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Sony PS5 Pro preorders are available now in the UK — and select console models sold-out within minutes.
Despite a very negative reaction to the PS5 Pro UK price following its announcement earlier this month, the powerful new console is now available to buy in the UK from Sony's online Direct Store.
Orders from Amazon, GAME, Currys, AO, Argos, Very, John Lewis, and others are tipped for next month ahead of the release date on November 7, 2024 in the UK.
PlayStation 5 Pro doesn't release until November 7 in the UK, but preorders are available now. If you want to be one of the first to get your hands on this powerful new console, you'll need to place an order now. Preorders are exclusive to the Sony Store for now, with third-party stores like Amazon, GAME, Currys, and John Lewis set to stock the new console on October 10
Eager gamers were placed in lengthy virtual queues to get their hands on the coveted 30th Anniversary Edition PS5 Pro — a limited edition variant that celebrates the last three decades of PlayStation with the same paint-job as the original PS One console launched in the UK back in the summer of 2000.
The PS5 Pro consoles available to preorder in the UK today are —
Scalpers who were quick enough to secure the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition when preorders went live have listed the console on eBay with price tags ranging from £5,000 to £10,000 GBNBoth PS5 Pro models ship with a DualSense wireless controller and a preinstalled copy of Astro's Playroom. This game was also bundled with the original PS5 consoles, which were refreshed last year with a slimmer design and an extra USB-C port for accessories on the front.
Meanwhile, the pricier PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary bundle also includes a DualSense Edge controller, charging station, and collectible items paying homage to the original PlayStation.
The PS5 Pro doesn't include a disc drive as standard, so you won't be able to play physical games or Blu-rays without spending an extra £99.99 with Sony. Ouch.
Preorders are currently exclusive to PlayStation Direct, with third-party stores like Amazon, GAME, Currys, AO, Argos, Very, and John Lewis expected to offer the console from October 10. Stock availability at these retailers remains uncertain, so don't hold your breath for more PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition consoles.
The PS5 Pro boasts significant hardware upgrades over its predecessor. Its GPU offers 45% faster rendering and 67% more Compute Units than the standard PS5. Memory speed has increased by 28%. Sony has introduced PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), an AI-driven upscaling technology that promises to enhance resolution in games while maintaining a high frame-rate.
Ray tracing capabilities have also been improved, with Sony claiming rays can be cast at double or triple the speed of the PS5 Slim. This should result in more dynamic reflections and more realistic lighting effects in supported games.
The PS5 Pro's £699.99 price tag represents a significant increase over the standard PS5, which currently retails for £479.99. The PS5 Digital Edition, without a disc drive, is priced at £389.99.
None of these models include a vertical stand, which holds the console upright and costs £24 from Sony.
This £220 premium for the PS5 Pro model has sparked debate among gamers about its value proposition. However, Sony argues the performance upgrades and increased storage justify that hefty new price tag. Industry analysts generally agree with Sony, noting that even at £700, the PS5 Pro remains more affordable than many high-end gaming PCs with similar capabilities and components.
The new PS5 Pro will go head-to-head with the revised Xbox Series X announced earlier this summerduring the all-important Christmas shopping rush.
PlayStation 5 Lead Architect Mark Cerny says the goal behind building the all-new PS5 Pro was to create a console where players didn't have to choose between Fidelity and Performance Modes. These options have become commonplace in modern blockbuster games, with the former emphasising the graphical capabilities of the console with lush 4K Ultra HD visuals and features like Ray-Tracing, while the latter prioritises a smooth 60 frames-per-second gameplay for faster response times.
Given the choice, most PS5 owners will favour the 60 frames-per-second gameplay, Mr Cerny says. PS5 Pro is designed to offer Fidelity Mode-like visuals while maintaining a consistent 60 frames-per-second.
To do that, the upgraded new console boasts several key enhancements:
PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) technology looks set to rival Nvidia's DLSS and AMD's FSR. If you're not familiar with the initialisms, these technologies essentially enable intelligent upscaling — rendering frames at a lower resolution to boost frame-rate (critical for fast-paced gameplay since it can improve reaction time from players) and then using machine learning to upscale the image quality of the frames so that they look as sharp as the native resolution.
This looks to be the secret-sauce that enables the high-quality visuals, despite the smooth 60 frames-per-second gameplay that Sony hopes to offer to players.
Sony says it's planning new console covers that match the refreshed design to allow players to customise their PS5 Pro. This is something that launched in the months following the introduction of the original console
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Ray-tracing capabilities, which maps-out light across a digital scene to calculate where shadows would fall in real-life, is supercharged with 3x the performance of the current PS5 console. This should lead to more realistic lighting, reflections, and shadows in enhanced and upcoming games.
Using the new PSSR system and upgraded internals, Sony will finally some gameplay at 8K resolution on the PS5 Pro — a feature promised with the original console, but later removed from the packaging.
The PS5 Pro stands as tall as the original PS5 console launched back in 2020, while it's still a little slimmer than that model — matching the width of the current-generation PS5 model. There's no disc drive in the box, so you'll need to spend an extra £99.99 with Sony for the Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive.
Sony says it plans to launch new console covers soon to unlock new customisation.
The PS5 Pro maintains compatibility with all existing PS5 accessories, including PlayStation VR2, PlayStation Portal, DualSense Edge, Access controller, Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore. This ensures a seamless transition for current PS5 owners looking to upgrade, the Japanese gaming giant says.
Sony's all-new PS5 Pro console doesn't include a disc drive as standard, so you won't be able to play physical games or Blu-rays without spending an extra £99.99
GETTY IMAGESSeveral popular games will receive free software updates to take advantage of the PS5 Pro's enhanced capabilities. These titles will be identifiable by a "PS5 Pro Enhanced" label.
Notable games set for enhancement include Alan Wake 2, Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Demon's Souls, Dragon's Dogma 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered.
These updates promise to leverage the console's improved GPU and ray tracing capabilities, offering players enhanced visuals and performance across a range of genres.
Every PS5 Pro purchase comes with a DualSense wireless controller and a preinstalled copy of Astro's Playroom.
The console will be available through participating retailers and directly from PlayStation's website.
It's worth noting that, unlike previous generations, PlayStation hardware costs have actually increased over time. The original PS5 launched at £449 in 2020, with prices slowly increasing in the last four years.
Some believe that Sony's timing of the PS5 Pro announcement is designed to capitalise on interest in Grand Theft Auto VI, which will launch sometime in the new year.
GTA 6 is the sequel to the biggest-selling entertainment product of all time — selling over 190 million copies worldwide and generating revenue of $8.5 billion for Edinburgh-based developers Rockstar North and parent company Take-Two Interactive.
Sony didn't confirm whether Grand Theft Auto VI will be optimised to take advantage of the new console.
