I’ve used the PS5 Pro every day for a year — here’s what I like (and don’t) after 1,000+ hours of play

It has been just over a year since I plugged the PS5 Pro into my entertainment center. From then on, I’ve booted it up almost every single day. Like the regular PS5 before it, the PS5 Pro instantly became my primary gaming machine, and in just 12 short months, I’ve enjoyed it plenty.

I reviewed the console for Tom’s Guide back in November 2024, and awarded it an Editor’s Choice seal of approval, saying, “PS5 Pro is a powerful refresh of the base PS5 hardware. It’s the best way to experience the PS5’s large library of must-play games and the current pinnacle of console gaming.” And a year later, I stand by every single word.

But like almost all tech products, it’s not flawless. Small issues like the lack of a built-in disc drive (the optional disc drive costs an additional $99) are pesky. As for the price tag, I thought the console was too much in 2024 when it cost $699. One year later, the current $749 price tag hasn’t made that sticking point any less problematic. But at least it’s currently on sale in PlayStation’s Black Friday sale, slicing $100 off the PS5 Pro console (though you could say it’s really a $50 discount).

After a year of testing and a thousand-plus hours of overall playtime, I’m ready to give my final verdict on PS5 Pro. Here’s what I love about this uber-powerful PlayStation console, and the few issues that prevent me from recommending it to everybody looking to pick up a PS5 in 2025.

What I like about PS5 Pro

The most powerful PlayStation

(Image credit: Future / Digitpatrox)

During its announcement and launch window, Sony proudly declared that the PS5 Pro was not just the most powerful PlayStation hardware to date but the most powerful home console ever released. And these weren’t spurious claims, either.

During my review testing period, I noticed a clear difference across many games enhanced for the Pro, including Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Horizon: Zero Dawn Remastered when played side by side with a base PS5. Put simply, if you want the very best visual experience on a PlayStation console, then the PS5 Pro is the big gaming box for you.

Over the last year, I’ve been wowed by the visuals in games such as Clare Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. However, it should be noted that the Pro offers appreciated enhancements, but not a complete visual transformation. The best PS5 games still look fantastic on a less-powerful PS5 Slim; they just look and perform a little better on the PS5 Pro. For the most part.

Over the past year, there have actually been some reports of games looking/performing worse on the PS5 Pro, with titles like Star Wars: Jedi Survivor and Silent Hill 2 being prime examples. While these aren’t the norm, it’s a little frustrating to think gamers who shell out $700 for a console might get a worse visual experience even if it’s only in a handful of games.

Loads of room to spare

One PS5 Pro benefit that I called out in my review, but have come to appreciate a lot more than expected, is the console’s beefy 2 TB SSD.

Considering the latest model of the PS5 Slim has downgraded the stock storage to 825 GB, from the previous 1 TB capacity, having a full 2 TB on PS5 Pro is now even more of an upgrade. Add an internal SSD, and you can have as much as 3 or 4 TB of storage to play with, which is enough even for install-hungry games like Call of Duty Black Ops 7 with Warzone included.

As someone who is often leaping between several new releases for coverage purposes (it’s a first-world problem, I’ll admit), I used to find myself having to delete and reinstall software fairly regularly on my launch PS5 console. But on PS5 Pro, that’s pretty much never been an issue. “Do I have enough room to install this game?” isn’t even a question that has entered my mind.

Of course, if you’re the type of gamer who likes to stick to just a couple of online games or you prefer to enjoy games one at a time, a whole 2 TB will probably be excessive, but if you’d like to install dozens of blockbuster games all at once, the PS5 Pro’s SSD has plenty of room.

What I dislike about PS5 Pro

Not quite what was promised

During the PS5 Pro technical showcase, when the console was first unveiled to millions, lead architect Mark Cerny noted that one of the big goals of the Pro was to eliminate the need for gamers to pick between a Performance mode (favoring framerate) and Fidelity mode (favoring image quality), which is a pretty common choice on the base PS5.

That goal hasn’t quite been achieved. Some games, mostly PlayStation Studios-developed titles, do offer players a bespoke “Pro” mode that aims to deliver the benefits of both Performance and Fidelity mode at the same time. But for the majority of the third-party titles I’ve played on PS5 Pro, I’ve still had to decide if I want to favor framerate or increased image quality.

I’m a framerate above all else type of gamer, so I opt for Performance every time. But I’m slightly disappointed we’re not at the point where having to select a graphical mode has been eliminated. Perhaps that’ll come with PS6.

The price is a problem

In my PS5 Pro review, I labeled the $699 launch price of the console “exorbitant,” and the situation hasn’t improved; it has gotten worse. Seemingly gone are the days when consoles would get cheaper as their lifecycle rumbled on. Now we’re in a strange new world, where launch buyers seem to get the best deal, and late arrivals pay a premium for their tardiness.

In August, Sony announced a PS5 Pro price hike, increasing the cost from $699 to $749. What was already a difficult console to recommend to anybody but the most dedicated PlayStation gamer is now a tougher sell. Even last year, the PS5 Slim (Which got its own $50 hike, salting the wound further), was my go-to recommendation for most console buyers, and now that the PS5 Pro costs in excess of $700, it’s the definition of a luxury purchase.

Because the graphical upgrades offered by the PS5 Pro are largely solid, but on the slighter side, and only noticeable in many titles if you’re studying a side-by-side comparison, the PS5 Pro is one for the hardcore PlayStation fans only. Anybody just looking to dip into the console space more casually absolutely should stick with the PS5 Slim, which is the better all-rounder.

Should you buy a PS5 Pro in 2025?

I think purchasing a PS5 Pro comes down to what type of gamer you are. If you’re deeply entrenched in the PlayStation ecosystem and want the best visual/performance experience possible, even if it’s only a very marginal improvement, then the $749 price point is justifiable. Yes, it’ll significantly sting your bank balance, but I’m glad I’m able to swap my PS5 for PS5 Pro, and I think you will be too.

However, if you’re looking for a PS5 to play more casually, dipping into just a few games a year, or as a supplementary console to sit alongside, say, one of the best gaming PCs, the reasons for spending such an eye-watering sum evaporate pretty darn quickly. It’s a machine created for the biggest console enthusiasts. Plus, unlike the PS4 to PS4 Pro, which was able to bridge the 4K gap, the PS5 Pro doesn’t have quite such a clear selling point.

The PS5 Pro is a great console, that’s no surprise. After all, it’s a souped-up PS5, which was already an excellent gaming machine. And it offers a robust game library that is only growing better with each passing month. But it’s not a console for everybody, so factor that into your final buying decision.