There’s no denying that thePlayStation 5Prorepresents a significant technological leap over the original PS5, but it’s not the new iteration that I’d actually like to see.Revealed in a technical presentation by Sony, the PS5 Pro promises better performance, resolution, and upscaling technology. With a price tag that starts at $700 for the discless version, it’s an upgrade that I can’t personally justify, and early reactions to the reveal show that I’m definitely not alone in wanting to hold off.
The whole concept of major mid-generation upgrades is a relatively recent one, with the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X having shaken up the standard cycle in 2016 and 2017 respectively. I also didn’t opt for either of those, instead taking the opportunity to pick up a PS4 Slim once it dropped to $200 on sale after the release of the Pro. The Slim definitely showed its limits with some games, but with my PC as an alternate option, there weren’t too many times that I felt I had to settle for a subpar experience.
A Handheld PS5 Would Be Better Than The PS5 Pro
Portability Adds More Value To Me
Any doubts that I might have had about the value of a PS4 Pro have only been magnified with the PS5 Pro, but that doesn’t mean I would rather see Sony refrain from developing any mid-generation hardware. Instead of focusing on pushing graphics forward,I’d like to see a solid PS5 experience packed into a handheld form factor. While a PS5 Pro might offer a better experience for PS5 owners, it doesn’t offer a radically different one, and that’s something that a handheld system could manage.
PS5 Pro Release Date, Price, Specs, & Preorder Details
The long-rumored PS5 Pro has been revealed for release later this year. Here’s everything to know about when it comes out, its price, and specs.
Despite enjoying success in the handheld market with the PSP, Sony pulled out of that competition after the relative failure of the PS Vita, but that shouldn’t be the permanent death knell of PlayStation handhelds. The Vita was an elegant PSP successor in some regards, but poor decisions hamstrung its legitimate chance at finding a wide audience. The library of exclusives targeted at a Western audience was notably weak, and overpriced proprietary memory cards were a major turn-off when standard SD storage could have sufficed.
A PS5 Handheld Could Fill A Market Niche
A Crowded Handheld Market Has Holes
While comfortably pocketable handhelds have taken a backseat in recent years, the success of the Nintendo Switch andalternatives like the Steam Deckhas proven that larger, more powerful handhelds can go toe-to-toe with home consoles. I’m not grabbing my Switch every day to take it on the go, butthe Switch’s versatility positions it as the perfect companion to a PC. It might not have anything close to the graphical horsepower of the PS5 Pro, but well-optimized exclusives and a huge library of indie games reduce the sense of compromise.
All Games Getting PS5 Pro Support (So Far)
The PS5 Pro was just announced and includes a host of upgrades to performance and graphics, but not all games will be able to leverage the tech.
Where the Switch falls short — woefully inadequate ports, mostly — a PS5 handheld could step in. The Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion GO, Asus ROG Ally, and other handheld gaming PCs all target that void, but they don’t deliver the level of polish or consistency that consoles do.Only the Steam Deck has a particularly elegant OS solution, and even then, compatibility can be a struggle. They can all be great for people who don’t mind tinkering around with settings, a camp that I usually fall into, but they aren’t for everyone.
I don’t want to discount the challenges of making a compelling PS5 handheld, but I think they’re worth taking on. The reasonably strong sales of the PlayStation Portal, which can only stream games from the PS5, prove the interest in a more portable solution. Making something that could properly run PS5 games on its own at a reasonable price point would have to lean on a variety of technical solutions, but the introduction of AI-driven upscaling with the PS5 Pro proves that Sony’s capable of developing those.
The PlayStation 5 Pro Doesn’t Do It For Me
I Couldn’t Possibly Justify The Upgrade
When I look at the PlayStation 5 Pro, I’m just not inspired, and it would take more than shaving $100 off the price point to get me interested. I like my games to look nice and run smoothly just as much as the next person, and despite how beautifulFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthcan be, I didn’t think either the obviouslyupscaled resolution of Performance Modeor the 30 FPS solution of Graphics Mode were ideal. At the same time, I think the issue lies more in the graphical arms race of games development than hardware that’s only a few years old.
Buying a disc drive for the PS5 Pro costs an additional $80, and a vertical stand has a $30 MSRP, quickly raising the price to $810 for a more complete package.
The PS4 titleFF7 Remakelooks just as good asRebirthin some regards (and has more consistent lighting to boot), and unlikeRebirth, its Performance Mode on PS5 looks fantastic. With a disappointingly slim lineup of true PS5 exclusives,I already view the PS5 as more of an ultimate PS4 than anything else, and it’s exceptional at that without any upgrades. If I boot up my PS5, I’m personally more likely to be playingYakuza 0than I amMarvel’sSpider-Man 2, and I don’t need any more power for that.
PlayStation Fans Are Revolting Against The PS5 Pro Price
The PS5 Pro was just announced and fans are vocal about their disappointment with the coming console’s price, which is significantly more expensive.
It’s always good to have some games pushing the graphical envelope, but as development time and costs balloon, making games that struggle to run on powerful hardware and then dropping absurdly expensive hardware upgrades to alleviate the issue feels like the wrong way to go about things. Being able to play it on the go, however, would be a delight.Double-dipping doesn’t bite quite as hard when it provides genuinely new utility, something that the PS5 Pro can’t claim.
There have been plenty of rumors about handhelds or hybrids in development from both Sony and Microsoft, and I’d be happy to see either. The competition is likely to stiffen in 2025 with the release of the Nintendo Switch’s successor, and it’s a shame that no one ended up squeezing something in ahead of that. I’d welcome any kind of new handheld from Sony, however, and I think aPlayStation 5handheld would inspire a more passionate response than the mixed reception of the PS5 Pro.
PlayStation 5
The fifth flagship video game console from Sony Computer Entertainment, the PlayStation 5, is a part of the ninth generation of consoles. The console features full backwards compatibility with PlayStation 4 games and features a digital storefront that gives access to older generations. The console can output images at 4K resolution, with alternative options including 1440p at 120 frames per second for gameplay. This console is also known for implementing 3D audio, which allows headphones to be connected to the console for simulated spatially accurate audio.
