I bought the PS5 Pro at launch because I wanted better ray tracing and higher frame rates on my 4K TV. After 3 months, I have mixed feelings — it’s a genuine upgrade, but $699 is a lot for what you get. Here’s my honest take.
Updated April 2026.
Specs
| Spec | PS5 Pro | PS5 |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | 16.7 TFLOPS | 10.28 TFLOPS |
| RAM | 16GB GDDR6 | 16GB GDDR6 |
| SSD | 2TB | 825GB / 1TB |
| Upscaling | PSSR (AI) | None |
| Ray Tracing | 2-3x faster | Baseline |
| Disc Drive | Not included | Standard/Digital |
| Price | $699 | $449 |
Performance Gains
The PS5 Pro’s GPU is roughly 67% more powerful than the base PS5. In practice, this translates to:
- Games with Pro patches: 30 FPS modes become 60 FPS, 60 FPS modes hit stable 60+ at higher resolution
- Games without patches: Game Boost improves some titles by 10-15% through higher GPU clock utilization
- Unpatched PS4 games: Minor improvements through Game Boost
I tested 15 Pro-enhanced games and the improvements are real. Spider-Man 2’s Fidelity mode goes from 30 FPS to 60 FPS. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth runs at 60 FPS in “Graphics” mode. These are meaningful upgrades — not just marginally better resolutions.
PSSR Upscaling
PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) is Sony’s answer to DLSS. It uses AI to upscale lower-resolution images to 4K. In supported games, it works well — images are sharp with minimal artifacts. Is it as good as DLSS? No. DLSS 4 is still the king of upscaling. But PSSR is good enough that I can’t tell the difference from native 4K in most games at normal viewing distance. The biggest issue: PSSR only works in games that specifically support it. Many games don’t have Pro patches yet.
Ray Tracing
This is where the Pro shines. The upgraded RT hardware delivers 2-3x better ray tracing performance. In Spider-Man 2 with RT reflections, the Pro maintains 60 FPS while the base PS5 drops to 30 FPS. In Gran Turismo 7 with RT, the difference is equally dramatic. If you care about ray tracing on console, the Pro is the only way to get it at 60 FPS.
vs Base PS5
Is the Pro worth $250 more than the PS5? That depends on your TV and your games. If you have a 4K TV and play Pro-enhanced games, the upgrade is significant. If you have a 1080p TV or mostly play games without Pro patches, skip it. I have a 4K OLED and I play a lot of Sony first-party games, so the Pro makes sense for me. But I wouldn’t recommend it to casual players.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Genuine performance improvements in Pro-enhanced games
- Ray tracing at 60 FPS finally possible
- PSSR upscaling is effective
- 2TB SSD is generous
- Quiet and runs cool
Cons
- $699 is expensive — no disc drive included
- Disc drive costs $80 extra
- Limited Pro-enhanced game library
- PSSR not as good as DLSS
- No new features (same controller, same UI)
My Final Verdict
7.5/10 — The PS5 Pro is a genuine upgrade for 4K TV owners who play Sony first-party games. Ray tracing at 60 FPS is transformative. But $699 without a disc drive is too much for a mid-generation refresh. If you already have a PS5, the upgrade isn’t worth it unless you’re obsessed with ray tracing. If you’re buying new and have a 4K TV, the Pro is the better choice. I’m happy with mine, but I understand why many people skip it.
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