We already know that upgraded PlayStation 5 Pro games will feature a special label, but a new post on the PlayStation Blog has given us some further insight into the ways in which developers are leveraging the power of the upcoming PS5 Pro in order to improve their games.
The blog post, which was published alongside a trailer showcasing some PS5 Pro compatible games in last night's State of Play livestream, contains a variety of quotes from 14 studios regarding the upcoming console. These range all the way from first-party Sony studios to third-party teams and could give us a good idea of what to expect when the console launches.
Here are the most significant takeaways.
Enhanced first-party performance
As you might expect, a suite of performance improvements will be coming to first-party games. Mike Fitzgerald, core technology director at Insomniac games, confirmed that Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will all be able to achieve 60fps at 4K in "a new default Performance Pro mode".
Updates will also released for The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered according to Naughty Dog. These will offer 4K via PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) upscaling that "maintains the 60fps target, offering an ideal balance of framerate and resolution."
Interestingly, the original Performance and Fidelity modes will still be an option in these games, though will run more smoothly than before.
Jan-Bart van Beek, studio director and art director at Guerrilla Games outlined the big boost coming to Horizon Forbidden West. The existing quality mode will be able to run at 60fps, plus benefit from "improvement to shadows, depth-of-field, skin and hair shaders, clouds, god rays and so much more" due to the system's greater rendering power.
The newly revealed Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will also launch with native PS5 Pro support, "delivering ultra-high fidelity at blazing fast framerates".
Finally, Gran Turismo 7 is getting some love. The game, which "was already able to render in native 4K" per main programmer Shuichi Takano at developer Polyphony Digital, will gain "more detail and higher image quality than ever before" on PS5 Pro.
Part of this will be due to the addition of ray tracing, "which was previously impossible" on the base PS5. This will allow for more realistic car surfaces, increasing immersion in races. The game will also support 8K output at 60 fps for those with particularly high-end displays, though this is currently just "experimental". There's also no word on whether 8K resolution, which was originally advertised on the box of the base PS5, will be available in many other PS5 Pro titles.
Boosted third-party titles
Naoki Hamaguchi, director at Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth developer Square Enix, has revealed that the game will offer a "new Enhanced Mode developed especially for PS5 Pro [that] combines the characteristics of the existing Performance Mode and Graphics Mode." This mode will run at 60fps and leverage PSSR upscaling in order to achieve a high resolution.
He does clarify that the name of this mode is still under development, so may change in the future, but claimed that it will "result in even richer rendering for all aspects of the game".
Developers from Ubisoft echoed a similar sentiment. The technical director at Ubisoft Ivory Tower Didier Blanché stated that the PS5 Pro will offer "sharper and cleaner image quality thanks to PSSR, with more objects on-screen" at a solid 60fps in The Crew Motorfest. Technology director Pierre Fortin added that Assassin's Creed Shadows will use many PS5 Pro features including its enhanced ray-tracing capabilities and more powerful GPU for cleaner rendering.
Dongki Lee from Stellar Blade developer Shift Up argued that the PS5 Pro will now allow for a 4K 50fps experience in the game. A high framerate option is also supported "allowing you to enjoy a fluid gaming experience" at an enhanced 80fps on supported 120Hz displays.
Similar performance improvements are coming to Alan Wake 2 according to Remedy Entertainment communications director Thomas Puha. The 60fps performance mode will feature overhauled "visuals and effects" and now run at 4K, "making the experience look even better than before". This is no small feat given just how visually intensive Alan Wake 2 is and suggests that it could become the first real showcase of the PS5 Pro's potential.
The First Descendant will also benefit from enhanced ray tracing to achieve "more lifelike and natural lighting and shadow effects" according to the lead engine programmer from Nexon Games. This is on top of the addition of FSR 3.1 Frame Generation, which could boost performance further.
PSSR will be used extensively in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta per Konami Digital Entertainment creative producer Yuji Korekado. This will help "deliver a smoother gameplay experience with better framerates throughout the entire game".
Players of both Rise of the Ronin and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will also undoubtedly be pleased to hear that both titles will run better on the PS5 Pro according to their respective developers.
Electronic Arts also confirmed that Dragon Age: the Veilguard will be able to hit 60fps in its performance mode on the system, running at an increased resolution compared to the base PS5.
Capcom also revealed that Dragon's Dogma 2, which was originally shown in the PS5 Pro announcement trailer, will make full use of PSSR for more stable framerates. On top of performance upgrades to Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Village will receive a 120fps setting, which could make for one incredibly smooth experience.
Finally, Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software has stated that the game will benefit from PSSR, increased performance due to the great GPU power, and new ray tracing features for "crisper, richer, higher resolution graphics".
A promising start?
This all sounds very promising and could make for a every compelling reason to upgrade, though obviously only time will tell if the PS5 Pro is able to measure up to some of these lofty performance claims. The console, which was announced and officially revealed by Sony earlier this month, is set to launch on November 7.
PS5 Pro pre-orders go live this week and we expect stock to sell out fast. If you want to secure a system, before sure to keep an eye on our detailed guide on when you can buy one and the retailers to try.
Sony also recently revealed some very attractive 30th anniversary PS5 and PS5 Pro designs that are filled with tiny hidden details.
The limited edition PS5 Pro is strictly limited in quantity and even more likely to sell out quick, so be sure to check our guide on where to pre-order the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection this week if you don't want to miss out.
Last night's State of Play also showed off new PS5 Chroma Collection DualSense and console cover colorways, which might be some of the best looking yet. Consult our guide on where to pre-order the PS5 Chroma Collection if you're keen to get your hands on them.
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