The PS5 Pro is a bit of a controversial console, given its eerily similar nature when compared to the base PS5 and PS5 Slim models. Unlike the previous-gen PS4 Pro, the difference in horsepower does not seem to be all that substantial, which is made worse by the fact that a large portion of its ‘features’ are locked behind ‘optional’ upgrades – including basics such as a disc drive.
Regardless, the Pro is still poised to be the best gaming console on the market, and as such may be worth purchasing over the base model, in some select scenarios.
Why you should get the PS5 Pro
The absolute best way to play your PlayStation 4 and 5 library of games
The Pro is without a doubt, the most powerful PlayStation console to date. As such, it is the best way to play your already existing library of PS4 and PS5 games, along with a select few remasters of older gen games.
The Pro offers better upscaling and performance, which should allow for a 60 FPS output regardless of resolution – with no need to toggle between performance and quality modes on the fly.
The PS5 Pro is the absolute best console you can buy – if you have the budget
While the Pro costs an eye watering $699, it is without a doubt the best console one can buy for the money – assuming raw graphical horsepower is what you prefer. It trumps over the competition, including Microsoft’s own Xbox Series X, which is yet to receive a mid-gen refresh.
The wide selection of PlayStation-specific exclusives also might make it worthwhile to grab the console, with titles such as Bloodborne being entirely locked to the platform.
As such, newcomers to the PlayStation ecosystem might find it worthwhile skipping straight to the Pro model.
Console gaming is a lot more streamlined
The beauty of console gaming is in its simplicity. Unlike PC gaming, console gaming is mostly plug and play, requiring little to no tweaking to get up and running. Additionally, not having to assemble your own PC/research for a compatible pre-built system can also be worth it for many potential buyers.
PC gaming ultimately triumphs in the end, but the ease of use associated with a console is not something that should be ignored.
Why you should skip the PS5 Pro
The base PS5 Slim offers most of what the Pro has to offer at a much lower price
The PS5 Slim is still available for purchase, and can do most of what the Pro can at a much lower price. The Slim will play all the PS5 games that the Pro supports, and will likely still retain a performance-quality mode toggle for future titles as well.
For most people, the difference in image quality is rather insubstantial, which makes the Pro even less worthwhile.
PlayStation 5 exclusives make their way to PC sooner or later
The current trend in the gaming industry are cross-platform releases, with companies such as Xbox opting to even release exclusive titles on rival platforms. PlayStation takes a slightly different approach to the same, opting to release their games on PCs instead, 1-2 years after their initial PS5 launch.
For the patient gamer who wishes to try out PlayStation exclusives such as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and God of War: Ragnarok, it might be better to skip the Pro entirely – and wait for these games to arrive on PC.
Besides Nintendo, console gaming is slowly starting to lose its overall value and thus appeal, thanks to the removal of proper platform-specific exclusives. PC gaming has become more accessible than ever, and seems to be the future of gaming.
The PS5 Pro is ridiculously priced for its (lack of) feature sets
The Pro comes with some very questionable decisions, such the already discussed absurdly high $699 price tag. For $699, you do not get a substantial improvement over the base PS5 – and the games that are ‘enhanced’ for the Pro don’t seem to be all that ‘Pro’ either.
The removal of the disc slot is further insult to injury, and being forced to pay an additional $100 for a feature that should be the default for every console is quite disheartening. Players with a physical collection of games will be forced to shell out an additional amount just to be able to access their library.
The lack of a vertical stand within the box is doubly puzzling, given the rather cheap nature of these stands and the fact that the base PS5 came with one included in the box. Having to purchase a vertical stand separately is quite a strange decision.
Coupled with the overall lackluster nature of the console, and the lack of features such as ultrawide support and more, the Pro seems to be the most disappointing console release thus far.
