The PS5 released in 2020 with a $500 price tag. That’s a hefty sum of money considering at the time I needed an expensive TV upgrade with HDMI 2.1 just to get the full effect. Yes, I realize the cost of technology is crazy. On some level it always has been. The PS5 Pro comes just four years later and demands another $699. No one wants it.
Okay, that’s probably not fully intellectually honest. Of course, people want it. The reality is, they can play all the same games on the PS5 and miss out on some graphical and speed tweaks.
Under the hood, the PS5 Pro is crazy powerful. Not top of the line PC powerful, but it’s a pretty sweet system. Hands down, one cannot purchase a more powerful system (again, minus PC). In the end though I have to ask – is it truly worth it? Okay, games are a bit smoother. They load faster. Great. Loading times have been dramatically enhanced anyways thanks to SSDs. So why get one? Is there proprietary software? No. Is there a need for it so I can use another peripheral I can’t get for PS5? No.
Simply put, I just don’t see a need for this machine. That is unless you just HAVE to be the guy or girl who wants the latest greatest. Justifying the $700 cost has to mean you REALLY want the top of the line with – in my humble opinion minimal return.
I’m a hypocrite though. I upgraded my Xbox one to the Xbox One X years ago. I was mad about it. I bought a brand new 4K Sony Television for around $1000. In the end, if I’m honest, I was super disappointed. I just didn’t see the dramatic improvement I had hoped for. I will say this. There is a dramatic difference between the Xbox One and the Series X. There is a dramatic difference between the PS4 and PS5. That is, if you have a TV that supports 4K at 144Hz. It’s awesome to see and feel the difference.
Suffice it to say though, I feel like this iteration of the PS5 Pro is going to feel more like the Xbox One to Xbox One X upgrade. Sure, there are a few differences, but in the end, it will feel like a cheap way to gather more of my money. Another hole burnt in my pocket.
This is now a company trying to rake in some extra money on some upgrades. Many aren’t fooled. It literally has the same speed of hard drive – just double the space (you can upgrade the PS5 space anyways). No new or extra peripherals. The GPU on the other hand sees some significant updates. When I say significant – it boasts 16.7 TFLOPS vs. OG PS5’s 10.3. Sony tells us the new system has a 45% increase in overall performance. The details WILL be noticed when using the PS5 Pro. Frames can be better, Ray Tracing more obvious etc. It all depends on what you choose for your preference. Don’t get me wrong it’s nice to have options.
Here is the problem though and the overall truth to what I’ve found in gaming, graphics, and specs. Unless you play it side by side, when fully immersed in a game, you don’t truly notice. Software engrosses us into the game. Story and content drag us in.
This PS5 Pro is indeed powerful. However, I argue there is a reason it’s still fun to boot up Super Mario Brothers on a Nintendo Entertainment System. It isn’t just nostalgia. There is a reason we still collect old games and buy some of them over and over again (think Ocarina of Time) on new systems. It’s the software. Until Microsoft and Sony get back to great story and creative software, I’ll be skipping these in between upgrades. Many others will too.
If you do want the PS5 Pro – go for it! I’m certainly not going to criticize you for doing something you just want to do. I’ll personally be skipping this round. Feel free to try to convince me of otherwise. Here is the Amazon link should you decide it’s something you want to go for. Please realize, if you buy with this link we may get a small return from the affiliate program. Keep on gaming y’all.
