Gran Turismo 7: A Leap Forward in Gaming Fidelity with the PS5 Pro

The PS5 Pro is a powerful mid-generation upgrade that offers enhanced visual fidelity, smoother gameplay, and support for higher resolutions like 8K. It’s a great choice for gamers who prioritize graphics and immersive experiences, especially when paired with a large TV.

Playing Gran Turismo 7 on an 80-inch TV is a truly immersive experience, especially in 8K resolution. Even though my driving skills aren’t great, I’m blown away by the stunning clarity of the landscapes. The new 4K ray-tracing mode adds to the realism, with car reflections bouncing off other vehicles. It almost feels like a VR experience, but without needing a headset.

I’m at Sony’s PlayStation headquarters in San Mateo, surrounded by TVs showcasing demos of familiar games like Ratchet and Clank and Spider-Man 2. They’re running on the new PlayStation 5 Pro, set to release on November 7 for $700 (£700), with preorders starting on September 26. Mark Cerny, Sony’s lead system architect for PlayStation, walks me through the demos, highlighting the Pro’s upgrades compared to the standard PS5 on side-by-side screens.

As I switch between the consoles, the difference is clear—everything looks sharper, smoother, or both. I’d definitely prefer gaming on the PS5 Pro. However, with the non-Pro PS5 priced at $500 and likely dropping during holiday sales, I’m not sure if the sometimes subtle improvements will justify the cost for most people. The PS5 Pro isn’t the PlayStation 6, which is probably still three or four years away, and it’s not for everyone. It’s a powerful, graphically enhanced machine designed to compete with evolving PCs, and in some aspects, perhaps even surpass them.

Gran Turismo 7 A Leap Forward in Gaming Fidelity: The PS5 Pro is all about enhancing the gaming experience on large TVs. Its upgraded GPU promises more ray tracing, smoother 4K gameplay at 60 frames per second for Pro-enhanced games, and automatic AI upscaling for the rest of the PlayStation library. Expect much more ray tracing, a cutting-edge graphical technique that mimics realistic lighting. Around 40 to 50 games will receive Pro-enhancement patches when the system launches in November.

I tried over half a dozen games on the PS5 Pro and had discussions with Mark Cerny and Hideaki Nishino, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Platform Business Group, about what this upgrade means for the future of PlayStation and what’s next on the horizon.

I was surprised to find that the PS5 Pro isn’t a bulky console. Its design is almost identical to the original PS5, and it’s actually smaller. While the “Slim” PS5, released last year, is still smaller than the Pro, the size difference isn’t huge.

The most noticeable external change, hinted at by Sony’s 30th-anniversary logo, is the diagonal black ribbed vents across the middle, which make the Pro incompatible with existing PS5 console covers. The back also features an extra USB-C port in place of a USB-A. The PS5 Pro should fit on the same shelves as your original PS5, unlike the chunkier PS4 Pro from 2016. You can also mount it vertically with an optional $30 stand. It comes with the same DualSense controller as the standard PS5—no upgrades there, as the higher-end DualSense Edge controller already exists.

The Pro doesn’t have a built-in optical disc drive but instead includes a larger 2TB solid-state drive, along with support for expanded M2 SSDs. You can connect a separate optical drive, the same one compatible with the newer PS5 models. This omission suggests that downloadable games are becoming the norm, and with the Pro’s enhanced Wi-Fi 7 support, game downloads should be faster, provided your router is compatible.

Gran Turismo 7 A Leap Forward in Gaming Fidelity: The PS5 Pro is entirely focused on graphics, as the CPU and SSD speeds remain the same as the PS5. However, the GPU is significantly upgraded with 67% more computing cores, 28% faster RAM, and 45% faster rendering, according to Sony.

Sony is promoting three main upgrades powered by the new GPU: more ray tracing, automatic AI-assisted 4K upscaling, and a new Pro mode that combines 60fps with 4K resolution. The AI upscaling feature, called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), enhances the entire game library, but games do require a patch to take full advantage of it.

Although I didn’t see PSSR in action, the 40 to 50 games getting PS5 Pro updates at launch will focus on 4K and 60fps improvements, along with graphics enhancements like new volumetric lighting, richer visuals, more background characters, and support for modes that can go up to 120fps or 8K gaming. Playing Gran Turismo 7 in both 8K and 4K, I noticed impressive ray-tracing effects, and Mark Cerny mentioned that the Pro could inspire a variety of new gaming modes, similar to PC gaming.

Gran Turismo 7 A Leap Forward in Gaming Fidelity: Cerny also noted that TVs with variable refresh rates (ranging from 40 to 120fps) will work seamlessly with the PS5 Pro, as games will see automatic frame rate improvements even without a patch. Dedicated 120fps modes are also in the works. According to Cerny, over 25% of PS5 owners have TVs that support 120fps, while about 10% have TVs with variable refresh rates.

Gaming in 8K is available, but only a small portion of PS5 owners will be able to utilize it since 8K TVs are still rare. This feature will also benefit older games if you own a 4K TV, and it’s expected to work with PSVR 2 games in the future.

Gran Turismo 7 A Leap Forward in Gaming Fidelity: “I’ve already seen games with three different modes for the PS5 Pro,” Cerny shared regarding the lineup of launch upgrades. He explained that, over time, especially with games launching after the Pro’s release, there will be a more refined focus on higher image quality through various techniques, rather than just prioritizing resolution.

Cerny also mentioned that porting PC games to the PS5 Pro is easier than it was with the PlayStation 4 Pro. He sees the PS5 Pro, like the PS5 with its ultra-fast SSD, leading the way in setting future gaming trends.

“The PS5 Pro uses new advanced ray-tracing features developed by AMD, which haven’t been implemented in any other AMD GPUs yet,” Cerny said. “We pushed for this development, and I’m glad we did—the feedback from developers has been incredibly positive.” He also highlighted the increasing overlap between console and PC gaming, noting that many PlayStation 5 games are already available on PC. “This helps with the PS5 Pro, as developers can take what they’ve done for high-end PCs and selectively bring those enhancements to the PS5 Pro.”

I moved between several TV stations in one room, testing out snippets of PS5 games with early Pro upgrades. Sony didn’t allow CNET’s video team to capture footage directly from the Pro, likely because the game updates could still change before the November release. I compared PS5 and PS5 Pro versions of six games on identical 4K TVs, and also tried a few on a larger 80-inch 8K display.

Games like Horizon: Forbidden West, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Spider-Man 2, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart focused on the new 4K/60fps Pro mode, which felt fantastic. Running through the grass in The Last of Us or taking in the waterfalls in Horizon was a beautiful experience, while Spider-Man 2 and Ratchet & Clank felt noticeably smoother at higher frame rates on the big screen. Many of the upgrades were subtle, and sometimes I had to pause and compare side by side to fully appreciate the differences.

Gran Turismo 7 A Leap Forward in Gaming Fidelity: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth really stood out compared to the fuzzier graphics on the current PS5 version. Everything was noticeably sharper and still ran smoothly at 60fps—it felt like putting on new glasses.

In my F1 24 demo, new ray-tracing effects during a rainy race made the track and surroundings feel almost photorealistic. The rain on the pavement reflected the car and sky, and glass walls nearby mirrored the stands across the road.

Gran Turismo 7 was perhaps the most impressive demo. Two new modes were added—8K gameplay on an 80-inch screen, which made me think about how this could be used in sim racing setups with massive displays, and a 4K mode with ray tracing integrated into gameplay. The crowded races felt more lifelike, and I was so mesmerized by the car reflections that I kept crashing.

Four years after the PS5 launched during the pandemic, time has flown by. In fact, we’re now beyond the point when Sony usually releases midcycle console upgrades—the PS4 Pro arrived three years after the PS4, and the PS5 came four years after that. Following this pattern, the PS6 could be here in another four years.

Gran Turismo 7 A Leap Forward in Gaming Fidelity: We’re not yet at a “next-gen” moment for consoles, and it’s unclear if we’ll ever truly get there. Microsoft is focusing more on subscription-based gaming across devices, game streaming continues to grow, and handheld PCs like the Steam Deck are reshaping gaming and rethinking what consoles can be.

With Sony now offering many of its games on PC, there’s already a growing number of PlayStation gamers who don’t even own a PlayStation. Sony’s increasing involvement in PC gaming—bringing its first-party titles to Steam and adding a PC adapter for PlayStation VR 2—aligns with the ever-evolving landscape of PC gaming, where games are expected to optimize for various GPUs and displays. For PC gamers, the PS5 Pro might not be as enticing, but for those looking for top-tier graphics on a great TV, the PS5 Pro seems like the perfect upgrade.

I was initially surprised that all the PS5 Pro demos featured established PS5 games, with no new content. But that’s the point—the PS5 Pro is a performance upgrade, not a new console. That should be reassuring for PS5 owners, as many may not feel the need to upgrade. Still, 4K at 60 fps is incredibly tempting if you have the display for it. After trying the demos, it was hard to imagine going back to 30 fps in fast-paced games like Ratchet & Clank or Spider-Man 2.

Gran Turismo 7 A Leap Forward in Gaming Fidelity: I know many gamers who play on multiple platforms, and it seems like Sony might be anticipating a similar shift. “I think multidevice players are growing, but it’s not a significant portion of the PlayStation community right now. However, more customers want to play on multiple devices, so that number will likely increase,” said Nishino.

As CNET’s resident VR expert, I’m intrigued by what the PS5 Pro might offer for the PlayStation VR 2, especially since Sony’s support for the headset has been somewhat lacking recently. Cerny mentioned that the PS5 Pro’s GPU boost will enable higher-resolution games on the PSVR 2 and that Sony’s AI upscaling, which will eventually support all VR games, could enhance the VR experience.

However, no specific upgraded PSVR 2 games have been announced yet, so it’s unclear what the improvements will actually feel like. I also brought up my desire to see ports of original PSVR games like Astro Bot Rescue Mission, which aren’t compatible with PSVR 2, but didn’t get a response on that.

Gran Turismo 7 A Leap Forward in Gaming Fidelity- I’m also curious about future peripherals. The PlayStation Portal, which launched last fall, allows for remote PS5 gaming in a handheld form but relies on Wi-Fi speeds, affecting performance. Will the PS5 Pro improve future wireless handheld accessories? Sony reports that over 60% of Portal owners are new to remote play, despite existing streaming solutions available on phones and tablets. There might be a successor to the Portal in Sony’s future, potentially featuring Wi-Fi 7 for better performance.

A $700 midcycle upgrade like the PS5 Pro isn’t a purchase many will make, especially since the original PS5 remains a solid gaming console. Sony seems prepared for this, acknowledging that previous console upgrades, like the PS4 Pro, attracted many new PlayStation users. The same trend is expected with the PS5 Pro, potentially bringing in a new wave of PS5 gamers.

“Most markets have a pro model for their consoles, so in that sense, consoles are quite similar; however, their addressable market isn’t as large as that of phones or PCs,” said Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi. “According to Sony, the Pro doesn’t require significant changes for games to utilize the new specs. The choice between console and PC gaming should be more about personal preference than performance. The experience isn’t necessarily better, just different.”

Gran Turismo 7 A Leap Forward in Gaming Fidelity: In this regard, the PS5 Pro can be seen as a console counterpart to gaming PCs. With higher expectations for PC gaming in 2024 compared to four years ago, the PS5 Pro is well-suited to keep pace with evolving game upgrades. While I wouldn’t personally upgrade from a PS5 at this moment, if I were purchasing a PS5 for the first time, I’d strongly consider the Pro, especially if I were planning any future TV upgrades.

While the list is expected to expand, Sony has confirmed the following games so far:

– 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
– Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
– The Crew Motorfest
– The First Descendant
– The Last of Us Part I
– The Last of Us Part II Remastered
– Until Dawn

The PS5 Pro features:

– An upgraded GPU with advanced ray tracing support and AI-driven upscaling
– USB-C ports (x2, front), USB-A ports (x2, rear), HDMI 2.1 output, and Ethernet
– A 2TB SSD for storage
– Wi-Fi 7 for enhanced connectivity

The PS5 Pro package includes:

– PS5 Pro console
– DualSense controller
– HDMI, USB-C, and power cables
– Feet for the horizontal stand

Sold separately are:

– Vertical stand ($30)
– Disc drive ($80)

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