One 12 months in the past this week, Sony launched considered one of its costliest online game consoles ever: the PlayStation 5 Pro. The corporate promised improved efficiency and visuals over the usual PS5 in addition to DLSS-like upscaling. And whereas some video games positively profit from the facility, I’ve principally forgotten I even personal a PS5 Professional.
When Sony introduced the PlayStation 5 Professional final 12 months, it obtained a blended reception. Whereas some have been excited to have a extra highly effective console that would run video games at increased framerates, many weren’t satisfied it was obligatory. And then Sony showed everyone the $700 price tag, and it grew to become even more durable to justify the brand new console. However regardless of all that, I used to be nonetheless excited to get a PS5 Professional. I’ve an enormous ol’ 4K TV and I care about framerates and all of the trivia that impacts how a recreation seems to be. And during the last 12 months, I’ve loved some nice video games on my PS5 Professional. Battlefield 6, for instance, seems to be and runs splendidly on Sony’s beefier machine. Likewise, Loss of life Stranding 2 seems to be extremely sharp on PS5 Professional whereas nonetheless working flawlessly.
But, many different video games I play on my PS5 Professional both don’t look or really feel noticeably higher, or characteristic no enhancements in any respect. It doesn’t assist that the PlayStation Retailer nonetheless lacks detailed details about what PS5 Professional enhancements are included in a given recreation. Generally I’ve to go digging round on-line to discover a weblog or Reddit submit to find out what, if something, has modified as a result of I’m enjoying a recreation on PS5 Professional. That’s not a fantastic expertise for a console that now costs $750.
I can verify that after a 12 months of use, the PS5 Professional hasn’t given me any troubles. It runs quietly, nonetheless feels snappy to make use of, and hasn’t damaged in another means. Compared, my base PS5’s USB-C port stopped working after just some weeks. So on the very least, the PS5 Professional appears well-built and durable, which is sweet, I suppose. However is all of that price $750?
Must you purchase a PS5 Professional in 2025?
After utilizing the PS5 Professional for a 12 months, I discover it arduous to suggest. Whereas I do assume there are some individuals on the market who will get some profit from proudly owning a PS5 Professional–mainly folks with 4KTVs who really care about performance–most individuals don’t want Sony’s extra highly effective console. Heck, I’m a little bit of a graphics snob who loves working video games at 120FPS, and I typically overlook the PS5 Professional is sitting in entrance of me as a result of video games so hardly ever really feel like they’re benefiting from its enhanced specs.
The shortage of third-party assist is disappointing, too. It’s stunning what number of video games are nonetheless launching on the PS5 by way of the PlayStation Retailer with none PS5 Professional advantages. You’d assume at this level, Sony can be pushing devs and publishers to assist the dear console extra. Nevertheless it doesn’t really feel like that’s the case, which I discover very unusual, and that makes it even more durable to suggest plopping down the money for this factor.
At this level, I’d recommend sticking to your PS5 (when you’ve got one) and simply having fun with it for just a few extra years and shopping for a PlayStation 6 as a substitute when that console lastly launches within the subsequent few years, seemingly at an identical worth.
