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Sony officially unveils PS5 Pro during PlayStation 5 tech presentation
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Sony officially unveils PS5 Pro during PlayStation 5 tech presentation

Sony has finally announced the worst-kept secret in video games: the PlayStation 5 Pro. It costs $700, has no disc drive, and is coming out in November.

PS5 lead architect Mark Cerny confirmed the mid-gen refresh during a PS5 Technical Presentation, saying that the new console will let Sony give players the high frame rates they prefer. It has a much bigger GPU, improved ray tracing and custom machine learning hardware (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution).

In terms of design, the PS5 Pro matches the leaked information and images that recently surfaced online. It looks a lot like a PS5 Slim, but with stripes on both sides. Check out what the PS5 Pro looks like in the image slideshow below.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Hideaki Nishino, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Platform Business Group, outlined the performance features of the PS5 Pro:

  • Upgraded GPU: With PS5 Pro, we’re upgrading to a GPU that has 67% more Compute Units than the current PS5 console and 28% faster memory. All in all, this means up to 45% faster rendering for gameplay, making the experience much more fluid.
  • Advanced ray tracing: We’ve added even more powerful ray tracing that allows for more dynamic reflection and refraction of light, allowing rays to be projected at double and sometimes triple the speeds of the current PS5 console.
  • AI-driven scaling: We’re also introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-powered upscaling that uses machine learning technology to deliver super-sharp images by adding an extraordinary amount of detail.

Sony also confirmed the PS5 Pro’s price at $699.99 / £699.99 / €799.99 / ¥119,980, with a release date of November 7, 2024. It will include a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller, and a copy of Astro’s Playroom pre-installed. The vertical stand will be sold separately.

PS5 Pro will be available as a disc-less console, Sony clarified, with the option to purchase the currently available disc drive for PS5 separately. PS5 Pro will also launch with the latest wireless technology, Wi-Fi 7, in areas that support that standard.

Games taking advantage of PS5 Pro features will include a “PS5 Pro Enhanced” designation in their title. Examples of games that will be PS5 Pro Enhanced include Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Demon’s Souls, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, The Crew Motorfest, The First Descendant, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, and more.

Games playable on the PS5 console are also playable on the PS5 Pro. Multiplayer gaming and network services will use the same user interface and online community.

Other features include PS5 Pro Game Boost, which can be applied to over 8,500 backwards-compatible PlayStation 4 games that are playable on PS5 Pro. Sony said PS5 Pro Game Boost “can stabilize or improve the performance” of supported PS4 and PS5 games. Enhanced Image Quality for PS4 games is also available, which increases the resolution of select PS4 games.

The accessories currently available for the PS5 are also compatible with the PS5 Pro. These include the PlayStation VR2, PlayStation Portal, DualSense Edge, Access controller, Pulse Elite wireless headset, and Pulse Explore wireless earbuds.

Expect PS5 Pro to be available at participating retailers and directly from PlayStation at direct.playstation.com. Pre-orders begin on September 26, 2024.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].