Only a few hours before the release of the PS5 Pro, we can compare the console with its only rival at Microsoft, the Xbox Series X. Here we analyze the technical specifications of the two machines, but also the different uses as well as the price positioning.
PS5 Pro vs Xbox Series X : comparatif des specs
The PS5 Pro mainly relies on three new features to justify its adoption: a more powerful graphics processor, advanced use of Ray Tracing as well as AI-driven scaling thanks to the new PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution technology. It will obviously be necessary to analyze all this within the games to verify the gains, but in the meantime, here is the comparison of the technical specifications of the PS5 Pro vs the Xbox Series X.
Sony claims that the PS5 Pro has a graphics processor with 67% more compute units. A quick calculation allows us to estimate the new number of calculation units at 60, for a total of around 3840 flow processors. For its part, the Xbox Series X has 52 computing units, but which run at a lower frequency than on PS5.
The PS5 Pro uses the new advanced Ray Tracing features that AMD has created for its upcoming architecture. Sony is talking about Ray Tracing generated at speeds twice or even three times those of the current PS5.
| PS5 Pro | Xbox Series X 2 To Galaxy Black | Xbox Series X 1 To Robot White | Xbox Series X 1 To Carbon Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | x86-64-AMD Ryzen Zen2, 8 cores / 16 segments | 8x Zen 2 cores at 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT) | 8x Zen 2 cores at 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT) | 8x Zen 2 cores at 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT) |
| GPU | 16,7 téraflops via un GPU AMD Radeon RDNA | 12 teraflops, 52 CUs at 1.825GHz, custom RDNA 2 | 12 teraflops, 52 CUs at 1.825GHz, custom RDNA 2 | 12 teraflops, 52 CUs at 1.825GHz, custom RDNA 2 |
| RAM | GDDR6 16Go + DDR5 2Go | GDDR6 16 Go | GDDR6 16 Go | GDDR6 16 Go |
| Memory bandwidth | 18 GT/s at 576 GB/s according to a leak | 10GB at 560GB/s, 6GB at 336GB/s | 10GB at 560GB/s, 6GB at 336GB/s | 10GB at 560GB/s, 6GB at 336GB/s |
| SSD | 2TB custom SSD | 2TB Custom NVMe SSD | Custom 1TB NVMe SSD | Custom 1TB NVMe SSD |
| Memory expansion | M.2 SSD expansion slot | Storage expansion card port | Storage expansion card port | Storage expansion card port |
| Dimensions | Approximately 388 x 89 x 216 mm (width x height x depth) | 151 x 300 x 151 mm (width x height x depth) | 151 x 300 x 151 mm (width x height x depth) | 151 x 300 x 151 mm (width x height x depth) |
| Weight | Environ 3,1 kg | Unknown | Unknown | 4,45 kg |
| Ability to play discs | Optional at €119.99 | Oui | Non | Oui |
| Vertical hold | Optional at €29.99 | Oui | Oui | Oui |
| Console price | 799,99€ | 649,99€ | 499,99€ | 549,99€ |
55 PS5 Pro optimized games at launch
At launch on November 7, 55 games will be optimized for the PS5 Pro. Note also that the list includes two games belonging to Microsoft, namely Diablo 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
We can obviously note the presence of first party games, but also many third parties such as Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Dragon's Dogma 2, Star Wars: Outlaws, or even surprisingly Palworld, while there is no It's only in the early access phase.
Thus, all the games on the list also available on Xbox Series X will logically be playable in better conditions on PS5 Pro.
The full list of 55 games optimized for PlayStation 5 Pro at launch
- Alan Wake 2
- Albatross
- Apex Legends
- Arma Reforger
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Call of Duty : Black Ops 6
- EA Sports College Football 25
- Dead Island 2
- Demon’s Souls
- Diablo IV
- Dragon Age : The Veilguard
- Dragon’s Dogma 2
- Dying Light 2 Reloaded Edition
- EA Sports FC 25
- Enlisted
- F1 24
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Fortnite
- God of War Ragnarök
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
- Kayak VR : Mirage
- Lies of P
- Madden NFL 25
- Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
- Marvel’s Spider-Man : Miles Morales
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Naraka: Bladepoint
- NBA2K 25
- No Man’s Sky
- Palworld
- Paladin’s Passage
- Planet Coaster 2
- Professional Spirits Baseball 2024-2025
- Ratchet & Clank : Rift Apart
- Resident Evil 4
- Resident Evil Village
- Rise of the Ronin
- Rogue Flight
- Star Wars : Jedi Survivor
- Star Wars : Outlaws
- Stellar Blade
- Test Drive Unlimited : Solar Crown
- The Callisto Protocol
- The Crew Motorfest
- The Finals
- The First Descendant
- The Last of Us Part I
- The Last of Us Part II Remastered
- Until Dawn
- War Thunder
- Warframe
- World of Warships : Legends
Two different uses for different audiences
Technically, the Xbox Series The two consoles have now been available for four years and Sony simply wanted to revive its range and offer a more powerful “mid-gen” console, as we have already seen in the past with the PS4 Pro and the Xbox One X.
But this time it seems different since Microsoft hasn't announced an Xbox Series X “Pro” or any other mid-generation machine. Phil Spencer, boss of Xbox, had also indicated during the summer of 2023 that he preferred to focus on current consoles rather than releasing a new version of the Xbox Series.
The PS5 Pro is positioned today as a new offering in the PS5 landscape, intended for players who are simply looking for the best machine to play within their ecosystem. This is a niche offering which is not designed to reach a large audience, but rather to bring together an existing player base and establish the image of a brand at the cutting edge of technology, such as Sony. always wished.
Despite its high price, the PS5 Pro should nevertheless sell at the same level as the PS4 Pro at its time, if we are to believe the predictions of the Ampere Analysis firm.
Ampere predicts that approximately 1.3 million PS5 Pro consoles will be purchased by consumers during the 2024 launch window. This compares to the 1.7 million PS4 Pros sold at launch in 2016. We expect The price may slow demand among some consumers, but for PlayStation enthusiasts, the price is less important.
According to Ampere data, the PS4 Pro has sold 14.5 million copies over its lifetime, or about 12% of total PS4 sales. The firm expects similar dynamics for the PS5 Pro, which is expected to sell approximately 13 million units by 2029.
The PS5 Pro, ultimately a great Sony classic
Ultimately, the PS5 Pro is part of a completely classic dynamic that we already saw during the previous generation. Its price is certainly high, but the increase in production costs and materials in recent years is certainly not unrelated.
While Microsoft had “the most powerful console in the world” with the Xbox Series X for four years, it is now Sony that can use this argument and reposition itself as a “premium” manufacturer. And when we know that the release of Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for next year, it is quite easy to imagine that PlayStation will use the PS5 Pro as much as possible as an argument to make players want to enjoy the best console version of the game.
As for Xbox, everything suggests that there will be no mid-generation console this time. Microsoft should therefore wait to move to the new generation of consoles, but we are not immune to a surprise either. In February 2024, the brand said it had “hardware” announcements to make at the end of the year.
Other new features are coming. There are some exciting things coming in the hardware space that we'll be sharing over the holidays. We are also investing in the next generation roadmap. What we're focused on is delivering the biggest technical breakthrough ever seen in a generation of hardware, making gaming better for players and for creators and the visions they build.
The next generation of Xbox consoles is therefore well underway at Microsoft, it remains to be seen when it will be available.
