The PS5 Pro is real. After months of rumors, Sony has finally confirmed the worst-kept secret in gaming, the PS5 is getting a major upgrade this holiday season. With its existence confirmed, that means the PS5 Pro pre-order battle will begin soon.
I use the word battle with good reason. Over the past few years buying new gaming tech at launch has become frustratingly difficult. Anybody who braved the PS5 restock game during the console’s first few years on the market can attest to that. While the PS5 Pro is unlikely to reach those levels of demand, (due to its more niche nature) it still has the potential to sell out within moments of first going on sale.
The PS5 Pro is set to launch on November 7, for $699 / £699 / AU$1,199 / €799, and even with this eyewatering pricetag, it will be one of the hottest gadgets of the holiday season. And if you want to have one under your TV this winter, you’ll need to lock in your PS5 Pro pre-order as soon as possible, and we're here to help you.
At Tom’s Guide, we’ve got multiple buying experts who have spent hundreds of hours tracking restocks and pre-orders, and we’ll be using all that knowledge this fall to help you secure a PS5 Pro without paying a markup on to a scalper. So, here are all the details you need, including the confirmed pre-order date...
PS5 Pro pre-orders — here’s when they go live
Let's cut right to the chase, PS5 Pro pre-orders will go live on Thursday, September 26, 2024 (per PlayStation Blog). The console will cost $699 / £699 / AU$1,199 / €799.
The console will be exclusively available from PlayStation Direct on September 26 in the U.S., U.K. and Europe. However, in regions where the official PlayStation retailer hasn't launched (such as Australia), it will be stocked by "participating retailers", so check your local retailers if you don't have access to PS Direct.
Meanwhile, the PS Blog has recently been updated to announce that additional retailers will take PS5 Pro pre-orders from Thursday, October 10. Sony has not announced which "other participating retailers" will be taking pre-orders next month. However, we expect the likes of Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target and GameStop will have stock. Each of these retailers sells the existing PS5 console.
Be sure to note, the PS5 Pro does not include a vertical stand or a disc drive. These extras must be purchased separately. Right now, the vertical stand costs $29 on Amazon, while an attachable disc drive retails for $79. Both can be ordered now.
In an unforeseen move, the PS5 disc drive is now starting to sell out across retailers as prospective PS5 Pro buyers prepare themselves for the console's launch later this year. If you're planning to purchase a PS5 Pro and want the ability to play physical discs at launch, you may want to pick up a disc drive before all the stock is gone.
If you're eager to get a PS5 Pro pre-order later this month, be sure to bookmark this page and check back shortly as we'll be updating this guide with retailer listings and the latest information as soon as we get it. We'll do our best to get you a PS5 Pro.
PS5 Pro — here's what we know
After months of pouring over spec sheet leaks and (questionable) rumors, we finally have some tangible details on the power of the PS5 Pro. To make a long story short, it's set to be the most powerful console Sony has ever created, and it's a monster.
In the PlayStation Technical Presentation (linked above), Mark Cerny, the console's Lead Architect, explained that the development team focused on "the big three". The first of these key areas of improvement is an upgraded GPU. The PS5 Pro has 67% more Compute Units than the base PS5 and 28% faster memory, and this allows for 45% faster gameplay rendering and an overall smoother experience.
Next up, it's an upgrade to the console's Ray Tracing abilities, allowing rays to be cast at double, sometimes even triple, the speed of the regular PS5 console. Finally, the PS5 Pro utilizes AI-Drive Upscaling (known as PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) to provide sharper images and improve overall image detail.
Cerny notes that one of the core aims of the PS5 Pro is to stop players from having to select between a "Performance" and "Fidelity" mode in the best PS5 games, and instead be able to experience the best of both worlds. Plus, storing all those games won't be a problem as the PS5 Pro packs a roomy 2TB SSD (well it does cost $700).
Design-wise it keeps the same aesthetic traits as its siblings, but with a set of black stripes across the middle of the console. It's also fully compatible with all existing PS5 accessories including the PSVR 2, PlayStation Portal and DualSense Edge.
The reveal of the PS5 Pro has also started a discussion about whether the machine justifies its eyewatering price tag. This is a tricky question to answer, as there are reasons to buy and reasons to skip the upgraded PS5 console. Personally, while the cost stings, I'm still planning to purchase one. However, my colleague Tony Polanco, who has been gaming on PlayStation for 20 years, has decided to skip the PS5 Pro.
You'll need to come to a decision yourself over the next few days, and while the PS5 Pro's large MSRP will certainly deter a few prospective buyers, it's still likely to be another piece of gaming tech that sells out instantly. So, here's another reminder to bookmark this article, as we'll be updating with all the retailer links very soon.
