Sony’s announcement of the PlayStation 5 Pro claimed a performance boost of up to 45% over the original PS5. Still, a recent analysis by Digital Foundry suggests that the upgrade may not translate into significant improvements for gamers in terms of FPS (frames per second). Despite its increased firepower, early evaluations indicate that the new console might not deliver the expected real-world performance gains.
Without early access to the device, the Digital Foundry team analyzed videos shared by Sony, focusing on games labeled “PS5 Pro Enhanced.” Their findings suggest that while the console boasts a more powerful GPU, additional compute units, advanced ray tracing, and increased rasterization capabilities, these enhancements may not lead to noticeable improvements in gaming performance, especially in FPS.
Even with the increased technical specs, the PlayStation 5 Pro’s power could be underutilized by current games, meaning players might not see the dramatic visual or performance upgrades initially promised. This analysis tempers expectations for the console’s impact on gameplay, raising questions about whether the extra power will be fully realized in future game titles.
PS5 Pro relies heavily on PSSR
Digital Foundry’s analysis of the PlayStation 5 Pro reveals that, despite its significant hardware upgrades, much of the performance improvements seem to hinge on PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), the new AI-powered upscaling technology. Rather than fully utilizing the Pro’s increased GPU power for higher native resolutions or frame rates, games rely heavily on upscaling to achieve 4K@60FPS while maintaining image quality.
In games like The Last of Us Part 2, the analysis suggests that the game runs internally at 1440p, with PSSR upscaling it to 4K to maintain 60 FPS. Similarly, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart appears to run at a native 1080p, upscaled to 4K to hit the 60 FPS target. This means the raw power of the PS5 Pro is not fully utilized for native 4K gaming; instead, it focuses on leveraging AI upscaling techniques.
More striking is the case of Alan Wake 2, where the game runs at an even lower native resolution of 864p, similar to the base PS5. While it can run at 1260p, doing so drops the frame rate to 30 FPS, forcing users to choose between visual fidelity and performance—a dilemma not resolved by the PS5 Pro.
Other games like Dragon’s Dogma 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and Gran Turismo 7, shown during the Pro’s reveal, also seem to depend heavily on PSSR rather than fully utilizing the Pro’s processing capabilities. This reliance on AI upscaling is evidenced by visible noise in the peripheral regions of images, especially when ray tracing is enabled, highlighting limitations in the Pro’s ability to handle these graphical demands natively.
In summary, while the PlayStation 5 Pro introduces impressive hardware advancements, the real-world gaming experience relies more on upscaling technologies like PSSR than raw processing power, leaving the console’s potential underutilized in current titles.
Reviews could complicate the PS5 Pro.
The PlayStation 5 Pro faces a significant challenge in justifying its $700 price tag, especially considering the lukewarm reception of its performance improvements. While the hardware upgrades and enhanced specs might seem impressive, the real-world impact—primarily driven by PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) upscaling—appears underwhelming to many gamers.
With limited tangible gains in frame rates or native resolution, many users feel that the console doesn’t offer enough to warrant such a high price, especially compared to the base PS5.
The PlayStation 5 Pro will be released on November 7, with pre-sales starting next Thursday, September 26.
Source: r/GamingLeaksAndRumours, Digital Foundry on Patreon
