60 days later: The PlayStation 5 Pro review – is Sony’s upgrade worth it?

Almost 60 days ago, I unboxed the PlayStation 5 Pro with a mix of excitement and scepticism. A mid-cycle console refresh is always going to be a tricky proposition, as it has to be bold enough to justify its existence but yet not so revolutionary that it alienates existing users. Sony, of course, is no stranger to such upgrades, and the PS5 Pro slots neatly into the company’s tradition of releasing souped-up versions of its consoles halfway through their lifecycle. But while the PS4 Pro felt like a clear leap forward in the 4K gaming era, the PS5 Pro lands in a landscape where gaming hardware is already teetering on the edge of diminishing returns.

From the outset, the PS5 Pro looks like a machine designed to make a statement. It’s larger, heavier, and exudes the same futuristic design ethos as the original PS5, but with a sense of refinement that hints at the extra horsepower under the hood. Setting it up next to my existing PS5 felt like parking a sportier version of an already impressive car in the same garage. The question was whether this new console could truly deliver an experience worth its S$1,069 price tag, or if it would merely underline the law of diminishing returns.

My first impressions were cautious. Firing up familiar titles like Spider-Man 2 and Horizon Forbidden West didn’t immediately blow me away (you can also check out the list of PS5 Pro enhanced games here). After all, these games already looked fantastic on the original PS5. But the more time I spent exploring their intricacies, the more I began to appreciate the subtleties of what the PS5 Pro brings to the table. It wasn’t about obvious leaps in fidelity, but more about the quieter, deliberate enhancements that make a game world feel richer, fuller, and more alive.

Take Spider-Man 2, for example. Swinging through the crowded streets of New York City has always been a joy, but on the PS5 Pro, the city feels genuinely bustling. There are more pedestrians on the sidewalks, more cars on the roads, and more foliage dotting the urban landscape. It’s not just a visual upgrade; it’s an upgrade in immersion. Performance mode, which prioritises frame rate, now delivers an experience that feels comparable in richness to Fidelity mode on the original PS5. And Fidelity mode itself? That’s where the console’s added grunt becomes most apparent, with ray-traced reflections and detailed lighting effects that make the city shimmer like never before. The vanilla PS5 already supports ray tracing, but the PS5 Pro’s advanced ray tracing is a big upgrade over its predecessor.

That said, if Spider-Man 2 subtly showcases the PS5 Pro’s capabilities, Alan Wake II all but screams about them. Remedy’s horror thriller relies heavily on atmosphere, and the inclusion of advanced ray tracing on the PS5 Pro elevates its eerie environments to something truly special – only seen in the PC version with the right hardware until now. Reflections in puddles, the soft glow of neon signs, and the interplay of light and shadow in dimly lit rooms all combine to create a sense of presence that simply wasn’t possible on the standard PS5. Walking through the fog-laden streets of Bright Falls felt less like playing a game and more like stepping into a living, breathing cinematic world.

Sony has been quick to tout its PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) upscaling technology, likening it to NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) for PC gaming. While the comparison might oversell the magic a bit considering DLSS is a matured tech supported by more than 600 games and apps today, there’s no denying the results. Games rendered at a lower resolution look sharp and detailed when upscaled, and the technology is subtle enough that you don’t find yourself distracted by artefacts or visual imperfections. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see how well PSSR holds up under scrutiny.

However, the PS5 Pro’s claim that it eliminates the need to choose between visuals and performance isn’t entirely accurate. While Performance modes across the games I tested were markedly improved compared to the standard PS5, the high-quality Fidelity modes still hovered closer to 30fps than the coveted 60fps sweet spot. It’s a reminder that even with significant hardware upgrades, developers will always push the envelope of what’s possible, often leaving us to navigate the trade-offs between fluid gameplay and eye-popping visuals.

What struck me most about the PS5 Pro wasn’t just its technical prowess but how it alters the way games are designed. Developers have more breathing room, and that freedom manifests in ways that aren’t immediately apparent. It’s not just about adding more pixels or polygons; it’s about the details that enrich a game world. Crowded streets that feel lived-in. Shadows that bend and stretch naturally across uneven terrain. Characters whose faces are subtly brought to life by the way light interacts with their features. These aren’t the sorts of upgrades that the PS5 Pro’s marketing campaigns are shouting out the most, but I felt that they are the ones that resonate when you’re lost in a game for hours on end.

That said, the PS5 Pro isn’t without its quirks. The lack of a built-in disc drive feels like an odd omission for a console that prides itself on being “pro.” The optional disc drive attachment is frequently out of stock (a quick check shows the local Sony Store is only restocking them end January 2025), and its S$159 price tag adds to the already steep cost of entry. It’s a baffling decision that undermines the otherwise premium feel of the console. Similarly, while the DualSense controller remains one of the best in the business, it’s the same model bundled with the original PS5. Including the superior DualSense Edge as standard would have been a fitting way to complete the package, in my opinion. Then there's the odd decision to not include the vertical stand (it's sold separately for S$44.90), and without it you can only place the PS5 Pro horizontally with the included plastic (and cheap-looking) clips in the same way that you do with the PS5 Slim.

So anyway after 60 days, I find myself in an interesting position when it comes to recommending the PS5 Pro. If you’re a PS5 owner who is content with the current generation of games, there’s not a lot in the PS5 Pro that demands an immediate upgrade, unlike the PS4 Pro over the PS4 where you get true 4K upgrade. The original PS5 is still an outstanding console that will remain relevant for years to come. But if you’re someone who craves the cutting edge, whether it’s ray tracing in your horror games or a smoother, more detailed open world in your action adventures, the PS5 Pro delivers in spades.

For new owners, the decision is more straightforward. The PS5 Pro is undoubtedly the better choice if you’re looking to future-proof your setup, and the extra S$270 over the PS5 Disc Edition (Slim) model feels justified by the enhancements on offer.

Ultimately, the PS5 Pro is about taking the best parts of what the original PS5 already does well and pushing them further, creating experiences that feel richer, deeper, and more immersive. It’s not perfect, and it’s certainly not cheap, but after 60 days, I can confidently say it’s a console that has earned its place under my TV.

The PlayStation 5 Pro is available at Sony's official retailers and the Sony Store with a $1,069 SRP.

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