When a next-generation gaming console like Sony PlayStation 5 comes out, plenty of gamers feel compelled to rush out and buy it. But are the upgrades and new features different or exciting enough to justify buying a new unit? When it comes to the new PS5, the answer is a resounding yes. Here are some of the new features and considerations that make this upgrade totally worth it.
Features
While the PlayStation 4 Pro was top of the line when it was released, the features it introduced have since been surpassed by the PlayStation 5.
Formats and optical drive
The PS5 is available in two formats: the physical edition and the PS5 Digital Edition. Both of these systems are essentially identical, except the Digital Edition doesn’t have a disc drive. If you prefer digital game downloads, you can save some money on the Digital Edition while still enjoying the speed, processing, and other benefits available in the PS5.
The PS4 Pro wasn’t available in a digital-only version. Its Blu-ray optical drive uses older, somewhat-less robust technology than the Ultra HD Blu-ray drive in the PS5 flagship edition.
Internal storage
The PS4 Pro comes with an impressive 1TB internal HDD, allowing you to store plenty of games, screenshots, videos, and save files. It’s also a good perk for families who share a single gaming system among multiple family members.
While the PS5’s 825GB of internal storage may seem like a downgrade from the PS4 Pro, max size isn’t the whole story. The PS5’s 825GB SSD ramps up speed and performance considerably, because it’s not hampered by a spinning disc. You lose a small amount of storage capacity, but you gain impressive functionality.
Controllers
The PS4 Pro featured the DualShock 4 controller with the classic PlayStation button configuration and an impressive central trackpad. With the PS4 Pro’s rumble technology, the controller feels comfortable, responsive, and effective, leading gamers to wonder what improvements could possibly be made for the PS5.
The DualSense controller, introduced for the PS5, features all the favorite features of the previous controller, while adding a larger trackpad, haptic feedback, a built-in microphone, and, most excitingly, adaptive triggers. Gamers will love these adaptive triggers because they provide increased or decreased resistance depending on how much you pull them. It’s a small touch that helps improve the entire gameplay experience, especially with exclusive PS5 games like Astro’s Playroom that are built around the DualSense.
Speed comparison
The PS4 Pro was already a highly responsive, ultra-fast console with the ability to showcase games in HDR. Now, thanks to upgrades to the PS5’s CPU, GPU and RAM, everything is even better. Gameplay is visually smoother, games load faster (sometimes with no loading times at all), and the system never seems to work as hard to deliver a great experience (no fan noise!).
Here are the comparison specs:
| PS4 Pro | PS5 | |
| CPU | AMD Jaguar, 8 Core, 2.1GHz | AMD Zen 2, 8 Core, 16 thread, max 3.5GHz |
| GPU | 36 compute units (CUs) at 911MHz, 4.2 teraflops (TFLOPs) | 36CUs at 2.23 GHz, 10.3 TFLOPs |
| RAM | 8GB GDDR5 | 16GB GDDR6 |
The PS5’s impressive speed specs mean most video games run effectively at 4K with a frame rate of 60 frames per second (fps), sometimes even with ray-tracing. The console is future-proof, too, and will support 8K resolution games when they’re released.
Design
The PS5 is a larger and heavier console than the PS4 Pro. With a weight increase of more than 3 pounds, it’s a substantial machine. Because most console gamers tend to leave a system in one place in their home, the increased weight isn’t necessarily a detractor.
In appearance, the PS4 Pro is far more consistent with the look of previous PlayStation systems. With a matte black design and sleek layout, it felt familiar. The PS5 looks completely different with its black and white design, and more rounded features. Visually it’s an attractive console, though it feels like a departure from the look of previous generations.
Price
The PS5 top-tier edition comes with a price tag of $499.99. The Digital Edition is a more affordable $399.99. Compared to the release cost of the PS4 Pro ($399.99), the physical-edition PS5 is higher-end, but when you consider the upgrades in technology, an extra $100 is a small price to pay for this new console.
Games
This is where the PS5 really wins out, because it can play just about every single PS4 game via backwards compatibility, save for a handful of random titles you may not have been playing anyway. Not only that, but certain games have received updates from the developers, such as the critically acclaimed 2018 title, God of War. Even better, if you have a PS Plus membership, you get access to the PS Plus Collection that’s exclusive to the PS5, and it includes gems like Uncharted 4, Bloodborne, God of War, and so much more.
And then there are the exclusive games that you can only play on this next-gen console, or those that simply look and run better because they’re optimized for it. And there’s plenty of variety, too; fight challenging enemies and bosses in the stunning Demon’s Souls remake, swing around New York in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and team up with friends in the charming platformer Sackboy: A Big Adventure.
The takeaway
The PS5 is a truly impressive upgrade in a long line of great gaming consoles from Wony. When you take in the design, features, controller functionality, and performance, an upgrade to the PS5 will be a no-brainer for most enthusiastic gamers.
