The PS5 Pro took things up a notch when it launched at $699.99 last year. That's PC pricing on a console that adds a few fancy tricks on top of a device that can be bought for $450. Sony's Days of Play sale has just dropped the PS5 Pro's first real discount, though, and even though it's only $50 off we're well on our way to this thing actually being worth it.
The new price ($649.99 at PS Direct), is $200 more than the MSRP of a Digital Edition PS5 Slim - though it's also worth noting that the cheaper model is also on sale for $399.99 with a free copy of Call of Duty. That's a lot of cash on top of the standard rate, but besides its ray tracing and AI upscaling wares the PS5 Pro has another feature that bumps its value far more directly.
An extra 1TB of storage.
If you were to pick up one of the best PS5 SSDs for your PS5 Slim it would cost you between $100 and $150 for a 1TB stick. Staying close to conservative estimates (our top pick, the Samsung 990 Pro, is currently available for $106.41 at Amazon), you'll need to add an extra $100 on top of your $449.99 Digital price to get the same amount of storage.
Now we're at $549.99 for a digital PS5 with 2TB of storage space at our disposal. That $100 for extra graphical grunt (and an upgrade to WiFi 7) doesn't look anywhere near as ridiculous as the full $699.99 MSRP did at launch.
Should you buy the PS5 Pro?
I was torn when I published my PS5 Pro review late last year. I tested the console as I would any other, by living and playing with it as I normally would in my own mid-range setup, while also stress-testing in a higher price bracket. In the former, the upgrades were barely noticeable - I had to sit right up close to my five year old LG Nanocell 4K TV to notice a few extra details or clock some clearer reflections. Up close on a fancy 4K gaming monitor, though, the benefits of that extra power under the hood are far more noticeable.
Yes, it's an upgrade - but it's not one the vast majority of players will be willing to (or should) pay an extra $200 for. An extra $100 if you're already eyeing up an extra storage stick? That could be a different discussion.
It turns out those rising (or, rather, refusing to fall) prices of the best gaming SSDs might be the factor that turns the PS5 Pro into a worthy consideration. These sticks would be on sale regularly just a few years ago, but I haven't spotted a record-low price for some time now.
By itself, the PS5 Pro is difficult to truly justify unless you know you want high-end graphics and you've got one of the best gaming TVs (or best gaming monitors) to view them on. If, however, you already know you want a PS5 and you already know you want to stick an extra 1TB of storage inside, the PS5 Pro looks like a much easier leap right now.
If you do take the plunge, it's well worth checking out the best PS5 accessories on the market, as well as the best PS5 controllers and best PS5 headsets for more.
