The PS5 Pro Isn’t Worth Upgrading to (& Here’s Why)

After years of rumors, the PlayStation 5 Pro was finally revealed today, and it has left a lot to be desired. The new system will offer a number of enhancements compared to the current hardware, including advanced ray tracing, a larger GPU, and more. While all of these enhancements were expected, the price was not. Fans thought that the console would come in around $599, but it instead will cost $699, making it a steep ask to upgrade. Overall, Sony’s presentation made it clear that it’s not worth upgrading the system right now, and fans should probably hold off for the inevitable PS6. 

In the previous console generation, Sony released a PS4 Pro as a way of offering greater visual improvements and better processing speeds ahead of the PS5’s release. Basically, this isn’t anything new, but what has changed is PlayStation’s pricing structure. On top of the absurd asking price, the system will not have a disc drive option, meaning that anyone that wants to upgrade from the disc-based version they own now will have to pay an extra $79 on top of that $699. After taxes, PlayStation users will have to spend over $800 to play their physical games. 

This wouldn’t be so frustrating if PlayStation’s last few years weren’t already filled with problematic pricing decisions. Let’s not forget PlayStation VR2, a quickly dying peripheral that was released last year with a $549 price tag. The hardware was released with a small library, and no compatibility with previous VR games. PlayStation has tried to improve the situation by adding compatibility with PC, but even that requires an extra adapter that costs $59. There’s also the recent price jump for DualSense controllers; the $5 increase isn’t as blatant as every other decision at PlayStation recently, but Sony has increasingly asked a lot from consumers, and the PS5 Pro is just the latest example.

PlayStation Gives Up on Things Too Easily

Another reason fans should hold off on the upgrade is the fact that PlayStation can’t be trusted to give the system strong support. PlayStation clearly doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to that sort of thing. The terrible support for PlayStation VR2 is one example, but there’s also the situation surrounding Concord; the game was released on August 23rd, and was only supported through September 6th, when the servers were turned off. Yes, sales for the game were dismal, and fans were reimbursed what they spent, but Sony seems to be giving up quickly on things that aren’t getting immediate interest. 

The major highlight of the PS5 Pro is that the system is going to enhance and upgrade several games. There’s already a decent sized list, but if sales of PS5 Pro fail to meet Sony’s expectations, is there any reason buyers should expect the company to support it in the longterm? The company is asking users to put a lot of faith in them at a time when PlayStation has become quick to abandon things. 

Fans Should Hold Off Until PS6 … or at Least a Price Drop

Graphically speaking, the PlayStation line has come a long way since the days of PS1. However, with each subsequent generation, we’re seeing improvements that are less and less noticeable. Gaming pundits have talked for years about the “visual ceiling,” when graphics reach a point where they simply can’t get much better. It seems we’re swiftly approaching that point with PlayStation, and the differences are getting negligible. It’s hard to justify spending the kind of money Sony expects for the PS5 Pro when upcoming games like Marvel’s Wolverine will still be compatible with the current PS5 hardware. 

At the end of the day, PlayStation fans will have to decide for themselves whether the PS5 Pro is actually worth the cost. PlayStation has a passionate following, and there are going to be fans more than willing to spend the money for an upgraded system. But for anyone on the fence, it’s very hard to recommend based on everything that’s been taking place during this console generation. Unless PlayStation starts announcing a bunch of games that can only be played on the new hardware (which is pretty unlikely), fans are much better off saving their money and waiting a few years for the PS6. 

What do you think of the PS5 Pro? Do you think the system will be worth the cost? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!