Sony PlayStation 5 Pro and Slim – Which one should I get?

As the name designates, a mid-gen upgrade is supposed to accommodate right in the middle of the life span of a launched console. In the case of PS5 which has only run for two years, we may be whining a year early. But the question still must be asked for those looking for a PS5 Upgrade – should you get a PS5 Pro or Slim? 

The arduous task of the mid-generational update has fallen upon the Japanese company Sony for quite a long while. Ever since the PS3, we have observed a mid-gen upgrade (Slim and Pro variants) in about three years since the initial launch of the main console.

Laying out the future possibilities for the mid-gen PS5 Upgrades (PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro)

As things stand there are no official confirmations for any of these variants. PS3 and PS4 both saw a Slim console launch about three years after its initiation into the market. The slim usually costs a hundred dollars less on average. Following suit with the slim is its next of kin, but yet it’s big daddy the pro version.

• • PS4 Pro may have felt like three PS4 Slim sandwiching each other. It was also almost 1.2 kg heavier and had an extra USB slot. But with the weight also came the burden of specs upgrade.

Before we dive further into this question of whether PS5 Pro or Slim will be the one you should marry, we must set a certain framework. Nothing too savvy, but something important.

The surge of 8K Gaming may be better left off for a PS6 and not a PS5 Pro

1. The biggest value for Sony at the moment may be to invest alongside the growing technology of 8K TV and monitors. For the uninitiated, 8K has already been initiated. But at this point, it won’t be anywhere near being the consumer’s norm.
2. As things stand in the market, it should take a fair bit of time before 8K becomes part of the average household. It is a plausible reality for PS5 Pro but also a long shot. But at this point, I would point out two things.
   1. Either PS5 Pro will deal in entry-level 8K gaming or it will skip it altogether. Why I say this is because 8K inclusion may be better off invested in PS6 or something. But this is also competed by the fact that PS4 Pro already included 4K gaming at 60FPS and entry-level 120 FPS boggling.
   2. So it also seems like the least PS5 Can do is include 8k. But that would also mean we wait some 4 years more, completely thwarting the otherwise protocol of 3 years post-console release plans as seen in previous Slim and Pro variants. What are we dealing with here exactly?

More of that later, but let’s get into the question.

Should you get a PS5 Pro or PS5 Slim? 

Obviously, it makes sense to you by now that this answer is not based on official release. We don’t have a PS5 Pro or Slim yet. But that doesn’t stop us here at Spieltimes from exploiting future analytics and speculations.

PS5 Pro vs Slim Hardware

PS5 is already planning on launching a PS5 model with a separate optical disc drive. As of now, we have had three model revisions of the original consoles so far. Add this with the DualSense Edge controller that is planned for launch on January 26, you already have quite a lot of upgrades since its original console release.

Places of improvement that PS5 Pro can pick up on

The PS5 can do anything a PS4 Pro can. 4K resolution output with solid 60 FPS and ray-tracing are the expected and obvious zeal. The PS5 hardware isn’t glittery gold. There are aspects where it can improve.

1. The PS5 notably lacks 1440p output support, add it with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision compatibility.
2. Although after 4K running capacity 2k feels meh, it still isn’t an unaccounted wish. 8K feels like a stretch potentially in the habitation of a PS6, the PS5 Pro should get on to include the above-stated. Excluding 8k compatibility, for now, we can imagine a PS5 PRO hitting the pinnacle of performance at 4K 60 FPS.

Hardware improvements for PS5 Slim may be minor if not none

As for the PS5 Slim, it should be identical in hardware category to the homie PS5.

1. We have however observed amongst the many iterations of the PS4 Slim that it got slight performance boosts. Add it with freeware upgrade that improves already existing hardware specs.
2. Similarly, the PS5 Slim could potentially touch slight hardware changes. Truth be told, such minor changes wouldn’t be unaccounted for given that it runs at the same base price as the PS5.
3. Then it becomes a question of whether you want the base PS5 or you want a smaller, slimmer, less heavy but slightly better spec-wise PS5 Slim. But if such minor hardware tweaks aren’t launched initially, the only reason to buy a slim may be the size factor.

PSVR 2 Improvements

Another thing to consider for PS5 Pro is the improvement space for the recent PSVR 2. Given the surge of virtual reality gaming, it wouldn’t make sense to delay higher-end graphical output in the VR department to the next-gen.

• A PS5 Pro should definitely incorporate higher compatibility with even more demanding VR headsets and games.
• The same can not be said for the PS5 Slim, until the base PS5 itself is upgraded to meet VR demands to a certain extent.

PS5 Pro vs Slim The Size

The size is one aspect that we assume Sony to repeat history. PS4 Pro looked thrice the size of a PS4 Slim and twice that of a PS4. As things stand, Sony is more than capable of launching a potential PS5 Pro that is only 1/4th greater than the total size of the normal PS5. But why will they?

• The PS5 Slim is a marketing ploy. There’s no way they would delineate it. The PS5 Pro can however do better by being relatively less heavy than the PS4 was in comparison to its base counterpart. PS5 Pro doesn’t have to be a monster weighing four times a PS5 Slim.
• In terms of the PS5 Slim storage, we expect Sony to offer more SKUs for those wanting more space.

PS5 Pro vs Slim the Price

The PS5 started from a base of $499/£449. The PS4 started at around $399 but later dropped to around $300 while the PS4 Slim cost exactly $300 as well. The Pro cost $400 during launch.

As things are the PS5 price ain’t going down. The chip shortage is affecting the market and the prices of PS5 are not down at all. A PS5 Pro would possibly launch at $100-150 more than the PS5 base and the Slim should be the same as the launch price of PS5.

PS5 Pro Vs Slim – Which one should I get?

After assuming all of our above assumptions of the PS5 Pro vs Slim to be accurate, here’s our answer –

• If you want a PS5 that is less dynamic, more compact, lighter, slimmer, and more minimalistic, take a PS5 Slim when it comes out. But do so depending upon these further conditions –

1. That PS5 Base and PS5 Slim cost exactly or near similar, but if it is more
2. That PS5 Slim has slightly higher hardware improvements than the PS5.

But if the PS5 Slim costs way much more than PS5 and also provides no hardware improvements, we suggest waiting for the prices to drop if size matters so much to you. 

• If you want a PS5 that can pull the latest VR Technologies, high-resolution 4k Output with possible entry-level 8K gaming, go for the PS5 Pro. But this is assuming you can afford its price hike, which would be some $100-150 more than the PS5.

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