PlayStation Reveals PS5 Pro Price, Launch Date

PlayStation has officially confirmed the release of its next console, the PS5 Pro.

The device will launch Nov. 7 and retail at $699.99 compared to its predecessor the PS5, which launched in November 2020 priced at $499 with a digital-only edition for $399. Preorders begin Sept. 26.

PS5 lead architect Mark Cerny unveiled the updated device during PlayStation’s live-streamed technical presentation Tuesday, noting its specs compared to Sony’s PS5 include larger GPU, advanced ray tracing and AI-driven upscaling.

Per PlayStation’s description for the PS5 Pro device:

• Upgraded GPU: With PS5 Pro, we are upgrading to a GPU that has 67% more Compute Units than the current PS5 console and 28% faster memory. Overall, this enables up to 45% faster rendering for gameplay, making the experience much smoother.
• Advanced Ray Tracing: We’ve added even more powerful ray tracing that provides more dynamic reflection and refraction of light. This allows the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console.
• AI-Driven Upscaling: We’re also introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-driven upscaling that uses a machine learning-based technology to provide super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail.

PlayStation says several games will be patched with free software updates and marked with a “PS5 Pro Enhanced” label. Optimized games 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 II Remastered” and more.

The PS5 Pro will come with a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller and a copy of “Astro’s Playroom” pre-installed. The device is available as a disc-less console, with the option to purchase the PS5 disc drive separately. A stand for the console will also be sold separately.

PlayStation says the height of the new PS5 Pro is equal to the original PS5, and the width is the same as the current “slim” edition of the PS5 model.

Sony’s announcement of its next console comes as the gaming industry is awaiting official word on the successor to Nintendo’s Switch, which the company says will be announced by March, and the rollout of Xbox’s special editions of the X and S Series this fall amid work on its next generation of consoles.