The PlayStation 5 Pro Is Here To Make Gran Turismo 7 Extra Pretty, At A Price

Sony has revealed the most advanced – and most expensive – version yet of the PS5, along with a host of games that’ll be able to make the most of its uprated hardware

Mike Bartholomew

10 Sep 2024

After months of rumours and teasers, Sony has lifted the curtain on the PlayStation 5 Pro, along with confirmation that a host of games will get special enhanced versions that make the most of the upgraded console’s new features and uprated hardware.

The Pro gets some significant upgrades compared to the existing versions of the PS5. Its graphics processing unit (GPU) has 67 per cent more compute units and 28 per cent faster memory, which contributes to an ability to render up to 45 per cent faster.

Its ray tracing – the method by which games can incorporate real-time light and shadow effects – is now between two and three times faster than before, and it now has upscaling tech powered by AI, allowing graphics to be rendered with greater fidelity.

Elsewhere, it gets a GameBoost feature, which is capable of stabilising and improving the performance of existing PS5 games, as well as over 8,500 backwards-compatible PS4 games.

Equipped with a meaty 2TB solid state hard drive, it’s a digital-only console but is compatible with the existing PS5’s add-on disc drive, as well as other accessories including the VR2 headset and Portal remote player.

Overall, we’re promised a console that can render more detailed graphics than ever, all while maintaining a consistent 60FPS frame rate.

That’s something that plenty of games will be able to take advantage of, with Sony announcing that a number of games will become available with PS5 Enhanced Pro labelling, signifying that they take full advantage of the console’s capabilities.

In terms of racing games, where smooth FPS and strong lighting can make massive differences, these include The Crew Motorfest and, unsurprisingly, the PS5’s flagship exclusive racing title, Gran Turismo 7. These versions of the games will be made available through free updates.

Available for a hefty £699.99, the PS5 Pro goes on sale on 7 November – just under a month before the 30th anniversary of the launch of the original PlayStation.

The first full sentence spoken by an infant Mike was a review of the ride quality of a Volvo 850. It was “Daddy’s car goes bumpy-bump on a bumpy road,” so would probably need proofreading a bit, but it was a start.