For the longest time, the PlayStation 5 Pro seemed like a bit of a joke. Sure, to extreme enthusiasts, it may have been worth the inflated price point, but it barely improved the handful of games it was supposed to enhance, making its purpose questionable at best. I personally felt that there would never be a world in which the PS5 Pro would be worth it, at the very least, while the original PS5 was still kicking. Considering that we’ve still got quite a bit of time left before Sony unveils the successor to the PS5, it will likely still be kicking for years to come.
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However, as not-so-subtly evidenced by the title of this article, that has all changed somewhat in recent months. Sure, the PS5 Pro was one of the worst PlayStation consoles at launch, but a suite of new updates in addition to greater support from third-party and first-party developers has led it to become not just a great console, but well ahead of its time. PlayStation’s efforts are finally paying off, but, as much as it is, indeed, worth buying in 2026 and beyond, there are a few wrinkles left to address that will likely serve as pretty significant barriers for most consumers.
The PS5 Pro Is Vastly Improved In 2026
As aforementioned, the PS5 Pro didn’t really support that many games when it first came out, and the difference in quality between it and the base PS5 was minuscule at best. Sure, it offered a better balance of performance options that meant players didn’t have to compromise between visuals and frames-per-second, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth best illustrating this when it launched in 2023. However, beyond that, it felt as if its prohibitively expensive price point was delivering substantially less value in exchange. However, today, that has all changed, as not only has Sony been working on impactful updates, but both third and first-party developers have been better utilizing its rich suite of features.
The recent PSSR 2 update, which launched in March 2026, not only boosts performance in a slew of AAA titles but also provides sharper visuals and higher levels of fidelity. Sure, the PS5 Pro is still not comparable to current PCs, but when used correctly, it more than outmatches the base PS5. Huge games have been fixed on PS5 Pro, with several getting genuinely transformative updates across 2026 to better utilize the PSSR 2 technology. Cyberpunk 2077, for example, is a must-play on the PS5 Pro as its update on the console makes it a substantially better-looking game than on its other console counterparts.
Of course, visuals aren’t everything, which is why it is fortunate that the PS5 Pro’s promise of avoiding compromise is finally coming true. It still isn’t perfect, but a lot of games now run at 60FPS and come with all the visual bells and whistles that one would expect from a current-gen experience. In an era in which 60FPS has become the standard (and is frankly already being considered outdated by some), it makes sense to remove this sense of compromise from console gaming. Currently, the PS5 Pro is the only console on the market capable of doing so, which is ultimately what makes it well ahead of its time.
The PS5 Pro Was Ahead Of Its Time
Looking back on the PS5 Pro’s initial launch, it isn’t hard to see that the console was merely ahead of its time. It is clear that, initially, developers either didn’t know how to properly use the PS5 Pro, didn’t have the resources to focus on versions specific to it, or didn’t feel as if they needed to deliver said versions. However, nowadays, nearly two years after launch, especially with the advent of the PSSR 2 update, developers seem far more confident with it, both those directly working for Sony and those outside of its sphere of influence.
Of course, we’re still at a point where most developers won’t need to utilize its powerful specs, especially as, while coming close to reaching its sixth birthday, the PS5 still holds up. However, especially with the recent release of Crimson Desert, it is clear that we’re shifting to a point at which the PS5 Pro should be considered the minimum console requirement, rather than an optional premium model. The PS5 Pro fixed the majority of Crimson Desert’s biggest issues at launch, at least its technical and visual flaws, and delivered an experience far closer to the PC version than the base PS5 one.
It is only a matter of time before more AAA releases begin to perform poorly on the PS5, at least without extensive work and updates akin to what Crimson Desert received post-launch. This isn’t to say that Crimson Desert is unplayable or looks horrendous on PS5, as neither is true. Rather, there’s a clear gap between the PS5 and PS5 Pro versions in a way that there simply hasn’t been for quite some time. Evidently, developers are beginning to utilize technology that surpasses, if only by a small margin, what the PS5 is capable of, which, naturally, makes the PS5 Pro seem more worthwhile. Of course, there is still the rather large issue of price to take into consideration.
The PS5 Pro Is Still Too Expensive
One of the main contributors to the PS5 Pro’s negative reputation of being a frivolous expense was its outrageous price. It cost $699.99 at launch, which was $200 more than the base PS5, and didn’t come with a disc drive. Sure, its vastly improved power may have warranted the rather steep price increase, but it simply didn’t feel proportionate to the average consumer, especially with the base PS5 already feeling like a rather huge expense from the outset.
Sony has never really been able to shake this issue, and indeed, has only worsened it since the PS5 Pro first came out. The numerous PlayStation 5 price hikes have affected the Pro model too, with its price skyrocketing by an additional $200 since launch. $900 for a console seems extortionate, especially when one can build a fairly competent PC for that price, or even travel abroad. Of course, this creates a rather serious issue, as while the PS5 Pro is certainly worth it from a technical perspective, financially, it is still extremely hard to recommend.
Sure, Sony and third-party developers have actually begun to utilize the console correctly, and AAA games will quickly come to depend on it for reliable performance and visuals. However, that still doesn’t really justify the cost, even if that is what many analysts expect the base PS6 to cost when it comes out in the near future. Realistically, as much as the PS5 Pro is worth getting today, it really isn’t. That’s a big contradiction, I know, but especially for those who already own a PS5, you’re likely better off waiting for the next-generation console, which will cost just as much and offer better performance and visual fidelity. In the meantime, one may have to suffer a little knowing that the base PS5 isn’t quite up to the task anymore, but it’s better than wasting $900 on a console that’ll quickly become obsolete anyway.
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