PS5 vs PS4 Pro – Which one to choose? If you’re buying new, it generally makes sense to go with the latest version, but what if you already own a PS4 Pro? Are the differences between the two consoles significant enough to warrant an upgrade? There’s a lot to consider, and this guide will help you decide which one is best for you.
PS5 is Sony’s latest console, replacing PS4 Pro as the most powerful gaming system. It features a better CPU, GPU, and internal NVMe SSD, making the PS5 a faster and more capable console. It also comes with Sony’s new DualSense controller, including new features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to make you feel more immersed in your gameplay.
But if you have an existing PS4 Pro, you don’t necessarily need to upgrade it — at least, not right away. There’s a growing library of PS5 exclusives like Returnal, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and Demon’s Souls, but you’ll find plenty of multi-gen versions to enjoy on your older PS4 Pro. It already has a huge library of existing games that are not to be missed.
We’re familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of both consoles, and you can read more about each system in-depth in our PS5 review and PS4 Pro review. The PS5 is the latest and greatest that Sony has to offer, but that doesn’t mean the PS4 Pro is completely outdated, not yet.
Read on so we can help you decide what’s right for you or if it’s time to upgrade.
PS5 vs PS4 Pro price
Sony’s top-tier PS5 initially costs $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$749.95, while the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition (identical, minus a disc drive) came in at $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$599.95. However, we have seen the PS5 get a price hike as Sony blamed it on rising inflation. The US price remains unaffected but has been changed to £479.99 / €549.99 / $799.95 for the PS5, and £389.99 / €449.99 / $649.95 for the Digital Edition.
The PS5 costs $100 more at launch than the PS4 Pro’s $399 launch cost (£349, AU$559) – but that’s to be expected. It’s a brand new machine that uses the latest technology, while the PS4 Pro is built on the foundations of the existing PS4 and considered a mid-generation upgrade.
You can sometimes find better PS4 Pro deals during sales – it was down to just £299 in the PS4 2020 Black Friday sale when it was bundled with Death Stranding – but now that it’s been discontinued, you’re unlikely to see this happen again. Most retailers no longer stock new models.
If your heart is set on the PS4 Pro, you can get it second hand he could Offering good value (although there are price hikes even in that area, thanks The global semiconductor crisis). But if you’re really looking for your console to be brand new, the PS5 and its all-digital counterpart are backwards compatible. Sure, not all PS4 games are compatible with PS5, despite the list of incompatible games (Opens in a new tab) She is, frankly, small.
As such, while they are more expensive, they are probably the best option in the long run.
PS5 vs PS4 Pro specs
The PS5 is packed with impressive specifications for the console, offering an AMD Zen 2 based CPU and a dedicated RDNA 2 GPU with over 10.28 TFLOPs of computing power. What that means is that most games will run at 4K/60, with some games being able to achieve 4K/120fps — there’s even support for 8K in the future.
- GPU: 10.28 TFLOPs, 36 TFLOPs at 2.23 GHz (variable frequency) with RDNA 2 architecture
- CPU: CPU based on AMD Zen 2 with 8 cores at 3.5 GHz (variable frequency)
- memory: 16GB GDDR6, 256-bit interface, 448Gb/s bandwidth
- storage: Dedicated 825GB SSD with 5.5GB/s (raw), typical 8-9GB/s (compressed)
- Expandable storage: NVMe SSD slot, USB HDD support (for PS4 games only)
- Visual: 4K UHD Blu Ray Engine
- Visuals: Native 4K 120Hz + 8K
- My voice: 3d storm
The PS5 is also capable of ray tracing, which is a graphically intense visual technology. Ray tracing is found in some of the most beautiful PC games, such as Control, Metro Exodus and Battlefield 5, and is an innovative way to realistically render light and shadows. But since each “ray” of light has its own simulated source, the required power is now only applicable in consoles.
In other words, ray tracing will make games like God of War: Ragnarok look more realistic than ever before. There’s word of 8K support too, and we’ve already seen this (sort of) supported on The Touryst, though Sony only lets you see it in 4K, so it’s not quite there yet.
But when it comes to choosing between 4K and 8K consoles, know that 8K won’t be a prime possibility for several years. In fact, the option to select 8K on the PS5 doesn’t actually exist yet, as it’s being added via a firmware update at some unknown point in the future.
Ray tracing aside, the other huge generational leap the PS5 boasts over the PS4 Pro is a solid-state drive (SSD) — a long-awaited upgrade that PC gamers have enjoyed for years. Games can be loaded up to 19 times faster. Although the PS5’s SSD is only 825GB in size (with only 667.2GB available) – you can upgrade the SSD storage internally – it’s a welcome change over the slow mechanical drives of old.
Meanwhile, my PS4 Pro is still crashing due to an old hard drive. While the PS4’s UI design looks smooth, allowing you to pick up a game from standby, you’ll eventually be jealous of the PS5’s lack of loading screens. Even if you upgrade your PS4 Pro with an SSD, it won’t offer the same bandwidth as the PS5.
The PS4 Pro also doesn’t have the 4K Blu Ray player that the PS5 does, nor does it have the option to go to a disc-free drive like the all-digital PS5 offerings. In fact, Sony has never released an all-digital option for the entire PS4 family.
PS5 also features an all-new audio engine known as Tempest 3D audio. It is a form of spatial audio, which is capable of handling hundreds of sound sources. You’ll want one of the best gaming headsets to try out, though Sony also added 3D audio support for TV speakers on the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition last September.
Meanwhile, here are the PS4 Pro specs:
- CPU: Eight-core x86-64 AMD Jaguar
- GPU: AMD Radeon with 4.2 teraflops
- RAM: 8 GB GDDR5
- storage: Hard disk 1 terabyte
The updated mid-gen model proves a decent jump over the basic PS4: it supports 4K streaming from Amazon and Netflix, but native 4K gaming isn’t possible in all titles, and even then you’re usually limited to 30fps. So, it’s an improvement but there are still compromises.
Of course, the PS5 is a huge leap in power over the PS4 Pro. But if you’re all about the best graphics, can’t get your head around gaming on PC, and have a neutral platform, it’s also worth considering the most powerful console on the market today, the Xbox Series X.
PS5 vs PS4 Pro design
When the PS5 design was revealed, it proved divisive. Even on the TechRadar team, there were those who loved the PS5 design and those who hated the PS5 design. That’s partly because it’s a departure from Sony’s usual approach, with its two-tone color scheme and futuristic, curved shape. However, Sony has since released colorful PS5 skins with 5 different options.
The PS5 is also the biggest console Sony has ever made. On the other hand, the PS4 Pro looks and feels like a traditional console and sits unobtrusively in any entertainment setup. It’s thin and light at 3.3kg, which isn’t in the least controversial. The same cannot be said of the PlayStation 5.
The PS5’s sheer size gives it one significant advantage over the PS4 Pro, though it’s practically silent and produces very little heat. The PS4 Pro, meanwhile, can make a noise when playing certain games, and it’s also guilty of emitting quite a bit of heat.
PS5 games vs. PS4 Pro games
If you bought your PS4 Pro now, we’re hoping you’ll get some sorting time: Bloodborne, God of War, Uncharted 4, The Last of Us 2, The Last Guardian and Marvel’s Spider-Man exclusives to the Sony box, along Along with killer multi-platform experiences like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Control.
The good news? Almost all of these games are backward compatible on PS5. Some games like GTA 5, Madden 21, and Destiny 2 have received major overhauls on PS5 as well. Even better, a new PS Plus feature for PS Plus subscribers, the PlayStation Plus Collection, gives PS5 owners free access to 19 of the best PS4 games ever to download to their new consoles from scratch, including titles like God of War and Uncharted. 4, Ratchet and Clank, and Bloodborne, provided they remain subscribed to the service.
It’s something the PS4 Pro can’t match, even with a PS Plus subscription. Moreover, PS5 has a number of new generation exclusives. While Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Horizon Forbidden West is available on PS4 Pro, Final Fantasy 16 will be PS5 only. This will only continue with time, so if you’re all about access to the latest and best, the PS5 leads the way.
It’s also worth noting that some of the new generation games are more expensive, we’ve seen a price increase of $10 (£10) more on standard editions than on big editions compared to their Xbox One and PS4 counterparts. This pushes games up to $70 (£70) and has happened across multiple publishers, meaning PS5 games will likely cost you more.
PS5 vs PS4 Pro verdict
In all honesty, there isn’t much reason to buy a PS4 Pro right now unless you’re on a very strict budget. Not only is the PS5 the most powerful console, but Sony’s efforts to enable backward compatibility mean that even if you buy a PS5, you’ll also not miss out on the best PS4 experiences. Most of them run better than ever, with games like Ghost of Tsushima now running at 60fps on PlayStation 5.
If you’ve been waiting that long to buy your first PS4, you’d better go straight to the PS5 for future-proofing purposes. However, upgrade from Loyalty is another issue and a tougher dilemma. The Pro already supports 4K for many games with decent performance, and you’ll need a deep pocket of a 4K TV with HDMI 2.1 support to take full advantage of the PS5’s power and higher frame rates.
With that in mind, you don’t feel like you need to push the PS4 Pro to the side and get the PS5 Immediately. There’s still a lot your Pro can do for you, and although a stock PS5 is hard to come by, you still have a powerful console.