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Sony Announces $700 PS5 Pro Without Disc Drive
Morphic Research

Sony has officially announced the PlayStation 5 Pro, priced at $700, which notably does not include a disc drive. This move towards a digital-only console reflects a significant shift in the gaming industry, emphasizing digital downloads over physical media. The PS5 Pro is set to launch in November 2024 and offers several enhancements over the original PS5 model.

Key Features and Specifications of the PS5 Pro

  1. Performance Enhancements: The PS5 Pro boasts a more powerful GPU and CPU, providing up to 33.5 teraflops of power, which is a significant increase over the original PS5. This allows for smoother gameplay and higher fidelity graphics, supporting up to 8K gaming where available .

  2. AI Upscaling: A new feature called "Spectral Super Resolution" uses AI-driven upscaling to enhance image clarity, adding more detail to the visuals .

  3. Backward Compatibility: The PS5 Pro includes a "Game Boost" feature that can improve the performance of over 8,500 backward-compatible PS4 games, potentially stabilizing or enhancing their performance on the new console .

  4. Digital-Only Model: The console does not come with a disc drive, but an external Ultra HD drive can be purchased separately for $79.99. This drive supports PS5 and PS4 games, as well as DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs .

  5. Design and Accessories: The PS5 Pro maintains a similar size to the original PS5 and is compatible with existing PS5 accessories, including the DualSense controller and PlayStation VR2 .

PS5 Pro Design

Market Impact

The decision to release a digital-only console could significantly impact the market for physical games and the secondhand game market. It also reflects a broader industry trend towards digital distribution, which offers convenience but may limit options for consumers who prefer physical media.

Overall, the PS5 Pro represents a substantial upgrade for gamers seeking enhanced performance and graphics, albeit at a higher price point and with the added cost of an external disc drive for those who still wish to use physical media.