The lengthy rumored PS5 Pro has been (considerably) confirmed after specs and inside paperwork leaked on-line. Codenamed ‘Trinity’ in a nod to the PS4 Pro’s authentic codename, ‘Neo’, the PS5 Pro affords an anticipated sizable spec enhance over the virtually 4 years previous base mannequin PS5 . While many might deal with what number of teraflops the PS5 Pro will cram in, we’ll cowl the leaked specs and clarify how this may impression video games operating on the machine, together with explaining the new “PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution” secret sauce.

CPU

Undoubtedly the smallest change over the base mannequin is that the PS5 Pro apparently makes use of the similar Zen 2-based, 8-core 16 thread AMD CPU as the present PS5. According to the leaked paperwork, the PS5 Pro will supply a small increase by way of a ‘High CPU Frequency Mode,’ offering an approximate 10% enhance above the base 3.5Ghz velocity of the authentic. This new 3.85Ghz is achieved at the small price of 1% off the high of the new GPU clock velocity. Despite that price, in actuality, video games will nonetheless carry out identically to the base machine when CPU restricted. In brief, this improve feels extra like a advertising and marketing assertion to permit Sony to brag about having the quickest console CPU clock velocity than anything. Nothing to see right here.

GPU

The graphics processing unit is the place the actual magic occurs. Similar to the PS4 Pro, Sony has spent the lion's share of the funds on growing the graphical high quality, decision, and efficiency of the PS5 Pro.

The particular structure adjustments are usually not listed, however we’ve got some knowledge from the leaks that we will extrapolate. Based on the notes, the PS5 Pro is more likely to have 60 compute items (CU) over the PS5’s present 36 CUs. This is, on paper at the very least, a smaller leap than the doubling of CUs the PS4 Pro had over the base PS4.

What we find yourself with in concept is a 67% enhance in graphical efficiency in comparison with the “standard” PS5. But wait, we’ve got extra! The GPU itself is nearly actually primarily based on the newest RDNA3 Architecture of the present AMD Radeon 7000 playing cards and this affords up some architectural enhancements over the previous RDNA2-based PS5 GPU. The proposed teraflop quantity on the documentation provides some weight to this because it states the PS5 Pro has 33.5Tf versus the 10.28Tf of the normal mannequin. This is nearly actually on account of the twin FP32 (Floating Point) operations the newest GPU can course of fairly than a single concern on the older console. Using these numbers we will surmise a clock frequency of roughly 2335Mhz of 56CUs are lively and 2180Mhz of the full 60CUs are in operation. In actuality although it will be uncommon and remoted occurrences the place double the compute will be pushed via the GPU. However, the largest concern with the PS4 Pro was that the pure compute enhance by no means matched the bandwidth.

Memory

On the memory facet, Sony has boosted the PS5’s previous 14Gbps 16GB RAM to the newest 18Gbs for the PS5 Pro, which is probably going only a profit of shopping for the newest nodes accessible. The hike brings system bandwidth up by 28%, from 448GB/s to 576GB/s, placing it above the Xbox Series X and plenty of present PC GPUs.

Although not confirmed, sources have indicated to IGN that roughly 1GB of game RAM has been added to the complete allocation, opening up 13.5GBs accessible for video games. This might be very important for the largest boosts and secret sauce the PS5 Pro affords with its ray tracing enhancements, in addition to Sony’s personal competitor to FSR3 and DLSS: PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), which is {hardware} accelerated with devoted machine studying {hardware} (ML).

The 'Secret Sauce'

In abstract, then, we’ve got a PS5 that provides practically the similar CPU efficiency throughout eight cores and 16 threads as its non-Pro predecessor, paired with sooner memory to feed a 67% sooner GPU. Sony’s personal numbers state an approximate 45% enhance in uncooked rasterization efficiency (rendering 3D objects into pixels on display screen) with the PS5 Pro.

In layman's phrases, a present 1080p title on PS5 would transfer to 3840 x 2160, or a game that’s GPU restricted to 42 fps would now be capable of hit 60 fps. But the largest increase is available in that PSSR and devoted ML {hardware}, which can be capable of enhance picture high quality resolutions with out requiring double or extra pure {hardware} muscle. Much like the Tensor cores on Nvidia’s GPUs, this devoted GPU silicon will take a decrease goal decision output – say, 1080p – and upscale that by way of machine studying reconstruction to a 4K output, all for solely the price of some milliseconds in rendering time.

Not solely does this machine studying system present an unlimited enhance to all video games’ picture high quality, unlocking 4K (and presumably even higher) decision, but it surely additionally solves the concern for increased bandwidth and GPU efficiency, as this knowledge is inferred fairly than rendered. All which means that the PS5 Pro will present a better-than-4K high quality output to your display screen at a far decrease efficiency and bandwidth penalty.

The different piece of the graphical pie is, in fact, ray tracing. Based on Sony’s personal patent and developer paperwork, the PS5 Pro’s new GPU additionally affords a base 2x enhance to ray tracing efficiency by way of improved {hardware}. In particular circumstances, it will possibly even attain as much as a 4x enhance.

What about the video games?

So sufficient specs, what does this imply for the video games? In actuality a lot of this may come right down to how builders use the {hardware} and new options the PS5 Pro affords. I believe we’ll see three principal enhancements for present video games on the PS5 Pro and two extra for new titles, with the first being the most enjoyable.

Dynamic Resolution and Unlocked Frame charges

Dynamic decision and unlocked body charges would come for free, tapping into the elevated efficiency and newest SDK that may probably ship with a PS5 firmware replace simply earlier than the PS5 Pro launches. These advantages might take present video games that run at an uneven body price and use dynamic decision scaling (DRS) to immediately run sooner and smoother on Sony’s new console.

Games resembling Alan Wake 2, which wrestle to hit 30 fps and 60 fps in high quality and efficiency modes respectively, might now lock to 30 and 60fps with out a developer laying arms on the code. Spider-Man 2’s unlocked VRR mode, which generates body charges that hover round the 70s, might now leap up into 100s. These are speedy boosts gamers can count on to see utilized to their back catalog.

Developer Update Patch

Via growth replace patches, studios might simply go back to older video games (even PS4 titles) and add an replace to the engine code to extend visible high quality by way of the SDK aligned PSSR libraries, and even simply by utilizing the elevated {hardware} efficiency. If they use each, this might imply that an older game that was GPU sure on the PS5 might leap as much as 4K/60fps… or perhaps even increased, if the headroom was accessible. Games resembling Red Dead Redemption 2 might simply be patched with a 4K/60 fps replace that would lean into the PSSR resolution to enhance picture high quality, whereas additionally leaving sufficient head room on the desk to spice up visible high quality and match the highest ranges accessible on the PC model.

By leveraging the ray tracing will increase at the side of PSSR reconstruction, a game might have a PS5 Pro model that would goal 1440p/60 with an elevated stage of ray tracing results. Cyberpunk 2077, for instance, appears an ideal match for a possible replace right here that would lastly carry the console model near the high-end PC model.

PSVR2 is also the beneficiary of those will increase, with the PSSR and elevated ray tracing capabilities providing up the likelihood to carry efficiency higher than the present PS5 high quality into the VR headset. Gran Turismo 7 might achieve the ray tracing results utilized in replays throughout races, however now in VR. The growth group might additionally select to spice up picture high quality and efficiency to 120fps and over 4K to enhance the immersion of considered one of the finest video games on the platform.

New Games

The smartest thing about new {hardware} is new video games, and with the PS5 Pro I can see a giant enhance in video games pushing more durable on body charges and/or ray tracing as the potential market for them turns into greater. And right here could also be a motive why we’ve got not seen new first occasion titles to this point this yr, as the PS5 Pro will probably be a tent pole machine to point out them off trying their finest.

We may additionally see new titles that ship on each PC and consoles include a ‘PS5 Pro mode’ that provides both a PSSR reconstructed 4K picture and ray tracing results that aren’t attainable on the base PS5, or visuals and efficiency elevated total to be nearer to the PC model. Forthcoming video games Black Myth: Wukong and Star Wars: Outlaws have been not too long ago introduced to assist RTX will increase on PC. Some or all of those might now ship on the PS5 Pro and supply a better alignment to the excessive finish PC model, opening the door for extra builders to push more durable on ray tracing in video games. We might even see older releases resembling Doom, Quake, and even Tomb Raider include a path traced model on PS5 Pro, making a slew of cheaper remasters that supply an unlimited enhance in high quality and true next-generation enhancements for a far decrease funding.

The Mid-Cycle Refresh Is Coming

The PS5 Pro should still not make a lot sense from a pure market place – that is no surefire hit. But the data leaked exhibits that, with the {hardware} and software program options Sony has developed, the will increase throughout present and future video games may very well be transformative.

Cost will probably be round the $499 mark, which can be with or with out the removable optical disc drive we noticed final yr in the PS5 Slim. The design is more likely to mirror that aesthetic, simply with a bulkier determine. Based on the specs, it might even be on the similar 6nm node as energy use is important, though a smaller 4nm is feasible. Whatever the last design and worth, the PS5 Pro might breathe new pleasure into the console gaming market, in addition to the potential for game visuals.

But what about GTA 6? I hear you scream. You will most likely count on a fantastically ray traced world in 4K that appears even higher than the reveal trailer. But sadly on account of that CPU, Rockstar’s subsequent go to to Vice City is more likely to be capped at 30fps. As earlier than on the PS4 Pro, builders might nonetheless ship a single SKU on PS5 base and Pro fashions and simply let the boosted {hardware} clean out any efficiency wrinkles and sharpen the pixels over the base mannequin. This is nearly actually going to occur, however I believe between now and when the PS5 Pro is inevitably introduced at an occasion later this yr, Sony might be working arduous to make sure the builders that take this route are in the minority.

Michael Thompson is a contract author for IGN.