On September 10th, Sony unveiled the "half-generation upgrade" of the PlayStation series—the PS5 Pro gaming console—at the PS5 technology showcase. It is understood that the PS5 Pro is a digital version without a disc drive, supporting a slim version of the disc drive (to be purchased separately). The US version is priced at $699.99 (approximately 4,963 RMB) and will be released on November 7th.

In terms of hardware, according to Sony's Chief Architect Mark Cerny, the PS5 Pro is equipped with a 2TB SSD; the CPU is identical to the PS5, featuring an 8-core Zen 2 with a maximum frequency of 3.5GHz, but it has an added "CPU High-Frequency Mode" that can be overclocked to 3.85GHz; the GPU continues to use AMD's RDNA2 architecture, increasing the number of computing cores to 60, a 67% increase compared to the PS5, with a 28% increase in memory speed, and an overall performance boost of up to 45%; the running memory remains at 6GB, but the bandwidth has been increased from the original 448GB/s of the PS5 to approximately 576GB/s, allowing for more complex tasks.

On the software front, a highlight of this announcement is PlayStation's native AI Super Resolution feature (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution). This solution is similar to AMD's open-source super resolution solution FSR or NVIDIA's DLSS technology, which can add more detail to the game's visuals and enhance image clarity (supporting 8K resolution) through artificial intelligence.

Additionally, the PS5 Pro features a "Game Enhancement Mode" compatible with over 8,500 PS4/PS5 games, ensuring more stable game performance. For older and third-party games, Sony has announced that they will be adapted through free updates, with the first batch including major titles such as "Alan Wake 2," "Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth," "Marvel's Spider-Man 2," and "Gran Turismo 7."

In terms of accessories, the PS5 Pro will still come with a DualSense wireless controller, and additional controllers will need to be purchased for two-player gaming. As for other accessories, due to the PS5 Pro's backward compatibility, there is no need for players to replace their PS5 accessories, including VR2, PS Portal, DualSense Edge, Access controller, Pulse Elite, Pulse Explore, etc., all of which can be used on the PS5 Pro.

In terms of performance, the PS5 Pro has largely met market expectations, with its appearance and configuration being consistent with previous leaks. The only dissatisfaction among players is the price of the console. To be fair, is the PS5 Pro's pricing a bit "inflated"?

The $699.99 price tag surpasses the high price of the PS3 at the time ($599), and it doesn't even include a disc drive. If you purchase the disc drive separately, the cost of acquiring a PS5 Pro will rise significantly to $779.98 (approximately 5,550 RMB), a price that many players find hard to accept.

Moreover, although the PS5 Pro's rendering capability has increased by 45% compared to the regular version, it still uses the RDNA2 architecture from five years ago, which translates to a performance roughly equivalent to the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (currently priced around $350), leading many players to believe that the PS5 Pro does not offer good value for money.

In a recent survey by the well-known gaming site IGN, a vote involving over 6,000 participants showed that as many as 72.1% of respondents think the PS5 Pro is too expensive, with an additional 22.1% considering it a bit pricey. Only 6% of respondents found the price acceptable or even lower than expected.

The PS5 Pro is expected to open for pre-orders on September 26th and will officially go on sale on November 7th, 2024. Will you choose to purchase it?