00:00Look, for $700, I wanted the PlayStation 5 Pro
00:02to blow my mind, and there's no doubt
00:04this is objectively Sony's most impressive,
00:06most powerful gaming system so far.
00:08But after testing this mid-generation refresh
00:10with its updated GPU, ray tracing, and AR upscaling,
00:13does it live up to the hype?
00:14Or did I set my PS5 Pro expectations a little too high?
00:19At launch, the original PS5 offered excellent performance
00:22for a gaming console, but over the years,
00:24it started to fall behind even some lower-end gaming PCs.
00:27Enter the PlayStation 5 Pro,
00:29which, like the PS4 Pro before it,
00:30gives you a noticeable boost in visuals and performance.
00:34The upgraded CPU certainly makes a difference
00:36in the games I played.
00:37Titles like Marvel's Spider-Man 2,
00:39The Last of Us 2 Remastered,
00:40and Horizon Forbidden West runs buttery smooth
00:42no matter if you're playing in their respective
00:44Fidelity or Performance Pro settings,
00:47especially if you enable features like VRR
00:49and 120Hz mode.
00:51Oh yeah, look at those buildings.
00:53Glorious ray tracing.
00:55Like on the regular PS5,
00:56I could easily tell the difference between Fidelity
00:58and Performance modes, with the latter looking
01:00and feeling much smoother than the former.
01:02However, thanks to the PS5 Pro's boosted CPU,
01:05games run much smoother
01:06than in the equivalent PS5 graphical modes.
01:08This is the smoothest I've seen these titles run,
01:10which is pretty incredible.
01:12So not only do games run better,
01:14but they also look better as well,
01:15no matter which mode you've enabled.
01:17Fidelity Pro mode in games outputs at 4K resolution,
01:20while Performance Pro upscales to 4K from 1440p.
01:23In most cases, you'll enjoy features like ray tracing
01:25and other graphical enhancements in either mode,
01:28ensuring the best visual performance possible.
01:30I personally prefer Fidelity Pro
01:32since I get the highest possible resolution
01:34and graphical settings, even at games run under 60fps.
01:38Ray tracing is easily my favorite feature
01:40introduced on the regular PS5,
01:41and I have to say it looks even better
01:43and more impressive on the PS5 Pro.
01:45Right here, you can see this billboard
01:47is being reflected off of this building right here,
01:49even though the building is a block down.
01:52I love swinging around Times Square in Spider-Man 2
01:54and seeing all the reflections on glass and buildings.
01:56It makes my hometown city feel a lot more realistic.
01:59Natural environments like those in Horizon Zero Dawn Remake
02:02also look phenomenal
02:03thanks to the PS5 Pro's enhanced visuals.
02:06Thanks to the overall sharper image quality,
02:08boosted ray tracing, and AI-driven upscaling,
02:10games on PS5 Pro are a feast for the eyes.
02:13And as I said,
02:13you don't have to sacrifice graphical fidelity
02:16or performance no matter what mode you're playing on.
02:18That said, you'll need a TV
02:19with a minimum 120Hz refresh rate,
02:22which supports VRR to take full advantage
02:24of the PS5 Pro's AI upscaling.
02:26I'd recommend the LG C4, which is an excellent gaming TV.
02:30One of my biggest pet peeves with the PS5
02:32was the skimpy storage capacity.
02:33While 825 gigs might sound like a lot of storage,
02:36that amount gets obliterated
02:37when you're installing games like GTA 5
02:39and Call of Duty Modern Warfare.
02:41Thankfully, the PS5 Pro packs much more storage.
02:44Out of the box, the PS5 Pro has a 2TB SSD.
02:47Even accounting for games with huge file sizes,
02:50there's much more space for games.
02:51And since you get that much more storage from the jump,
02:54you might not need to upgrade to a bigger SSD,
02:56though you can if you want.
02:57For most players, 2TB of storage should be plenty.
03:00I'm really glad Sony didn't skimp on storage
03:02with the PS5 Pro because that alone could convince me
03:04to upgrade from my PS5.
03:07But let me know what you guys think of the PS5 Pro
03:08in the comments,
03:09and don't forget to hit the subscribe button.
03:11Are you sold yet or not sure
03:12whether you should be upgrading?
03:13If that's the case,
03:14you'll wanna stick around for the next section.
03:16Let's get right to the main reason
03:18you might wanna skip the PS5 Pro.
03:19It's hefty price.
03:21While the current PS5 with the disc drive costs $499,
03:24the PS5 costs $699.
03:26For that, you get the console, a dual-sense controller,
03:29and a digital copy of Astro's Playroom.
03:31This console doesn't have a disc drive,
03:33so if you wanna play physical games,
03:35you'll need to plunk down an additional $79
03:38for the PS5 Pro disc drive.
03:39And if you want to safely stand the system vertically,
03:42you'll need to spend another $29 for the optional stand.
03:46I haven't seen a console cost this much
03:47since the Neo Geo back in the 90s.
03:49And like that system,
03:50the PS5 Pro targets enthusiast gamers and first adopters.
03:54While a small consolation were people's wallets,
03:56the high price somewhat makes sense in that regard.
03:58Still, if you're considering getting a PS5 Pro,
04:01the price will probably make you think twice.
04:03Like the regular PS5,
04:04games on PS5 Pro offer two graphical modes,
04:06fidelity and performance.
04:08Though both modes look and perform better
04:10than their PS5 equivalents,
04:12it's a bit of a bummer that we have to choose
04:14between modes in this Pro system.
04:16You might feel cheated since you'll still have to decide
04:18between sharper graphics or smoother gameplay.
04:20I should note that some games
04:21like The Last of Us 2 Remastered
04:23do offer a single PS5 Pro mode.
04:26That tells me that it would be up to developers
04:27how they wish to implement Pro features.
04:30If you're like me and like tinkering with visual settings,
04:32this might not be an issue.
04:34But if you just want to play your games,
04:35fiddling around in settings to get the right balance
04:37of fidelity and performance might be annoying,
04:40especially if you expect the PS5 Pro
04:42to run every game at 4K 60.
04:44In the end, the PS5 Pro still offers sharp visuals
04:47and strong performance,
04:48even if you have to choose between the two.
04:50And lastly, the PS5 Pro is undoubtedly
04:52an impressive console,
04:53but it won't make the regular PS5 obsolete.
04:56In fact, Sony's current gen system
04:57is still worth considering for most people
04:59looking for a console with a robust gaming library.
05:03While the PS5 doesn't have many first-party exclusive games,
05:06the ones it does have are some of the finest games out there.
05:08You also get nearly every single third-party game
05:10available on other systems.
05:12Given the PS5's popularity,
05:14you get a boatload of games to choose from.
05:16And though the PS5 often makes you choose
05:18between performance and fidelity modes in many games,
05:20you still get a decent gaming experience regardless.
05:23Yeah, those modes are upgraded on PS5 Pro,
05:25but they're still good on PS5.
05:27In the end, the PS5 is still an awesome system
05:30for most people.
05:32The PS5 Pro is an impressive gaming console
05:34that delivers sharper visuals and smoother gameplay
05:37compared to the regular PS5.
05:39Hardcore PlayStation enthusiasts will no doubt
05:41fall in love with this powerful system.
05:43On the flip side,
05:44if you're happy with how games look and run
05:46on your PS5, you can save yourself $700.
05:48Are you getting a PS5 Pro or are you skipping it?
05:51Let me know in the comments below.
05:52For more coverage, hit up Tom's Guide
05:54for a full PS5 Pro review.
05:56Also, make sure to follow us at Tom's Guide on social media.
05:59I'll see you guys next time.
06:00Game on!
06:08Yeah, it's on real BC.
06:12All right, here we go.
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