The PS5 Pro Is Here, Should You Care as a Sports Gamer?

The PS5 Pro came out last week, and it costs $700. The original PS5 and Xbox Series X both cost $500 at launch and were the start of a “new” generation not just a continuation of a generation of consoles that are now in their 4th year — and likely have another 3-4 years left in their lifespans before we get to a next generation. So, why did I pay a premium when I already own a PS5?

Well, because I had the budget to do so. But beyond the monetary part of it and whether I could simply afford it or not, is there any real reason I needed to have this console on day one? No, probably not.

However, we as sports gamers probably have a more understandable (or even forgiving) way of looking at this sort of “value judgment” when compared to some other sorts of folks who play games. We’re kind of used to paying for an “upgrade” that is sometimes barely an upgrade. Now, I’m not saying the PS5 Pro is “barely” an upgrade, but it’s not a $700 upgrade either.

And, to be fair, I don’t know if any mid-generation console could ever meet that requirement. I’ve loved buying some mid-generation upgrades like the PS2 Slim, DS Lite, and even the more recent Switch OLED, but I’m not sure if you already own that console/handheld if any of those “upgrades” can really justify their cost. Regardless, whether it’s replacing a graphics card in your PC or buying a refresh of a console, there’s nothing new about this process.

So returning to the sports gamer aspect, we’re used to this sort of value proposition — we think about it on a yearly basis. Again, I don’t often go with the lowest common denominator talking point by saying yearly sports games are just “roster updates” or whatever, but a yearly sports game by default is not going to see changes that are as big as the ones you’ll see between a game series that gets more room (and years) to breathe between versions. On top of that, these are sports games that are grounded in rules and reality — certain things about them can’t really change anyway.

Regardless, I don’t really think we as sports gamers have been truly “wowed” by graphics on a console in years. You could probably debate what the last true “wow” graphics moment was in sports games, but for me, I haven’t really been blown away by anything since the NBA 2K14 trailer.

It’s been 11 years since that trailer at the start of the PS4’s life, and beyond it being a good reminder that In The Air Tonight works in all situations, it reminds me of the last time I was blown away by graphics that were being showcased for a sports game. NBA 2K14 has a somewhat complicated legacy in that the graphics (for whatever reason) would get worse in future versions of the series. Either way, it doesn’t take away from how incredible that trailer — and then the game itself — looked on my PS4. NBA 2K14 was the first game I booted up on my PS4, and I still remember those first moments playing it to this day. (I also remember that you basically had to play a demo for a fair bit of time even after booting it up while it installed more stuff on your PS4.)

When we hit the PS5 generation, there was no moment like the one at the start of the PS4 generation. The new 2K and Madden were pushed more as “cross-gen” games, and while there were upgrades, they weren’t immense. That said, as I played the PS5 Pro last week, I was more reminded of the comparisons done with MLB The Show at the launch of the PS5. There was no PS5 version of The Show at launch because the PS5 came out in November and The Show was (and still is) a spring title. Instead, we got to see how the PS4 version of the game looked on the PS5.

The Show had graphical settings that you wouldn’t really use on the PS4 because it would tank the fps, but on the PS5 you could put everything on the top graphical settings and maintain a good performance. So playing your PS4 game on a PS5 was still an upgrade because it was like replacing an old PC with a new one.

For the games that received those PS5 upgrades last week, I think that’s the best comparison to make for how it felt. You can see the full list of games that will get (or have already received) PS5 Pro upgrades in the PlayStation Store, or you can just scope out the PS5 blog. With the sports games I tested out, it seems like they need to be patched in order to be “pro” ready. For the EA games, I did get some sort of upgrade, but for 2K it doesn’t seem like it got that upgrade as of yet. I assume that update will happen in the near future.

I didn’t scope out UFC or F1 as of yet, and it does seem like F1 is the “true” showcase among the sports and racing games if you want to see how the PS5 Pro boosts performance, but I did poke at both football games and 2K.

I’ll focus first on the football games and say that, yes, I noticed a difference right away. I do not think everyone will notice that difference. I’m playing on a massive 4K TV. If you’re playing on a smaller monitor, the differences might not be very apparent. I think if you watch comparison videos on YouTube it also won’t seem very apparent.

Even in my situation, the “feel” is more where I noticed the difference than the visuals themselves. While the replays and such do get a little more graphical love (and the crowds especially pop more in CFB), it is the frame rate where this stuff is showing through. During the actual gameplay, I can feel the more consistent performance and the 60fps.

I should also mention that I have played EA games on PC with the “uncapped” frame rate, so I do think it’s easier for me to notice the “feel” difference because it basically aligned more with how I have felt playing games on my high-end PC (even if the frames are still lower than on the PC).

This is what brings me back to the PS4 to PS5 jump for MLB The Show back in the day. I could feel those same differences then even if it was the same game. Even with NBA 2K not having received a patch as of yet, the game did still feel more consistent on the Pro. There is not that same amount of “jittery” behavior with the frames/camera when playing on broadcast, and the lighting is clearly a little bit better. At a bare minimum, it seems like you get those sorts of “boosts” by default with this console upgrade.

But, again, how much that’s worth to you is really your call. Performance matters in all games, but in sports games a better performance and locked in 60fps is a bigger deal because they’re more competitive games. I want my inputs to register and feel as tactile as possible. This is what I would say you’re paying for more than the upgraded graphics themselves.

How much that is worth to you is your call. I love new consoles, and I’ve basically always bought the new version on day one for the past 10+ years. At this point, it’s in my DNA so I’m an easy sell. Nothing about this console is going to change the way you experience your sports games in some life-changing way. Still, if you can recall those early days of jumping from the PS4 to PS5 and trying out some of your old PS4 games on the new console, it’s that feeling for me all over again.

It’s an “oh that’s cool I guess” kind of thing more than an “I can’t believe how good this looks now” kind of thing. It’s got me trying out games I haven’t touched in a long time, and it’s got me wanting to poke at some other games I’ve never played at all just to see how they look. You probably want more “wow” than that for $700, but these consoles are not going anywhere anytime soon. So whether you take the plunge today or a year from now (or never), I would look at the PS5 Pro as a way to give your excitement for the console a little boost. And if you’re super competitive, I do think it provides a little “edge” versus those who are playing on the standard versions of the console.