A few practical points catch people out:
- There's no disc drive in the box. The Pro is digital out of the box. If you own physical games, you'll need the separate PS5 disc drive that attaches to the console.
- The vertical stand is sold separately. If you plan to stand the console upright, budget for it.
- Storage is plentiful. The 2TB internal SSD holds far more than early PS5 models, though big games still fill it faster than you'd expect.
- Everything carries over. Your games, saves (via cloud storage or data transfer) and DualSense controllers all work, so switching is painless.
Upgrading from a standard PS5
This is the hardest call. A standard PS5 is still a great console, and every game runs on it. Upgrading makes the most sense if you hit two or three of these:
- You play mostly big single-player games
- You own a large 4K TV, ideally with 120Hz and VRR support
- You regularly feel let down by Performance-mode image quality
- You can sell or pass on your current console to offset the cost
If you only tick one, wait. Upgrade when there's a game you really want to see at its best.
Buying your first PS5
If you don't own a PS5 yet, the decision is simpler. Pick the standard PS5 if budget matters most or you mainly play online shooters. Pick the Pro if you want the best version of every game for the next few years and have the screen to show it off.
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