PlayStation 5

[Moonface]

Yeah, it really doesn't seem like the changes are enough to even warrant a PS5 Pro existing in the first place, and things like slightly more memory wouldn't be necessary if developers bothered to optimize their games. Instead they're just doing the bare minimum that let's the game run and don't even bother with compression at all considering how file sizes have ballooned when SSD consoles were supposed to result in the polar opposite.

Even then, Sony would do better at actually supporting the PS5 properly. So many of their first party games have been cross gen that it probably has less first party games exclusively on it (meaning not on PS4) than what even the Wii U had.

[Moonface]

PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation Announced for Tomorrow
Mark Cerny will be hosting a 9-minute Technical Presentation focusing on the PlayStation 5 and innovations in gaming technology. The presentation will take place tomorrow at 8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm GMT, and will be broadcast on the PlayStation YouTube channel.

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This surely has to be a PS5 Pro announcement. Being only 9 minutes long, it lines up with how brief the actual announcement was for the PS4 Pro. I don't care about the PS5 Pro myself because I'm not gonna upgrade my PS5 to it, but I am curious to at least see what the console looks like.

[Mr EliteL]

Ah quite possibly the Pro then. I'm at the moment not wanting to upgrade, but it might so happen I change my mind like I did with PS4 to PS4 Pro. Hope not, probably won't. Well I can't think how much different or better it'll be apart from obvious stuff, perhaps a smaller compact size somehow though PS4 Pro was larger.

[Moonface]

Why did you upgrade to the PS4 Pro again EL? Was it because you were sharing the base one, or am I mixing that up with why you got the PS3 Slim?

[Mr EliteL]

Y'know I was thinking about that during my post and just couldn't decide myself what the exact reason was. Probably memory space and not wanting to buy anything to add to what was already there but not just that, I knew it was going to be better in general and worth it at the time. I was the one who bought both PS4 and PS4 Pro, gave the original to my brother as I got him a game on there as he barely played on it, well had little time to anyway, when I was using it. My sister got her own at some point, though this time neither my siblings own a PS5, I'm the only one this time.

Looking back on how it's sorta flipped/progressed for my family, my Dad bought us the PS1 and PS2 both shared, my sister got her own PS2 later, brother bought the fat OG PS3 which we all shared for a while, sister bought her own Slim PS3, I later got Super Slim for myself. I got the PS4 which went to my bro, sister once again got her own, then I got the Pro, then just one PS5 now like how there was one PS1 before (technically we got two as the first didn't work properly or something but was always shared). Times moving by, yeesh.

[Moonface]

I tried hunting for any posts you made on the old board about getting a PS4 Pro, and the first I found was a post where you talk about wanting a PS4 Slim because of the smaller size being better for your limited bedroom size, and I started thinking you actually got a Slim instead of a Pro due to that and you saying you don't care for more HDD space, but in the Latest Gaming Purchase thread on the old board I found a post where you say you got the PS4 Pro. Amusingly you did also buy a PS4 Slim, so I guess you got all three versions of the PS4?

[ShiraNoMai]

Bro gave Sony all the money in 8th gen, gaddayum!

I'm not quite sure who Sony intends to market to with a Pro. What games are struggling to utilize the hardware now?

[Moonface]

PlayStation 5 Pro Revealed
To the surprise of nobody, Sony has officially revealed the PS5 Pro during this mornings Technical Presentation.



Sony states that one of the key factors in their development of this new console was players who want higher graphical fidelity without sacrificing performance. In other words, people who wanted the benefits of both Performance and Quality modes without having to choose one or the other.

Here are other notable features of the PS5 Pro:

• Upgraded GPU: With PS5 Pro, we are upgrading to a GPU that has 67% more Compute Units than the current PS5 console and 28% faster memory. Overall, this enables up to 45% faster rendering for gameplay, making the experience much smoother.
  

• Advanced Ray Tracing: We’ve added even more powerful ray tracing that provides more dynamic reflection and refraction of light. This allows the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console.
  
• AI-Driven Upscaling: We’re also introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-driven upscaling that uses a machine learning-based technology to provide super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail.
  

If you're in the market for it, the PS5 Pro is going to set you back $699.99 / £699.99, and will release on November 7, 2024.

Source: PlayStation Blog

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I mean, having noticed most people pick Performance mode over Quality mode is no surprise to me when how a game feels to play matters a damn lot more than how it looks (see: any Nintendo or indie game that doesn't have cutting-edge realistic graphics and yet sells extremely well because of how it plays), although I wonder how many games on PS5 Pro are gonna hit 120fps when 60fps hasn't even become the standard on PS5 yet and even games that do target it aren't guaranteed to maintain it.

Visually it looks like the original PS5 in terms of size but they put more of the PS5 Slim stripes on the middle of it. I'm guessing the extra stripes is also to try and keep the panels the same size so Sony doesn't add a third panel size to their line-up, which if that's the case I appreciate that just so if someone had a PS5 Slim with custom panels they can use them on a PS5 Pro were they to upgrade.

At $700 though it makes me wary on what prices will be like for the actual next generation of consoles...

[Mr EliteL]

Ah, I got something wrong in my post, I got the PS4 Slim first then Pro, never the original. I bought Uncharted 4 Explorer Edition before the actual console so I waited from March to November to actually play it, along with BlazBlue Central Fiction which was also bought a little before the Slim. My brother I believe still has the first Slim and my sister still got herself her own Slim. Yeesh.

Anyway this PS5 Pro looking like it's all to do with better graphics and no disc drive, but then also the price is equalled despite conversion rates? Oof £700, forgot what I paid for the PS5 but man nah, like the PS5 Slim I'll pass.

[Moonface]

Ah, I got something wrong in my post, I got the PS4 Slim first then Pro, never the original. I bought Uncharted 4 Explorer Edition before the actual console so I waited from March to November to actually play it, along with BlazBlue Central Fiction which was also bought a little before the Slim. My brother I believe still has the first Slim and my sister still got herself her own Slim. Yeesh.

Anyway this PS5 Pro looking like it's all to do with better graphics and no disc drive, but then also the price is equalled despite conversion rates? Oof £700, forgot what I paid for the PS5 but man nah, like the PS5 Slim I'll pass.

Oh, I thought you had got the OG PS4 too because the post I saw on the old board where you were considering the Slim made me think you were debating getting it for the smaller size over the OG because you owned an OG already, rather than picking between them.


Also, as if this console wasn't already the most worthless "upgrade" to exist, check out this shit: The Verge | PS5 Pro "Enhanced" Games Don't Have to Hit 60fps

While Sony wants this new mode in games, the PS5 Pro “Enhanced” label will still be available for a variety of other scenarios that include 30fps games. Developers have the option of increasing the target resolution for PS5 Pro games that run at a fixed resolution on PS5 or even increasing the target maximum resolution for games that run at a variable resolution on PS5.

Developers could also choose to enable ray-tracing effects and get the PS5 Pro Enhanced label without improving resolution or frame rates. If a developer wants to target 60fps instead of 30fps with the same resolution, this may also qualify as a PS5 Pro Enhanced game.

The article ends with saying that PS5 Pro "Enhanced" games are similar to how PS4 Pro "Enhanced" games worked, which I'd say would be fine if not for Sony making such a point in the PS5 Pro reveal about it targeting a merging of Performance and Quality modes like that was the thing it was for, when really no game could actually bother trying to hit both and still potentially qualify as an "Enhanced" game.

[queenzelda]

Personally, I don't see the point in getting a PS5 Pro when I could just invest in a Steam deck or a decent laptop and get way more games for cheaper since steam has a sale almost every month. I'm also a monthly member of Humble Bundle for $8 and in the end, Sony is charging for an overpriced paper weight since there aren't that many games releasing after Astro bot. Not that anything Sony announced interested me anyway. I mean if you're into Silent Hill 2 remake that's great but otherwise I'm still playing on FF7: Rebirth and Asto bot since I beat the one with Zack in it already. 

[Moonface]

PlayStation 30th Anniversary PS5 Collection Revealed
As PlayStation heads towards their 30th anniversary, Sony have revealed a range of PlayStation 5 merchandise to celebrate the occasion.

• PlayStation 5 Pro Console – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Bundle
  • Includes the limited edition PS5 Pro console with 2TB SSD, Wi-Fi 7 in territories supporting this standard, and matching limited edition accessories – DualSense wireless controller, DualSense Edge wireless controller, DualSense Charging Station, and a Console Cover for a Disc Drive (Disc Drive sold separately).
    
  • There will be 12,300 units of the PlayStation 5 Pro Console – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Bundle available for customers to purchase, with limited edition numbers etched onto the unit. The number represents the month and date of the first PlayStation console launch.
    
  • It also includes a Vertical Stand and special collector’s Items:
    • Original PlayStation controller-style cable connector housing
      
    • Four PlayStation Shapes cable ties
      
    • PlayStation sticker
      
    • Limited Edition PlayStation Poster (1 of 30 possible designs)
      
    • PlayStation Paperclip
      
      
• PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Bundle
  • Includes the limited edition PS5 Digital Edition console with 1TD SSD and matching limited edition accessories – DualSense wireless controller and a Console Cover for a Disc Drive (Disc Drive sold separately).
    
  • It also includes a Vertical Stand and special collector’s Items:
    • Original PlayStation controller-style cable connector housing
      
    • Four PlayStation Shapes cable ties
      
    • PlayStation sticker
      
    • Limited Edition PlayStation Poster (1 of 30 possible designs)
      
    • PlayStation Paperclip
      
      
• PlayStation Portal Remote Player – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition (standalone)
  
  
• DualSense Edge Wireless Controller – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition (standalone)
  
  
• DualSense Wireless Controller – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition (standalone)
  

The PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection will be released on November 21. Pre-orders for all items in the collection will open on September 26 via direct.playstation.com.

Finally, here's a look at the packaging for all of the items in the collection, paying homage to the original PlayStation console packaging.

[Karo]

I feel like this honestly might just be a move for them to try to get rid of the disc drive? I know console maker really wanted to kill it this gen and now they can say, "No one bought the disc drive." thus fulfilling their marketing team giving themselves the go ahead to kill it permanently. I mean I don't think many of the average consumer really are going to be going for the pro model maybe some collectors or something maybe?

But also I mean at this price point you could probably just save up and get a gaming PC which kinda defeat the purpose of a console now I know in Japan the PC isn't as common in the state and in China apparently they skipped the PC altogether.

[Moonface]

Well I know most of the sales are probably scalpers but the attachable disc drive Sony offers has been sold out since the Pro was announced. Disc drive sales or not though a better metric is going to be physical copy sales because someone owning a disc drive doesn't mean every game they buy will be a physical copy necessarily.

For the Pro price, it's better value to just buy a Steam Deck for that much money like @queenzelda suggested. The pricing to me absolutely reeks of Sony getting arrogant again due to Xbox not really giving them competition in the hardware market.

[Moonface]

IGN | PS5 Homescreen Now Replaces Unique Video Game Art With Annoying Ads You Can’t Turn Off

Okay Sony can fuck all the way off with this and when they get there they can keep going. I could maybe forgive having a small box in the corner showing a latest news item or something but just killing the key art entirely is garbage. Never mind that as IGN shows some of the stuff being shown is ridiculously outdated. I've seen comments giving other examples of what some games are showing now:

• Elden Ring shows an image of a mousepad?!
  
• Resident Evil 2 Remake shows an ad for the Resident Evil: Death Island movie.
  
• Resident Evil 3 Remake shows an ad for the Resident Evil Netflix show.
  
• Silent Hill: The Short Message promotes the Silent Hill Transmission which was over months ago.
  
• Monster Hunter World has an image of the Monster Hunter Wilds logo, and the text on top of it promotes "Save Data Bonuses" for that game.
  
• Helldivers 2 promotes one of the new premium Warbonds.
  

I'd love to see what is being promoted on some really old games like Uncharted 4 or God of War. There's been no news on those IP in ages so either they'll pull nothing and just look like they always do (this is currently the case for Astro Bot) or they're going to hilariously pull some super outdated stuff.