In this article, we will continue to talk with you about the rest of the urgent questions that some may have about the PS5 Pro. Note that you can view the first part here.
Will developers charge for PS5 Pro optimization?
We imagine that Sony wants to include as many games as possible in the PS5 Pro Enhanced catalog, and that every major game in development right now will probably include PS5 Pro support in some form. But will we see some developers charging for the ability to take advantage of the new hardware? Will “PS5 Pro Enhanced” become a paid upgrade in some cases?
We don’t think so. Sony gave no indication in its reveal trailer that these upgrades would be paid for, and it might be hard to expect gamers to shell out for new hardware and pay even more on top of that to actually enjoy the full benefits of games on PS5 Pro.
In the case of games that are also available on PC, we imagine that most of the work has already been done when it comes to making enhanced game modes available for better hardware. In short, we doubt that “PS5 Pro Enhanced” will be a paid upgrade in most cases, unless more work is done to update the base game for the new hardware. Charging more just to get better framerates and resolutions just won’t cut it.
How much better will GTA 6 look on PS5 Pro?
At this point, the PS5 Pro’s success may be closely tied to Grand Theft Auto 6. GTA 6 is quickly shaping up to be one of the most important games ever released, and will be a major seller for the system. Will it end up being the biggest argument in favor of buying a PS5 Pro?
The GTA 6 trailer is nothing if not visually stunning, leaving us wondering whether the actual game can live up to this early hype. Incredibly detailed character models, environments, and advanced lighting techniques promise to push current-gen platforms to their limits. The standard PS5 and Xbox Series X will likely be lucky to run at 30 frames per second. Just how much better will the experience be on the PS5 Pro? It’s a question with a surprisingly complex answer.
Based on the technical analysis of the GTA 6 trailer, the game appears to run at 30fps at a native internal resolution of 1440p. Can the PS5 Pro beat that? Will this be the only way to run GTA 6 at 60fps and/or 4K? Is this where we’ll see what Sony’s new PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution tech can do?
With GTA 6 not coming to PC right away, it’s probably safe to assume that the PS5 Pro version of the game will be the best looking and performing version of the game. But how stark a difference will there be? Will the game simply run more smoothly, or will it truly feel like a mid-gen quality jump? If it’s the latter, we could see a lot of gamers suddenly switching to the PS5 Pro a year from now.
Why is the CD player and stand not included?
As we said above, the PS5 Pro probably won’t be too expensive given the massive graphics processing power Sony has added to the console. But that doesn’t mean the $699 price tag isn’t too much for most gamers. Sony has made it even more unaffordable by removing two essential pieces of hardware — the disc drive and the stand.
The lack of a disc drive isn’t necessarily surprising, given that both Sony and Microsoft have started to de-emphasize discs in recent years. And it’s not as if the option still exists. It just requires gamers to pay $80 for the disc drive attachment.
Still, the lack of a disc drive is a pain. Couldn’t Sony have really done us a great job and included a disc drive with the most expensive PS5? With the ridiculously high resolution being the big selling point here, wouldn’t you want to encourage owners to take full advantage of the system and watch 4K Blu-ray discs instead of streaming all their video content? And what about people upgrading from a standard PS5 with a disc drive to the Pro? Why force them to choose between paying an extra $80 and paying to “upgrade” to digital versions of their games?
As for the stand, is it really necessary to pay $30 for a vertical stand? Couldn’t Sony really have offered this little piece of kit to people who are paying the better part of a month’s rent on a new console?
The real problem here is that these additional purchases add up quickly. If you want to be able to display your PS5 Pro upright and use your collection of store-copy games and Blu-ray discs, the PS5 Pro suddenly costs close to $800. In the current state of the world economy? Sony may be asking too much of gamers by draining them with these extra accessories.
But what do you think? Is the high price justified? Will the PS5 Pro be the best way to play GTA 6? What are your biggest questions about the new console? Let us know in the comments below.
