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'I've tested PS5 Pro for weeks this is why it's odd and I can't recommend it yet'

I've been working in games media for years, but I'm not sure I've ever seen a console as strangely positioned as the PlayStation 5 Pro. Here are my thoughts after a couple of weeks with it.

[PS5 Pro being held by writer with a bluish light]

The PS5 Pro is great, but is it good enough to spend 699 on?

Mid-generation console refreshes are nothing new, but there's something odd about Sony's latest console, the PlayStation 5 Pro.

While the PS4 Pro took the PS4 and souped it up for the growing number of 4K TVs in households, the PS5 can already output 4K. In fact, it can offer 8K if you believe the box (although Sony later removed this).

I've spent around two weeks with the PS5 Pro now, and while there's plenty to look forward to, it's a hard sell - and not just because it'll set you back a whopping 699.

Still, there are reasons to stay positive.

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A big ask for most gamers

[PS5 Pro in reviewer's hands]

I can't recommend PS5 Pro yet and I play video games for a living

One of the benefits of being a freelance writer in gaming and tech is that I justify something like a console purchase a business expense of sorts. Why do I mention that? Because when Sony revealed the 699 price tag of the PS5 Pro, I almost fell off my chair.

I had no intention of picking one up, but did so in the name of science, and in a lot of ways, I've forgotten I have it. It sits behind my telly, and in moment-to-moment use, it's just like the PS5 (aside from that slick new theme). I've lost a disc drive from my launch PS5, but it's doubled in base storage which is certainly appreciated given all of my games are digital.

So, Sony is hoping to tempt players through the door with promises of more horsepower, with more power in the CPU, GPU, and faster RAM, as well as AI upscaling. With the PS4 Pro, it was immediately obvious that the resolution was higher, albeit via checkerboarding techniques. Here, the focus is much more squarely on frame rate, and I'm certainly grateful for it with the likes of Demon's Souls Remake which now looks great while also running at 60 FPS.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 also looks great, now running with a new Performance Pro mode that runs the game at higher refresh rates without sacrificing visual fidelity, and we'll have a full rundown of the best games to showcase the PS5 Pro's powers in the coming days.

Old is gold

The wild thing is that Sony hasn't really helped developers commit to wording for their titles, so there are a whole mess of graphical settings that use 'Pro' in various configurations, each meaning something different to the last.

As some players have pointed out, in many ways these games actually look worse, with Silent Hill 2 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor particular culprits. Many have asked if they can turn PS5 Pro patches off, which isn't the best look when you're dropping 699 on a console.

There are some surprising omissions, too. CD Projekt says Cyberpunk 2077 isn't getting a PS5 Pro patch, while even Sony's first-party titles like LEGO: Horizon Adventures didn't get an update. Destiny 2, my most-played game of all time, seemingly isn't in line for a PS5 Pro patch either, despite Sony owning developer Bungie.

The PlayStation Store even labels some PS5 Pro titles, like Fortnite and Call of Duty Black Ops 6, as having Pro updates - but there aren't, at least yet.

That makes it hard to justify picking up such an expensive console right now, but there is a glimmer of hope.

Future Proof?

[Reviewer resting his head on the PS5 Pro]

The PS5 Pro is likely to be how I play Monster Hunter Wilds next year

When the PS4 Pro arrived, it did so with similar concerns. And, to its credit, Sony helped position it as a great console. I think the same will happen with the PS5 Pro over time given that, on paper, it's sizeably more powerful than the PS5 or its rival, the Xbox Series X.

Once developers tap into that, the PS5 Pro could really come into its own the same way my PC did when I upgraded from an NVIDIA 2070 Super to a 4070 Ti.

There are some huge games slated for 2025, and if titles like Monster Hunter Wilds, Grand Theft Auto VI, or The Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater remake can take advantage of the new hardware, Sony could be onto a winner. Still, it's a tricky proposition to spend so much on the potential of a device, so I'd recommend holding off for now.

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