At a technical press conference on the evening of September 10, Sony unveiled one of its most poorly kept secrets: the PlayStation 5 Pro. The new console is priced at approximately $700, with a separate purchase required for the disc drive, and it is planned for release on November 7, 2024.

PS5’s lead architect Mark Cerny confirmed this mid-gen update during the PS5 technical presentation, stating that the new machine can provide players with higher frame rates. The GPU is more powerful, and the ray tracing effects will be enhanced. In addition, the console's hardware has been specially optimized for the machine learning feature PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution.

In terms of design, the PS5 Pro looks almost identical to the leaked information and images that recently surfaced online. It resembles the PS5 Slim but has stripes on both sides.

Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Head of Business Division, Hideaki Nishino, outlined the performance features of the PS5 Pro in a PlayStation Blog article:

• Upgraded GPU: The PS5 Pro’s GPU has 67% more compute units than the current PS5 console, and the memory speed has been increased by 28%. Overall, this can improve game rendering speed by 45%, providing a smoother gaming experience.

• Advanced Ray Tracing: The PS5 Pro supports more powerful ray tracing capabilities, delivering more dynamic light reflection and refraction effects. This makes ray casting speeds up to twice or even three times faster than the current PS5 console.

• AI-driven upscaling: We have also introduced PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-driven upscaling technology that uses machine learning to add a large amount of detail and provide ultra-clear image quality.

Sony has also confirmed that the PS5 Pro will be priced at $699.99 / £699.99 / €799.99 / ¥119,980, with a release date of November 7, 2024. It includes a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller, and a pre-installed "Astro's Playroom Wireless Controller User Guide." The vertical stand is sold separately.

Sony clarified that the PS5 Pro is a disc-less console, but players can purchase the currently available PS5 disc drive separately. In regions supporting the Wi-Fi 7 standard, the PS5 Pro will support this latest wireless technology upon release.

Games supporting PS5 Pro-enhanced features will be marked with "PS5 Pro Enhanced" in their titles. Currently known games receiving PS5 Pro Enhanced support include Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, Demon’s Souls, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon: Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, The Crew: Motorfest, The First Descendant, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered.

Games playable on the PS5 console will also be playable on the PS5 Pro, using the same user interface and online community for multiplayer gaming and network services.

CNET got hands-on with the PS5 Pro before today’s conference and reported that the console supports VRR and 8K resolution. Up to 50 PS5 Pro-enhanced games will be available by its November 7 launch.

Other features include PS5 Pro Game Boost, a feature applicable to over 8,500 backward-compatible PlayStation 4 games supported on the PS5 Pro. Sony stated that PS5 Pro Game Boost "may stabilize or improve" the performance of supported PS4 and PS5 games. Enhanced image quality for PS4 games will also be available to improve the resolution of some PS4 games.

Current PS5 accessories will also be compatible with the PS5 Pro, including PlayStation VR2, PlayStation Portal, DualSense Edge, Access controller, Pulse Elite wireless headset, and Pulse Explore wireless earbuds.

Pre-orders for PS5 Pro in overseas regions will begin on September 26, 2024, at direct.playstation.com and participating retailers in regions where direct.playstation.com is unavailable. Pre-orders with all other participating retailers will begin on October 10, 2024.